Social Distortion, The Hold Steady, Viva Brother, The Architects

7 P.M. THURSDAY. THE MIDLAND.

“I like the crowds at the really big shows,” Craig Finn shouts on a track from the Hold Steady’s classic 2005 album “Separation Sunday.” “People touching people that they don’t even know.” Finn should feel right at home at 96.5 the Buzz’s Halloweenie Roast show at the Midland.

The four-band bill is the stuff of dreams for fans of old-school rock ’n’ roll. The members of California’s Social Distortion are crusty punk rock survivors who have championed traditional rock ’n’ roll principles for more than 30 years. The Hold Steady is a wordy Brooklyn band that espouses Midwestern values. Kansas City’s The Architects are cut from the same sweaty cloth. That leaves Oasis-influenced British band Viva Brother as the odd men out at Thursday’s big show.

Remaining tickets to the 7 p.m. concert are $27.75 in advance.

Quixotic

*7 P.M. FRIDAY. LIBERTY HALL. *

Quixotic, Kansas City’s favorite multimedia performance art collective, has performed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and at the grand opening festivities for the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Yet it was a comparatively modest engagement at Crossroads KC last August that had the feel of a true coming-out party. As Quixotic’s futuristic music, athletic aerialists and stunning light show mesmerized more than 1,000 people, it was clear that the collective had earned the support of mainstream music fans and was no longer a fringe arts group. Just because expectations are high doesn’t mean that Quixotic’s performance in the beautiful confines of Liberty Hall won’t contain plenty of jaw-dropping moments. MarchFourth Marching Band, a like-minded collective from Oregon, will also be on hand.

General admission tickets are $16. Reserved balcony seats are $21.

herbie hancock

7:30 P.M. SUNDAY. LIED CENTER.

Herbie Hancock may be the last living jazz musician to have made an enormous impact on popular music. In addition to a stint as pianist in Miles Davis’ band during the 1960s, Hancock composed “Cantaloupe Island” and “Watermelon Man,” melodies familiar to casual music fans. His funk and disco albums provided the soundtrack of choice for many clubgoers in the 1970s. He enjoyed a pop hit as recently as 1983. “Rockit” predated the electronica and turntablism popular today.

There’s no telling what repertoire Hancock will perform during Sunday’s solo concert, but it would be foolhardy to pass on a rare appearance by the giant of jazz, funk and pop.

Tickets are $40 and $45.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Gauntlet Hair, Minden, BeardKCrazy

8 P.M. SUNDAY. RECORD BAR.

“Ffunny Ffriends,” Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s best-known song, sounds like a track from a worn-out cassette of a forgotten Cheap Trick album. The wobbly lo-fi tune is emblematic of the deliberately inscrutable yet undeniably intriguing bill hand-selected by Sonic Spectrum’s Robert Moore. Three acts precede Portland-based headliners Unknown Mortal Orchestra (shown). Colorado’s Gauntlet Hair creates echo-laden indie rock. Kansas City’s Minden makes sweet power pop. BeardKCrazy is a promising multi-genre collaboration by several of Kansas City’s best-known musicians.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.