Maryna Krut

7 p.m. Thursday. First Parish Unitarian Church, 425 Congress St., Portland, $35. porttix.com.

Maryna Krut. Photo courtesy of Portland Ovations

Maryna Krut, who sometimes uses the moniker KRUTb, is a Ukrainian singer-songwriter who plays a bandura, a string instrument that emits a captivating lute and harp sound.

Her singing voice is lovely, even if I can’t understand a single word. A resident of the western part of war-torn Ukraine, Krut, 28, has played festivals around the world.

Krut has also witnessed unspeakable devastation to her homeland, and has traveled to the front lines of the war to perform for soldiers. While on tour, she is known for sharing stories about what she has seen, and is vocal with her gratitude in thanking audience members who support Ukrainians.

That said, go see Krut because, based on the clips I’ve watched on YouTube, her performances are pin-drop mesmerizing. Her mastery of the bandura is evident; the instrument is essentially an extension of her body while she’s playing it.

Irish rock band Inhaler. Photo by Lewis Evans

Inhaler

8 p.m. Tuesday March 4. State Theatre, 609 Congress St., Portland, $29.50 in advance, $35 day of show. statetheatreportland.com.

I already had a feeling I’d love Inhaler because they’re a Dublin, Ireland-based rock band and I adore Dublin immensely. So much so, I’ve visited the city twice in as many years.

I spent multiple days listening to the band’s new album “Open Wide,” and boy, I sure do love their sound.

Rock-infused pop hooks won me over right out of the gate with the opening track, “Eddie in The Darkness,” and held my interest through the closing track “Little Things.”

At this point, I still had no idea who was in the band or what their history was. I just knew I loved this album and would be going to the show to hear it live.

Another thought had been coursing through my head, but I sort of dismissed it because avoiding comparisons has always been important.

But finally, it HAD to be said. The singer sure sounds a lot like Bono. What did this mean? Was he trying to? Imitation is a form of flattery, right?

Everything made sense when I finally took a proper look at the info about Inhaler. The singer is named Eli Hewson, son of Paul Hewson who is better known as…: BONO. Picture Homer Simpson having a “D’Oh!” moment.

But, to be clear, Hewson is not a carbon copy of the guy who I cried after finally meeting at a show in Boston a couple of years ago. The inflections are mighty similar, but the younger Hewson has his own thing going on vocally, and it makes for a fantastic frontman for a band that has been around since 2012, has released three albums and have racked up more than 500 million streams.

In 2021, Inhaler’s debut album “It Won’t Always Be Like This” hit the No. 1 spot on the U.K. and Irish charts. They’ve also opened for Pearl Jam, Harry Styles and Arctic Monkeys, while also playing many shows.

The rest of the band is composed of Robert Keating, Ryan McMahon and Josh Jenkinson.

I love the fact that Hewson’s identify escaped me until well after I was already a fan. Hopefully their first show in Maine will be well attended. See you there?