TREVOR HALL
7 p.m., Juanita's. Free.

What's not to love about a free show? So here's one to take advantage of. Claiming to have been engulfed by music after Dad handed over the sticks to his drum kit, Trevor Hall's been writing and performing since age 14. Crediting the Bobs Dylan and Marley, Ben Harper and Bjork as primary influences, the acoustic rocker has released six albums in just four short years, as well as the song “Other Ways” on the “Shrek the Third” soundtrack, and an appearance on “The Endless Highway,” a tribute album to the Band. Today, we find him supporting his 2009 self-titled CD, courtesy of Vanguard Records, which just nosed its way into the Billboard album chart upon debut — at No. 199.

—Paul Peterson

ROYAL BANGS
8 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $7.

These rockers from Knoxville know how to get experimental. Royal Bangs mixes fuzzboxed, synthesized, highly percussive instrumentation with spacey, warped vocals — a combination that would've been right at home in the mid-'80s. But beneath the strange layering lies quality songwriting and smart lyrics, as is evident on tunes such as “Brainbow” and “Maniverse,” where we're coached: “If you love something you should fight for it, if it fights you back you should conquer it, if it conquers you, you should crawl right back, but at least you tried to get your love back.” What may separate this crew from others of similar ilk is a jovial approach to being raucous while simultaneously groovy. Currently Royal Bangs has two CDs under its belt, “Let It Beep,” and “We Breed Champions.”