Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Ashley Pond Band

Alive at Five, Thursday

Precisely when, pray tell, does a band finally outgrow its up-and-coming status and become a bona fide musical force? When their day jobs disappear? When a song gets radio play? When they first play Bonnaroo, land a record deal, or get T-Bone Burnett to produce their next album? They may not tour in a private jet yet, but Burlington’s Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have ridden their ’70s-vintage big rock sound to that place bands call “making it.” They recently added a guitarist, stole Ryan Adams’ bassist, and are readying a record with the aforementioned bigwig. Expect plenty of grrrll! at this Girls’ Night Out event: Fresh off a sultry release of their own, local blues-folkers the Ashley Pond Band open. (June 25, 5 PM, free, Albany Riverfront Park, Corning Preserve, Albany, 434-2032)

New York Dolls, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

Pearl Street Nightclub, Thursday

Hot hot hot! The most unlikely of reunions marches on, fabulously. In 2004, the then-three remaining members of 1970s glam-rock pioneers the New York Dolls put their act back together for a one-off at the behest of the one and only Morrissey (the man gets what he asks for!). The show was so well-received that they decided to take it on the road—but bassist Arthur Kane passed away shortly after that gig, leaving just David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain to contemplate the band’s future. Five years later, with a fiery young group of Dolls on staff, the band is still at it, plugging the great new Cause I Sez So disc. Making tonight’s show double the fun are new-school blues-rockers Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, whom you might know as the act behind the sublime “Bitch I Love You.” (June 25, 8:30 PM, $25, 10 Pearl St., Northampton, Mass., 413-586-8686)

Mark Lind and the Unloved

Valentine’s, Friday

The Ducky Boys built a reputation for being Boston’s most socially conscious street-punk outfit. With his latest solo release, bandleader Mark Lind has taken his music in a slightly less aggressive direction. According to press materials, The Truth Can Be Brutal is “a rock & roll album that would do Tom Petty, John Fogerty, Joe Strummer and Bruce Springsteen proud.” We’ll leave it up to you to decide whether Lind’s tunes are up to such a high bar, but we’re happy to say this much: Lind and his band, the Unloved, are still kicking out the working-class jams in a way that should please both the punks and the plain old rock & roll fans. And that’s something to be proud of. With Bulldog Courage and Morgan Knockers. (June 26, 8 PM, $7, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)

Blonde Redhead

Blonde Redhead

Mass MoCA, Saturday

From the din came beauty. Blonde Redhead, the trio comprising Kazu Makino and Italian-Canadian twin brothers Amedeo and Simone Pace, started up in the early ’90s New York noise-rock scene. Over a dozen-plus years the band has evolved physically, in that members have come and gone, but their sonic evolution has been most remarkable. Recent albums (2007’s 23 is the latest) have seen the band’s sound blossom into an ethereal brand of electronic-tinged pop music that’s just as experimental as their dissonant early material, but also palatable to the Grey’s Anatomy crowd. The band are working on a new record (expected later this year) so Saturday’s show should feature a neat mix of old and new. The show will take place in Mass MoCA’s outdoor Courtyard C, weather permitting; should it rain, it moves inside to the Hunter Center. (June 27, 8 PM, $29, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, Mass., 413-662-2111)

Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance

Altamont Fairgrounds, Friday-Sunday

Don’t forget your dulcimer! The 29th annual Old Songs Festival is coming to the Altamont Fairgrounds. The festival will feature a wide array of folk, world, and traditional music and dance with performers like Michael Cooney, Groovemama, Lea Gilmore, and two-time Grammy winner Bill Harley. Plenty of quality craft vendors will be on hand to exhibit and sell their original work. In addition to three concerts, there will be 120(!) daytime workshops with everything from Percussion for Beginners, to Singing in Irish Gaelic. A children’s activity center will also be provided. If you’re looking to buy a used instrument or sell one of your own, an instrument exchange is going on all weekend. Camping space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, including ticket prices and a complete schedule, visit oldsongs.org. (June 26-28, call for times and prices, Route 146, Altamont, 765-2815)

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