BUILT TO SPILL, THE DELUSIONS, 764-HERO
(Showbox) The first thing you need to know about the Delusions is that their debut album, I Hope It Dies on a Sunny Day is one of the best rock records of last year. Their first time out of the box, this young Seattle band managed to make that increasingly rare thing: an Album--13 songs that sound great on the first listen and keep getting better, songs that bang around your head brilliantly on their own and collectively add up to Something More. Formed three years ago by ex-members of Bone Cellar and Voodoo Gearshift, the Delusions created a quiet buzz around town with sporadic shows here and around the Northwest. But in the wake of their wonder debut, things are beginning to boom for the three-man, one-woman band. Indie press reviews of the record have been uniformly ecstatic, Delusion tunes are all over KCMU, and last month the band was hand-picked by Doug Martsch to accompany Built to Spill on their three-month national tour.--David Schmader
MUZZLE, DODI,FREQUENCY DB, LIFE LIKE FEEL
(OK Hotel) Muzzle celebrates the release of their second album for Reprise tonight, while Dodi frontman and man about town Archie O'Connor celebrates the big 3-oh. Both bands celebrate rock, however differently: Muzzle keeps the kids in mind while Dodi is decidedly more adult. Olympia's Frequency db does the swirly guitar thing so well you'd swear they were British, and Life Like Feel rudely beat the pants off of Sean Nelson and I at the Celebrity Pool Tournament a few years back, so I woudn't say they were any good even if they were.--Kathleen Wilson
NEKO CASE, MICHELLE MALONE
(Tractor) Canadian crooner Neko Case possesses some of the sweetest country pipes you're likely to hear without paying a whole lot of money or driving out to the Tacoma Dome. Fans of Maria McKee will fall in love instantly with Case's resonant, wide open vocals, which rival McKee's in range but are delivered in a smoother, less jarring tone.--KW
TAJ MAHAL, COOTIE STARK, BEVERLY "GUITAR" WATKINS, NEAL PATTMAN, MUDCAT
(King Cat Theater) Although this is billed as the "Winston Blues Revival," note that all door proceeds will go to benefit the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to helping poor, aging blues pioneers and forgotten heroes meet basic day-to-day needs. The artists supporting Taj Mahal on this tour have been able to revitalize their careers as a result--and I ain't talkin' 'bout generic, big-city, Budweiser-commercial blues here. This here is raw, southern-fried cookin', right up yer Fat Possum alley! For more info visit www.musicmaker.org.--James Kirchmer
THE VALENTINE KILLERS, THE CUCKOOS, GLENMONT POPES, SPEEDBALL RACER
(Breakroom) A long time back, there was a man called Elvis. (Like, when we're saying a long time back, we're talking almost half a century.) Now, Elvis was the King. He had a pompadour and army fatigues, was allowed to eat all the burgers he liked, went to Las Vegas, and never got spanked. His music was pretty rudimentary, but what can you expect of the old times? Now here's the weird thing: even in 1999 when you have such great bands like Smashing Pumpkins and R.E.M. and of course Sunny Day Real Estate, people are trying to sound like him. I don't understand why. This music sucks. Elvis sucked and this music sucks too.--Tommie Pickett, age 9 1/2
* Tommie, you're fired. Pick up your Barbie Spice Girl doll (yes, I know about that) and N64 and get the fuck out of this office. Glenmont Popes sound nothing like Elvis. They're pure Brian Setzer.--Everett True
FRIDAY MARCH 12
BUILT TO SPILL, IMPERIAL TEEN, THE DELUSIONS
