http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2014/feb/20/269360/

Gee Watts

One of Kansas City’s hottest rappers, Gee Watts owes some of the limelight to the prominent Kendrick Lamar. Sending a quick tweet to Lamar before the Compton rapper had gained the attention he’s living up right now, Watts established an early social media relationship that would help him garner some of his own prominence. In 2011, Lamar tweeted “Follow this young boi. You’ll hear his name one day @gee_watts.” Watts put out a track featuring Lamar, “Watts R.I.O.T.” his verse recorded in seven minutes on Lamar’s tour bus after attending the rapper’s show (he was invited by Lamar, free tickets and backstage access) in Kansas City. Now he’s making us wait on any details of forthcoming full-length 199x. Needless to say, this guy knows what he is doing.
Thursday, Feb. 20, at Jackpot Music Hall, 943 Massachusetts St., $5.

A Tribute to Daft Punk

It’s time to lose yourself to dance. I mean, it’s not going to be the actual Daft Punk (hence, “tribute”) but we don’t actually ever see the guys without their helmets off, so can we really tell the difference? I think not. All we need is two guys willing to wear the garb, which shouldn’t be hard to find considering it was one of the most popular Halloween costumes last year when their music blew up with the help of producer-extraordinaire Pharrell Williams. Get ready to get down regardless, and who knows, you might find someone in the crowd down to get lucky. (wow, their songs really lend themselves to this kind of thing.)
Friday, Feb. 21, at Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., 9 p.m., $12.

SXSW BOUND

After a successful debut last year, I Heart Local Music is bringing back the two-day benefit to help our local favorites pay for the expensive voyage to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The music festival has been known to be a rite of passage for some Lawrence bands. Check out the lineup below:

Friday: Josh Berwanger Band, Psychic Heat, Stiff Middle Fingers, CS Luxem

Saturday: The Sluts, Approach, BLACK ON BLACK, Haunt Ananta

Friday, Feb. 21-22, at Jackpot Music Hall, 943 Massachusetts St., 8 p.m., $3.

Keller Williams and More Than a Little

On his “What the Funk” tour with a six-piece funk band by the name of More Than a Little, the prolific Keller Williams is bringing their latest live-recorded album Funk to The Bottleneck stage. Recorded at a couple of gigs in Virginia and during a show at Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina, Williams says that the album “is more than a little soulful, more than a little funky and it’s making me more than a little happy.” It has four new Williams’ originals and several interpretations of songs that he soulfully made his own.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., $21-23.

Johnny Cash (82nd) Birthday show

If it’s Johnny Cash’s birthday, there’s has got to be some way to celebrate. Maybe all of the bands in the lineup have big plans to perform in all black? With very little details on what this bash includes (more likely than not, tribute songs) it’s very unclear what you’re in for if you attend. For certain, however, you will see these cats at the matinee show: L A FAHY and the Argyle Sky, James Rose, Michael Paull, Walt Babbit and Adrys Ramburg, and Billy Ebeling. For everyone’s sake, I hope there is also cake. (no pressure, Replay)
Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Replay, 946 Massachusetts St., 6 p.m., $3.