ROLLINS BAND--He of the monstrously thick neck brings his band to Bumbershoot, and the question begs to be answered: Does anyone really care about the Rollins Band anymore? If you answer yes, I'm sure you're excited about the show. DMX MUSIC Boombox, 1-2:15 pm. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

KIKI & HERB--Manhattan's hipsters have fallen in love with cabaret superstars Kiki and Herb, and now our jaded asses will be seduced by this smart, torchy, devastatingly funny/tragic duo as well. Give in to the sordid debauchery as Kiki (the amazing Justin Bond), a boozy broad in soiled Bob Mackie, slurs and skewers all things pop culture. Accompanied by pianist and "gay Jew tard" Herb (Kenny Mellman), Kiki also screeches out covers of anything from Mary J. Blige to Bruce Springsteen to Sleater-Kinney. This is nostalgic lounge parody at its best--with smeared mascara, faded beauty, and lots of martinis, of course. Opera House, 1-3:30 pm. MIN LIAO

ROBERT WALTER'S 20TH CONGRESS--Keyboardist Robert Walter and his 20th Congress have made a name for themselves by mixing jazz, groove, and rock. But this is no tossed salad: The ingredients go straight into the blender, and the result is a heavy, funky sludge that is surprisingly addictive. The Funky Kingston Rhythm Stage, 1:30-2:45 pm. NATHAN THORNBURGH

JON AUER--Jon Auer has written some of the most heartbreaking and acerbic love songs of the past 20 years. He and Ken Stringfellow made the Posies great by sharing their equal ability as wordsmiths and musicians, and Auer's solo appearance should provide apt evidence that while neither songwriter could have been the Posies without the other, each is extremely capable of standing alone in his own musical light. PCC Northwest Court Stage, 2-3:15 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

KING SUNNY ADE & HIS AFRICAN BEATS--King Sunny Ade is sometimes called "the African Bob Marley." Aside from the generally positive mood of his music, Ade doesn't bear much resemblance to Marley, and the music itself--a combination of pop and traditional African music known as juju--is pretty distinctive. Real Mainstage, 2-3:15 pm. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

TRACHTENBURG FAMILY SLIDESHOW PLAYERS--With vintage slides of family vacations projected behind them, Jason Trachtenburg and family excoriate "The Corporation" and its greedy foundations with a sweet smile and a layered-but-simple pop format that recalls Camper Van Beethoven and Dead Milkmen. Kendall-Jackson Music Hall, 3-4 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

NAHA/SOFCON--Spinning backbreaking hardcore techno and fresh hiphop, this lady of the decks makes it difficult for other DJs to even compete. This show will be fronted by the energetic hiphop duo of Jeremy Moss and Nicole Finamore, a.k.a. Sofcon. Flag Pavilion, 3-4:30 pm. FRANK NIETO

BEYOND REALITY--Beyond Reality is the most underrated MC in Seattle. Her rhyme flow is rhythmic, her ethics are solid, and her stage presence is disarming. In a rap world of pushy and/or tricky performers, she offers a refreshing voice. The Funky Kingston Rhythm Stage, 3:15-4:15 pm. brian goedde

TAJ MAHAL & THE PHANTOM BLUES BAND--Taj Mahal is an excellent musician, and since he has spent his decades-long career experimenting with different styles and sounds, I'm not sure how to preview his concert. It will probably have both silly and touching moments. Real Mainstage, 3:45- 5 pm. brian goedde

PINEHURST KIDS--"The Onceler" is now showing on MTV 2--and good for Portland's Pinehurst Kids, an excellent group of rockers with an astute knack for gratifying pop hooks and an obvious resilience for transcending the backlash they've received in our erudite, cloistered Northwest. BumberClub, 5-5:45 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

BATTLE OF BUMBERSHOOT--This battle was the most revealing hiphop event in Seattle last year. Because the crowd's cheers advance the MCs and DJs to the next round, it shows the true tastes of the Seattle audience (which does not always choose the best performers). The Electro-Deck, 7-11 pm. brian goedde

LARGO w/JON BRION & FRIENDS and SPECIAL GUESTS--Largo is a tiny supper club in L.A. where producer/musical pantechnicon Jon Brion hosts a weekly show of stripped-down pop improv and special guests. Now they're taking it on the road, and you should only live so long before you see a more casual and reliably excellent evening of musical delights. Opera House, 7-10 pm. SEAN NELSON

