Tune-Yards and Pat Jordache

The fact that Yoko Ono recently joined tUnE-yArDs on stage at the Iceland Airwaves festival underlines the New York art-rock ensemble’s love-it-or-hate-it status. Facepaint-wearing, effects-pedal-wielding frontman Merrill Garbus wowed a crowd of fanatics at the Cedar over the summer, and the Current’s continued rotation of the madly bouncy single “Gangsta” helped her move up to a bigger room this time. It’s also the biggest gig yet for scrappy young quintet Howler, whose debut album lands Jan. 17 on Rough Trade. Garbus’ pal Pat Jordache opens. Chris Riemenschneider Win tickets.