Live Music in San Antonio This Week: Peso Pluma, Testament, IV, The Toasters

Peso Pluma performs in San Antonio at the Frost Bank Center. Credit: Oscar Moreno

Sure, Fiesta is coming up, and its cavalcade of good times will drain our stamina and our wallets. But it would be a shame to cut back on live music this week in an effort to squirrel away energy and funds.

Let’s look at the options, which are plentiful, varied and worth sacrificing a little Fiesta cash on.

Thursday, April 2

IV and the Strange Band

Who says nepotism is always a bad thing? In case you hadn’t guessed, IV is the stage name of Hank Williams IV, the great-grandson of the country music legend. Sure, he got a leg up in the biz because of his name, but it’s hard not to enjoy his music, which sounds kind of like a redneck version of Motorhead. There’s a country drawl, some banjo and most songs are heavy on the twang before they launch into gut-punchin’ hard rock. $30, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — Bill Baird

The Growlers

The Growlers’ dark and genre-bending combination of surf, psych and more — dubbed “beach goth — originates from Orange County, California. Since the band’s 2006 inception, it’s released seven studio albums channeling the “California weirdness” of founder Brooks Nielsen. The latest EP Unordinary features previously unreleased material from 2013. $64.00-$75.50, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s, (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Danny Cervantes

Friday, April 3

Peso Pluma

Trailblazing Mexican artist Peso Pluma is bringing his Dinastía tour to the Alamo City. The Guadalajara-based singer, songwriter and rapper is one of the key artists in the corridos tumbados movement, combining traditional regional Mexican music, narcocorridos, rap and trap beats. Adding to the local appeal, Pluma once called the 2-1-0 home. The Grammy and Latin Grammy winner attended Corbett Junior High School for 8th grade and Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz for his freshman year. Pluma’s cousin Tito Double P, who joined him on his most recent album, is also on the tour, further cementing their longtime musical collaboration. $50 and up, 8 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com. — Stephanie Koithan

Saturday, April 4

Leftover Salmon

Leftover Salmon are one of the leading lights of the jam-band scene, where folks imbibe a variety of substances and do variations on hippie noodle dancing. To be fair, Leftover Salmon’s longevity on that scene — decades now — means the group has the songs and chops to back it up. If your tastes run to Colorado bluegrass jam-rock and you enjoy your instrumental solos busy and endless, this is probably right up your alley.$41.50, 8:30 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com. — BB

The Toasters, The Skajects, Spies Like Us

Third-wave ska powerhouse The Toasters continue to showcase a mashup of ska, pop, rap and calypso. Founding member Robert Hingley relocated to New York City from England and formed the band in 1981 after seeing The Beat. Hingley now makes his home in Valencia, Spain, but a new lineup of Toasters continues to tour the world. $21.36, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — DC

Sunday, April 5

Testament, Overkill, Destruction

Why spend Easter with your family when you can partake in both the New and Old Testament alongside a congregation of denim- and leather-clad metalheads? The legendary thrash band is on the road accompanied by fellow U.S. grinders Overkill and Germany’s Destruction for a mosh-inducing tour aptly named Thrash of the Titans. Testament is one of the few bands from the U.S. first wave that’s taken a more experimental route with the genre, so expect to hear some funk and blast beats amid the blazing riffs. $49.75-$140.40, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Brianna Espinoza

Live Music in San Antonio This Week: Peso Pluma, Testament, IV, The Toasters

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