Music notes: Shooter Jennings brings 'Spirit' tour to Libertyville
Country legacy
Shooter Jennings, son of the great country-music legend Waylon Jennings, has carved out his own music career with fierce independence. But he's never shied away from the questions his well-known last name raises. Jennings is currently on "The Spirit of Waylon" tour, on which he is accompanied by members of his father's last touring band. Should be a night of gritty and honest country songs.
8:30 p.m. Friday, May 23, at Austin's Fuel Room, 481 Peterson, Libertyville. Tickets start at $25. Go to austinsaloon.com.
New-release party
Local band AM Taxi was started by members of the DuPage County band Lucky Boys Confusion, and over time AM Taxi has become known as a fierce outfit in its own right, playing energetic guitar rock that reflects a wide range of influences (the Replacements, the Police). The band is celebrating the release of a new EP with a show in the city this weekend.
8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, at the Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. $12. Go to beatkitchen.com.
Acclaimed rapper
Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli has built a stellar body of work that includes material with the band Black Star (Kweli's project with Mos Def), solo albums and collaborations with some of hip-hop's most acclaimed artists. He's the standard-bearer for socially conscious rap music, admired both within the rap world and without for his clever and pointed lyrics. Kweli released two full-length albums in 2013, "Prisoners of Conscious" and "Gravitas," and he'll be performing this weekend at Metro with a live band.
8 p.m. Sunday, May 25, at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago. $25. Go to metrochicago.com.
- Matt Arado