KC concerts Aug2-8: Alice Cooper, Nathaniel Rateliff, G-Eazy, Playboi Carti

Long one of the most dynamic live acts in the country, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats took a giant step forward with the startling new album, “Tearing at the Seams.” The band’s superb evocation of revered groups like Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on horn-drenched songs like “Be There” have catapulted the soulful roots-rock group to rarefied commercial and critical heights. Fans shut out of Friday’s sold-out concert will need to track tickets down on the secondary market. With Israel Nash.

8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. Crossroads KC. 785-749-3434. Tickets are $26.50-$35.50 through crossroadskc.com.

A creative smart aleck intent on ridiculing the offhand style of Playboi Carti created an absurd three-minute loop of the 21-year-old Atlanta rapper saying “my stummy hurt.” It’s been played 150,000 times, an indication of the polarizing views of the rapper. The man born Jordan Terrell Carter may not be a stellar lyricist, but his staccato flow on “Magnolia,” a track examining the mindset of a crack dealer, was one of the biggest songs of 2017. With Sheck Wes.

7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. Uptown Theater. 816-753-8665. Tickets are $30 through uptowntheater.com.

Deafheaven may be the most scrutinized band in heavy metal. The experimental tendencies of the group from San Francisco have allowed Deafheaven to cross over to adventurous indie-rock fans, a phenomenon that has alienated metal purists. Passages of unspeakable beauty collide with horrifying shrieks and ugly distortion on lengthy tracks like “Worthless Animal” on the new album, “Ordinary Corrupt Human Love.” Deafheaven’s volatile sturm und drang attack is increasingly compelling. With Drab Majesty and Uniform.

8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. The Granada. 785-842-1390. Tickets are $18 through thegranada.com.

Shy Boys combine vintage and contemporary sounds in transfixing new ways. The songs on the Kansas City quintet’s new album, “Bell House,” sound as if a square peg represented by the likes of the Everly Brothers has been forcefully pounded into the round hole of modern indie-rock. At under three minutes apiece, songs including “Something Sweet” are miniature pop gems. The band will celebrate the release of “Bell House” on the prestigious record label Polyvinyl on Saturday. With the Whiffs, Jametatone and Blastocyst.

8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. RecordBar. 816-753-5207. Tickets are $12 through therecordbar.com.

Thievery Corporation has been issuing a glorious blend of soul, electronic pop, jazz, hip-hop and rock for more than 20 years. The ensemble tends to sound as if Stevie Wonder, Diplo, Snoop Dogg, John Coltrane and the Doobie Brothers were sitting in on a celestial jam session. The celebrated duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton has tossed an extra helping of reggae into their recent work, a welcome development sure to enhance Sunday’s outdoor concert. With Linear Symmetry.

8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. Crossroads KC. 785-749-3434. Tickets are $30-$40 through crossroadskc.com.

When lurid television appearances by a scruffy band of misfits led by Vincent Damon Furnier horrified parents in the early 1970s, it was inconceivable that Alice Cooper would appear at the most prestigious venue in Kansas City 45 years later. Yet the shock-rock that once seemed alarming is now embraced as charming camp. Furnier will apply an array of gory props to selections like “Billion Dollar Babies” on the same stage that hosts similarly theatrical operatic productions on Monday.

7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6. Muriel Kauffman Theatre, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-994-7200. Tickets are $49-$109 through kauffmancenter.org.

Rappers like to boast that they’re the new rock stars. G-Eazy is no different. He brags that “I live like Jim Morrison, no telling where I’ll take it,” on his recent single, “Sober.” The song about bad decisions made under the influence would probably have impressed the late frontman of the Doors. The Bay Area rapper’s bravado is embraced by fans who marvel at G-Eazy’s bad-boy lifestyle. With Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla Sign, YBN Nahmir and P-Lo.

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7. Providence Medical Center Amphitheater. 913-825-3400. Tickets are $20-$79.50 through providenceamp.com.

Movies, television dramas and advertisements have been Katie Herzig’s best promotional outlets. The evocative songs of the graduate of the University of Colorado have received coveted placement in popular mediums such as “Grey’s Anatomy.” While welcome, the exposure can’t hold a candle to hearing Herzig’s songs in a live setting. She’s a remarkably engaging performer who tours infrequently, partly because she’s an in-demand producer. She is touring in support of her pop-oriented new album, “Moment of Bliss.” With William Wild.

8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7. RecordBar. 816-753-5207. Tickets are $15 through therecordbar.com.