April 2019 events calendar for Chicago

Endlessly catchy and boundlessly energetic, Deerhoof's two-plus decades of musical output is still full of surprises. The quartet's 2017 album, Mountain Moves, finds the group collaborating with artists like Lætitia Sadier and Xenia Rubinos, providing a contrast to the chirpy vocals of lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki and the band's blistering funk-punk arrangements. Here, the band returns to Lincoln Hall in celebration of the venue's 10th anniversary, joined by experimental Philadelphia rockers Palm and local outfit Bleach Party.

Named for the boutique brand of amplifiers they favor, Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson front Seattle drone collective Sunn O))), which is typically augmented by a rotating cast of collaborators. Donning monk robes, the group doles out thick slabs of distortion and feedback, blurring the line between the chaotic disarray of noise music and the brutal melodies of contemporary metal. Sunn O))) comes to the Rockefeller Chapel is support of Life Metal, the first of the group's two planned 2019 release, both recorded with Chicago's own Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio. Pack your earplugs and show up early for a set from David Pajo's longrunning project, Papa M.

A former child voice actor who played characters in animated series like Kim Possible and Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Shaun Fleming has continued putting on new identities through the albums he's release under the name of Diane Coffee. After portraying King Herod in the Lyric Opera's production of Jesus Christ Superstar last year, Fleming entered the studio to write an album that deals with the anxieties of life in a digital age. On Internet Arms, Fleming approaches contemporary electro-pop music with the theatricality of his glam rock alter-ego, creating soaring synth-dappeled anthems that recall the radio-friendly fare of Robyn and Lykke Li. During a special show commemorating the 30th anniverary of Schubas Tavern, Diane Coffee is joined by local synth-pop group Woongi.

English folk singer Billy Bragg is best known for his collaborating with Wilco on the Woody Guthrie-penned Mermaid Avenue records, but he'll be focusing on some of his earliest songs when he brings his One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward tour to Lincoln Hall. During the three-night stand, Bragg will deliver a career-spanning set (April 25) before digging into his first three album, which marked his transition from a pub-rock frontman to a folk musician with a message (April 26). During this final show, Bragg will perform tracks from Workers Playtime, The Internationale and Don't Try This At Home, which are rife with overtly political lyrics.

In the decades since she recorded her first solo EP in the kitchen of her Chicago apartment, Neko Case has established herself as a formidable country and rock troubadour (and an integral part of Canadian indie rock super group the New Pornographers). Co-produced with Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, Case's latest album, Hell-On, plays to all of her strengths, filled with folk-rock ballads that showcase Case's powerful voice and her reliably dark sense of humor. During Case's two-night stand at the Vic, Shannon Shaw of Shannon and the Clams supports.

In a just world, UK rockers Foals would be as big as contemporaries like Alt-J and Mumford and Son, headlining an arena tour through the states. As it stands, the Oxford act has become one of Britain's most prominent alt-rock acts, with a major label record deal and the clout to release its sprawling new album in two parts. For the most part, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 sticks to what the band does best, melding tricky rhythms with driving synths and proggy guitar riffs across a series of larger-than-life anthems. While the exectution doesn't always live up to Foals ambitions (or justify its scale), seeing the band work out the material's kinks onstage should make for an invigorating evening. Make sure to get to the Riviera Theatre early to catch sets from Atlanta power-trio Omni and post-punk act Preoccupations.

Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein reunited onstage for the first time in 33 years at Riot Fest in 2016, but the Original Misfits are coming back to Chicagoland for another evening of classic punk rock. Expect to see plenty of smiling skull T-shirts in the crowd as you listen to renditions of classic horror-tinged tracks like "Night of the Living Dead" and "Skulls."