Rocktober & More: Concerts You Should Check Out

October is packed with many cracking shows, making it tough to pick but I think I cracked the code! Here are my picks! Eliot Sumner

Who she is: Rock singer from Italy/England

Where: Bowery Ballroom

When: Thursday, October 13

Tickets: $15

Opener(s): Zipper Club

Why You Should Go: Eliot Sumner is the daughter of Sting and does not want people to think of her gender as male or female, but rather as “musician." She used to tour Europe under the DJ name Vaal but now she combines really solid, dark rock with her powerful, aching voice.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M1RtbKnp1U[/embed]

M83

Who they are:  French Synthpop

Where: Terminal 5

When: Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15

Tickets: $42.50

Opener(s): Shura

Why You Should Go: I saw M83 over summer and I think I would pay $42.50 just to hear the saxophone part at the end of “Midnight City”. M83 plays sensational, heavenly, majestic synthpop that will warm your soul and lift you to cloud-dwelling cherubs. Better than great (especially live), M83's show is worth the steep price tag.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNEbsZ3IcH4[/embed]

Mick Jenkins

Who he is: Rapper from Chicago

Where: The Bowery Ballroom

When: Friday, October 14

Tickets: $3 with RSVP, $10 without (!RSVP! here: goo.gl/qhgVLF)

Opener(s): Smino, Austin Millz

Why You Should Go: If you were homeschooled or do not like naughty words, you should probably avoid a Mick Jenkins show. Mick will probably drop a good amount of n-words and f-words and rap about plenty of explicit themes, so maybe go to Lecrae’s October 30th show at Irving Plaza instead. Mick has a good mix of very hype and very chill. Despite the profanity, his packed lyrics are very deep. His show at the Bowery Ballroom is part of the tremendous Red Bull Sound Select series and is only 3 bucks if you RSVP.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1hvvIJ5JO0[/embed]

Mura Masa

Who they are: Electronic/R&B producer from Guernsey (small island in the English channel!)

Where: Webster Hall

When: Thursday, October 27

Tickets: $20

Opener(s): Michi

Why You Should Go:  Most of Mura Masa’s songs have regular names like “Lovesick” and “Low”, but he once named a song “I Bought My Girlfriend Omega Ruby For 3DS And She Called Me An Otaku.” Mura Masa is the project of Alex Crossan and is electronic music with lots of dope Hip Hop, R&B and Asian elements. Watch one of his boring name tracks, “Firefly”, below. The sound quality is not the best, but you’ll get the feel for a bumping Mura Masa show.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=960ggeeTdRc[/embed]

Hinds

Who they are: Indie Rock from Spain

Where: Warsaw

When: Friday, October 28

Tickets: $20

Opener(s): Cold Fronts

Why You Should Go: Hinds are four girl friends from Madrid, Spain. They sing some songs in Spanish (make sure you dust up on la español) and may not always sound very harmoniously pleasing but have a really a really fun Courtney Barnett-like grunge sound. You can tell Hinds always have a blast on stage and you’ll have a blast listening (and dancing).

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWn-UUhonYE[/embed]