DJ NASIR, TRIPOLI
(Seattle Art Museum) There's a party going on, people, and it ain't just at the Showbox or I-Spy. Our own Barbara Mitchell's been trying to get this through your thick little skulls for months, constantly reminding you to check out the great free music at Gordon Biersch already, and now I'm here to cheer for the Seattle Art Museum's After Hours event at SAM, which, one Thursday a month, features bands like Quasi, Octant, and Heather Duby in intimate early-evening shows. For five bucks you can wander all over the museum, get some dinner in the museum cafe (yes, you big lush, there is a cash bar), or just sit on the marble steps of SAM's massive foyer and see some of your favorite artists up close and personal, and in flattering late-day natural light, no less. DJ Nasir is always smooth, and Tripoli (formerly of Nasir's own Sweet Mother Records) have got some new material out that should sound just right in this laid-back, airy environment. LEAH GREENBLATT

PETER PARKER, WES DANDO, WUSSY BEAT UP THE JOCKS
(Crocodile) As my mother is all too fond of reminding me, sometimes life is unfair. I think of this every time a great band name is wasted on a mediocre band (see also: Gay Dad). Thankfully, in addition to having one of the best monikers in recent history, Wussy Beat up the Jocks are a darned fine outfit--and prove that good things CAN come out of Tacoma. Their particular blend of noisy melody worked just fine on a recent bill with Polecat but should also pair well with the poppy Peter Parker. BARBARA MITCHELL

THE PIN-UPS, QUICKIE
(Breakroom) A lot of people were disappointed when Goodness folded after years of perching on the edge of the big time. Basically, they were neither cheesy enough for MTV, nor solid enough to build a devoted indie following, and fell into the considerable gap between. I wasn't a fan, but nifty pop songs belted out by what my grandma would have called "a spunky gal" have their crowd. And now that crowd has Pin-Ups frontwoman Dejha Clayton, who on the band's new LP, Backseat Memoirs, gives the impression that she is capable of delivering a lot of sass and energy live, if this is your kind of thing. GRANT COGSWELL

EL VEZ, THE SQUIRRELS
(Crocodile) I know I shouldn't. Every critical instinct tells me "no." "Novelty acts are EVIL," I tell myself. But here's the deal: El Vez (the Mexican Elvis) is more than a one-punchline joke with an hour-long set list. El Vez is a world-class ENTERTAINER. We're talkin' PRODUCTION VALUES. Costume changes. Background singers. The whole nine yards. El Vez is a legend. A performer. A gosh-darned genius. And I refuse to apologize for loving him. BARBARA MITCHELL

MARY TIMONY, MOUNTAIN CON., MIRAH
(I-Spy) Helium's Mary Timony has been busy lately, forming a band with Carrie Brownstein called the Spells and recording a four-song seven-inch. Now she's on a tour in support of her solo release on Matador, Mountains, and for this show she'll be accompanied by Mirah, who has recorded a new album of her own on K to complement her work with the Microphones. The show will be billed as "A Night of Sweetly Singing Sirens." Except for Mountain Con., of course. JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

JOE SATRIANI
(Moore Theater) It's always sad when a rock star, a real rock star, shaves off his mullet and turns it in for a drumbox. Even though Joe Satriani has done just that, he still has the lyrical groove that made me want to become a rock star when I first heard Surfing with the Alien back in 1987. The addition of the drumbox propels his new album, Engines of Creation, into a futuristic landscape curiously reminiscent of 10 years ago. This guitar legend is simply not to be missed by anyone who's alive and breathing, or who used to (or still does) sport a mullet and drool over Guitar World. God bless you, Mr. Satriani, you still rock. Please grow back the mullet. KREG HASEGAWA

THE ISLEY BROTHERS, D. L. HUGHLEY
(Paramount) There's that winning moment in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Matthew Broderick jumps on the parade float to lip-sync the Beatles' cover of "Twist and Shout." Or the Animal House musical number to "(You Make Me Want To) Shout!" Or the various commercials that have used "It's Your Thing" and "(Who's) That Lady." All Isley Brothers songs. Since 1959 the Isley Brothers have been torchbearers of soul, and tonight they appear with comic D. L. Hughley on the "Laugh/Cry Tour." It's a classic and classy bill. ERIN FRANZMAN

