5 must-see acts at the Emerge festival in Las Vegas

Arrow de Wilde, the skinny, brash, blood-spittin’ frontwoman for these young L.A. rockers, could very prove to be the most awesomely in-your-face presence at Emerge. Note: Starcrawler will be playing a special after-show set following Waxahatchee’s headlining performance.

Cupcakke, noon Saturday, Harrah’s Cabaret

With a tongue as blue as the shade of lipstick she sports on the cover of her latest album, “Euphorize,” this taboo-smashing 20-year-old MC gives alternately funny, heartfelt, bawdy and fearless voice to female sexual assertiveness. Through it all, she never blushes. You probably won’t be able to say the same.

“Truth to Power,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Mat Franco Theater at The Linq

With a focus on “the sights and sounds of resistance and protest,” this “rally style gathering” is among Emerge’s most timely and loaded lineups. It’s also one of its most diverse, featuring “warrior style” dance troupe Kalpulli Ehecatl, feminist punks War on Women, comedian Jena Friedman, folky firebrand Hooray for the Riff Raff and more. Raise your fist. And/or a beer. Your call.

Polish Club, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Mat Franco Theater at The Linq

This Aussie duo knocks the dirt off garage rock’s R&B roots, coming correct with an alternately soulful and serrated racket.

OK Go, 4 p.m. Sunday, Donny and Marie Showroom, Flamingo

While the music video could be seen as a dying art, OK Go has broken out the creative defibrillator over the past decade, creating consistently inventive and often downright stunning clips, including one shot in zero gravity aboard an airplane (“Upside Down & Inside Out”) and another with hundreds of printers working in unison (“Obsession”). Here, the power pop quartet will perform with said videos on the big screen. OK? Go.

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New fest Emerge brings 3 days of music, activism to Las Vegas

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter.