Sound check: Eric Church at the United Center, two nights with Ike Reilly, Flogging Molly at home

'Gather' with Eric Church

The Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association award-winning star Eric Church brings his "Gather Again Tour" for a night in Chicago. Catch "Drink in My Hand," "Talladega," "How 'Bout You" and other hits at the United Center this weekend.

8 p.m. Friday, March 11, at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. $39-$169. (800) 653-8000 or unitedcenter.com.

Irish traditions

Fans should prep for a musical journey as Danú, a traditional Irish ensemble, takes them across Ireland through song and dance for an early St. Patrick's Day Celebration at the McAninch Arts Center this weekend. The Trinity Academy of Irish Dance will perform in the lobby.

6 p.m. Sunday, March 13, at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $50-$60. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org.

Situation Chicago Live

Quiet Pterodactyl, the Chicago nonprofit that released "Situation Chicago" and "Situation Chicago 2" - compilations of Chicago musical artists - as fundraisers for the Chicago Independent Venue League in 2020 and 2021, is adapting its mission supporting the independent music community, bringing two live shows to the Empty Bottle. Proceeds from the Situation Chicago Live concerts will benefit Quiet Pterodactyl's arts advocacy and CIVL's mission to aid the independent community. In addition to speakers, guest DJs and silent auctions, Night 1 (March 15) will feature White Mystery, MIIRRORS, Neptune's Core and a DJ set by Bumbac Joe, while Night 2 (March 16) hosts Gramps the Vamp, Justice Hill & Nightime Love, Al Tamper and DJing by Fess Grandiose.

8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15-16, at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., Chicago. $15 each night. (773) 276-3600 or emptybottle.com. Visit quietpterodactyl.org for details, tickets and information on the albums.

Two nights with Ike Reilly

Riding the high from last fall's "Because the Angels" album release and tour, The Ike Reilly Assassination makes a two-night stand at Golden Dagger next week. The band - headed by Libertyville folk-rebel Ike Reilly and featuring Phil Karnats, Dave Cottini, Pete Cimbalo and Adam Krier - will revel in the 21-and-older folk-punk spin on the week's Irish festivities.

8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March 16-17, at Golden Dagger, 2447 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $25. (773) 857-0166 or goldendagger.com.

Shamrocks and speak-easies

The guitar-slinging Jimmy Nick puts the blues into shamrock green with his old-school take on the Chicago blues at the Club Arcada Speakeasy St. Patrick's Day Party.

7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Club Arcada Speakeasy, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $10, but table reservations are recommended. (630) 962-7000 or clubarcada.com.

Flogging Molly at home

Flogging Molly knows how to throw a raucous party at their shows, but this year the band is sharing the festivities globally. Performing at the Hollywood Palladium next Thursday, the Celtic punk band is livestreaming the St. Patrick's Day concert in HD through veeps. If the 11 p.m. start time is a little late for you (since they're on the West Coast), the concert will be streaming on-demand through Sunday, March 20.

11 p.m. Thursday, March 17. $20 at floggingmolly.veeps.com.

New Blue Car

Long a staple of the Bloomington and Central Illinois music scene, Jake Denny of Mackinaw, Illinois, launched his solo project Blue Car about a year ago. Now a Columbia College student in Chicago, he released the new single "Posters" this week, a song heavy with '90s alt-rock influences and an earworm of a hook.

The new song examines our need to keep our minds busy (and sometimes a little disconnected).

"It's about finding experiences," Denny said. "It's about just finding distractions on top of distractions just so you don't have to really confront stuff."

Denny and his band - now a foursome with Steve Ryan on guitar, Cade Leassner on bass and Mikey Wlodek behind the drum kit - are building up a following playing regular concerts around the city, including recent performances at Beat Kitchen and on Subterranean's main stage. Blue Car has upcoming shows at Liar's Club (March 16), The Art Hole (April 16) and downstairs at Subterranean (April 24) on the calendar, as well as an EP-release show in the works for May.

The self-taught musician who learned by copying what he heard when he first picked up a guitar around age 10 is now well-versed on many musical tools. He played all the instruments recorded for the upcoming EP, which is not a big surprise considering his upbringing.

"Everyone else in my family plays music, so when I was a kid I just assumed that's what you did. I thought that was a normal thing. It wasn't really a question of if I was going to play music, just what am I going to play?" he said, chuckling. "I later learned that not every family does that."

Denny, who also plays drums in Chicago's Perfect Candidates, said he's been fortunate having a network of other musicians from downstate who have helped him out, not to mention the connections he's made on the scene since moving up here.

"I'm lucky enough that I've gotten a lot of opportunities since moving here," he said, "so it's going pretty good thankfully."

In other news ...

• This weekend's Eric Johnson "Treasure Tour" stops at the Des Plaines and Arcada theatres have been postponed until 2023. Watch for more info from ticket vendors.

• Last week, Versa Fest announced its Chicago debut, coming to Lincoln Park June 11 and 12. The women-led, women-powered festival will feature Kim Petras, Monica, Liz Phair, Laura Jane Grace and many other artists, comedians and speakers across five stages in the park, topped off with culinary experiences curated by Gail Simmons (of "Top Chef"). Tickets - $215-$295 for general admission, $295-$365 for general admission extra, and $595-$665 for VIP - are on sale now at versafestival.com.

• The Pitchfork Music Festival announced its return this week - July 15-17 in Union Park - featuring headliners The National, Mitski and The Roots. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 11, at pitchforkmusicfestival.com.

• Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music junkie. Email him at bshamie@dailyherald.com, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter (@thatshamieguy) or Instagram (@chicagosoundcheck). He also keeps tabs on the Chicago music scene at chicagosoundcheck.com.