Concert Previews

After collaborating on and off for more than 20 years, '90s alterna-babes Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield, both 43, joined forces last fall for a series of shows at New York's Mercury Theatre, performing as a duo. Now there's talk of a joint album as the two continue their onstage partnership in small venues. Rumors have always swirled about the nature of their relationship: Dando's suggestive Lemonheads' ditty "It's About Time" is said to be about Hatfield, and Hatfield's poignant "Evan" - from last year's inspired

Peace and Love

- is clearly about Dando. Whatever the deal, the two are certainly kindred spirits when it comes to their music. Both rely on catchy melodies and sometimes heart-wrenching lyrics about everything from broken romances to the

sturm und drang

of addiction (Hatfield's "You Chose Drugs" and Dando's "Drug Buddy" have both made the set list at recent gigs). Onstage, the two alternate songs, tell stories, and banter like the old friends they are. While hearing "Into Your Arms" isn't a given, Dando and Hatfield do throw in some interesting covers; anything from Gram Parsons' "$1,000 Wedding" to Teenage Fanclub's "Cells."

- Nicole Pensiero

Sunday nights aren't traditionally a touring musician's friend, but Kung Fu Necktie is bucking the trend with two performances this Sunday: an early all-ages show from punk's legendary Ted Leo and a late show with nouveau Rat Pack and party-maker Matthew Dear. Leo has been a front man in the hard-core/punk/emo scene since the early '90s, but he's now best known for his solo work with backing band the Pharmacists. His offerings are heavily focused on melodic songs delivered with emotion, earnestness, and passion. Soaring choruses and an undeniable melodic optimism call to mind Elvis Costello, the Jam, and Big Star. Dear, meanwhile, first attracted attention as an electronic-music DJ and producer in the early 2000s and is now also known as a performing artist. His music is largely influenced by club and house, but elements of Kraftwerk, David Bowie, and the Postal Service play a critical role as well - electronic music's stereotypical "untz untz" is backed by creative arrangements in which melody is just as important as a danceable beat.

- Katherine Silkaitis

Robert Plant has often moved forward by looking back, using American blues or British folk or Middle Eastern modal systems as bedrock for exploration and innovation. After 2007's Raising Sand, his brilliant collaboration with Alison Krauss, Plant enlisted Nashville guitarist Buddy Miller to continue delving into Southern gospel, blues, and soul. With a stellar Nashville band that includes singer-songwriter Patty Griffin and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott on songs both ancient (traditionals such as "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down") and contemporary (from Low, Los Lobos, and Richard Thompson), Band of Joy is swampier and more ominous than Raising Sand, and nearly its equal. And yes, when Plant and company come to the Tower Wednesday night, with the North Mississippi All-Stars opening, a handful of Led Zeppelin songs will be on the set list.

- Steve Klinge