10 local concerts you won’t want to miss this week

The word for local music fans this week is “choice.”

As in an extraordinary number of don’t-miss concert choices happening over the next seven days.

From a day-long festival to a night of nostalgia; from J- and K-Pop to a local artist showcase, there’s no way to get to it all and you will have to choose.

To help, here are 10 concerts we think you should see.

51Fifty Energy Drink Music Festival

Energy drink maker 51Fifty gets into the live music business with this day-long festival at the Rotary Amphitheater at Woodward Park. The lineup is rather genre specific, featuring more than a half dozen hip-hop artists – Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame, emcee/activist Immortal Technique, Mendota native Baby Bash and “Buzzin’ ” rapper Shwayze, plus reggae bands The Expendables and reggae pop-group Common Kings. The Expendables are a big draw in town. They played a two-night stint at Strummer’s last year. Common Kings is just off tour with Justin Timberlake and about to go on the road with Meghan Trainor.

51Fifty had planned a similar festival last year, but it was postponed because of performers’ schedules.

For fans of: Hip-hop and/or reggae.

Details: Noon, Saturday, June 18. Rotary Amphitheater at Woodward Park. $20-$30, and $5 park entrance fee. All ages. www.51fiftymusicfest.com

MEGA 97.9 Summer Jam

For those of certain age, Mega 97.9’s Summer Jam is the sound of youth.

The collected performers – headlined by Vanilla Ice and including Sir Mix-A-Lot, Sugar Hill Gang, Coolio, Tone Loc, Rob Base, Newcleus, JJ Fad and Grandmaster’s Furious Five – all have recognizable radio hits. This is a night of hip-hop nostalgia, where you can openly sing along to “Ice Ice Baby,” “Baby Got Back,” “Wild Thing,” “It Takes Two” and “Supersonic.”

For fans of: Hip-hop radio hits from the late ’80s/early ’90s.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17. Selland Arena. $33.50-$70. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com

Ani-Me POP Summit

Thousands of people are expected to show up, many in full-on cospaly mode, for this celebration of Asian pop culture, inclduing fashion, film, dance, art, games and music. While this is not a concert in the strictest sense, there will be performances from local, national and international J- and K-pop rock bands (that’s Japanese and Korean, respectively). The lineup includes Roli Angels, from Japan; San Francisco J-rock band Akai Sky; Candy Bomber from Los Angeles and locals Light of Mine and Outside the Wire.

For fans of: Japanese and Korean pop culture and music.

Details: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18. Fresno Fairgrounds. $15-$25. 559-486-8664, www.ani-me.com

Tower Father’s Day Blues Festival

In what has become a neighborhood tradition, the Central Valley Blues Society hosts the 7th annual Father’s Day Blues Fest in Fresno’s Tower District. This year’s lineup includes Monterey Bay Blues Festival’s Battle of the Blues Bands winner Mike Hammar and the Nails, plus The Leslie Bixler Blues Project, Lake Bottom Blues from Visalia and The Chicken and Whiskey, the new project from MoFo Party band guitarist Bill Clifton.

Bixler is the wife of Bill Bixler (of Wild Blue fame) and is playing in support of a new album, out later this year. Here’s she will play with Phil Wimer, Don Squeek Clarey and Don Ramirez.

For fans of: Contemporary blues rock

Details: 5 p.m. Sunday, June 19. St. Therese’s Lawn. $15. 559-497-8362, www.towerdistrict.org

Intocable

Intocable is “untouchable.”

That’s the direct translation of the Texas band’s name and a pretty fair assessment of its 20-year career.

The band’s mix of Tejano conjunto music with Norteño folk rhythms, pop ballads and rock, earned it two Grammy Awards and Billboard Magazine’s demarcation as the “Group of the Decade,” in 2010. Just this year, Intocable headlined the SXAmericas All Latino Showcase at SXSW, where it played to 50,000 fans over three-days.

For fans of: Tejano, Norteño and the fusion of both.

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, June 17. Eagle Mountain Casino, 681 South Tule Road, Porterville. $35. 800-903- 3353, www.eaglemtncasino.com

Amoret – “Glory Days,” EP release show

Amoret is the guitar-driven synth-pop band from Fresno singer-songwriter Christine Ramsey and her husband guitarist CJ Ramsey. The band, known for up-beat, high-energy live shows in the vein of Paramore, Metric or The Killers, releases its third EP “Glory Days.”

The four-track EP will be available at the free show, which features local openers Tomi Jean, Chyna, Ramonda Hammer and Recycle Life.

For fans of: Youthful, up-beat indie and dance rock.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18. Frank’s Place, 1432 Fulton. Free. 559-264-2848, www.amoret.band

Love City showcase

Love City is a movement. The loose collaboration of artists, musicians and DJs are working toward one goal: “spreading positive vibes, through the city,” says DJ and Love City resident DJ D Soto. The collective hosts an artist showcase with rappers Zee Will and Kam Cooks, plus singer Brian Cade and Crash, Jay Soul and Sanda.

For fans of: Locally produced energetic hip-hop and R&B

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, June 17. Liquid Fetish, 1416 Broadway. $10-$15. All ages. Love City of Facebook

40 Watt Hype

It’s Quinceanera-style celebration for 40 Watt Hype, the Latin-fused hip-hop group that dominated the local scene in the early 2000s and just recently had songs featured on the Netflix show “Narcos” and Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.”

For its 15th anniversary, the band promises guest musicians, songs from its early catalog and the debut of new material. Also on the bill is Sol Peligro from Sacramento and DJ Mr. Leonard.

For fans of: Fresno’s longest running party band

Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 18. Strummer’s, 833 E. Fern Ave. $10-$15. 18 + 559-485-5356, www.strummersclub.com

Battle of the Badges

This fund-raiser concert is a not-at-all-serious battle between the Fresno police and fire departments – or their representative rock bands anyway. Playing for the fire departments is the classic rock cover band 5150, which features retired firefighters and Club Fred owner Fred Martinez. It’s counterpart in the Fresno Police Department is Lady and the Tramps, an eight-piece rock group featuring retired and two active officers. A dollar from each ticket will be donated to charity.

For fans of: The friendly rivalry that exists between police officers and firefighters.

Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 18. ApCal, 32749 Avenue 7, Madera. $10-$15. 559-674-9463, www.apcal.com

Buckethead

Buckethead is nom de guerre of Brian Carroll, the enigmatic guitarist known for wearing a mask and a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket as a hat and releasing a mind-blowing amount of music. He put out 150 separate albums from 2013-15. He was also an official member Guns 'n' Roses, played with Primus and Bootsy Collins and wrote music for movies like “The Longest Yard,” “Johnny Mnemonic,” and “Mortal Kombat.”

For fans of: Creepy-masked avant-garde guitar virtuosos.

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, June 23. Tower Theater, 815 E. Olive Ave. $25-$35. 559-485-9050, www.towertheaterfresno.com

This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 11:11 AM with the headline "10 local concerts you won’t want to miss this week."