The name Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV may not ring any bells (or roll off the tongue easily), but to anyone who has paid vague attention to what was referred to as “alternative rock,” he is absolute living, breathing royalty. Known around music circles as Black Francis or Frank Black (depending on the decade/project), the man has influenced just around 98% of your favorite bands. As frontman of the Pixies, Black Francis screamed like a banshee was trying to crawl out of his throat over catchy riffs and skewed surf-rock, proving that a three-minute pop song could be a powerful work of art, too. As a solo artist, Frank Black has pushed past the loud-quiet-loud dynamic of the Pixies into more expansive, subtly expressive territory, all the while still retaining the Pixies’ undying love for a catchy riff and abstract lyricism. With Rachel Flotard, Rusty Willoughby. GREGORY FRANKLIN

Sat., Aug. 21, 7:30 & 10 p.m., 2010