Photo via AJPero.com

A.J. Pero of Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob

Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob drummer A.J. Pero has died at the age of 55, the announcement coming on March 20 from Twisted Sister's official Facebook page and website: "The members of Twisted Sister are profoundly saddened to announce the untimely passing of our brother, AJ Pero. The band, crew and most importantly the family of AJ Pero thank you for your thoughts and prayers at this time."

Timothy Norris for LA Weekly

Kendrick Lamar at Made in America 2014

Hooray for playing hooky. Kendrick Lamar, on the heels of the (surprise!) release of this new album, To Pimp a Butterfly, will offer a special signing for the first 2,000 records sold at Rough Trade NYC in Williamsburg March 20 beginning at 1 p.m. Fans who purchase the record will be given a wristband allowing them to return at 4 p.m. for the meet, greet, and signing. Lines will start forming around 3 p.m., so if you want a shot at saying hey to K-Dot, get thee to the L train, stat.

Photo via Facebook

Ho99o9

Don't try to label Ho99o9. The duo (pronounced "Horror") has been dubbed everything from experimental thrashcore rap to horrorcore hip-hop, but nomenclature doesn't do them justice. Originally from New Jersey, the genre-obliterating rappers theOGM (a/k/a Jean) and Yetti999 (a/k/a Eaddy) have garnered attention for their dark and subversive rhymes, touching on topics like drugs, sex, and (most-cited) necrophilia. They're freaks and proud of it. Following the underground success of the track "Bone Collector," Ho99o9 received nods from the Afropunk Festival and Last Call With Carson Daly. This year, they're slated to perform at the Warped Tour and are deep in the throes of their first SXSW. Before going onstage at The Main last night in Austin, Texas, the guys met us in a fittingly weird place: the back alley behind the venue (where we witnessed a domestic assault and the police showing up in the midst of this interview).

Here's what we learned about the ear-catching duo.

Publicity photo by Randy Gunter

Kaki King performs Saturday at Merkin Concert Hall.

For more shows throughout the weekend, check out our New York Concert Calendar, which we update daily.

Photo by Danielle Sessa

Dale Henderson rocks out with his Bach out.

On March 21, 130 cities across 40 countries will host the same 330th birthday celebration. Thousands of classical musicians will gather in public places — like the urban echo chamber of the subway — to commemorate the influence and enduring legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach. Orchestrated by New York's own cellist Dale Henderson and in its fifth year of operation, Bach in the Subways is preparing for its largest celebration yet.

"Classical music is everything that pop music claims to be — it's sexy, it's exciting, it's fun," says Henderson in an interview with DNAinfo New York. "But for several reasons — marketing, the creation of the recording industry — people don't get exposed to it much or they assume it's boring or it's an old-white-guy thing. By bringing live classical music for free, we aim to change that."

Sachyn Mital for the Village Voice

Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse

Whenever championed indie rock outfit Modest Mouse releases a new record and heads out on the road, the same question inevitably comes up in one form or another: "How's Isaac Brock doing?"

The witty, volatile, and presumably intoxicated frontman has been no stranger to acting as he damn well pleases over the course of Mouse's twenty-plus-year career. He's the same man who pointedly broke down for a jerk audience member the specific reasons as to why he would never play "Free Bird." (End reason: "Life is too fucking short to play or hear 'Free Bird.' ")

But on March 18 at Webster Hall, at the first of two sold-out shows at the venue, Brock seemed unmistakably driven and punchy in his playing, stomping his way through his wary, cathartic music with a palpable sense of purpose.

Photo by Brian McManus

Andrew W.K.

[Editor's note: Every week, New York City's own Andrew W.K. takes your life questions and sets you safely down the right path to a solution, a purpose, or — no surprise here — a party. Need his help? Just ask: AskAWK@villagevoice.com]

Dear Andrew,

I recently moved in with a friend who I've known for almost a decade. Turns out he uses a lot of homophobic slurs and insults. He also says racist stuff and badmouths pretty much every minority group you can think of. I had never seen this side of him until we became roommates, and now I'm really disturbed. I pointed out how offensive this was, and his response was, "They're just words," and that I should lighten up. What do I do?

Yours sincerely,
Concerned

Courtesy of Danielle Mastrion

Danielle Mastrion spray-paints a truck in front of her mural of the Notorious B.I.G. at the Bushwick Collective.

When news broke in May 2012 that Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch had passed, New York City was moved. And if New York was moved, so was Danielle Mastrion.

The painter and street artist was set to debut her first major public mural that week for the third cycle of the Centre-Fuge Public Art Project on the Lower East Side, when the tragic news caused her to quickly scrap her original idea in favor of a Beastie tribute. Midway through production (as she was using brushes, and not aerosol spray, because, you know, this Parsons-trained fine artist isn't going to veer away from her style just to fit in for her premiere), an omen appeared.

Photo by Todd Oldham

Bridget Everett appears on Dale Radio Live at The Pit this Tuesday.

This week in Cheap Laughs, we have hot tubs, heckling clubs, honest flubs, half-chubs, and a Beastie Boy backup dancer. Here's our rundown of the best in independently produced New York comedy this week.

Photo by Howard Huang

Nicki Minaj

The Pink Monarch of Jamaica, Queens, returns to her NYC roots on July 26 for a star-studded bash at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Rapper and singer Nicki Minaj will be joined by buzzy backwards duo Rae Sremmurd (whose recent hit single "Throw Sum Mo" features Minaj), Meek Mill, Tinashe, and Detroit rapper DeJ Loaf during her nineteen-date Pinkprint Tour throughout the U.S. (Stay tuned — she's hinted at more dates to be announced in the near future.)