Turn it down

The Real McKenzies at the Avenue Cafe, Wednesday, April 1

Since 1992, the Real McKenzies have been banging out high-energy Celtic punk from their home base of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Fat Wreck Chords-signed outfit has released nine hard-folk LPs and shared stages with Rancid, NOFX, Flogging Molly and Metallica. April 1 the band headlines the Avenue Café — its only Michigan date on this tour. This gig also serves as a record release show for the Devil’s Cut; the Lansing-based Americana-punk band will release its anticipated new album, “Antium.” This disc, like the band’s 2014 release “No Salvation,” is released via East Grand Record Company. Also performing is Hex Bombs, a rowdy fixture in the Southwest Michigan punk scene for nearly a decade. Fans of Dropkick Murphys, Against Me! or Social Distortion may want to check out this show.

The Avenue Café, 2021 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. All ages, $12, $10 adv., 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 1

Bear Creek Brothers EP release at the Loft , Friday, March 27

The township of Bear Creek may be in the Petoskey area of the mitten, but it has inspired the name of an acoustic-driven, country-rock outfit led by a pair of local songwriters. Lansing’s own Bear Creek Brothers releases its debut EP Friday at the Loft. The down-home flavored band was formed in early 2014 by Dylan Wright (vocals) and Kevin Vermillion (guitar/vocals). Opening the all-ages show are Shelby Ann-Marie and Brian Lorente and the Usual Suspects. Lorente, a Lansing-based songwriter, has been churning out rock-tinged country since 2004. Over the years, he’s warmed up stages for the likes of Luke Bryan and Gretchen Wilson. Fans of Eric Church, Kid Rock or the Zac Brown Band might want to give Lorente a listen.

The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. All ages, $12, $10, 7 p.m., Friday, March 27

Michigan Fiddlers at the Fiddle, Friday, March 27

Michigan is stocked with gifted fiddlers, and the Ten Pound Fiddle is the place to see them live. Performing at the “Michigan Fiddlers” concert are Peter Knupfer, Brian Bishop, Linnea Jimison and Marty Somberg. In the first set, each fiddler will perform a couple of tunes with help from back-up players. The second half will feature all four fiddlers at once, playing in a round-robin format. Knupfer is a member of the bluegrass band Detour and teaches U.S. history at Michigan State University. For 30 years, he’s kept busy playing folk, swing and jazz fiddle. Meanwhile, Jimison was fiddler/vocalist in defunct local folk group the Bard Owls. Her set is inspired by American, Canadian, and Irish folk music. On the side, she also performs as a duo with mandolin and bouzouki player Chris Foster.

Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Grove St, East Lansing. $12, $10 members, $5 students, 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 27