FRIDAY
AKON
8 p.m. at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Tinley Park, $25-$69.50, 708-614-1616
With the sheer ubiquity of Akon cameos these days, you begin to wonder: Is it a testament to his unique croon — or is there some sort of pop-chart mandate we’re unaware of? Aside from his own top-10 hit (“Smack That”) he appears on Gwen Stefani’s “The Great Escape,” Bone Thugs’ “I Tried,” the all-star summer-anthem “We Takin’ Over” as well as singles from forthcoming albums by 50 Cent, T.I., Three 6 Mafia and Fabolous — which all come out before July. You certainly can’t blame anyone for tapping Akon’s talent; perhaps owing to a childhood split between Senegal and the U.S., the cool inflection of his voice contrasts the hammy American-Idolization of contemporary R&B.
MARY TIMONY
10 p.m. at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., $10, 773-525-2508
Mary Timony has spent much of her solo career bouncing between lineups and record labels, but with her new album, “The Shapes We Make” (Kill Rock Stars), she’s latched on to something solid. Since the breakup of Helium in the late ’90s, Timony has been going it alone with her dreamy voice and guitar wizardry; her records and live shows evidenced her talent, but lacked an anchor. “The Shapes We Make” is her best work in years: backed by a full band, she’s got real power to help her fill in all the ornate details, to keep the song moving while she blazes through a solo.
STEVIE NICKS
8 p.m. at Charter One Pavilion, 1300 S. Linn White Drive, $49.50-$79.50, 312-540-2000
It’s telling that most people have no idea Fleetwood Mac was a band for nearly a decade before Stevie Nicks joined. Sure, they were good before, but it was inarguably the ragged angel voice of Nicks that brought them into pop provenance; as anyone who’s ever cried a little while listening to “Dreams” could tell you, no one sings the pain quite like Stevie. She’s currently touring behind the just-released collection, “Crystal Visions … The Very Best of Stevie Nicks” (Reprise), which offers all the early hits, some live versions and a dance remix — it is her first release since 2001’s “Trouble in Shangri-La”; the last decade her energies have been devoted to the reunited Fleetwood Mac. What makes “Crystal Visions” worth picking up (even if you own her 1998 three-disc box set) is the bonus DVD compilation of her videos, a compendium of Nick’s iconic white-witch look.
SATURDAY
GANG GANG DANCE
10 p.m. at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., $10, 773-276-3600
Though far too esoteric to puncture the mainstream, Gang Gang Dance is the next big thing out of Brooklyn — at least for self-respecting hipsters. Far from the downtown disco sound currently en vogue, the band’s fractured sound is closer to experimental dub than anything rock. Strange moments of danceability are born of a neo-tribalism, spooky loops that stutter and flip and trip on themselves. Frontwoman Lizzi Bougatsos is given to a manner of free-vocalization — moaning, half-sentences and exotic bird calls. The band uses rock-band instruments — keyboards, two drum kits, guitar — but with all the effects and samples piled on, they produce something soft and hallucinatory: A soundtrack indicating that, deep in the forest, something evil is afoot.
THE NOISETTES
10 p.m. at Schubas, $12, 18+, 773-525-2508
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For this London-based power trio, power is the key. On the debut “What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?” (Motown), the band keeps it dialed to 11 with its hyperactive bash ‘n’ pop. They are heavy yet nimble, drawing from early ’70sBritish blues rock with unexpected theatrical twists. Fluttering amongst the boogie is the voice of bassist and frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa. Her unusual backstory as an African choirgirl and a trained circus performer is given a lot of play in the UK press, but those days are obviously behind her. Shoniwa is a sultry soul belter with a punk sneer — sighs and growls pock the soaring crescendos, her voice as acrobatic as her stage moves.
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