Friday-Saturday 1/27-28

While their cohorts Trampled by Turtles are taking some time off prepping for a new album cycle, the similarly hyper-plucky fellas of Pert Near Sandstone (pictured) are stepping up and offering Twin Cities music fans their own two-night urban jamboree for a January warmup. The all-acoustic, bluegrassy, banjo-heavy quintet has been busy promoting its November release "Paradise Hop," a 14-song set that spotlights co-leaders Nate Sipe's and Kevin Kniebel's growing songwriting talent along with the whole band's hastening, tour-tested picking prowess. They're bringing in friends from the road who are making similar inroads, starting with Colorado's Head for the Hills on Friday and then Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers on Saturday.