Wire
Minimalist and mysterious, with lyrics like “Think of a number, divide it by two / Something is nothing, nothing is nothing,” this London band’s 1977 debut, Pink Flag, countered the blunt aggression of first-wave British punk without sacrificing noise or energy. The group has reinvented its sound countless times since then, including on its 17th album, Mind Hive, released in January.
Details:Metro. Wrigleyville. 8 p.m. $25–$30. etix.com
Destroyer
Vancouver singer-songwriter Dan Bejar is the smart-alecky savant in a writers’ workshop, the bearded guy with his feet on the table casually exhaling wry and picturesque lyrics in a nasal drawl. (Look no further than the opening lines of 2006’s Destroyer’s Rubies: “Dueling cyclones jackknife / They got eyes for your wife / And the blood that lives in her heart.”) A former member of the Canadian indie-rock supergroup the New Pornographers, Bejar’s solo releases as Destroyer have ranged from florid Ziggy Stardust homages to sophisticated synth-pop.
Details:Thalia Hall. Pilsen. 7 p.m. $25. eventbrite.com
Sound of Silent Film Festival
Before talkies, movie theaters employed organists to heighten the drama happening soundlessly onscreen. Filmmakers have continued making silent movies, but few still create live music to accompany them. One organization reversing the trajectory is Access Contemporary Music, the Hydra-like outfit whose composer-collective head creates scores for modern silent films in this annual festival.
Details:Davis Theater. Lincoln Square. 7 and 9:30 p.m. $20 per show; $35–$50 for both. acmusic.org