WILLIS, ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE, HILLTOP WASHINGTON
(Showbox) Alien Crime Syndicate's new album has been out for a little while now, and they shall soon be embarking on a U.S./intergalactic tour. This is, of course, a clever ruse to lure you and others like you to one specific location where ACS can accomplish their REAL mission: to probe your mind for hidden receptors and transmitters placed there by the barbaric enemy race of greys from beyond the Horsehead Nebula. If you suspect you may be one of those unfortunate humans to be under the control of the greys, it is your duty as a God-fearing American to come to the show and undergo the rigorous examination. JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

THE SKIRTS
(Graceland) See Bio Box.

DAMNATIONS TX, ROGER CLINE & THE PEACEMAKERS
(Tractor Tavern) A half-eared listen to the Damnations TX's major release, last year's Half Mad Moon, might lead one to think of them as just another country-punk band. (Or is that psychobilly? I can never tell the difference.) They aren't, though; the first song's good, for one thing, and for another, everything else on the album doesn't sound just like it. In true Texas style, the Damnations TX sample from a little bit of everything--from banjo-inflected bluegrass to true country ballads--and it all tastes good. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

DJ LOGIC
(OK Hotel) This will be the first of a two-night Seattle binge for DJ Logic. Known for twisting and refreshing the Medeski, Martin, and Wood jazz/jam sound, what he'll be remembered for is his enterprising use of turntables and his ability to scratch within the realm of just about any musical genre you can think of. On his CD Project Logic, he works the hiphop, free-jazz, funk, and even Latino sounds for all they're worth. Tonight he'll be playing with Reggie Watts and Kevin Goldman, two members of our own local funk outfit, Maktub. KREG HASEGAWA

KID KOALA, DJ FOOD, AMON TOBIN
(Showbox, early) It's a Ninja Tune free-for-all, featuring three of the Canadian label's top artists. Brazilian-born Brighton resident Amon Tobin produces some of the best dark, orchestral Latin-jazz drum 'n' bass fusion you'll hear, and 1997's Bricolage (which for no good reason has Seattle's own Soundgarden sculpture on its album cover) and especially '98's Permutations both became instant headphone classics. Kid Koala, meanwhile, looks like some lax security guy forgot to card him at the door, but his turntable talents belie his baby face, and this year's scratch-happy pop-culture pastiche Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is almost ear-defying. I'm sure that, as usual, all the trainspotters will be piled around the Kid 10-deep, trying to absorb just a little of his skill through osmosis. LEAH GREENBLATT

THE LOAD LEVELERS, HOG MOLLY, MEDULLA PIñATA
(Breakroom) She was shrieking in my ear as I drove. I had forgotten the piñata and we were already halfway to the party. "But honey," I suggested, "we've got a perfectly good porker just swilling around in the back of the truck. Why can't we just string it up and use it?" Her eyes closed and she started to count to 10. Ever since we'd seen those dirty, loud bands at the bar the other night, it was a struggle to keep it together. There was a guy named Tad, a band that wanted to bash our brains, and some guys who liked big construction vehicles. I haven't been sober since. JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

L7, NASH KATO, ROLLER
(Graceland) In some ways, Nash Kato's former band, Urge Overkill, walked that fine line between clever and stupid. When everyone else was trying to strip away all trappings of rock stardom, Urge Overkill poured the image on thick. Thankfully, they also had the talent--and the songs--to back it up. Kato has finally emerged from the ashes of his former band with a fine new album called Debutante that picks up where Urge Overkill left off, happily updating '70s glam-pop and proving that a glamorous image doesn't have to mean there's no "there" there. BARBARA MITCHELL

