The Lawrence Arms

Gritty Chicago punk band the Lawrence Arms is playing the El Rey to promote its first full-length album in almost eight years, Metropole, and will come out swinging with its signature fiery spirit and a whole new energy. Expect songs that place more of an emphasis on storytelling and instill a feeling of urban isolation. Their influences range from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment (yeah, they really said that) to late-'90s hip-hop, which translated into lyrics like this Guns N' Roses nod: "Take me down to that city where the girls just look okay."