AVEO--One of Seattle's brightest bands, with sad, intelligent lyrics and an impeccable, energetic pop that jangles along on Johnny Marr-esque guitar lines and impeccable drumming. BumberClub, 7:30-8:15 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

GUIDED BY VOICES--A band that vaults quickly from love to obsession as soon as the listener becomes initiated to its remarkably smart yet ramshackle sound, Ohio's Guided by Voices is an eternal crowd-pleaser. Singer Bob Pollard delivers song after song of witty social and personal commentary, set to sparkling power pop. DMX MUSIC Boombox, 8-10 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

THE MAKERS--With so many bands out there nowadays, all full of style and no substance, it's good to know that the Makers--who have always had style to spare, but also the garage-rock chops to back it up--are still kicking around. BumberClub, 8:45-9:45 pm. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

CAKE--The Dave Eggers of pop, Cake's frontman John McCrea never met a lyric he could deliver without irony. Cake marries herky-jerky rhythms to quirky, eclectic melodies for strange collisions, like the deadpan hilarity of its loungey rock take on "I Will Survive," which atomizes the song and still leaves enough endurance in its wake to give it punch. Real Mainstage, 9:45-11:15 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

TIGHT BROS BROM WAY BACK WHEN--Rock, made the way it should be: LOUD, HEAVY, and without giving a rat's ass whether or not the lyrics could win any literary awards. Tight Bros hail from Olympia, but their songs reveal them to be from glorious Buttrock, USA. BumberClub, 10:15-11:15 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

READINGS

DAVE EGGERS--Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and editor of McSweeney's, is well suited for Bumbershoot's carnival atmosphere. We don't attend his reading to listen closely and admire the way he carves up the English language, but to be entertained in much the same way a standup comic might entertain us. Put some wine in your blood before you watch this performance. Bagley Wright Theatre, 3:15-4:45 pm. CHARLES MUDEDE

FILM by Sean Nelson

(all films are screened at the Intiman Theatre)

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER--Three shorts concerning family and heredity: Tillie, The Last Gunshot, Cornelius. Noon-12:45 pm.

ROAD TRIP--Four films on traveling: Halfway There, Here, Space Needle: Twice Around, Three Exits. 1-1:45 pm.

MOTHER'S DAY--Oedipus returns! Helicopter, Elvis Has Left the Building. 2-2:45 pm.

BEST OF THE FEST #1--What's a film festival without a false sense of competition among the participants? A jury composed of Dan Dubiecki, Tamara Jenkins, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Tim Blake Nelson, Bill Radke, Jason Reitman, Bryan Suits, Tom Tangney, and Jim Taylor will select the winner of the Best Live-Action Short award. 3-3:45 pm.

DANCE/THEATER by Bret Fetzer

PROJECT BANDALOOP--See listing for Sun Sept 2, pg. 21.

KEVIN KENT--Kent is flat-out one of the most amazing improvisers you will ever see. He's coming back from San Francisco (where he performs in Teatro ZinZanni) to MC for a couple of other acts (Kiki & Herb, the Tiger Lillies), but they'll be lucky if they even make it onto the stage; once Kent gets started, it's hard to get him to stop. Opera House, 1-3:30 pm.

LINGO DANCETHEATER--This synergistic troupe will present a remount of Dysfunction, its latest work, which Stranger reviewer Barley Blair called "cinematically swift." Rather than scaling the heights of love, Dysfunction explores friendship and familial bonds, and finds a seething world of compromises and distortions that's every bit as passionate. Bagley Wright Theatre, 2-2:45 pm.

d9 DANCE COLLECTIVE--This genuine, creative collective draws from a repertory of work by a truly stunning amalgamation of choreographers, featuring work by Dayna Hanson and Gaelen Hanson (a.k.a. 33 Fainting Spells), Mary Sheldon Scott, Michael Foley, and Donna Uchizono. Bagley Wright Theatre, 7-8:15 pm.

COMEDY

DAVID CROSS--The funniest guy ever? Likely. Cross, as co-host of the now-legendary Mr. Show, helped pilot the finest TV sketch-comedy show since Python. As a standup, he takes on organized religion, porn, the moronic world of rock, and cultural piety with righteous (as opposed to self-righteous) intelligence. Cross is as sharp as they come. Comedy Stage, various daily showtimes; Cross performs each day of Bumbershoot. SEAN NELSON