ZOMBIE PUB CRAWL
2 p.m. • various locations • $22.99-$40
The arbitrarily Spanish-themed Zombie Pub Crawl Ocho continues its disjointedness right down to the music acts, a stew of early '00s hardcore rap, one-hit '90s pop-rock and greybeard metalheads. In order, that's DMX at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, Gin Blossoms at Cabooze and Exodus at Triple Rock. Meme-rapper RiFF RaFF (Midway) and New Orleans bounce specialist Big Freedia (Cabooze) are among the other national notables. Standout locals such as Marijuana Deathsquads, Impaler, L'Assassins and many others are scattered about the boozy, flesh-eating mayhem. Per always, the ZPC folks are hoping to break the "largest gathering of zombies" Guinness World Record, which was set in New Jersey in 2010.JAY BOLLER
MARK MALLMAN
8 p.m. • Ritz Theater, 345 13th Av. NE., Mpls. • $10-$12
If you tuned in to webcasts of Mark Mallman's madcap Marathon 4 road trek last month only to hear electro-bloop "music" and scenes of Mark eating Cheetos, get ready for another rubber-band-style snap in one of the Twin Cities' most bipolar music personalities. The operatic-minded piano rocker sounds as serious as an eight-car pileup on his eighth album, "Double Silhouette," which references everything from car crashes to dirty dishes to Morrissey on its way to becoming what sounds like a rather tough breakup album. It's his most melancholy effort, but also might be his most cohesive and consistent musically, with ace support from the likes of guitarists Jeremy Ylvisaker, Jake Hanson and Ryan Smith and drummer Peter Anderson. Van Stee opens Saturday's release party.CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
A$AP ROCKY
9 p.m. • First Avenue • 18-plus • $25
You might have seen A$AP Rocky at the MTV Video Music Awards performing with Rihanna or on YouTube in Lana Del Rey's video for "National Anthem," or you might be hip to him via his 2011 mixtape, "LONGLIVEA$AP." This is local fans' first chance to see if the grill-toothed Harlem rapper's career really will be long lived. With his "Goldie" leading the way, he's about to drop his first album for the Sony imprint Polo Grounds, also home to Pitbull. Two other whack-tongued MCs, L.A. indie star Schoolboy Q and Detroit's flop-topped Danny Brown, open.C.R.
VINCE GILL
8 p.m. • State Theatre • $53.50-$63.50
Don't just think of Vince Gill as the wittiest host ever of the Country Music Association Awards. Think of him as Nashville's most well-rounded talent: angelic voice, splendid songwriter, top-notch bandleader and first-rate guitarist. He hasn't had a major radio hit since "Feels Like Love" in 2000, but he reasserted his considerable talents on last year's "Guitar Slinger," an irresistibly versatile collection of country-hyphenates, including pop-country, country-blues, Bakersfield country, etc.JON BREAM
THE SOFT PACK
9 p.m. • Turf Club • $10
Previously dubbed the Muslims (nobody tell Libya about these guys!), L.A.-by-way-of-San Diego rockers the Soft Pack manage to stand out from under the increasingly vast garage-rock tent. The quartet's earlier material gave off a scrappy, Stooges-on-downers vibe. On "Strapped," the band's sophomore LP from last month, there's a bit more going on -- saxophones, zydeco and even a cameo from former Minnesotan Har Mar Superstar. The results are mixed, but the band's strong slack-rock core remains intact. Trippy, Brian Wilson-looting San Diegans Heavy Hawaii open. BOLLER
WHITE ARROWS
9 p.m. • 7th Street Entry • 18-plus • $10
For the first 11 years of his life, Mickey Church was basically blind, only able to make out vague colors and shapes. But the frontman for L.A. psych-pop band White Arrows credits his childhood sightlessness with cultivating an active imagination he utilized on the quintet's effervescent debut, "Dry Land Is Not a Myth." Beach-lying chords and slightly trippy synths flutter amid the album's wavy, dance-rock grooves, making for a strong rookie showing. Sun-baked indie-pop crew Family of the Year and New Cassettes open.
MICHAEL RIETMULDER
