Friday
Damien Jurado
Whelan's Dublin 8pm €20
whelanslive.com
Seattle singer-songwriter Jurado has had a few bites of the cherry, from 2002's I Break Chairs (which convincingly positioned him as a canny practitioner of crunchy power pop) to his latter batch of albums (which, equally convincingly, positions him as a confessional chronicler of bleak Americana). The music will veer more towards the latter genre tonight, but don't be too surprised if you're snapping your fingers by the evening's end.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
3Arena Dublin 8pm €46.14
ticketmaster.ie
Now with a second album under their belt (the recently released This Unruly Mess I've Made), US hip-hop duo Ben Haggerty – that'd be the guy you know better as Macklemore – and Ryan Lewis look certain to pack these large halls to the roof. And if tears aren't shed during Grammy winning song, One Love, then we'll be having words with those responsible.
Techno Friday
AMP Cork 11pm €10/€8
facebook.com/TechnoFriday
A double-header for southern techno fiends with visits to the city from Neil Landstrumm and John Heckle. Landstrumm is the Edinburgh-based DJ and producer whose tough, vibrant grooves have always shown a fondness for a hardcore past. From Liverpool, Heckle's distinctive releases for Mathematics, Crème Organisation, Signals, Apartment and others have shown his skills when it comes to high-calibre tech and house. Support from Paul Kav and Jamie Behan.
Do Not Sleep
Kelly's Portrush 11pm £12
facebook.com/DoNotSleepIbiza
Ahead of setting up shop at the Vista Club at Privilege for this year's Ibiza season, Darius Syrossian brings the Do Not Sleep roadshow on a trip to Ireland. The club night has become a White Island success story with a string of guest stars making merry on the decks these last few summers. Acts booked for 2016 include Paul Woolford, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Denise & Pika, Marquis Hawkes and many more. Support in Portrush from Huxley, Ubblahkan and Ethan McKinney.
Seth Troxler
District 8 Dublin 11pm €20/€18/€15
sethtroxler.com
Thanks to his enjoyable broadsides against EDM and authenticity in dance music as well as his work on the decks, Michigan native Seth Troxler is known as much for his outspoken views as his work. In terms of the latter, though, the Michigan native is no slouch, pulling in residencies at DC10, Trouw and Output, collaborating with Matthew Dear, Tiefschwarz and others and launching labels like Tuskegee (with the Martinez Brothers), Soft Touch and Play It Say It. Support from Moduse and Stephen Manning.
Mark Lettieri Trio and The Funky Knuckles
Sugar Club €17.50 8pm
musictown.ie
The Musictown festival motors on with Snarky Puppy guitarist Mark Lettieri's band, supported by a band of the best side men in Dallas. Almost certanly the best playing you will see all week.
Saturday
Japanese Film Festival
Various venues nationwide, throughout April
jff.ie
Now in its eighth year, the Japanese Film Festival will, over the coming weeks, touch down in Dublin, Sligo, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Dundalk and Waterford, with a programme that includes such delights as: the last-ever Studio Ghibli anime, When Marnie Was There; the meme-friendly mayhem of Sion Sono's Tag; Emperor Hirohito prepares for unconditional surrender in Harada Masato's The Emperor in August (showing Saturday at 1.15pm in Dublin's Light House); and Wolf Children auteur Mamoru Hosoda returns with the action-packed The Boy and The Beast. You'll be needing a season ticket.
Listen at Arthurs
Arthurs, Thomas St, 8pm, €10,
listen.ie
Composer Dylan Rynhart's monthly Listen salon is a shining example of the post-genre creative music scene, programming whatever is new and good, from trad to avant garde. This month's smorgasbord includes American minimalist composer Tom Johnson, acclaimed traditional flautist Harry Bradley, a new jazz trio from Tommy Halferty and Greg Felton (see Friday listing) and eccentric folk from Twin Headed Wolf. Sure, where else would you get it?
Neneh Cherry
Wigwam Dublin 10.30pm €15/€13
nenhcherry.com
A rare appearance behind the decks for Neneh Cherry as part of her visit to the capital for the MusicTown festival. Best known for cool, sassy pop hits such as Buffalo Stance and 7 Seconds, Cherry's most recent studio adventures have been hugely exciting, first the boisterous and rambunctious Cherry Thing with The Thing in 2012 and then 2014's excellent Blank Project project with Kieran "Four Tet" Hebden and Rocketnumbernine. Before her DJ set, she takes part in a Banter interview at the National Gallery (7pm, €5).
Sunday
Gerry O'Connor, Dave Sheridan and Don O'Kane
Eoin's Bar, 10, Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk 4pm €10/€5
gerryoconnor.net
The first in a series of six weekly afternoon sessions, celebrating the rich musical tradition on fiddle, flute and piano, curated by fiddler O'Connor. The trio will revisit a raft of classic recordings of such iconic figures as Michael Coleman, James Morrison and John McKenna, among others. An fine way to pass a Sunday afternoon.
Kincora Trad Weekend
Various venues, Killaloe
kincoratradweekend.com
This is a particularly tasty boutique festival, at that glorious spot where Killaloe meets Ballina on Lough Derg. Workshops, céilidhe, recitals, concerts and sessions abound, with visitors including south Kerry singer, Tim Dennehy, flute players, Desi Wilkinson and Paul Smyth and concertina master, Micheál Ó Raghallaigh. Promises to be a real treat.
