The 8 best concerts in Charlotte this week

Introduced to the mainstream in the late ’90s as part of P. Diddy’s “It’s All About the Benjamins” posse, the trio made appearances on pop tracks by Mariah Carey and J. Lo despite its harder edge. The Yonkers-bred trio of Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch has waited 16 years for the release of its third album, “Filthy America…It’s Beautiful,” which is where the tour of the same name picks up.

Tune your FM dial to 1987 as Doug E. Fresh, Whodini, Al B. Sure, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Force MDs, Cherrelle and Hi-Five take you on a trip down hip-hop and R&B’s memory lane, where parachute pants and high-top fades are still cool. Expect one hit after another (from “Night and Day” to “Freaks Come Out At Night”) from this stacked bill.

It’s no wonder the acclaimed French guitarist’s music is so eclectic. He draws on influences as diverse as Django Rheinhardt, Ry Cooder, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson and Jimi Hendrix. A mix of jazz, folk, Celtic, chamber and other genres informs his unique brand of world music that highlights his Parisian and Spanish roots but flits anywhere around the globe.

Since 2012, reggae-rock’s lone Hasidic rhymer has evolved, but never as musically as on 2016’s “Release the Bound” EP, which is a predominantly electronic collaboration. With his upcoming spring album, his growth continues. Its first single, “Step Out Into the Light,” is a moody hip-hop track with a dark vibe and introspective feel that boasts an out-of-nowhere guitar solo and majestic horns.

Like many, this award-winning Canadian blues guitarist lost one of her frequent Charlotte stops when the Double Door closed. She’s found a new home and is sticking around though – she owns Tuesdays at the Rabbit Hole through the end of April. A champion for female guitarists who’s working on a book on the subject, she also belongs to the Austin boys’ club with Jimmie Vaughan and Billy Gibbons.

You may not know his name, but if you’ve watched television in the last decade you’ve probably heard the Nashville-based band leader – whose songs have popped up in everything from “How I Met Your Mother” to “Pretty Little Liars” to “Nashville.” Yet it’s only in the last two years his profile’s risen, with the album, “Medicine,” a spot on “Jimmy Kimmel,” and a live record from a sold out gig at the Ryman.

He may play guitar and write film scores for band mate Rob Zombie by day, but the current Zombie/former Marilyn Manson shredder moonlights as an eclectic band leader well-versed in everything from flamenco to “Hee Haw” – as he demonstrates on his trio the Creatures’ new full-length, “Season of the Witch.” That’s not to say he’s put the goth-rock to bed; there’s plenty of metal and makeup on stage, too.

Its 16th studio album, “Oczy Mlody,” strikes a balance between the 34-year-old band’s best-known albums – 1999’s “The Soft Bulletin” and “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (to which it has drawn comparisons) – and its moody, psychedelic trips of late. Pal Miley Cyrus even shows back up on the album’s closer. Alas, the Lips are at their best on stage, where even the most jaded indie rocker can get swept up in the weirdness and camaraderie.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 1:16 PM with the headline "The 8 best concerts in Charlotte this week."