CIVIL TWILIGHT

South African trio Civil Twilight borrow more musical tricks from bands like Coldplay, Keane, and other modern melodic alt-rockers than they do from the artists you usually think of when someone says “South African trio.” There's way more The Unforgettable Fire-era U2 than Graceland-era Paul Simon on 2009's self-titled debut and the recently released Holy Weather. They often reach higher than they can grab, layering marching drums, ringing guitars, and mountaintop vocals until everything topples under the weight. That makes their songs ideal for emotional moments – deaths, breakups, that sorta thing -- on TV shows like House and One Tree Hill. And cuts like “Letters From the Sky,” “Every Walk That I’ve Ever Taken Has Been in Your Direction,” and “Highway of Fallen Kings” are as grand as their titles let on. Like the bands they're into, Civil Twilight can get a little pretentious, implying depth that just isn't there. But Bono and the boys haven't sounded this grounded in a couple of decades. With 1, 2, 3. 8 p.m. Tickets: $12, $10 in advance. – Michael Gallucci