Weekend music picks: Kendrick Lamar, Emmylou Harris and a charity crawfish boil

Staff Writer

Austin 360

It’s going to be a hot weekend in Austin, but there are plenty of cool sounds on tap.

Friday: The Championship Tour with Kendrick Lamar, Sza at Austin360 Amphitheater. Kendrick Lamar is arguably the most important rapper alive right now. He makes sonically complex, lyrically dense music that still moves the masses. Powerful works like “We Gon’ Be Alright” remind even the most cynical among us that sometimes a song can change the world. This tour presents not just Lamar, but the whole Top Dawg Entertainment crew including first lady Sza, whose stunning 2017 release “Ctrl” was one of the strongest R&B albums of the year. The bill also includes Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock and more. Resale tickets available. 7:30 p.m. 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd. austin360amphitheater.com. — D.S.S.

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Friday: KUTX presents Riders Against the Storm at Mueller. Austin’s NPR affiliate presents the final spring installment of the family concert series Rock the Park. The free shows pair a kid-centric act with a group grown folks will love. In this go round, “kindie” (kid indie) duo Que Pastas opens for husband/wife hip-hop team Riders Against the Storm. Odds that your kid goes home talking about “all that Booty Sweat?” Very high. Free. Facepainting starts at 6:30 p.m., music at 7. 4550 Mueller Blvd. kutx.org — D.S.S.

Friday-Saturday: Nada Surf at 3Ten. The beloved New York indie-pop band’s career has now reached the point where other artists are doing tribute records of their songs: Check out “Standing at the Gates,” released earlier this year and featuring contributions from Aimee Mann, Ed Harcourt, the Texas Gentlemen and others. Hear the real thing at this two-night stand; the first night sold out early, but tickets were still available for night two at press time. $20-$25. 8 p.m. 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. 3tenaustin.com. — P.B.

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Saturday-Sunday: Emmylou Harris at Paramount Theatre. It was no surprise when the Grammys gave a lifetime achievement award to Harris this year, given that she’d already won more than a dozen of them in a variety of categories across a stellar five-decade career. At 70, she’s still making great music that pushes outward on the boundaries of country, shining especially in recent years through collaborations with Rodney Crowell, Mark Knopfler and others. Too big for just one show at the Paramount, she’ll play two nights. $40-$90. 8 p.m. 713 Congress Ave. austintheatre.org. — P.B.

Sunday: Rock the Doc fundraiser at Donn’s Depot. There’s two “docs” involved here, as it happens. One is a documentary film that’s being made about this train-stop-turned-live-music-haven, which has been choogling along since the 1970s and arguably has more personality than any venue in Austin. But this event also will benefit the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, which helps find “docs” and other medical personnel at prices its members can afford. That’s a pretty good daily double, especially when it comes with live music from Marcia Ball, Albert & Gage, Tony Kamel, Kym Warner, the Nash Hernandez Orchestra, Danny Britt & Red Dawg, Murphy’s Inlaws, Frank Cavitt & the Honky-Tonk Doctors (naturally) and more. $20. Noon to 8 p.m. 1600 W. Fifth St. donnsdepot.com. — P.B.

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Sunday: Music, Love & Crawfish at Empire. Two Austin groups, nonprofit Restpit and art facilitators the Hippie House, have teamed with the folks from Empire to produce a benefit for the family of Stephan House, the first victim of the March bombings that terrorized Austin. The two-stage event features a stacked lineup of ATX talent led by soul singer Tameca Jones and Kalu & the Electric Joint, the new psychedelic blues project from singer Kalu James, David Byrne tribute act Heart Byrne, and Nakia & the Blues Grifters. Electro-soul outfit Trouble in the Streets and recent Austin360 Artist of the Month Blastfamous USA are featured performers, and there also will be crawfish paella, art installations, live painting and screenprinting, and a silent auction. $15-$20. Doors at 3 p.m. 606 E Seventh St. empireatx.com — D.S.S.

ALSO PLAYING

Friday

Koe Wetzel, Chris Colston at Scoot Inn

Jimmy Eat World at Stubb’s outdoor

ZZ Ward at Emo’s

Geographer at Parish

MC Chris at Barracuda

Ginuwine at Empire

White Ghost Shivers record release, Clyde & Clem’s Whiskey Business at Continental Club

Cha Wa CD release at Antone’s

Chill Russell album release, Cover Letter, Shark Rider at Mohawk indoor

Will Taylor & Strings Attached play Stevie Wonder at Townsend

Guy Forsyth, Denny Freeman at Saxon Pub

Girl Pilot at ABGB

Pilar Andujar, Atash at One-2-One Bar

Saturday

Kat Edmonson at ACL Live

X Ambassadors at Stubb’s outdoor

Kimbra, Son Lux at Mohawk outdoor

Tritonal at Emo’s

W.C. Clark album release, Marcia Ball at Antone’s

Brett Young, Travis Denning, Grant Gilbert at Nutty Brown Amphitheatre

Shy Beast, Otis Wilkins, Darkbird at Mohawk indoor

Young Tongue at Stubb’s indoor

Two Tons of Steel, Derailers, Kinky Friedman, Folk Uke at Continental Club

Emily Gimble, Lost Counts at Continental Gallery

Ephraim Owens Quintet at Elephant Room

Jake Penrod, Them Duquaines, Dave Insley at White Horse

Dale Watson at Broken Spoke

Van Wilks, Latin at Heart at Saxon Pub

Puerto Rico Flowers, Body Pressure, White Suns, Young Mothers at Beerland

Sha Alheem at Townsend

Stelth Ulvang at Radio Coffee & Beer

Good Field at Geraldine’s

Mayeux & Broussard at ABGB

Sunday

Steve Dean Celebration of Life at Continental Club (noon)

Anvil at Barracuda

Trashcan Sinatras at 3Ten

Brian Culbertson at One World Theatre

Brevet, Solid State Dream Suit at Stubb’s indoor

Jeremy Nail, Resentments, John Gaar, Paper Moon Shiners CD release at Saxon Pub

Hilary York, Dale Watson at C-Boy’s

Soul of a Musician series with Ali Holder at Threadgill’s North

Young Mothers, Shmu, Mood Illusion at Mohawk indoor

Lo Jinx Supper Club, Purgatory Players at El Mercado Backstage