Eight Gigs: Beth Bombara

According to the weekly in St. Louis—and we all deeply care about what weekly newspapers think, of course—singer-songwriter Beth Bombara has been that city's best Americana artist for the past two years. Her lyrics are simple and frank, with some surprising instrumentation. Upright bass, fiddle, banjo, lap steel, mandolin and trombone all play a role on her newest self-titled record. Sounds potentially cluttered, but Bombara tends to keep things sparse, highlighting her story-telling, instead. Bombara actually opens up this show for locals Boneyard Rattlers and Hair of the Dawg, so get there early. 1400 E Street, http://bethbombara.com.