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Old 97's

Spotlight show • Rhett Miller will be a busy man on Sept. 8. The frontman of the Old 97's will perform an opening set of solo material, then will join his band for a headlining set that will include playing their 1997 album "Too Far to Care" in its entirety. "It will be 30 minutes of me, then two hours of me," Miller said in a phone interview. Many bands perform past albums in their entirety, but usually to mark significant anniversaries. But Miller said the band's new booking agent didn't want to wait until the 20th anniversary of "Too Far to Care" — his favorite album — to hear the Old 97's play it. Miller said the album, released in 1997, represented a turning point for the band. "It was a really cool time for us," he said. "We were as yet unsullied. Then I got sullied in about a year." When "Too Far to Care" was released, the members of the alt-country band asked themselves if they were lucky enough to get what they wished for. "I knew then I would get to spend my life doing this," he said. Those Darlins are also on the bill.

When • Saturday, Sept. 8, at 9 p.m.

Where • Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $18 in advance, $20 day of, at 24Tix

Rockfest 2012

Spotlight show • This one-day festival will feature all-female tribute bands Zepparella, Hell's Belles and The Iron Maidens, and also a face-off featuring four local bands, including Ever Since Tomorrow and Mere Image. Layton-based Mere Image has seven members, none over 18. "Having seven members in our band makes us stand out, in any venue," said Nathan Triplett, guitarist. "We are so diverse through what we wear, what we listen to and what our hobbies are — however, when we come together, we come together as a whole immovable force." Ever Since Tomorrow is a quintet of Park City's Donovan Colton and sister Jenna Lynn Colton, plus Tayler Tripp, of Murray, Kyle Fish, of Park City, and Devin Wolfe, of Holladay. "All the bands competing are quite talented and bring something different to the table," Tripp said. "Any one of us could easily win. What puts us a step ahead, though, is how dedicated we are. Music isn't just a hobby for us, and especially for Donny. His passion alone motivates us all to try harder and push ourselves with every performance." A portion of the proceeds from Rockfest will be donated to America's Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

When • Saturday, Sept. 8, at 4 p.m.

Where • Ogden Amphitheater, 343 25th St., Ogden

Tickets • $15 at SmithsTix

Pat Metheny

Spotlight show • After two solo albums — including "Orchestrion" that featured ensemble-oriented music mechanically controlled using solenoids and pneumatics — virtuoso jazz guitarist Pat Metheny has created the Unity Band, which features a tenor saxophone player in a Metheny-led band for the first time in more than 30 years. "A lot of this is built around Chris Potter," Metheny said in a phone interview about the saxophone player. "He has a certain fluency he showed in his playing. I'm always looking for people who do things I haven't really thought of." Although Metheny is never short on inspiration, he said, "Writing for great saxophone players is fun." The name of Metheny's ensemble comes from his childhood, when he attended Sunday concerts of another band called the Unity Band at the Unity Church in Missouri. Although the Methenys weren't members of the church, he said those concerts were formative experiences. "Unity is something I've looked at my entire life," he said.

When • Sunday, Sept. 9, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Where • The State Room, 638 S. State St., Salt Lake City

Tickets • $47.50 at thestateroom.com

Jim Breuer

Spotlight show • The former cast member of "Saturday Night Live" — remember "Goat Boy," "Goth Talk" and his impersonations of Joe Pesci? — draws much of his stand-up routine from the material provided by his family. "Everyone can relate to it," he said. To the 45-year-old comic, riffing on Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama isn't for him. "I'm not here to solve the world's problems," he said. "Politics is professional wrestling — it's a joke. I don't know how to make [politics] funny yet." Breuer grew up in a loving family and said comedy doesn't always necessarily have to spring from suffering and self-loathing. "Everyone has a deep degree of pain," he said. "A lot of people use that as a crutch. I chose to move on. My family and friends have chosen laughter to get through pain."

When • Monday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.

Where • Wiseguys West Valley City, 2194 W. 3500 South

Tickets • $25 at wiseguyscomedy.com

Jeffrey Kahane

Spotlight show • As the award-winning music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and a pianist, Jeffrey Kahane will kick off the University of Utah School of Music's 2012-13 Virtuoso Series with works by Bach, Schumann and Kahane. Kahane? Yes, but not Jeffrey Kahane. In a phone interview, Kahane talked about the piece written by his son Gabriel Kahane, a past collaborator with Sufjan Stevens and Rufus Wainwright, who is best-known for his 2006 piece "Craigslistlieder." "I wouldn't play it as a proud parent," the father said. "His music is terrific." Performing the piano is just as important to Kahane as leading the world-renowned chamber orchestra, and he said he always welcomes invitations to play solo. Kahane spends part of his year living in the Intermountain West, as he used to be music director of the Colorado Symphony. But, like his son, he appreciates a little bit of rock 'n' roll along with a little bit of classical. "I never saw classical as better than other types of music," he said. "I've always believed that there's good music in all genres."

When • Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Where • Libby Gardner Concert Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City

Tickets • At the door: $18 adults, $13 seniors, $8 for outside students, free for University of Utah students

Olivia Newton-John

The Sandy Amphitheater presents Grammy-Award winning singer Olivia Newton-John for a night of hits spanning 40 years.

When • Friday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m.

Where • Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East, Sandy

Tickets • $30-$49 at SmithsTix

Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay, a Christian band, will perform spiritually themed rock songs at this Utah State Fair concert.

When • Saturday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Where • Utah State Fairpark, 155 N. 1000 West , Salt Lake City

Rockin' the Decades

This show features a fast-paced stage show that aims to bring to life the history of rock and popular music.

When • Saturday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m.

Where • Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East, Sandy

Tickets • $10-$14 at SmithsTix

Country Joe McDonald

The Egyptian Theatre hosts the centennial celebration of iconic folk singer Woody Guthrie with a performance by Country Joe McDonald.

When • Saturday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m.

Where • Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St., Park City

Tickets • $18-$40 at parkcityshows.com

Matisyahu & The Dirty Heads

Reggae-rapper Matisyahu will bring his summer tour to Salt Lake City to promote his latest release, "Spark Seeker." The Dirty Heads are also on the bill.

When • Monday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m.

Where • The Depot, 235 N. 500 West, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $32 in advance, $35 day of, at SmithsTix

Luke Benson

The singer-songwriter — not to be confused with the British stand-up comedian of the same name — performs.

When • Thursday, Sept. 13, 9:30 p.m.

Where • Hog Wallow, 3200 Big Cottonwood Canyon Road

Tickets • Free