DEDICATED: DOC MARTEN
(Showbox) This California house king came to I-Spy a few months ago and sold out in about five minutes, so I'd line up early for this one. He spins consistently solid, up-tempo sounds that the kids always go crazy for, and he's probably the closest thing we have to a West Coast legend. After a serious health scare a little while back, he's looking mighty trim and perky, and it should be a fine, sweaty show. Enjoy. LEAH GREENBLATT

VALENTINE KILLERS, AKIMBO, TWO TON BOA, FEDERATION X
(Sit & Spin) I was sitting in my apartment a few weeks ago, talking to a friend on the phone. Suddenly I heard a familiar melody drifting through my opened window. It was Two Ton Boa, playing in a street in downtown Olympia. I hung up the phone and in a flurry put on my shoes, jacket, and hat and booked downtown. The whole way there I listened to the singer's voice carrying down the streets, echoing off the buildings, passing me. But alas, when I finally got there, they had stopped. Thankfully, that was not to be the last time they played. I hope that everybody gets a chance to see this band. When you wake up on Saturday morning, put on your copy of Two Ton Boa, eat some food, and then go to the Sit & Spin. The show starts at 3:00 pm, and is all-ages. JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

NASH KATO
(Sonic Boom Records) Ooh groovy, cats. My mood is rising and I'm feelin' loose. The music train is rollin' on, and there's a party in the caboose. My pants are polyester but my shirt is made of silk. My shades are bigger than hubcaps, but they just reflect the stars. Our journey's mystical, our journey's strange, but sugar, at least I don't have mange. My new album's called Debutante, 'cause that's the age I like 'em. Hippie Party! Hippie Party! Hippie Party! JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

FREEDY JOHNSTON
(Tractor Tavern) Have you ever had the experience where a song actually wouldn't leave your mind? Where it embedded itself so absolutely that it felt like it actually melded itself to your brain, in a good way? Freedy Johnston is the kind of songwriter capable of crafting that caliber of song. There's a Midwestern twang to his folk-pop that's as familiar and inviting as the melodies themselves. The Tractor promises to be just the right kind of setting to fully enjoy the experience. BARBARA MITCHELL

BOTTOM, SLUDGEPLOW, SHARPIE (Crocodile)

CHRISTDRIVER, THE LUST PUPPY, TON (Showbox)
Here's a dilemma--two shows on the same night featuring bands from the Head Trauma Coalition. What to do? Here's a suggestion: If you feel you're not getting enough of the heavy stuff in your musical diet, perhaps you should consider attempting to attend BOTH shows. Really. The Croc and the Showbox are within easy walking distance (unless you grew up in L.A.), and that quick walk will help burn off that extra layer of winter fat. Just remember to wear comfortable shoes. BARBARA MITCHELL

JON AUER
(Gordon Biersch) Were it not for the excellent musical menu served up weekly at Gordon Biersch, I wouldn't flinch at the idea of utterly destroying the disgusting new-money haven known as Pacific Place. However, tonight's show is one reason I'm willing to allow it to stay. GB's format--three sets, two nights, one performer, no cover--makes fraternizing with yuppies almost palatable when said performer is former Posie Jon Auer. Expect a musical selection more satisfying and diverse than the menu, or the clientele. BARBARA MITCHELL

C-AVERAGE, SWARMING HORDES, MIGAS, FRED WEAVER
(Graceland) It's loud. It's aggro. It's from Olympia. It's C-Average, two guys (since Joe Merithew left) who make a pretty big sound between them. If your knees tremble to the chainsaw sound, if it's not a good lyric unless it contains an out-of-this-world reference, if you just wonder how two people can make that much noise, this is your show. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

BOSS HOG, HOLLY GOLIGHTLY, THE NEED
(Showbox) Dark hair, smoldering eyes, svelte figure... whether you're male or female, the killer combo of Jon Spencer's cheekbones and Christina Martinez's, um, hipbones, should make Boss Hog irresistible--if you're willing to substitute style for substance. Besides, the fact that they're smugly married and have a kid takes all the fun out of lusting after either one. BARBARA MITCHELL