As the drummer for Ravenna Woods, Matt Badger is usually tucked in the back of the stage, partly hidden by his instruments. The opposite is true for his new side project, curiously dubbed Matt Badger & His Flock of Knives. Badger has been writing solo material for years, taking influence from familiar musicians like Elliott Smith, Sparklehorse, and Bob Dylan—“I just enjoy writing simple songs,” he told me in a recent email. None of the songs have been recorded yet, but YouTube’s got some live performances up, showing Badger fronting a three-piece band, singing and strumming a light acoustic guitar—much more easygoing stuff than Ravenna Woods’ tumbled and chaotic sounds. Or, as Badger puts it, “It’s about as far from Ravenna Woods as Dylan is from Hendrix.” With Pica Beats, Cumulus, Ole Tinder. ERIN K. THOMPSON

Fri., Oct. 14, 9 p.m., 2011