(RKCNDY) Too often, "critically acclaimed" translates into "boring." Thankfully that's not the case with Imperial Teen. There's a palpable sense of glee and camaraderie to this band (even when their generally upbeat music masks darker subject material) that's downright contagious--whether you're listening to their incredibly infectious pop songs in your stereo or watching band members swap vocals, instruments, and quips during their live show. In other words, there's something about this band that's guaranteed to put a smile on even the most curmudgeonly face (and you know who you are...).--Barbara Mitchell
THE FASTBACKS, SHUGGIE, EVEN
(Sit & Spin) When I finish growing up, I know I'll be just like Kim Warnick, who plays guitar and sings in the Fastbacks. I won't sing in the Fastbacks, because only Kim can do that, but I'll DEFINITELY be a star of the stage like her and wear my hair down in my eyes every day, not just when I'm embarrassed of my family, like I do now. Tommie, my MOST embarrassing relative, hates the Fastbacks because he thinks that girls who hold guitars are stupid. Mostly, I think he's stupid, but I try to remember that he can't help it because he isn't even in puberty yet. I love my puberty, because it makes me get all gushy when I think of Shuggie's Andrew McKeag, who looks foxy even when he's wearing his glasses. I saw him on TV once, and ever since then I've been waiting for him to have his poster in Tiger Beat, but it hasn't happened yet. Aunt Kathleen gave me the new Shuggie CD--which totally rocks--and he's on the cover of that, so I made my own poster down at Kinko's and now it's Andrew, Andrew, Andrew all over my walls. I was sad when I found out he was married, but really, it's a good thing because I'm going to be a star of the stage like Kim Warnick, and if Andrew and me got married he'd probably want to be in my band and we'd argue about who was the bigger star and then we'd get a divorce, just like Sonny and Cher did in that TV movie.--Alex Pickett, age 12.
THE HANK DOGS
(Conor Byrne's) I wish I'd caught this South London guitar trio at their Bumbershoot appearance last year, as their mesmerizing acoustic sounds would have transported me far, far away from the intolerably large crowds that suffocated the festivities. I'd have breathed easy for a while, drifting happily along the pastoral landscapes their Celt country mysticism conjures. Two angelic female voices harmonize like bits of twilight gone astray, and an ex-Sex Pistol (post-Sid replacement "Andy") riffs away mightily on a white guitar. He's the father of one, and the ex-husband of the other (but she's not the mother). Got it?--JK
HUGE SPACE BIRD, THE GREEN PAJAMAS, WIDE BODIED JETS, ALAN CHARING
(OK Hotel) Way back in 1984, some Seattle boys thought they'd bring San Francisco's happenin' Paisley Underground scene up here and started a psychedelic band called the Green Pajamas, whose debut at the Vogue included sitar players and go-go dancers. Still going strong, the Green Pajamas count indie favorites Olivia Tremor Control among their devoted fans. Tonight's show promises a retrospective of the band's quietly constant career, as well as new material from their newly released album, All Clues Lead to Meagan's Bed.--KW
LOVE AND ROCKETS, ORGY
(Showbox) Whether you appreciate the music or not, this should be well worth the price of admission for the sheer fact that it's a SHOW. Entertainment and production values are in short supply, and while Orgy are proof that eyeliner and an updated '80s favorite (Depeche Mode's "Blue Monday") cover a multitude of sins, at least the band members will never be mistaken for baristas. Love and Rockets' chameleon-like approach to music can sometimes be exasperating, but the band's commitment to being rock idols is a constant. Break out your glitter and best shiny clothing, and hope the balance of old classics and new material off their recent excursion to electronicaland is in your favor.--BM
ZEN GUERILLA,THE GIMMICKS, SUBSONICS
(Breakroom) See calendar box, page 49.
