Hapa is one is one of Hawaii's most popular traditional ensembles.

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A Place to Bury Strangers at Plush on Sunday

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Hapa, the popular Pan-Polynesian group, returns to Tucson on Friday.

Led by guitarists Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau, Hapa has become one of the island state's greatest exports, gracing the pages of National Geographic and the Japanese version of Rolling Stone magazine, among others.

The group will be joined by a selection of touring and local dancers. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Fox Tucson Theatre, and tickets are $23-$25 in advance and $28-$30 the day of the show through the Fox Theatre, 547-3040.

The quote on the MySpace page for A Place to Bury Strangers is "Total Sonic Annihilation," which seems apt for a group that's been dubbed "the loudest band in New York."

The group, which recently opened some dates for Nine Inch Nails, will play Plush for the second time this year on Sunday.

Opening is the dreamy, atmospheric act Sian Alice Group and local rockers The Early Black.

The show starts at 9:30 p.m., and tickets are $10.

— Kevin W. Smith

We're not really sure what's going to go down when Quintron and Miss Pussycat plays Club Congress on Wednesday.

In concert, the New Orleans act is known to incorporate puppet shows and women dancing with tambourines into its shirtless, funky electro-sleaze rock.

Opening are equally head-scratching rockers Golden Triangle and locals Milk:Blood, with doors at 8 p.m. The all-ages show is $7 in advance and $9 day of show.

They killed on the Caliente stage at the HoCo Festival a while back, and now Tucson's The Runaway Five have set their sites on Plush Friday night.

The power-popping four-piece (the fifth member must have, you know) will play after sets by two other local bands, Redlands and American Android.

The show starts at 9:30 p.m., and tickets are $5.

Have $15 bucks to burn and nothing to do next Tuesday night?

VH1's "Best Week Ever" comedy tour is coming through Centennial Hall just in time for the debut of the show's relaunch as the "Best Week Ever With Paul F. Tompkins" on Oct. 17.

Unfortunately, Tompkins won't be on this tour. Neither will Doug Benson or Greg Fitzsimmons, who were initially listed on the bill. In fact, we've received so many different lineups from VH1 and the University of Arizona sponsor, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, over the past month, we aren't exactly sure who will be there.

We do know that Melissa Rauch and Mike Britt, both of whom get plenty of face time on the show, we'll be making appearances.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $15 with discounts available through the Centennial Hall box office, 621-3341.

Tejano music has always had a decent following in Tucson.

Despite the city's distance from Texas, we've managed to become a hub for big name Tejano artists such as Little Joe y La Familia and Ruben Ramos.

Now, with the Tejano Showcase at Casino del Sol's AVA, Tucson has a chance to catch acts that don't often make it this far outside of the Lone Star State.

This year's showcase, running Friday and Saturday, will feature a number of popular Tejano musicians.

Friday's lineup will be a tribute to country crossover star Emilio, who was seriously injured in a bus accident earlier this year. Performers will include Emilio Jr., Raulito, Diego Navaira, Los Dos Gilbertos, Bad Boys del Valle and Jaime y los Chamacos.

Saturday's lineup will feature Jay Perez, Richard Castillon y la Difrencia, Chente Barrera y Taconazo, La Fiebra Reunion, Jessy Serrata and Brandy Bee Serrata.

Tickets are $35 for one day or $60 for both through casinodelsol.ticketforce.com.

Canadian folk rockers Great Big Sea are making the trip from Newfoundland to Tucson for a performance Tuesday night at the Rialto Theatre.

The band returns to town with its new album, "Fortune's Favour" and a new direction, steering away from the traditional material and more into the pop realm, at least for this release.

That doesn't mean we won't be hearing some classic St. John's favorites, including tracks from "The Hard and the Easy," "Something Beautiful" and other releases.

The show begins at 8 p.m., and tickets are $23 in advance and $26 the day of the show through the Rialto box office, 740-1000.