Music notes: Bob Mould plays Schaumburg's Prairie Center

Post-punk hero

Bob Mould has been a driving force in two of the most influential bands of the past 30 years — Husker Du in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s. He's also been an acclaimed solo artist, delivering albums like 1989's classic “Workbook” and his most recent work, “Silver Age,” which came out in 2012. Now in his early 50s, Mould is as powerful a songwriter/musician as ever. He makes a special stop in the suburbs this weekend.

8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, at the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. $36. Go to prairiecenter.org.

Metal lives

Heavy metal is alive and well this weekend in the suburbs, with two classic bands — Queensryche and Quiet Riot — taking the stage in St. Charles. Queensryche — the version of the band led by original frontman Geoff Tate — will deliver its epic brand of progressive metal, while Quiet Riot will run through MTV-era hits like “Cum On Feel the Noize.”

8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Tickets start at $29. Go to oshows.com.

Still 'Super'

The great band Superchunk was one of the cornerstones of the 1990s punk/alternative scene in Chapel Hill, N.C. The band had an energetic and ferocious style that combined buzz-saw guitars and driving rhythms with smart, witty lyrics. After a much-too-long hiatus during the 2000s, the band roared back to life in 2010 with the album “Majesty Shredding,” which was followed up in 2013 with the acclaimed “I Hate Music.” (When not writing or performing, band members Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance run the independent record label Merge, which remains one of the most respected rock labels in the world.) Superchunk hits Chicago this weekend as part of the annual Tomorrow Never Knows rock festival.

9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago. Roomrunner and Split Single will also perform. $21. Go to metrochicago.com.