Chicago and February aren’t often associated with great concerts. Most artists keep a low profile until spring, ceding stages to locals and relatively unknown up-and-comers. This year feels different. While a few big names are play large venues — Evanston native and Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder at Auditorium Theatre (Feb. 9-10); indie-gone-mainstream rockers the War on Drugs at Chicago Theatre (Feb. 10-11); boundary-defying rapper Tyler, the Creator at United Center (Feb. 22) — a range of vital performers will warm up the city’s more intimate confines. Here are four more shows and one music-related event to put on your calendar.
Bruce Dickinson at the Vic Theatre: Bruce Dickinson remains best known as the leather-lunged lead vocalist for metal heroes Iron Maiden. But the modern Renaissance man also happens to be a commercial airline pilot, award-winning fencer, brewmaster and author. At this spoken-word appearance in support of his “What Does This Button Do?: An Autobiography” memoir, the British singer will spend the first part of the evening sharing stories (and breaking into occasional a cappella flights) before spending the second half answering no-holds-barred questions from fans. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.; tickets $43.50-$64 (ages 18+); www.jamusa.com/venues/the-vic
Lucy Dacus at Thalia Hall: Along with fellow Boygenius members and frequent collaborators Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus has helped carve out a healthy space for smart, confessional indie-pop that’s catchy, well-crafted and told from a strong female perspective. The singer-songwriter’s “Home Video” LP untangles some of the captivating sonic knots that tie her earlier works together yet commands attention via subtle devices — deceptive calm, deep compassion, quiet intensity — that complement the narratives’ autobiographical bent. 8 p.m. Feb. 15, 1807 S. Allport St.; tickets $25-$45 (ages 17+); www.thaliahallchicago.com
Low at Metro: So much for Low easing into what will soon be its fourth decade. On its new “HEY WHAT,” whose combative all-capped title issues a stern warning about the music’s unsettling landscapes and mangled electronics, the band continues a jarring evolution that began in earnest in 2015. The understated voices of mainstays Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk still remain central to the group’s transformed sound, whose corrosive, abstract designs reflect recent and present-day realities with frightening menace. 8 p.m. Feb. 16, 3730 N. Clark St.; tickets $25-$30 (ages 18+); metrochicago.com/event/low
John Scofield at City Winery: Nearly 50 years into his career, the fusion guitarist who cut his teeth with giants such as Charles Mingus and Gary Burton retains an insatiable thirst for adventure. In recent years, John Scofield dabbled in country and reinvested in time-honored jazz trio and quartet formats. He arrives here anchoring Yankee Go Home, a project that finds the instrumentalist and an accompanying trio interpreting American tunes — much of which informed Scofield’s teenage years — by the Grateful Dead, Stevie Wonder, Leonard Bernstein and more. 8 p.m. Feb. 20, 1200 W. Randolph St.; tickets $38-$58; citywinery.com
The Weather Station at Lincoln Hall: Shortlisted for last year’s Polaris Music Prize for its critically acclaimed “Ignorance” album, the Weather Station will release its companion “How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars” record exactly one week after this timely show. Led by Tamara Lindeman, the experimental Canadian jazz-folk ensemble addresses personal feelings about climate change, nature and anxiety with elevated levels of connectedness, vulnerability and softness that would’ve made Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver beam. 9 p.m. Feb. 25, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.; tickets $20 (ages 18+); lh-st.com
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