By Michael Witthaus
• B.I.G. Dead: Preposterous though it may look on paper, the sound of Grateful for Biggie makes sense. A melding of the Dead and the late Notorious B.I.G. interjects songs like “West L.A. Fadeaway” and “Eyes of the World” with lyrical flow from the late rapper, as jam band chops meet urban poetry. Watch two very different eras join together for a singular sonic experience. Thursday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m., Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket, $20 at portsmouthnhtickets.com.
• Blues return: In the middle of the 2010s Delanie Pickering made a mark on the Concord music scene with incendiary guitar playing and inspired singing. Now that she’s relocated to the Cape, it’s been too long since she’s done an area show, but that changes when Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish hit town. Pickering joined the popular Martha’s Vineyard band after laying low for a bit following her arrival. Friday, Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $28 at ccanh.com.
• Metal ladies: Three female-fronted Granite State bands appear at an event dubbed Metal Queens & Burgers. Under the Horizon is a power trio led by singer/bassist Izzy McIntyre that opened for Great White at Tupelo last summer. The Saturn Cycle, the duo of Ariana Doccola and Jordan Leonard, use looping for a big sound and have a new album due next month. Vermilion recently appeared at Pizzastock. Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m., BAD BRGR, 1015 Elm St., Manchester, $10 at the door.
• Comedy tonight: Steve Scarfo will deliver the laughs at Chunky’s this weekend. A native Mainer, Scarfo came up in the Boston club scene and once took part in a mashup of Survivor and Last Comic Standing that’s worth a look on YouTube. Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m., Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road, Manchester, $20 at chunkys.com.
• Southern accent: After attending a weekly cumbia night in San Francisco, Chuck Prophet became fascinated with the rhythmic Colombia-based music. During treatments for a stage 4 lymphoma diagnosis, he marinated in it, which led to the making of Wake the Dead, a life-affirming live in the studio album made with his band and two members of cumbia combo ¿Qiensave? Wednesday, Jan. 29, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace, 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, $22 and up at 3sarts.org.