Thurs. July 12

 How can you not be intrigued by a band called Emperor Norton's Stationery Marching Band? Yes, they're part of that new vaudeville craze that's out there and they play that kind of circus style music at the Lilypad Thursday July 12 with accompaniment by one of our favorite belly dancers, Samarra. Emperor Norton's band - which bills its members as "talented deadbeats and drifters" - has 12 players, including a fiddler, a clarinetist, accordionist, upright bassist and more. They promise to be raucous and rambunctious, musicians who will hok, wail, blow, beat, bounce, scream or serenade their way into your hearts. Add Samarra to that mix and you're looking at some kinda fun. Starts at 10 p.m. with a $10 cover.

1353 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-0576 www.lily-pad.net

Wed. July 4

What are you doing on America's birthday? Here, in Boston, we've got the country's most celebrated - and nationally broadcast - music + fireworks thing going: The Boston Pops, conducted by Keith Lockhart, on the Esplanade, with this year's "rock" artist being that bastion of the American heartland, John Mellencamp. Good linkage. Assuming you're going to watch it - and, really, do you have another two choice: Join half a million or so other folks, get there at the crack of dawn, stake out blanket space, and sweat it out until the 8:30 p.m. show. And be part of the festivities! Live! Hey, we've done it a few times. We're going to be there this year, though, probably in some  press-sequestered area. If you don't want to wage the battle for lawn supremacy, you can watch WBZ-TV Channel 4's coverage from 8 to 10 p.m. (That's after a 7 p.m. show called "The American Spirit," hosted by Paula Ebben and Scott Wahle.) Then, at 10, CBS nationwide (same channel here) picks up it for a concentrated "best of" hour. It’s difficult, Lockhart told us, in terms of “shaping the program, saying ‘Now, give us your best ten seconds,’’’ Still, the exposure can’t be beat and Lockhart says, “it’s a two-edged sword. We’re the only orchestra with a real broad national constituency because of the Fourth of July and the public celebration. We call ourselves 'America’s Orchestra.'"
 Also, the Pops 4th show features the winner of the nationwide talent search – a rather blatant “American Idol” rip-off to get the public involved.  Hey, it generates interest. “This aping of TV shows is so out of control,” admits Lockhart. “What’s next ‘America’s Best New Pharmacist?’ We’re watchng people fall over themselves to think of new reality shows.”
Still, of the Pops contestants still in the mix, he says, “Based on what I’ve heard, it’s a strong group.” (Lockhart told us this before the winner was announced last week: She is Maria Perry, winning with her rendition of "Not While I'm Around" from "Sweeney Todd." She's not a local. This year, the Pops opened up their PopSearch thing nationally to youtube.com and the 52-year-old fitness instructor from Kansis City, Missouri won that way.
Joining the Esplanade Orchestra and Mellencamp - expect "Small Town," "Jack and Diane" and "This is Our Country" - will be that well known American patriot Craig Ferguson. Nah, that's a joke. Craig's the Scottish comic/actor who landed "The Late, Late Show" on CBS and has, of late, been kvetching about not having gotten citizenship. So, various mayors and governors have been sending in documents granting him honorory citizenship of their respective spots. Just a wild guess? He get's Boston citizenship from Mayor Menino or state-wise citizenship from Deval Patrick.
Look the "Fourth of July Extravaganza" is no picnic (though you should bring one) and you must consider all the lead-up and then trying to get home among the throngs.  But the  music and 25 minutes of fireworks - they seem to get better every year - will stir something with you. And if you like having those emotions stirred with hundreds of thousands of others, stake that spot as close to the Hatch Shell as you can, as early as you can. It is, of course, free.

Storrow Drive, www.july4th.org

Tues. July 3

It will be eight years since the sly and wry Mark Sandman, (in photo) of Morphine, died on stage in Europe. Seems so long ago, seems like yesterday. Morphine pioneered a rootsy, artsy "lo-rock" sound that gained an audience far beyond what we ever expected. It was minimalistic, but powerful, and unique. The emotions Sandman and his pals brought to the fore - twisted tales of life and love - struck a chord in Boston and beyond. Now, where the Middle East is - an old Morphine joint - it is called Mark Sandman Square. Go to the corner of Mass. Ave. and Brookline St., look up and you'll see it. On Tuesday, July 3 his pal Mike Rivard (see Rivard item on Thursday, too), joins up with former Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley, Mike Keenan, Mister Rourke, Monique Ortiz, Christian McNeill, Jereome Dupree and, no doubt, many more to pay tribute to his legacy at Matt Murphy's Pub in Brookline Village. It's simply called "Tribute to Mark Sandman." The music starts late, at 11 p.m. and there's no cover. Also, they'll be honoring the late John Brown's Body bassist Scott Palmer, with music from Guvnor, the band he co-led with drummer Tommy Benedetti.

14 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-0188 www.mattmurphyspub.com

Mon. July 2

Our interest in the gloomier, doomier side of rock goes back to, oh, Pink Floyd and peaked, probably, with Joy Division. Pink Floyd often saw the world as a conspiracy (school/government/parents) against the individual; Joy Division's Ian Curtis saw emotional torment everywhere he turned and hanged himself. There was, and is, a lot of veracity in each band's music. Also, it countered the sugar-y anthem rock that sounded so manufactured. That stuff will be with us always - it will surround us, as most people, really want the easy uplift, just as they want the undemanding satisfaction of competitive reality TV. It's much harder, musically, to create something that is both credible and uplifting. It is this that the Polyphonic Spree specializes in. As band co-leader Tim DeLaughter (pictured with wife and co-leader Julie Doyle) told Jay Sweet, my buddy at Paste magazine, "Look, it's hard to live life in general, but it's always been about having hope and persevering. I love life in all its ups and downs, but it's still a struggle." The new album, "The Fragile Army," is the first to get somewhat political - they're not happy with the Bush years - and DeLaughter says, it's about "trying to move forward, but yet acknowledge there is a cloud here to be dealt with." So, it's not Polyanna time with the Polyphonic Spree. The group, 24 members of so (many of them in the chorus), plays Avalon Monday July 2. You'll hear brass, glee, multi-part harmonies, Bowie-esque glam bits, Beatles=-like brass, and, well, a fair amount of jubiliation. Go and see if it doesn't feel real. And if it does, consider how hard that is to accomplish these days after watching the evening news. Tickets: $18. Show starts at 8 p.m with Jesca Hoop.

15 Lansdowne St., 617-262-2437 www.livenation.com

Sun. July 1

Can you go wrong with Cirque du Soleil? Not if you're a fan of the phtasmagorical, acrobatics, dance, pulsing (yet classically tinted music) and a whirlwind of action: dance, drama, comedy? All of of those things happen at the same time, so you find yourself needing to catch your breath here and there. Cirque du Soleil has become a wildly successful company over the past 15 years. We've generally seen production in circus tents. This time, Cirque takes its "Delirium" to the arenas, to TD Banknorth Garden, for a brief run that concludes tonight, Sunday July 1. It's the first time in Cirque history that lytircs have been matched to the instrumental tracks, and for the first time musicians and singers are not hidden behind scrims, but are at center stage.  What they've done is take 20 of Cirque's most, as they say, "memorable musical moments," and put them to a massive technical production. That includes 540 feet of projects screens - almost four IMAX screens, which will show prerecorded visuals and manipulated live feeds. The company includes six singers, six musicians, 12 dancers, nine acrobats and three main characters. Exepct to be dazzled all over again. Shows: Sunday at 8. Tickets: $122.50 -$37.

Causweay St., livenation.com, www.ciqurdeusoleil.com  617-228-6000