Friday, June 16
Space Koi
The Richmond-based trio plays a doubleheader: 6:30 p.m. at Tap Shack in Duck and 10:30 p.m. at Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint in Kill Devil Hills.
With Garrett Russell on vocals and guitar, Jon Chadwick on drums and Hayden Forbes on bass, the group merges progressive rock, funk, reggae and alternative for their sound.
Drawing on influences ranging from Primus to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Rush, Koi’s songs are built on spacey rhythms, atmospheric guitar solos and gritty vocals (though a fair number of tunes are jammy instrumentals).
Originals range from scorchers (“Brainwash Box”) to otherworldly excursions (“Walrye”) to surf-rock (“Riptide”) and socially-conscious roots-reggae (“Bad Man”).
The trio also reimagines tunes by, among others, The Beatles (“Eleanor Rigby”) and Stevie Wonder (“Superstition,” “I Wish”).
When and Where: 6:30 p.m. at Tap Shack (behind Coastal Cravings), 1209 Duck Road, Duck and 10:30 p.m. at Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint, 800 S. Virginia Dare Trail (the beach road), Kill Devil Hills
Cost: No cover at Tap Shack; $5 at Jack Brown’s
Info: Space Koi on Facebook
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Tuesday, June 20
Steel Pulse, Lettuce
Roots-reggae royalty is coming to Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo.
The Birmingham, England-based Steel Pulse formed in 1975 and made a smashing debut that year by pumping up the jams with punk energy.
With messages of peace, love and unity, the group’s classics include “Chant a Psalm,” “Your House” and “Roller Skates.”
Among their other accomplishments, Pulse holds the distinction of being the first non-Jamaican artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album (1986’s “Babylon, the Bandit”) and they were featured on the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s film “Do the Right Thing.”
For live gigs, the group – led by original members David Hines (guitar and vocals) and Selwyn Brown (keyboards and vocals) – has been known to cover tunes by, among others, Van Morrison, David Bowie and Dr. Hook.
Lettuce, the Boston-based sextet that formed in 1992, has one mission: Keep the funk alive.
The group’s original songs like “Do Like You Do,” “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and “Gravy Train” bring to mind the glorious ‘70s, horn-powered dance grooves of artists like War, The Commodores and Parliament.
When: 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m.
Cost: $40 in advance, $45 at the door
Where: Roanoke Island Festival Park (lawn seating), 1 Festival Park, Manteo
Info: vusicobx.com
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Wednesday, June 21
Kevin Farley, with Kate Brindle and Greg Smrdel
Let’s get it out of the way, standup comedian Kevin Farley is the brother of the late actor-comedian and legendary “Saturday Night Live” performer Chris Farley.
And while Kevin, performing at the remodeled Pioneer Theater in downtown Manteo, bears a striking physical resemblance to Chris, his style is completely different than his brother’s.
“He was much more bombastic,” he said during a telephone interview from his home in South Florida. “I’m a storyteller, but upbeat.”
His subject matter includes family ( a wife and two stepkids), the pandemic, politics (“both sides,” he said), and his six dogs.
One of his signature routines is called “It’s weird having a famous sibling.”
“There’s Roger Clinton (President Bill Clinton’s brother) and a few of the Baldwin brothers” is part of the story.
Another bit centers on shopping in the “big and husky section.,” another thing Kevin said he shared with his late brother.
“I was sweating when I was trying on pants, which any doctor will tell you is not a good sign.”
Farley, who’s appeared in more than 140 movies and TV shows, said he has one purpose for his comedy shows.
“I want people to have a good time, maybe escape from reality for a little while.”
Brindle and Smrdel, who lives in Manteo and co-owns the Laughing Gull Comedy Club with Ami Cannon Hill, both traffic in observational humor.
When: 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m.
Cost: $47
Where: Pioneer Theater, 113 Budleigh St., Manteo
Info: eventbrite.com
