WEDNESDAY: The sleaze punks of the Dwarves play the Ottobar with the Stalkers, Honkey Kong, and Without Warning. Christian metalcore band Underoath screeches at the choir at Bourbon Street with Times of Grace, Stray From the Path, and Letlive. Soprano Ah Young Hong and lute/theorbo player Kevin Payne look back to the Renaissance at An die Musik.

THURSDAY: The Kowli Nights omni-dance party returns to the Ottobar. Sonar hosts the ninth edition of the Welcome to the Court “networking event and concert” with Billy Lyve and a long list of MCs taking a turn. Blues-rock guitar hero Jonny Lang plays Rams Head Live with Cris Jacobs. Vocalist Jane Bunnett and pianist Hilario Durán do Rhapsody Cubana at An die Musik. Party DJ extraordinaire James Nasty mans the decks at the Windup Space with Sneaks and Ponyo. Maggie Sansone, Sharon Knowles, and Shannon Dunne deliver a night of all-in Irish music/dance to Sykesville’s Baldwin’s Station.

FRIDAY: New York’s Ladybug Transistor makes indie-pop not quite as cute/twee as it sounds at the Ottobar with Two Gents and a Scholar, Vasco, and Matt Tarka; upstairs at the club, North Carolina’s Clubhead Sliim guests at Antonio Harper and James Nasty’s Physical Education party. Haircore band Scarlett O’Hara looks fantastic at Sonar with Miracle St. Anna and We Are Defiance. Artscape takes over the Metro Gallery with its DJ Culture showcase, including excellent Baltimore house export Karizma, Chris Brooks, Biskit, Rob Tarter, Godfather Sage, and Synthetic Orchestra. Country duo LoCash Cowboys kick some shit at Rams Head Live. Red Sammy brings its downcast folk songs to Joe Squared with the Sunnyside Band. Reality TV-bred country star Miranda Lambert performs at Columbia’s Merriweather Post Pavilion with Josh Thompson and Josh Kelley. Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, and Dennis DeYoung do the music of Styx at Pier Six Pavilion. Pittsburgh MC Stillborn Identity performs at Charm City Art Space with Jumbled, Jack Wilson, Baker, and Crewshal. West Virginia prog band Crack the Sky pushes 40 years at Towson’s Recher Theatre with the Levee Sheiks, the Richard Walton Group, and Mike White and Dave Matheiss. Don’t miss: Four Hours of Funk returns to the Windup Space with guest Teddy Douglas, Baltimore house OG.

SATURDAY: Folk-punk singer/songwriter Jesse Malin brings his Saint Mark’s Social to the Ottobar with the Biters, the Desert Boys, and Late to the Party. The second night of Artscape’s DJ Culture Takeover moves into the Metro Gallery with an everything-and-the-sink house/club/hip-hop/dubstep/funk lineup of Scottie B, Jon E Kwest, Hip Hop Dan, Ebiz, Nappy Riddem, Joe Nice, DJ Exclaime, Landis Expandis, and Mikie Love. Taking Back Sunday is sold out at Rams Head Live—but, you know, search the usual channels—with Thursday, Colour Revolt, and We Are the In Crowd. The Baltimore SDIY group delivers its second festival of the summer at An die Musik with micFreak, Liz Merideth (the Short List’s violin teacher), the Duc D’Angelos Quartet, and Fast Forty. Raleigh Southern-rock/bar-rock outfit American Aquarium plays the 8X10 with Hangdog. Local art-punk band Mora Orsa takes on the Sidebar. Full-band hip-hop ensemble Soul Cannon plays the Windup Space with the Chris Pumphrey Sextet and Ghost Mode. Caleb Stine hosts Woody Guthrie Dreams, celebrating the birthday of said legend, at the Creative Alliance. Don’t miss: Inimitable erstwhile Baltimore songwriter Cass McCombs performs at the Golden West Café with Lower Dens (whose drummer, Nate Nelson, is another of the Short List’s roommates) and White Magic.

SUNDAY: Audiostrobelight, a Virginia pop-punk band with a terrible name, plays the Talking Head with the Three Tree Experience, On My Honor, and Subangler. Jazz/classical powerhouses Terry Plumeri, Larry Willis, and Billy Williams join forces at An die Musik. Peter Frampton celebrates the 35th anniversary of Peter Frampton Comes Alive at Pier Six Pavilion. Don’t miss: Torche pummels the Ottobar once again with Big Business and Helms Alee. Oregon doom band YOB deafens Sonar with Dark Castle and Bastard Sapling.

> Email Michael Byrne