Meat Loaf at the Wellmont Theatre, Tuesday, June 17, $55
Consider your life. Consider your choices. In all likelihood you are a human being who has not yet seen Meat Loaf live. This is unfortunate. You ought to rectify this situation. It's been 35 years since the theatrical metal goofball released his Bat Out of Hell album, selling a bajillion copies and inadvertently predicating the whole glam-metal thing spearheaded by Poison, Motley Crüe and the like. His subsequent works have been spotty at best—the unimpeachable "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" excepted, of course—but live, we can just pretend his career consists of only an hour of rock-solid material and 99% of it came from 1977. -Drew Millard
Refused, OFF! at Williamsburg Park, Wednesday, June 18, $35
Nothing better than some good ol' fashioned hardcore on a Wednesday, right? The recently re-fused Refused and OFF!, the latest project of Keith Morris of Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame, should have you covered. Refused's seminal 1988 album The Shape of Punk to Come didn't actually manage to shape the punk to come, but it stands high as one of the genre's shining achievements and most daring uses of the form. Where Refused innovated, however, OFF! is simply a very, very good hardcore band. They're old dudes, but their music is still powerful. Even better, Morris pulls off the dreadlocks better than nearly any other dude on the punk scene. -DM
Electric Six, Rocks Off Concert Cruises (Marina 41), Thursday, June 19, $30
Electric Six are one of those bands that if you're not paying attention, seem like an one-hit wonder that washed ashore years ago. But as soon as "Gay Bar" and "Danger! High Voltage" faded from MTV2 rotation, Dick Valentine and his colorfully named stooges (my favorite former member is a tie between Dr. Blacklips Hoffman and Rock And Roll Indian) kept cranking out album after album of knowingly pompous Chic and Devo-infused rock music that all but reeks off too much drakkar noir. (Best album title: I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master) It's a good-dumb time, as long as you don't worry too hard about whether your fist pumping is ironic. Plus, you should do the rock show on a boat thing at least once. Moshing on the water is a uniquely disorienting experience. -Michael Tedder
College, Anorakk, Electric Youth at Music Hall of Willimsburg, Friday, July 20, $20
You might not be as cool as Ryan Gosling. You might not be real hero. You might not even by real human being. But for one night you can watch two of the stars of the Drive soundtrack, and feel a little more cinematic. Bring your own fingerless gloves. And try not to stomp anybody's head in. -MT
