Picks of the week

Rock picks

Tonight: Nickel Creek and Fiona Apple are at the Bank of America Pavilion; George Thorogood kicks off a two-night stand at Hampton Beach Casino; Kay Hanley performs at the Lizard Lounge; Bishop Allen plays downstairs at the Middle East with Page France and the Teeth; Benzos and Foreign Islands top the bill upstairs at the Middle East; Rise Against with Silverstein, Comeback Kid, and Smoke or Fire are on the bill at Avalon; Andy Freidman is at the Abbey Lounge with Girls Guns & Glory, the Wrong Reasons, and Sam Reid & the Riot Act; Walter the Orange Ocean headlines T.T. the Bear's; Fluttr Effect plays an acoustic show at the Lizard Lounge. Tomorrow: The Download Festival, with Modest Mouse, Guster, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Neko Case, and others, rolls into the Tweeter Center; Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo perform at the Bank of America Pavilion.

Jazz picks

Tonight: Former Paul Bley drummer and Newton native Bill Elgart, who has lived in Munich for three decades, makes a rare return to the Boston area to play with a group of local avant-jazz luminaries at Brookline Tai Chi. Tomorrow night: New Orleans alto saxophonist Donald Harrison and his quartet close the 23d Marblehead Summer Jazz series at the Unitarian-Universalist Church. Wednesday: Guitarists John Stowell and Gustavo Assis-Brasil present an evening of intimate guitar duets, including standards, Brazilian tunes, and modern jazz classics, at the Lily Pad. Thursday: Locally based Argentine pianist Leo Genovese, just returned from a European tour with Esperanza Spalding, brings saxophonist Dan Blake, bassist/guitarist Justin Purtill, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer Nat Mugavero to Ryles, to present a batch of new compositions. Singer Rebecca Parris opens a two-night stand with the R&B and jazz saxophone great David "Fathead" Newman at Scullers.