Rock Picks: Pink, the Grates, Doug Paisley, Ooh La L.A. Festival

Also playing Wednesday:

Marcus Leatherdale

A vintage photo of the Avengers, the influential first-wave punk band

Doug Paisley — burnished gold piano ballads and Southern soul (via Canada)

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JILL SOBULE, SARA WATKINS, PERLA BATALLA, JULIANNA RAYE at the Grammy Museum; CROSBY, STILLS & NASH at the Greek Theatre; BRITNEY SPEARS, JORDIN SPARKS, KRISTINIA DEBARGE at the Staples Center; GOV’T MULE, CARNEY at Club Nokia;

Pet Shop Boys at the Greek Theatre
Gifted with Neil Tennant’s subtle, soft delivery and Chris Lowe’s consistently keen ear for seamlessly slick pop configurations, Pet Shop Boys have remained musical stalwarts since 1985 — which is the dog-years equivalent of 107 in the world of commercial dance-pop. In addition to their own fashion-forward contributions to club music’s legacy, they’ve covered artists as strangely disparate as U2, Frankie Valli (respectively, in the same cover of “Where the Streets Have No Name/I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”) and the Village People (pray they do their cover of “Go West”), yet they’ve always cloaked it within their own rainy-gray London style. This year’s album Yes proves they remain capable transmitters of this reputation, with shimmering numbers like “Love, Etc.” (which was heavily played on KCRW over the spring and summer), and “Beautiful People,” featuring Johnny Marr’s shimmering strums. Those unfamiliar with the newer material need not worry: Shows on this, the Pandemonium Tour, include loads of old favorites like “Suburbia,” “Love Comes Quickly” and “Being Boring.” (Wendy Gilmartin)

Also playing Thursday:

OOH LA L.A. FESTIVAL FEAT. HOLLYWOOD MON AMOUR, EMILIE SIMON, THE DO at the Henry Fonda Theater; THE GET UP KIDS, PRETTY & NICE, YOUTH GROUP at Avalon Hollywood; DAN HICKS & HIS HOT LICKS at the Canyon; TITUS ANDRONICUS, THE SO SO GLOWS, RADARS TO THE SKY at the Echo; LIVING COLOUR at the Key Club; BANYAN, ANDY CLOCKWISE, JOSH NORTON at the Mint; VANAPRASTA, ACTRESS, HOTT MESS, KINGSIZE, LONDON TO TOKYO at the Silverlake Lounge; RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, DILLENGER FOUR at the Knitting Factory.