Talk of the town
CHRISSIE HYNDE Hard to believe, but Hynde’s new album is her first solo effort outside of the Pretenders. “Stockholm” keeps its hooks sharp and shiny, putting Hynde in front of lean, muscular songs produced by Björn Yttling of Swedish indie-rock trio Peter Bjorn and John. In true Hynde fashion, she still sounds like the last person you’d want to cross. Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $33.50-$73.50. Orpheum Theatre. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
JAMES REED
Pop & Rock
EX HEX
Led by Mary Timony, who previously fronted the beloved and departed Boston band Helium, Ex Hex comes to town behind one of this year’s most feral indie-rock debuts, the aptly titled “Rips.” It’s not hard to connect the dots between Timony’s work with that of the headlining band, Speedy Ortiz, the noise-rockers from Western Mass. Oct. 30,
9:30 p.m. Tickets: $12. Great Scott.
800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
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TIM GEARAN A longtime main attraction at Atwood’s, the hell-raising Gearan gets to mix it up on Halloween. He’ll be dipping into tunes from the 1930s and ’40s for what’s sure to be his usual barroom assortment of blues, country, and folk. Constumes encouraged. Oct. 31, 10 p.m. Tickets: $7. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 617-864-2792, www.atwoodstavern.com
WALTER SICKERT & THE ARMY OF BROKEN TOYS
As part of Cuisine en Locale’s two-day celebration of El Día de los Muertos, the Mexican tradition of honoring the dead, Sickert and his ragtag band of merrymakers are the featured musical guests, along with live Mariachi. Come for Sickert’s strange brew of cabaret rock, but stay for the food, including a Mexican-themed dinner buffet on Saturday night and a taco brunch Sunday afternoon. Nov. 1: 6 p.m. (music starts at 8), $40. Nov. 2: noon (music starts at 2), $25 and $10 for children under 12. Cuisine En Locale, 156 Highland Ave., Somerville. www.oncemuertosarmyoftoys.eventbrite.com
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JAMES REED
Folk, World & Country
LOS STRAITJACKETS WITH DEKE DICKERSON The luchador-masked Straitjackets are out with roots-music master and kindred spirit Deke Dickerson, supporting their just-out combined effort, “Los Straitjackets: Deke Dickerson Sings the Instrumental Hits,” which features material from the Straitjacket repertoire (“Pipeline,” “Misirlou,” the “Hawaii Five-0” theme) retrofitted with recovered or rewritten lyrics. “Sung instrumentals” — what a concept! Oct. 30, 9 p.m. Tickets: $20. The Sinclair, Cambridge. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com
JON DEE GRAHAM From his time in legendary ’80s outfit True Believers to his own ongoing solo career, reams of sideman work, and participating in “sideman supergroup” the Resentments, Graham has been an Austin roots mainstay. He doesn’t make his way this far north very often, so this is an opportunity worth taking advantage of. Nov. 1,
4 p.m. Tickets: $10. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 800-838-3006.
www.brownpapertickets.com
CHORUS PRO MUSICA Choral ensembles typically don’t show up in this corner of the weekly picks, but Chorus Pro Musica is doing something topical Sunday. “The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass” for chorus, soloists, and bluegrass band is composer Carol Barnett’s attempt “to bring the solemnity of the classical choir-based mass together with the down home sparkle of bluegrass.” Nov. 2, 3 p.m. Tickets: $25-$45. Old South Church. 800-658-4276. www.choruspromusica.org
PATRICK BRUEL This superstar of French film and music (the latter career launched on a wave of Beatlemania-scale screaming teen-girl worship) and world-class professional poker player brings his penchant for both modern rock and pop and classic chansons to the United States for the first time. Nov. 2, 8 p.m. Tickets: $39.50-$99.50. Berklee Performance Center. 617-747-2261. www.berklee.edu/BPC
STUART MUNRO
Jazz, Blues & Cabaret
CHARLES NEVILLE WITH JEFF PITCHELL & TEXAS FLOOD Saxophonist/singer Charles, of the famed New Orleans brothers, joins the ace blues guitarist/singer’s band for a show anticipating their forthcoming collaborative CD, “A Taste of New Orleans, Mardi Gras, the Blues, and Rock.” Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20. Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St., Somerville. 617-776-2004, www.johnnyds.com
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AARDVARK JAZZ ORCHESTRA The Hub-based big band’s 42d season rolls along with an “Election Special,” peering at politics and culture through the musical lens of director Mark Harvey’s pieces “DeEvolution Blues,” “Through the Looking Glass Blues,” “Keepin’ On,” and more. Nov. 1, 8 p.m. Free. MIT’s Killian Hall, 160 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. 617-452-3205, www.aardvarkjazz.com
E.S.P. VOCAL JAZZ TRIO Singers Emily Browder–Melville, Sandi Hammond, and Patrice Williamson have crafted a stylish blend of jazz, musical theatre, and contemporary song. This concert celebrates their debut disc, “They All Laughed,” produced by Kim Nazarian of the New York Voices and pianist Mark Shilansky, whose trio provides backing. Nov. 1, 7 p.m.. Tickets: $15. Davis Square Theatre at 255 Elm St., Somerville. www.davissquaretheatre.com, www.espvocaltrio.com
THE MUSIC OF JOHN ZORN A 35-year retrospective of the musical provocateur’s career, curated by NEC’s Anthony Coleman and Zorn himself, performed by faculty and student ensembles. Repertoire includes chamber compositions, tunes associated with his bands Masada and Naked City, and his early game piece, “Cobra.” A pre-concert Q&A with Zorn commences at 7 p.m. Nov. 4, 8 p.m. Free. NEC’s Jordan Hall. 617-585-112, www.necmusic.edu
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena returns with Schubert’s “Great” Symphony in C and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, featuring the excellent German violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann as soloist. Oct. 30-Nov. 4. Symphony Hall. 617-266-1200, www.bso.org
HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY H&H’s dynamic concertmaster Aislinn Nosky will lead (and perform as soloist in) a program devoted to Vivaldi’s “L’estro Armonico” as well as works by Torelli and Tartini. Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, Jordan Hall. 617-266-3605, www.handelandhaydn.org
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RICHARD GOODE The distinguished American pianist has long claimed Beethoven as a specialty. For this keenly anticipated recital, he will survey the composer’s luminous late sonatas, Opp. 109, 110, and 111. Nov. 1, 8 p.m., Jordan Hall. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org
PARKER QUARTET This NEC-trained ensemble has taken up a new post as Harvard’s Blodgett artists-in-residence. Its next concert features Prokofiev’s Second Quartet, Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden,” and Kurtag’s “Six Moments Musicaux.” Nov. 2, 3 p.m., Paine Concert Hall. Free but tickets are required. 617-496-2222, ofa.fas.harvard.edu/boxoffice
JEREMY EICHLER