TURN IT DOWN!

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Friday, Oct. 26 @ Blue Owl Coffee, 1149 S. Washington Ave., Lansing. All ages, FREE, 7 p.m.

Since early 2015, Lansing’s own Blaine Bothee has fronted his weird-pop solo act, Blaine and His Keyboard, or BaHK. From day one, BaHK has thrived on the distinctive combo of sounds. “No one else plays with me. It is simply just the keyboard and I,” Bothee said. “I grew up listening to hardcore punk, and I always loved the passion and energy most of the bands in that genre have brought to the stage. I try to translate that into my performances, even though it’s pop music.” Looking back, Bothee said the launch of his music career was total happenstance. “For my first show, I was contacted by an old friend who threw local shows at his parents’ house to fill a spot on a bill,” Bothee said. “I grabbed a keyboard I had laying around, wrote a quick three-song set and — surprisingly enough — people enjoyed it.”

After a string of shows at Mac’s Bar and the Avenue Café over the last three years, Bothee is finally ready to release his debut record. The release party for the self-titled EP is set for Oct. 26 at Blue Owl Coffee and features openers Nicholas Merz and a Gay Old Man. Bothee’s new disc, produced by Jason Roedel, touches on a variety of poetic themes and is available on CD, Bandcamp and Spotify. “It seemed pretty simple to take my life experiences, whether it deals with loneliness, alcoholism, good days, bad days and put it to pop music,” Bothee said. “I feel almost all pop music I hear nowadays lacks honesty and conviction, and I made it my goal to put that into what I do.”

Friday, Oct. 19 @ The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. 18kknd, $24, $20 adv., 9 p.m.

The Dayton Family has been a celebrated fixture in Michigan’s gritty underground rap scene since the group’s formation 25 years ago. The Flint-based trio, which derived its name from the crime-heavy Dayton Street in their home city, comprises Ira “Bootleg” Dorsey, Raheen “Shoestring” Peterson and Matt “Backstabba” Hinkle. In 1995, the Dayton Family dropped its renowned “What’s on My Mind?” LP. One year later, they unveiled the Gold-selling “F.B.I.” While years of legal troubles held back the Dayton Family from fully capitalizing on its staunch fan base, the group released a series of discs throughout the 2000s, including 2011’s “Charges of Indictment” (Psychopathic Records). Friday, Oct. 19, those iconic emcees headline at The Loft, alongside fellow Flint-rap veteran Jake the Flake. Opening the show are Top Authority, Asylum Insane, Eddie J Don’t Play, Greg Joslin, and DJ E-Nyce.

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