Turn it down

Fans of jazz and gumbo might want to stop by The Avenue Café every Thursday for a free performance by the Peter Nelson Jazz Quartet and a chance to order from the New Orleans-inspired menu. The group, which plays jazz classics and originals, is led by Nelson, a trombonist and composer/arranger, and includes Matt Lorusso (guitar), Judson Branam (drums) and bassist Sam Copperman. “Most of what we play would fall under the heading of jazz,” Nelson said. “But our music is the sum of everything we enjoy listening to, drawing influence from rock, classical, hip-hop and salsa.” In April the band will release its album “Watercolors.” At 8 p.m. Thursday, WDBM-FM (88.9 The Impact) will air an interview and performance by the quartet on “The Basement.”

Thu., Feb. 28, The Avenue, 2021 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, FREE, all ages, 9 p.m.

Shinedown guitarist at Uli´s

Zach Myers, the guitar player from the multi-platinum selling modern rock band Shinedown, plays a stripped-down acoustic show Thursday at Uli’s Haus of Rock. Joining Myers on stage are musicians Chris Allen and Zach Mack. The trio plays some originals, covers and a few Shinedown songs. The list of openers consists of Deveraux, Blackened Earth, Calming Hannibal, Silence the Fear, A Line Equals Maybe and Soul Fetch. Aside from his gig in Shinedown, Myers is also the lead singer and guitarist for The Fairwell and manager of Sore Eyes, a band from his hometown of Memphis. Shinedown, which is known for its hit cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” formed in Florida in 2001.

Thu., Feb. 28, Uli’s Haus of Rock, 4519 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing, 18 , $15, $10 adv., 7 p.m.

LUVS at Mac´s

Over the past two years, The Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle (LUVS) has been performing theatrical shows on street corners, bars and various stages across Michigan. Friday, the 15-piece Lansing-based band plays a Great Lakes Collective showcase at Mac’s Bar, along with The Appleseed Collective and Jory Stultz. LUVS is known for its Americana, vaudeville-inspired sound. That image is topped off with a dynamic stage show that features hand-built props, scripts and pyrotechnics. The band describes its style as “New Orleans meets Eastern Europe at a carnival sideshow.” LUVS recorded a new album, "Extra! Extra!" It´s streamed at dylanrogers.bandcamp.com.

Fri., Mar. 1, Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, all ages, $8, 9 p.m.

Seal & Latini at The Fiddle

Michigan acoustic duos Jamie-Sue Seal & John Latini and Shari Kane & Dave Steele play Friday at The Ten Pound Fiddle concert series. Seal & Latini have scored fans across the country, from New York to New Mexico, with their intimate gigs and true-to-life “heartlander music.” Latini has been awarded songwriting honors in three states and is a two-time Detroit blues champion; Seal releases solo records on her own imprint, Smokin’ Sleddog Records. She also is an artist manager, concert promoter and tireless roots music entrepreneur. Kane and Steele met in 1991, crossing paths as blues musicians. Today, they’re an acoustic blues duo, playing original and classic blues, gospel, swing and ragtime, a sound described as “street swing and stomp blues.”

Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Grove St., East Lansing, all ages, 8 p.m., $15, $12 Fiddle members, $5 students.

Flatliners return

Ontario-based melodic-punk rockers The Flatliners return to Mac’s Bar Thursday, with openers Little American Champ, Reconnect, Natural Disasters and Explicit Bombers. Since 2002, The Flatliners have spent countless hours in vans, dive bars, and concert halls across North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. That intense tour regimen has earned the Fat Wreck Chords-signed four-piece a dedicated fan base. The band’s sound mixes ‘90s skate punk and ska with hints of inspiration from The Replacements and Hot Water Music. The Flatliners’ last album was 2010’s “Cavalcade,” and the band is working on material for a new record., word is it could be out as early as spring 2013.

Thu., Mar. 7, Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, all ages, $12, $10 adv., 6 p.m.