Sound check: Fruit Bats homecoming, JORDY, Pete Jive and two nights of the blues
Pete Jive release show
Looking ahead to his upcoming release "Demons, Dark Sides, and Downtime," Naperville alt-folk singer-songwriter Pete Jive brings his magnetic stage presence to Aurora's The Venue to celebrate his new tunes. 8 p.m. Friday, April 7, at The Venue, 21 S. Broadway Ave., Aurora. $5. themusicvenue.org.
Oh boy, JORDY
With songs from his upcoming full-length album "BOY" on the set list, Northbrook-native pop singer JORDY returns to the Chicago area this weekend for a show at House of Blues as part of Spencer Sutherland's "In His Mania Tour" with Cloe Wilder. 6 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. $22-$57; houseofblues.com
EGi jams
EGi (Ethereal Groove Inc.) packs a prog-rock punch, leaving flowy, experimental and catchy jamscapes in its wake. The Northwest Suburban band heads to Palatine's Durty Nellie's this weekend for a headlining show, joined by Indiana rock-and-funk jamsters Pushing Daisy's. 9 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $12 in advance, $20 at the door. durtynellies.com.
Daydream of 'Leisure'
Psych-pop group Daydream Review drops its debut full-length album "Leisure" on Friday, but fans can catch the tunes live as the band plays Cole's Bar Saturday with special guests Asi Asi and Picante. 9 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Cole's Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $13. colesbarchicago.com.
Fruit Bats homecoming
Naperville-raised Eric D. Johnson returns to Chicago from the West Coast with his musical act Fruit Bats and the recent single "Waking Up in Los Angeles," an early stop on the first leg of his spring North American tour. He'll be joined at this show by V.V. Lightbody, a project of Chicago artist Vivian McConnell. 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago. $30 for general admission. thaliahallchicago.com.
Dueling blues
Set two stages next week as Alligator Records artists Tinsley Ellis and Marcia Ball share two nights of their "Acoustic Songs and Stories Tour" at FitzGerald's in Berwyn Thursday, April 13, and Chicago's City Winery Friday, April 14. Each blues artist will perform solo before they unite on stage for a closing set.
• 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at FitzGerald's, 6615 W. Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. Tickets start at $40. fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/.
• 8 p.m. Friday, April 14, at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., Chicago. $45-$58. citywinery.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.