Going out: the best of what’s on this weekend

Friday, July 8th

Hauchska
Old St Mary's Church, Clonmel, Co Tipperary 9pm €25
junctionfestival.com
Dusseldorf resident Volker Bertelmann is in the house of the Lord! Prepare for lush piano-driven melodies and the occasional sepulchral interlude as the electronic/avant-garde musician, best known for his work for prepared piano, visits Ireland as part of Clonmel Junction Festival.

Subject
Opium Rooms, Dublin 11pm €18/€15
subjectevents.com
Round two for Subject's ninth birthday blowout as they welcome Paula Temple to town. She's the Berlin-based producer behind such crunchy, thumping techno weapons as Deathbox for R&S and Speck of the Future as well as head- turning sets at Bloc, Berghain, Tresor and ADE. Support from Fran Hartnett and Giles Armstrong as FraGile, Slowburn (Lunar Disko), Lee Kelly, Niall Cleary and Daire Carolan.

Killarney House Sessions
McSorley's, Killarney 11.30pm €10
facebook.com/KillarneyKHS
For the six years McSorley's has been the place to go for house, techno and high-grade electronic music in the Kerry town. Tonight they welcome Ian O'Donovan to helm the birthday bash. The Limerick producer's tracks are featured almost every weekend in the middle of a set from some bigwig like Richie Hawtin or Laurent Garnier. O'Donovan's tough, impressive, distinctive sound has led to releases on KMS, Bedrock, Detone and Drumcode. It would appear he's only getting going.

Willie Clancy Summer School
Miltown Malbay, Clare
scoilsamhraidhwillieclancy.com
The mother of all trad gatherings comes to its annual high point this weekend when students, teachers, visitors and instruments by the score wend their way from sessions and pub corners, from riversides and kitchens to the Muiris Ó Rócháin Memorial Concert in the Community Centre at 7pm. A fitting tribute to one of the Summer School's gracious founders, and an open-armed invitation to soak up the best of what this annual gathering (now in its 44th year) has to offer.

Laya Healthcare's City Spectacular
Merrion Square, Dublin
cityspectacular.com
The huge festival of street performance roles into Merrion Square, ahead of dates in Cork next week. Among those testing their bodies to the limit are The Lizard Man, hula hoopist and contortionist Lisa Lottie, contortionist Alakazam and strong lady Betty Brawn. All events are free.

Saturday, July 9th

Beyoncé
Croke Park, Dublin 5pm €49.50
ticketmaster.ie
Playing a venue the size of Dublin's Croke Park is tricky enough when you have songs that bluff and bluster their way onto the pitch and into the seats, and Beyoncé is slightly more refined than the likes of U2 or Springsteen. That said, a banger is a banger, and the lady (plugging her latest album, Formation) has quite a few of them. Not only that, but the stage production promises to be the most spectacular Croker has seen since U2's 360 shows several years ago.

Out to Lunch
Bar Tengu, Dublin 10pm €10/€8/€5
facebook.com/getoutotlunch
There really is something in the water in Vancouver when it comes to quality house music. Hot on the heels of recent Out to Lunch visitors Pender Street Steppers comes Jayda G, a Vancouver DJ and producer with a handle on warm, fuzzy sounds. Jayda G set up the Freakout Cult label with Sex Tags' DJ Fett Burger; their label debut, NYC Party Track, is well worth getting to know. She is joined here by Dip.

Stone Roses
Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 5pm €74.50
ticketmaster.ie
Of all the 1980s bands from Manchester, it is surely The Smiths and Stone Roses who inspire such slavish allegiance. For a band with just two albums to their name (and a fitful solo career from Ian Brown), Stone Roses clearly benefit from such unquestioning devotion. Non- fans are befuddled, inevitably, but the faithful queue up every time. Support includes Soak and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Stone Roses Afterparty
Opium Rooms, Dublin 11pm €15/€12/€10
opium.ie
It's four years since Stone Roses were in town, and it's also four since A Guy Called Gerald and Graeme Park joined forces for a post-Roses bash. Both remain seminal figures in the evolution of dance music: Simpson for Voodoo Ray and a string of forward-thinking releases, Park for his time behind the decks at the Hacienda when it was in its pomp. Support tonight is from Sound Crowd's Mark Kavanagh, Sides DC gent Liam Dollard, Modern Magic's Aaron Costelloe and Subject's Austin Molloy.

John Grant
Iveagh Gardens, Dublin
ticketmaster.ie
Grant is well on the way to becoming one of the finest songwriters of his generation, and he also has a knack for live shows of power and style. Mixing the melancholy with the modern, expect club tunes amid the darker hues, as Grant makes the Iveagh Gardens feel very special indeed. Support comes from the excellent Ane Brun.

Sunday, July 10th

Wilco
Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 6pm €50
ticketmaster.ie
These forward-thinking music specialists have run the gamut from indie rock to alt.rock to alt.country without shedding any degree of credibility. Rolling Stone has described Jeff Tweedy (right) and co as "America's foremost rock impressionists", which is fine by us. Special guest is Lucinda Williams, another US musician and songwriter who has done it her way, and her way only.

The Pipes The Pipes
The Model, Sligo 8pm €16
cairdefestival.com
Donal Dineen's brainchild: a melding of the majestic uilleann pipes with some glorious visuals seeks to bridge the gap that can sometimes sunder these beautiful instruments from their audience. Tonight marks the first of three performances with a trio of pipers, Leonard Barry, Pádraig McGovern and John Tuohy.

Museum of Miniature: The Islands
Dursey Island, Free
This portable museum, organised by West Cork Arts Centre is on the road with a collection of tiny artworks that fit in the palm of your hand, featuring work from Irish islands, as well as pieces from Fejoe (Denmark), Saltspring, (Canada), Fogo (Newfoundland) and Honolulu (Hawaii).