Fronted by former Ass Pony Chuck Cleaver and the previously unaffiliated and brilliant Lisa Walker, Cincinnati’s Wussy is a rock band that’ll remind you on the deepest level why you love rock bands. The central conceit: Submerging pristine, literate songwriting in the rumble and roar of a full band. The secret weapon: A chemistry so rare, powerful, and under-recognized it inspired Robert Christgau—America’s tersest rock critic—to publish a 2,000-word love letter to “the best band in America.” Go see Wussy. (Barboza, 925 E Pike St, www.thebarboza.com, 7 pm, $10, 21+)

David Schmader—former weed columnist and Stranger associate editor—is the author of the solo plays Straight and Letter to Axl, which he’s performed in Seattle and across the US. His latest...