The Expendables and Iration

These two California surf rock bands have a sound that drifts like smoke with the mellow glow of reggae. The Expendables have been featured at the Warped Tour, put out five albums since forming in 1997 and worked with members of NoFx. In 2010, Iration hit No. 1 on the iTunes reggae album chart with “Time Bomb” and have just wrapped up work on a third album called “Automatic” that features Foo Fighters members Rami Jaffee and Jessy Greene.

Similar artists: Sublime, The Supervillains, PepperThe Expendables top tune: “Bowl for Two” off the 2004 album “Gettin’ Filthy”Iration top tune: “Time Bomb” off the 2010 album “Time Bomb”Show details: 7 p.m. Friday, The Black Sheep, 2106 E. Platte Ave., $22 or $24 the day of the show, 227-7625, coloradospringslivemusic.netCheck it out: theexpendables.net and irationmusic.com

Buckethead

Guitar god Brian Carrol has released 37 studio albums and has collaborated extensively with a wide variety of high profile artists, such as Bill Laswell, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian, Bill Moseley and Viggo Mortensen to name a few. What sets this virtuoso apart from all others is that when he performance, he wears an expressionless white mask and is crowned with a large fried chicken bucket (sometime white, sometimes with a KFC logo, sometimes with an orange bumper sticker that reads “Funeral”). This guy is weird but has a list of accomplishments that rival any hard-core guitarist in history, including being voted No. 8 in Guitar One magazine’s list of top shredders of all time.

Similar artists: Tom Morello, Primus, Steve VaiTop tune: “Jordan,” a 2009 singleShow details: 8 p.m. Thursday, The Black Sheep, 2106 E. Platte Ave., $20 or $22 the day of the show, 227-7625, coloradospringslivemusic.netCheck it out: bucketheadland.com

Hit the Road

Henry Rollins: 8 p.m. Friday at The Paramount Theatre in Denver; $25-$34.50.Built to Spill: With Helvetia and Sister Crayon, 9 p.m. Friday at The Bluebird Theatre; $22.50/$25.Bryan Adams: 8 p.m. Friday at The Paramount Theatre in Denver; $35.Further: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison; $55-$60.The Crystal Method: 9 p.m. Saturday at Beta in Denver; $15.Skylab 2012: With several acts, including Porter Robinson, Gareth Emery and Zedd, at Denver Coliseum in Denver; $50/$120.The Head and the Heart: With Blitzen Trapper, 6 p.m. Sunday at Boulder Theater in Boulder; $25/$27.50Jason Mraz: With Christina Perri, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison; $39.50-$59.50.Rise Against: With Gaslight Anthem, 7 p.m. Monday at The Filmore Auditorium in Denver; $35/$40Stephen Marley: With Spragga Benz and Jo Mesa, 8 p.m. Tuesday at The Ogden Theatre in Denver; $15/$25.Esperanza Spalding: 8 p.m. Tuesday at Boulder Theater in Boulder; $40-$75. 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Ogden Theatre in Denver; $35.Tycho: Wtih Album Leaf, 9 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Theatre in Boulder; $20/$22.Red Hot Chili Peppers: With Janelle Monae, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Pepsi Center in Denver; $43.50-$63.50.The Offsprings: With Neon Trees, 7 p.m. Thursday at The Filmore Auditorium in Denver; $35/$40Awolnation: With Imagine Dragons, 7 p.m. Thursday at Summit Music Hall in Denver; $20/$24.

Buckethead Photo by