The Perceptionists at Alley Katz
Boston’s underground hip-hop MCs Mr. Lif and Akrobatik, along with trusty DJ Fakts One, come to Richmond with a few words on American politics, Euclid and maybe some lighter topics. They’re joined by Richmatic supergroups Foot Soldiers, Dollars & Pounds and the Generals, May 22 at 9 p.m. $12-$15. 643-2816.
The Gaskets, Rockbot, Mad Happy and The HOAX at Nanci Raygun
So we featured The Gaskets last week in our Music Issue. Style just wants to make sure you get your monthly synth-pop fix. And Rockbot comes in hot on their heels with an indie-rock sound that avoids taking itself too seriously, while Mad Happy has its own take on bouncy pop, bluesing it up a bit. Oh, and The HOAX stands for Horrible Axidents. So there you go. 18 and older. May 18 at 10 p.m. $5. 353-4263.
Sean Ardoin and ZydeKool at Arthur’s
How often do you get to learn how to dance to accordion music? How often can you do it in the club at Inns of Virginia? And how often do you get to hear real live Creole zydeco from someone like Ardoin, who’s had the hot-blooded sounds in his family for generations? That hotel may be as close as you’re going to get to Louisiana for a while. The May 19 show starts with a free dance lesson at 7 p.m., followed by the band, 8-11 p.m. Tickets are $8. 288-2800.
The Yonrico Scott Band and Scrapomatic at Fusion
A lot of sound is going to be packed into Fusion’s basement club. Both bands have ties to jazz favorites The Derek Trucks Band, so there’s quite a pedigree here. Listen for Yonrico Scott’s highly regarded drum style and Kofi Burbridge’s flute as well as the two-man jazz-funk mix of Scrapomatic. The show starts May 21 at 9:30 p.m. $10-$12. 249-2338.
Pete Rock at Hyperlink Café
From being a DJ on New York radio in the late 1980s to a partnership with C.L. Smooth — which birthed the 1992 milestone track “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” — to producing for Public Enemy, Run DMC, Naughty By Nature and himself, Rock has been embedded in the music scene rolling out of the great hip-hop engines of the North for long enough to know a thing or two about putting on a show. He plays the Hyperlink May 20 at 9 p.m. $16.50-$20.