Sacramento has always been a good town for shows, but it just keeps getting better.

If festivals are your thing, they don’t come much better than the annual Aftershock festival, and if you want the major label mega-shows downtown’s Golden 1 Center’s got your number.

But for my concert dollar, what makes Sacramento such a great live music town is that you can drop into midtown’s Ace of Spades and get so close to your favorite artists that you’ll be wiping their sweat out of your eyes. After the gig it’s not uncommon to meet those same artists at the merch table or in the bar, too. The sound and lighting are great, the drinks are delicious, and the joint is even all ages. Ace of Spades might be Sacramento’s best not-so-hidden treasure.

And speaking of not-so-hidden treasures, Dope might be the million-selling band you’ve never heard of. If your knowledge of industrial music stops at Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, October 3, 2017 at Ace of Spades would be a good time and place to change that. Here’s what you’re in for:

Dope’s current tour is a celebration of 20 years of music and mayhem, a celebration that also includes the release of an Early Years box set. Opening for the east coast icons is California’s own Head PE.

Not in the Sacramento region? Check out the dates below for a show near you: