Music

Up & Coming

AVEO, WELCOME, THE HEROIC TRIO
(Showbox) I never expect a local band to be genuinely emotional anymore, or at least not enough to get a real rise out of me as a listener. But watching Aveo for the first time this past week I was relieved to hear a big, heartfelt, intelligent set of rock music played to an audience of about 25 really happy people. It felt like the '80s again: aggressive, dynamic, architecturally melodic songs you might hear somewhere between Catherine Wheel and Joy Division (but with an earnest, American indie-rock feel). Aveo is a gorgeous three-piece with a great singer and an outstanding drummer--easily the best thing this Thursday night in Seattle has to offer. JEFF DeROCHE

STANLEY TURRENTINE
(Jazz Alley) When Stanley Turrentine was growing up, jazz was easy to break into because it was everywhere--not easy to become a world-renowned saxophonist like Turrentine, but easy for a curious kid to borrow an instrument from school and give it a go. Turrentine laments how the times have changed, how the schools have lost interest in promoting music, and how society as a whole sees dollar signs and nothing else. It's a shame that the ranks of jazz greats are thinning, that kids have an easier time getting their hands on guns than they do saxophones. KRIS ADAMS

DAMIEN JURADO, ROSE THOMAS, SHANNON STEPHENS
(Tractor Tavern) Once upon a time, it was hard to find music with a spiritual bent that wasn't clumsy, heavy-handed, and, all too often, second-rate. However, Seattle is blessed with a vital, vibrant, exceptionally talented scene of individuals whose faith only accentuates the fine music they create. Witness tonight's lineup, which pairs Damien Jurado's rough-hewn, folk-based magic with the charm (and occasionally hilarious between-song banter) of Rose Thomas. Great music, whether you're a believer or not. BARBARA MITCHELL

JIMMY PAGE & THE BLACK CROWES
(Gorge) Can Southern rockers the Black Crowes pull off the Zep? See Stranger Suggests.

RECORD DRIVE FOR KATE BECKER & ADAM BALDWIN
(Sunset Tavern) You may have heard that Kate Becker and Adam Baldwin recently lost their home to arson. Sadly, they lost their records along with that home. The Cat Box and Sunset Tavern (knowing well that it takes a lifetime to accumulate a personal collection of great music) have decided to help replenish their stock by having a record drive. For a six-dollar cover--which turns to three if you generously bring along a decent record for donation--you get to see the Kwabs (a Kinks cover band) and the ALL-GIRL AC/DC COVER BAND, Hell's Belles. That's Hell's Belles. If you don't make an appearance at this philanthropic wet-dream of an evening, you're not just unkind--you're also an idiot. JEFF DeROCHE

MOUNTAIN CON, DEATHRAY, KING BLACK ACID
(Crocodile) Mountain Con's CD-release party. See Bio Box.

RAY VEGA & DON LANPHERE
(Tula's) As far as history is concerned, Tito Puente was a pioneer--a visionary--and his passing was enough to make Univision talk-show host Cristina cry till her makeup ran. But for the record, at his last Seattle gig, Puente was a mere flimsy cut-out of a Latin bandleader, while his hired trumpeter Ray Vega was the real star of the show. The combination of Vega's bright, articulate solos and the deep pedigree of local sax icon Don Lanphere is a recipe for one of the best jazz offerings this summer. NATHAN THORNBURGH

PINK CHIHUAHUA, SLAVEBANG, THE DROVE
(Central Library) The Libraries for All capital plan, approved by Seattle voters in November of 1998, included the relocation of the Central Library to a temporary facility during the year 2001--as well as construction of a new central library on the present site by the year 2003. I don't remember casting a vote, however, for the public performance of Slavebang, a teenage Slipknot cover band. The implied debauchery of Slavebang at the library--the fluorescent lights shot out, books strewn across tables, and legions of sexy librarians writhing ecstatically in their S&M chains--would surely not have fared so well at the polls. As with Safeco Field, it appears that the city commission has once again foisted one of their pet projects on the unwitting electorate. NATHAN THORNBURGH

ZEKE
(Graceland) If you think bumper cars qualify as an extreme sport, this probably isn't the place to show your wussy face. However, if you think moshing, beer-sloshing, and general drunken rowdiness qualify as acceptable social behavior, you've found your spiritual home. Zeke play good old-fashioned, puking-your-guts-out punk rock of the strangely satisfying variety. BARBARA MITCHELL

ZONY MASH
(Rainbow) Wayne Horvitz is Zony Mash, a band that takes its name from a Meters tune. As they swagger their hips like pimps, you will learn that though these players are white, Jesus was black. With Timothy Young's sardonic garage-rock sensibility, Keith Lowe's spittoon-dinging licks, and Andy Roth's drum kit kicking it home, I predict fuses will pop, strings will break, and you will fall in love with their R&B-infused country tunes (c/o Horvitz's Hammond B-3). These snake charmers will serve it up hot and funky for two days only, so come gnaw on the blistered musical gristle before all that's left is bone. KREG HASEGAWA

ZONY MASH
(Rainbow) See Friday listing.

ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE
(Crocodile) You can try to kill it by bringing your instrumentals, your loud and soft/hard and quiet, your beats, your shoegazery, your twee. But time has proven that Seattle, no matter how unfashionable it may seem to the rest of the world, loves its rock and roll. Alien Crime Syndicate is rock and roll. Joe Miece (former frontman of the Mieces) is rock and roll. A band that brings in a generator to power a flashbulb-bright light sculpture of their own name is--say it loud, say it proud--ROCK AND ROLL. KATHLEEN WILSON

764-HERO, LOVE AS LAUGHTER, ENON
(Sit & Spin) Orchestrated screams from a musical cement mixer. See Stranger Suggests.

SMASH MOUTH, STROKE 9
(KBKS Radio Show) Every once in a while the sun rises in the east and a special kind of band comes along that's a guaranteed one-hit wonder. Twelve million radio rotations of "Walkin' on the Sun"? All part of the musical mayfly's 24-hour career arc. A semi-popular rendition of (Question Mark) and the Mysterians' "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" for a Jennifer Love Hewitt movie soundtrack? It's a little aggressive, but par for the course. Then the devastating clincher--the release of the market-saturating "All Star." So, okay, this ain't no Kajagoogoo. Smash Mouth are here to stay, at least on boo-yah ESPN Sports Jams compilations, forever more. LEAH GREENBLATT

THE WHO, UNAMERICAN
(Gorge) Pete Townshend once said that the Who ended the day Keith Moon died. Whether or not he really meant it is debatable: It has been more than 20 years since Moon-the-Loon's excessive lifestyle finally caught up with him, and in that time the Who have continued on their way. This time they have Ringo Starr's son behind the kit. Cynics say that the Who only hit the road these days when the coffers are down, but screw the cynics. A band that flew into Woodstock on a helicopter, destroyed hotel rooms with ruthless efficiency long before it became vogue, and begot punk rock with their celebration of youthful angst is worth veneration. And if Townshend can still windmill his arm on the guitar, we'll know that the kids are still alright. KRIS ADAMS

DEDICATED PRESENTS DERRICK MAY
(Showbox) Locals should be ashamed of themselves for their poor showing at that Stacey Pullen/Juan Atkins show a few weeks back; if two techno legends are pulling such sparse crowds in this town, something has surely gone horribly amiss. Perhaps it just boils down to location: Dance fans who wouldn't trek out to Consolidated Works or some other "obscure" setting usually have no trouble finding their way down to the Showbox every Saturday night. This week the crowd should be worked into a froth by May, the near-mythical techno producer who (along with Atkins and Kevin Saunderson) originated the Detroit sound. He did keep a mysteriously low profile throughout much of the '90s, and his Kraftwerk-Herbie Hancock-2001 spin may be a little robotic for house fans, but the man is still a legend, and worth seeing. LEAH GREENBLATT

WATER featuring DIESELBOY, SCOTT HARDKISS, CHARLOTTE THE BARONESS, HUGGIE, & MORE
(Call 748-1724 or 366-2273 or check www.audiorise.com for ticket and venue info.) Make hay while the sun shines, little raver. This massive open-air party features Philadelphia junglist Dieselboy and his deliciously dirty tech-step (stylistically by far the best thing on Moonshine Records). Also featured are beloved old-school San Francisco house-heads Scott Hardkiss and Charlotte the Baroness, plus Huggie, E.T.I., and of course the just-add-water local crew: Donald Glaude, Space DJ, Zacharia and Nitsuj, Eva, Roman, and more. The promoters promise free camping, parking, and water, the ticket prices are sensible ($20-$30, depending on how fast you move), and there's rumor of fancy art installations and interactive activities to boot, if anyone stops dancing. LEAH GREENBLATT

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER
(Pier 62/63) Yet another topic for barroom philosophers: Is it possible to be nostalgic for nostalgia? The vocal group Manhattan Transfer is hoping that the answer is yes, given that they themselves built a career on a nasty bit of nostalgia for boogie-woogie that gripped the country more than 20 years ago. Now, on their current revival tour, it's hard to figure who's more outdated--the Transfer or the musical styles they continue to bring back from the dead. NATHAN THORNBURGH

THOMAS MAPFUMO & THE BLACKS UNLIMITED
(Showbox) In the dynamic world of post-colonial Africa, music has been forced to evolve its institutions as much as any part of society. That's why Thomas Mapfumo found success when he began blending ancient mbira traditions with a more Western pop style that Mapfumo developed while fronting various rock bands. But his biggest risks have been political, and--even though the white-minority regime that once imprisoned him is long since defunct--Mapfumo's messages of self-worth and self-determination are still revolutionary in the context of Zimbabwe's current "democracy." NATHAN THORNBURGH

LLAHNGAELHYN REUNION
(On the Boards) The jazz clubs of the old days were short-lived and blisteringly hot. Llahngaelhyn was around from 1965-'68 in the U-District and was a breeding ground for avant-garde, bebop, and swing jazz, not to mention lots of drugs. Hopefully, the two-day Llahngaelhyn reunion organized by Jerry Heldman will be a showcase of the old, the new, and lots of drugs. Rumored to be making appearances: Eric Apoe, Jerry Heldman and Dick Dunlap (of the original Seattle Jazz Quartet), Keith Baggerly (Roadside Attraction), Jay Thomas, and lots of drugs. KREG HASEGAWA

ISRAEL VIBRATION
(Bohemian) Too often, the Bohemian in Pioneer Square acts as little more than a collector of tourist dollars, serving perfunctory reggae for Canadians and servicemen on leave. Every once in a while, however, the club lives up to its duty as the torchbearer of Jamaican music in town, and Israel Vibration's annual visits are a shining example of this. Major stars of the 1980s, Israel Vibration remain genuinely talented, and reportedly still smoke enough weed to not stress out about the fact that their brightest commercial successes are behind them. NATHAN THORNBURGH

FANTCHA
(Jazz Alley) One of the most forgotten and intriguing remnants of the Portuguese colonial empire is the island nation of Cape Verde, which has been breeding Creole forms of music in isolation for over 500 years. Located 300 miles off the coast of Senegal, the Cape Verde Islands lie at the crossroads of Africa and the New World, yet still harbor Portuguese musical traditions. Therefore, Fantcha (born Francelina Durao Almerida) is thoroughly a product of her environment: Brazilian in flavor, but with a darkly windswept soul. NATHAN THORNBURGH

AMELIA WHITE, AIKO SHIMADA, LAURA VEIRS
(Tractor Tavern) Laura Veirs' self-released, self-titled CD is an example of Americana in its truest sense--light on the clichés, heavy on the blues. Atop guitar work reminiscent of Greg Brown, her gutsy-growly vocals (that bring Ani DiFranco to mind) often cool to a sweet etherealness that makes me think of Harriet Wheeler from the Sundays. Veirs' immediate subject matter is full of the conflicting sentiments we feel most of the time when we're honest with ourselves: Her songs are about paying taxes to fund peace-keeping missions she doesn't advocate, or eating blackberry pie with a lover whose time with her is spent. Together with Aiko Shimada, this will be a night for exploring our meaninglessness--our melodic void. KREG HASEGAWA

MICHELLE SHOCKED
(Woodland Park Zoo) Just a couple weeks ago I was wondering whatever had happened to the rootsy, punk-inspired, country-folk crooner Michelle Shocked, and now here she is--alive and kicking and playing in Seattle. I had the pleasure of catching her ages ago and was completely taken with her charming, down-to-earth presence and true gift for spinning a yarn. In fact, watching her perform--even in a fairly large venue--had all the intimacy and vibe of sitting around the campfire with an exceptionally talented friend. BARBARA MITCHELL

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