Tonight: Kidz In The Hall at Studio Seven, Pierced Arrows at the Funhouse

Kidz in the Hall, with 88-Keys, Izza Kizza, Donnis. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312. 7 p.m. $15. Kidz in the Hall (not to be confused with the Canadian comedy troupe) are hip-hop's equivalent of the cool kids in the gifted class. The duo blurs lines and pushes boundaries in a knowing, wink-wink sort of way, which is why they get slapped with the "alternative" label. Comprised of MC Naledge and DJ/producer Double-O, the group dropped two critically acclaimed albums by 2008 before releasing Land of Make Believe in early March. Guests abound on the new disc, including Just Blaze performing producer duty and MC Lyte and Amanda Diva on vocals. The track "Traffic" nicely encapsulates what Kidz is all about. It has an almost epic sound and pulses with an addictive, chaotic blend of dance fever and hip-hop anthem. KEVIN CAPP

Pierced Arrows, with Lullabye Arkestra, The Gloryholes, Ape City R&B. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave. N., 374-8400. 9:30 p.m. $10. Clearly, Fred and Toody Cole were never meant to stroll off into the land of elderhostels, early bird specials, and shuffleboard, even when they retired their long-running and much-revered cult rock band Dead Moon a few years back as they were approaching their sixties. Nope, the Coles are lifers, and proving that it's never too late to start a new band - and that you're never too old to rip it up - singer-guitarist Fred and bassist Toody (along with drummer Kelly Halliburton) are back at it with Pierced Arrows. While they're not dwelling in the exact same spot as Dead Moon, the new trio's craggy, gutsy blues-punk certainly lives in the same neighborhood, and that's nothing but tremendous news for everyone who's followed the Coles for 40 years and hopes to follow them for 40 more. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG