Greg Brown’s raw yet poetic folk songs are imbued with the spirit of the Midwest; religion, roadhouses and dirt-and-loam imagery often serve as his narrative backdrops. But there’s nothing quaint about Brown’s vision. Layered in a sometimes lilting, sometimes brooding fusion of country, blues and gospel, Brown’s incisive lyrics explore sex, loneliness, despondency and faith with a rough-grained honesty that’s more primal and elemental than bucolic. His latest LP, “Slant 6 Mind,” is a gem, a collection of acoustic folk art that confirms Brown as one of America’s best songwriters. Greg Brown performs Friday at the Old Town School of Folk Music. 909 W. Armitage Ave. 773-525-7793.
THE A LIST
Isley Brothers, Friday at the Star Plaza Theatre: While the Isleys’ trend-hopping career path through rock, psychedelic funk, disco and boudoir R&B might suggest a lack of imagination, their ability to make indelible music in every era is the hallmark of a legend. Best of all, Ronald Isley’s heavenly tenor and Ernie Isley’s acid-seared guitar can still raise goose bumps and inspire visions. I-65 and U.S. 30, Merrillville, Ind. 219-769-6311.
James Cotton, Saturday at Buddy Guy’s Legends: James Cotton is one of modern blues’ greatest harpists, and his career has encompassed a wide range of styles, but he’s at his best howling out rollicking Chicago-style stomps or the down-home country blues of his youth. Chronic throat problems have crippled Cotton’s once-powerful voice, but he can still blow the innards out of a harmonica. 754 S. Wabash Ave. 312-427-0333.
Helium, Saturday at Lounge Ax: If Helium’s decision to wade into conceptual art-rock with its latest opus, “The Magic City,” wasn’t particularly original, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t successful. By steeping its catchiest songs yet in a time-trippy green tea of chamberlins, sitars and mystical kingdom imagery, the band created a work dripping with color and melody that’s low on wankery and high on charm, albeit of a Roger Dean-esque variety. 2438 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-525-6620.
Other concerts
Megadeth, Friday at the Aragon Ballroom: As with Metallica, Megadeth’s move away from virtuoso thrash into straight hard rock has led to some flailing about for a new sound. The band’s developed a shimmering, titanium attack that’s more confident and cohesive than Metallica’s recent efforts, but it remains only slightly more satisfying. 1106 W. Lawrence Ave. 312-559-1212.
The Damned, Sunday at House of Blues: Of all the crude, classless pugs spewed forth in punk’s 1976 eruption, the Damned were the most erratic, but they also had the best hooks, the most musical imagination and the strongest tendency to mix whimsy and introspection into the vitriol. This lineup features co-founders Captain Sensible and ghoulish vocalist Dave Vanian aided by ex-Sisters of Mercy bassist Patricia Morrison, keyboardist Monty the Moron and drummer Garrie Dreadful. 329 N. Dearborn St. 312-923-2000.
Jonny Lang, Saturday at House of Blues: Seventeen-year-old guitarist Jonny Lang may be a precociously expressive singer and flashy stringbender, but his credentials as a blues “phenom” are slight. Lang writes little of his own material, he has yet to create a signature sound, and his impassioned solos are still riddled with cliches. Lang’s got talent; he just doesn’t have the blues. 329 N. Dearborn St. 312-923-2000.
Reel Big Fish, Friday at the Riviera Theatre: Neither as godawful as Goldfinger nor as gimmick-dependent as No Doubt, Reel Big Fish can still measure the gap between its “wacky,” formulaic ska-punk and integrity in light years. The fact that all of these bands hail from Orange County leads one to believe that the area’s well-publicized bankruptcy a few years ago was as much a cultural as a fiscal phenomenon. 4746 N. Racine Ave. 312-559-1212.
Gov’t Mule, Friday at the Park West: On its new LP, “Dose,” this trio of Allman Bros./Dickey Betts alums lumbers through boogie-blues with all the ponderous thunder of a ’70s jamosaurus. The record’s plenty heavy, but a torpid cover of the Beatles’ “She Said She Said” and originals like “Thelonius Beck” make one wonder if the boys should adjust their dosage. This band is more molehill than Mountain. 322 W. Armitage Ave. 312-559-1212.
