Sound check: Josh Caterer Trio kicks off the weekend at The Venue
Rachael Sage at Uncommon Ground
Six-time Independent Music Award winner and NYC-based alt-pop singer-songwriter Rachael Sage brings songs from her recent album "Character," along with select works from her 14-album catalog, to Uncommon Ground in Lakeview, backed by violinist Kelly Halloran and Trina Hamlin on harmonica and percussion.
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, at Uncommon Ground, 3800 N. Clark St., Lakeview. $10. uncommonground.simpletix.com.
Josh Caterer at The Venue
Josh Caterer, suburban-native singer and founding member of the Smoking Popes, brings his Josh Caterer Trio to the stage for a power-pop performance at The Venue. Indie rock singer/guitarist Tom Daily sports his string of recently released singles "Call It a Night," "Behind Every Corner" and "Recover" to kick off the evening.
8 p.m. Friday, March 24, at The Venue, 21 S. Broadway Ave., Aurora. $17-$20. themusicvenue.org.
Inhaler's Irish rock
Dublin-born Inhaler brings its sophomore album and recent release "Cuts & Bruises," along with their other Irish rock catalog, when their North American tour stops at Chicago's Riviera Theatre this weekend. SoCal-based rock band Sun Room joins them.
8 p.m. Friday, March 24, at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave., Chicago. $27.50 for general admission, $60 for mezzanine. jamusa.com.
Chicago Soul Spectacular
Catch a night steeped in soul and riddled with rock 'n' roll as The Venue hosts the Chicago Soul Spectacular, featuring some of Chicago's hot artists performing R&B, soul, funk and rock hits from the '60s and '70s.
8 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at The Venue, 21 S. Broadway Ave., Aurora. $15-$20. themusicvenue.org.
Folksy Steve Forbert
With an eye on the nuances of everyday life and an ear for Americana, New York City-based folk artist Steve Forbert heads to FitzGerald's in support of his most recent album, "Moving Through America."
8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at FitzGerald's Nightclub, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $25 for a reserved seat; reserved table packages are also available. fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.
Jordy Searcy at SPACE
Fans might recognize Jordy Searcy from his season 7 appearance on "The Voice," but the young singer-songwriter has lived a lot of life since 2014. Using the pandemic lockdowns to cruise along the West Coast, living in his touring van and crafting music along the way, he emerged as a more mature and adventurous songwriter. Searcy heads to an intimate performance at SPACE this weekend, joined by singers William Hinson and Phillip Vo for a standing-room-only show.
8 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $17. evanstonspace.com.
Toasting with Local Motive
To celebrate stalwart Chicago musician Johnny V's birthday, Hey Nonny hosts a Roast & Toast of him in its intimate listening room, featuring some acoustic tunes by the guest of honor himself. His daughter, comedian Lauren Vino, will lead the roast, and his son Mike Vinopal's band Local Motive will wrap up the night with a full set of soulful funk-rock.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. $10-$25. heynonny.com.
• Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music junkie. Email him at bshamie@dailyherald.com or follow him on Instagram (@chicagosoundcheck). He also keeps tabs on the Chicago music scene at chicagosoundcheck.com.