The Good life

Omaha’s The Good Life is the twin project of Cursive’s Tim Kasher, a prolific singer/songwriter who leads the pack of 20-somethings creating a name for Saddle Creek Records. Unlike Cursive’s melodic hard core and blimp-sized guitar rock, The Good Life turns it down a notch and incorporates subtle electronica flourishes into Kasher’s emotive and intimate portraits of love and loneliness. Opener Bella Lea is the latest project of former Denali singer/songwriter Maura Davis. The bands join Consafos 9 p.m. today at The Bottleneck, 737 N.H.

Melissa Ferrick

A decade ago Melissa Ferrick hopped on a Morrissey show as a last-minute opener, impressing the British icon so much that he invited her along for the rest of his tour. Ferrick has been off-and-running ever since, bouncing from major label deals to DIY efforts. Her latest album “The Other Side” was recorded entirely at home and features more of her intensely personal acoustic folk-rock musings. She joins Garrison Starr and Sam Shaber 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Granada, 1020 Mass.

Schäffer The Dark Lord

Bridging the gap between rap, stand-up comedy and demonic cult worship is Mark Schaffer aka Schäffer the Dark Lord. A veteran drummer of the San Francisco noise metal scene, the entertainer culls material dealing with the trappings of the rock world. Or as he describes, “Imagine a Frankenstein-esque monster assembled from equal parts Prince, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Hicks, Eminem and Darth Vader … all rolled into a jaded rock and roll ex-patriot.” He joins Coolzey (of the Sucka MCs) and The Hit Shiers 10 p.m. Sunday at The Replay Lounge, 946 Mass.

‘Clear Cut’

Miami-based Naomi Fisher creates psychologically and sexually charged drawings and photographs in which tropical landscape, decorative pattern and fairy tale figures collide in nightmarish scenarios. Her brilliantly hued images of women in menacing nature scenes are drawn from characters imagined or inspired by horror films, feminist literature, music and art history. Fisher’s solo exhibition, “Clear Cut,” opens with a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. today at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 4420 Warwick Blvd. The show remains on view through July 10.

‘The Stinky Cheese Man’

Based on the hit book by Jon Scieszka, “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” serves up a gaggle of giggles for smart-alecs of all ages. Just as the book pokes fun at book design and layout, the play pokes fun at the conventions of theater. Jack, the fairy tale hero of such classics as “Jack and Jill” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” narrates the book; in the play he is host, leading viewers through twisted fairy tale retakes, including “Little Red Running Shorts,” “The Really Ugly Duckling” and “The Princess and the Bowling Ball.” The show plays at 10 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Coterie Theatre, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.