SATURDAY MARCH 13
NAZARETH, NO QUARTER
(Mothership) When I was just a wee lad I would listen to a radio station in Sacramento with the call letters of KZAP 98.5 on the FM dial. They played all the cool shit at the time--Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC--if it rocked, it was on there dude, I swear! One song I'll always remember is Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog." I remember singing, "Heartbreaker, soul shaker, I've been told about you. Escape from the midnight..." (I'd fill in the rest of the line with a made up word that sounded like "shoulder"). "What they been sayin' mus' be true. Red hot mama, velvet charmer, time's gonna pay yer due. Now yer messin' with a (dramatic pause) SONUVABITCH! Now yer messin' with a son of a bitch!"--Vic Carbone
SEVERNA PARK, MARSACCELERATOR, THE PUSH KINGS
(Breakroom) My best friend K. J. told me that I would probably like Mars Accelerator because they have beards, they're very serious-looking and have important lyrics, they have lots of weird-looking pedals on stage, and most importantly they play emocore just like my favorite band EVER, Sunny Day Real Estate. Oh, and he says they ROCK like those old "progressive" rock bands from the '70s that Aunt Kathleen sometimes listens to when she thinks we're not around. I don't know, though: what kind of name is Mars Accelerator anyway? And doesn't that stinky poopy-head Everett True like them? K. J., you're so dumb sometimes. I'm staying in.--TP
* Are you still here, Tommie?--ET
AIKO SHIMADA AND HORNS,MIKE DUMOVICH
(Speakeasy) Guitarist/singer/songwriter Aiko Shimada is far from your typically derivative folk-rock singer. For one thing, John Zorn has agreed to finance her next record, and New York's Lonnie Plaxico lent his masterful bass to her last one. She incorporates a jazz sensibility into her contemplative, poetic style, but most distinctive are the personal nuances (inflamesuenced in part by her bicultural Japanese/American perspective) and unique phrasings that make the music all her own. Tonight will feature the addition of four local horn stars to her usual trumpet/bass/drums lineup. Opening is Mike Dumovich, another deceivingly simple guitarist/ singer/songwriter and engaging, meditative minimalist.--JK
SUNDAY MARCH 14
SEAGULL SCREAMING KISS HER KISS HER, THE CRIPPLES,THE TOKYO DRIFTERS
(Breakroom) Nobody I know remembers very much about the Japanese women of Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her. They played late at the Breakroom the night ARO.space opened, and ARO.space had been giving out free bubbly all night, and I don't mean to glorify drunkenness, but there you are. What I do remember is wild dancing, songs that were either happy and about sex or really depressing and about sex, but all delivered in cheerful, uptempo style, with a great beat and frequent non- verbal utterances like "Ow! Ow! Ow!"--Eric Fredericksen
MONDAY MARCH 15
BRIAN NOVA AND FUNK 69
(Belltown Billiards) In live music, it's a fact that the audience, not the band, is the usual source of energy. The audience is drunker, hornier, and has more people. That is, except for Monday nights at Belltown Billiards! Not only is there a big band for the crowd size (not so big), but the band is drunk, too. And horny! In fact, the steam billows right off this group of a dozen or so middle-aged men, most of whom wear tight jeans, sport coats and, despite the indoor/nighttime thing, sunglasses. They spin and swig; they ogle and swivel. They play whatever songs they like, from "Proud Mary" to the funk standard "Pass the Peas." The rhythm section is not great and the auxiliary horn players are not always in tune, but Brian Nova's guitar and the core sax players can rip. And, in one short weekend warrior set, the group has more fun than young Seattle's self-loathing hipsters have mustered all winter.--Nathan Thornburgh
WEDNESDAY MARCH 17
ORANGE PLUS
(Lux Coffeebar, 2226 First Ave) So it's St. Patrick's Day. You wear green, drink like a fish and pretend you're Irish for a day. What? You mean to tell me you're not down with the Pioneer Square-mandated method of celebrating this so-called holiday? Perhaps you'd be happier at Belltown's recently remodeled Lux Coffeebar, where you can unwind to the soothing, downtempo electronic sounds of "Orange Plus," which happens this and every Wednesday night. Sometimes the music comes in the form of a live act, other times it's "pre-recorded" (i.e., spun by a DJ). It's a toss-up. But hey, there's no cover. What have you got to lose?--Courtney Reimer
