They don’t have fireworks, a giant inflatable penis or any of the other spectacular bullshit of a major-label tour. Albuquerque’s A Hawk & A Hacksaw, Minneapolis’ Dark Dark Dark, and Chicago’s Pillars and Tongues don’t even have a name for their tour.

They do have an unusual collection of instruments, two vans and the ability to reshape time, although they accomplish that in different ways. The three groups will be altering perceptions at the South Broadway Cultural Center on Friday in an all-ages concert produced by AH&AH accordionist Jeremy Barnes.

In case you want to know, the headline for this part of Event Horizon is brought to you by the rapper known as Brother Ali. It's the name of his new album and an inducement to go check out one of the finest flows in all of hip-hop nation. Brother Ali is jamming it righteously on Saturday, Dec. 15 with doors at 7:30pm and the show kicking off at 8pm. at the Launchpad as part of a tour that commemorates the 15th anniversary of another Brother Ali masterpiece called Shadows on the Sun. For a dude whose concern for social justice and positive causes have come to dominate the subject matter of his work, Brother Ali still rocks it tenderly on tunes like “Dear Black Son” as well as with definitive sickness on other tracks, namely, “Bitchslap!” For a mere $20 to $75 and a 21+ ID, you can be part of the progressive party! How ill is that?!