Bush, Hillsong United, and The Cactus Blossoms in Area Concerts (Fri., 7/29/16)

1) Bush—a British grunge rock band formed in London in 1992—gained early success with their first album Sixteen Stone, an immediate hit that is now certified as a six-time multi-platinum seller. The rockers’ 1996 release Razorblade Suitcase went to number 1 on the Billboard album chart. Their signature mix of grunge and metal, with an occasional ballad, has won them a worldwide fan base. In June, Bush released a music video for a new song, “People At War,” in honor of World Refugee Day. Led by lead vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale (Gwen Stefani’s ex-husband), Bush are currently touring in support of their latest album Man on the Run. They’re sharing top billing with Chevelle, a brother-act trio (brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler and brother-in-law Dean Bernardini) who’ve got a new album of their own, The North Corridor. Black Map and The Dead Deads open the show at Stage AE. Doors open at 5 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore.

2) They come from Down Under and their music is aimed upward. Hillsong United is a Christian praise-and-worship group that emerged from the youth ministry at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia in 1998. With an ever-evolving lineup of young to young-ish members, Hillsong United has released three EPs and 17, count ‘em 17 albums, which comes to more or less a release per year. The newest, last year’s Empires, is their fifth to hit no. 1 on the U.S. Christian Albums chart. (It topped the overall Australian albums chart as well.) A documentary film about the group is due for release in September. Are you getting the picture that Hillsong United is a big deal? That’s why they are booked into Pittsburgh’s largest indoor venue, Consol Energy Center. 7 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (MV)

3) It’s hard to beat a free concert—as long as the music is good. Luckily, thanks to our local governments and various public and private institutions, we get a lot of very good acts performing for free in the Pittsburgh area, and one coming up is The Cactus Blossoms. They’ll be at South Park Amphitheater as part of Allegheny County’s Summer Concert Series. The Cactus Blossoms are two brothers, Jack Torrey and Page Burkum. They’re from Minneapolis, where the cactus don’t bloom but the performing arts certainly do—as in Prince, “Prairie Home Companion” (well, okay, that’s Saint Paul), the Twin Cities avant-garde theater scene, and more. The Cactus Blossoms give rockabilly music their own distinctive twist. They are touring in support of their new album You’re Dreaming, which includes backup musicians on tracks like “Stoplight Kisses.” With special guest Molly Alphabet. 7:30 p.m. 1950-1998 McCorkle Rd., South Park Twp. (MV)

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