A band that sings about nothing but girls, drugs, booze and girls has no right to be as good as The Hold Steady. Heartily endorsed by Bruce Springsteen himself (not surprising, since the band draws hefty influence from The Boss’s first few albums), these Brooklyn rockers don’t have much flash but they know how to work a crowd. You might even find yourself chest-bumping your bros at the show despite your better judgment. In other words, the band’s set at The Warehouse this Tuesday, September 21 is not to be missed.

Rewinding a bit, Toronto’s Octoberman will play Broken City on Thursday, September 17. Part of quietly consistent Vancouver label White Whale Records’ roster, the group is touring to promote their brand-spankin’ new release, Fortress. Two of the city’s top singer-songwriters, Dojo Workhorse and Extra Happy Ghost, will open the night.

On Friday, September 18, your best bet is to head down to the Beat Niq for Sinistrio, a groove-laden three-piece featuring ex-Recipe from a Small Planet keyboardist Steve Fletcher on Hammond organ, alongside Jeff Drummond on guitar and John May on drums. Not so much because it might be one of your last chances to check out a show at the Niq, but more just because they can lock together as tightly as Medeski, Martin and Wood, and that’s something worth seeing.

You can take your pick on Saturday, September 19. Legendary Canadian punks DOA will be at The Gateway, crashing through their two-minute ditties with the kind of proficiency that only comes with 30 years’ experience. It’s hard to deny the band’s importance — not only did singer Joey Shithead inspire Bruce McDonald’s Spinal Tap-gone-punk flick Hard Core Logo, the band’s Hardcore ’81 is often credited for coining the genre’s name.

If old-school (or aging) punk isn’t really your thing, there’s always Wallpaper at the HiFi club that same night. Hopefully the Oakland DJ will play his remix of “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,” one of the more ridiculous — and sublimely dumb — singles of the summer.