SOCIAL DISTORTION
West Coast punk is the beginning and the foundation for Social Distortion, but the band’s unmistakable sound also corrals rockabilly, country, roots-rock and hard blues. Frontman Mike Ness remains the sole original member since its formation in 1978 and debut recording in 1983, but he was always essentially the band. His addiction battles and hiatuses aside, the recent album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes is only its seventh studio recording, but Ness still rocks his ass off, howling the words in a more spoken, less sung rasp. Ness, who also has a couple solo records in his stack, simply straps on the guitar, yells into the mic and launches a punk attack laden with raw guitars in an uncompromising sound that now completely belongs to him. The song “Still Alive” from the latest recording sums up his three-and-a-half decade trip. “With a guitar in my hand I stand a little taller / And I’ve been to hell and back / I ain’t falling off this track / From the back to the front page / From the gutter to the stage.” With Lindi Ortega and The Biters. $32.50. Nov. 9, 8 p.m. The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd. 704-549-5555.

CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY POPS: TRIBUTE TO BENNY GOODMAN
Swing-era jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman is worth celebrating. And, sure, bold statements like this are bandied around for all the legends; yet Goodman’s uncompromising anti-racist stance stands out, from gigs at the famously integrated Savoy Ballroom to his later refusal to play venues or even regions that insisted on white-only bands. These were bold and important moves for such a successful pop star of that era. And while Charlotte may not have necessarily been on Goodman’s tour itinerary in the late 1930s — due to his integrated band at the time — this weekend sees a tribute by modern clarinetist Dave Bennett. There’s naturally a question of sterility, and whether swing jazz loses some of its sweaty physicality in an upscale venue like Knight Theater. But you weren’t expecting to dance, were you? $34.50-$62.50. Nov. 9-10, 8 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. 704-372-1000.

ANTHONY DAVID
A rising star of the soul and R&B scenes, Anthony David got his start as an occasional collaborator with early-aughts celeb of the genre, India.Arie. Though David’s music shares with India.Arie an affinity for earnestness and mild social commentary, he has carved out his own style, most notably in his storytelling style of songwriting and his recent move away from acoustic arrangements. Since a 2008 Grammy nomination, he has been touring extensively, chasing the dream of carving out space in the charts for “a pure singer/songwriter who can express real emotions in real time.” With Avery Sunshine. $20-$30. Nov. 9, 9 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. 704-358-9298.

SOME ARMY
What happens when a side project gets more popular than the main outlet? While it’s too early to say if that’s going to be the case for this group of Triangle players, led by the Honored Guests’ Russell Baggett and featuring members of JKutchma & the Five Fifths and Aminal, it’s a question that could be coming down the pike, and soon, for the band. Some Army’s debut self-titled release — a seven-song, 28-minute EP — has been racking up the raves for its blend of Indian Summer melodies stacked atop insistent tempos; textures that drift between comforting and alienating (note the dubby, narcotic depths on the beautiful “Fall On Your Sword”); and late-night comedown narratives (“Nothing good happens at 4 in the morning,” Baggett sings on the luminescent “Business Gee,” and it sure sounds like he’s singing from experience). When Elysse Thebner adds her voice to Baggett’s (and he already kind of sounds like Kevin Drew), Some Army reminds us of another meta-group, or at least a slightly laid-back Appalachian version thereof — Broken Social Scene. Yes, much promise here. With the already awesome Naked Gods and Schooner. $5. Nov. 9, 9 p.m. Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. 704-333-9799.

Editor's note: This concert has been canceled. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III
Songwriter, satirist and dysfunctional family man Loudon Wainwright III notes that his contemporaries are all writing memoirs. He, on the other hand, prefers to chronicle his wayward life with witty, wise-ass, joyous and sorrowful songs. His latest LP, Older Than My Old Man Now, is an emotional rumination on mortality. Usually, when a pop elder tackles such subjects, words like “mature” and “thoughtful” are used as code for “boring downer,” but this is Loudon Wainwright III, the man who flirted with the mainstream in 1972 with that rollicking, endearing ode to road kill “Dead Skunk.” Wainwright has been writing gems like that for decades now, lampooning musical genres he truly loves while balancing comedy and tragedy on the edge of his razor-sharp wit. With sundry wives and assorted famous sons and daughters, Wainwright frequently focuses on his favorite protagonist — himself — and his adventures in family psycho-drama. Despite his years, Wainwright’s snarky charm suggests he’ll always be that 12-year-old class clown who might just drive you up the wall. He brilliantly tempers his clowning with compassion, and his needling exposes his own naked honesty. $25. Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m. McGee Theatre, Wingate University’s Batte Center, 403 N. Camden Road, Wingate. 704-233-8300.

JEANNE JOLLY
Singer/songwriter Jeanne Jolly crafts soulful folk-pop laced with heartfelt lyricism and a dash of Appalachian Americana. She’s a North Carolina native based in Raleigh, but this isn’t a case of the apple not falling far from the tree. Classically trained at the New England Conservatory of Music, Jolly’s been around the block, singing back-up with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and cutting tracks in Los Angeles before returning to her Carolina roots. Once home, Jolly honed her soul chops with Foreign Exchange, a Triangle R&B/hip-hop collective led by rapper Phonte Coleman of Little Brother fame. A powerful pop-country belter in the Linda Ronstadt/Dolly Parton vein, Jolly can easily shift to the dusky lilt of Alison Krauss or the sophisticated jazz phrasing of Ricki Lee Jones. All this experience, plus influences as diverse as Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell, coalesce in Jolly’s current LP Angels. Clear-eyed and empathetic, Jolly’s songs reflect on the angels that affect our lives, leaving the definition of “angel” open to each listener. An effortlessly masterful songwriter, she’s secure enough to cover folk legend Judy Sill’s “The Kiss” with a drone-based arrangement that would make avant-garde composer La Monte Young smile. $10. Nov. 7, 9 p.m. Double Door Inn, 1218 Charlottetowne Ave. 704-376-1446.

DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN
Del has been there all along, somewhere between hip-hop’s underground and mainstream. From his big-time debut, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, under cousin Ice Cube’s wing, to way-intelligent sci-fi concept rap as Deltron 3030, Del’s tried on pretty much every hat — often with stunning results. These days, he seems to cut a middle path between the two extremes, resting on his presumed laurels rather than testing his limits. The recent West Coast Avengers mixtapes, for instance, blend thematic, consciously retro production with unfortunate lines like, “I’m attracting flies/ I’m the shit.” It’s starting to seem like Del’s out of things to say, which is a damn shame. With Bukue One, Mr. Invisible, Projekt Lotus and Jerk Styles. $15. Nov. 7, 8:30 p.m. Tremont Music Hall, 400 W. Tremont Ave. 704-343-9494.