THURSDAY 9/14

MIKE WATT & A PAIR OF PLIERS, THE BAND THAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS
(Crocodile) From his earliest venture as bassist for the seminal punk band the Minutemen to subsequent outings with Firehose and his own solo career, Watt is venerated. His Contemplating the Engine Room, an allegorical album paralleling the life of Watt, his Navy father, and that of his close friend and bandmate the late D. Boon, was a first as a "punk opera," testifying that a genre too often dismissed as simply a metaphorical middle finger to the mainstream can just as easily be eloquent and thoughtful. In a time when modern punk often flirts dangerously with the TRL masses, Mike Watt stands as an eye in a confused storm, a light showing what punk is truly about--that flannel is still cool when the wearer is still core. KRIS ADAMS

THE SPOOZYS
(Graceland) The Spoozys claim to be from various parts of outer space, though a more conservative (and accurate) guess has them hailing from Tokyo. The band members take the stage in space suits and drive a hard brand of Devo-inspired technopop, incorporating elements of new wave and punk. And they don't slow down for earthlings (they are, after all, from outer space). KRIS ADAMS

HAIRYAPESBMX, BLUE GLOVE CLUB
(Rainbow) Austin's HairyApesBMX mix up heavy funk, live hiphop beats, and Latin grooves with goofy raps Ă  la the Beastie Boys. As these primates take the stage, you'll find a certain dampness begin to moisten your posterior. Hey, I'm just warning you. HairyApesBMX features Mike Dillon of Critters Buggin' on vibraphone and percussion, and tonight only, Dave Abbruzzese (former drummer for Pearl Jam) sitting in on a second kit. Blue Glove Club, a delectable up-and-coming jazz trio, will be opening, so arrive early and wear your dancing shoes. KREG HASEGAWA

CARRIE AKRE
(Gordon Biersch) Because of her tenure as the frontperson for big rock outfits Hammerbox and Goodness, it's likely that many fans have only experienced Carrie Akre's larger-than-life presence in bigger, more impersonal venues. Akre shines, however, when she holds court in the more intimate confines of Gordon Biersch--proven to be an excellent place to take in her gorgeous voice, as well as to more fully appreciate the excellent songwriter (and warm, charming performer) she really is. Take advantage of this opportunity while you still can, because if there's any justice in the world, Akre's brilliant new solo album will launch her into the big time once and for all. BARBARA MITCHELL


FRIDAY 9/15

VOYAGER ONE, KINSKI, THE DELUSIONS
(Crocodile) Tonight's show will include a first-time Voyager One/Kinski jam session. See page 49.

THE WIRETAPS, THE CRIPPLES, THE STEREOTYPISTS
(I-Spy) See Bio Box.

JOHN BROWN'S BODY
(Bohemian Cafe) John Brown's Body, named after the militant Civil War-era abolitionist, is a transcendent reggae band. With a singer/guitarist who can easily hit Junior Murvin falsettos, appropriately foregrounded keyboards and bass, a tight horn section, and smooth harmonies that can come from any bandmate, this unit is supremely talented. Its music ranges from the light groove to the leaden, bass-heavy Conscious sound, a fitting testament to reggae's impact on the world. Make no mistake: This band from the Northeast is the real deal. KRIS ADAMS

DUDLEY MANLOVE QUARTET
(Graceland) Drop your exhausting scenester lifestyle for one night (admit it, your pants are too tight and your jaw aches from sucking in those cheekbones), and bring your mother along for this one. Stand alongside a bunch of squares and pseudo lounge rats singing along in lusty shamelessness to the finest selections from Barry Manilow, Wayne Newton, ABBA, and even the King himself. Let Mom throw her panties with abandon when the DMQ busts into "What's New Pussycat?" and it's infamous Neil Diamond medley. It could prove to be a lot of fun for you and Mom. LEAH GREENBLATT

GUARDIAN ALIEN, SUICIDE JACK TRIO, PINEBOX
(OK Hotel) Like Sean Young in Blade Runner, Guardian Angel's Christina Honeycutt vogues with a mathematical precision on stage; her voice, like a samurai sword, will slice you unexpectedly. To see the band haul their erratic musical circus on stage (instruments include horns, banjo, piano, and concertina) is like witnessing a freak show. You'll find country midgets, the bearded Indian raga woman, the folk with two heads, and others. KREG HASEGAWA

THE ROCKFORDS, PETE DROGE, KIM VIRANT
(Showbox) Pete Droge may be the one the critics have fawned over, but I'd rather pay my hard-earned cash to catch the gutsy blood, sweat 'n' tears-infused bar rock of Kim Virant or the straight-up, no-frills rock 'n' roll of the Rockfords (which features Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Goodness' Carrie Akre, Chris Friel, and Danny Newcomb). Pairing these outfits was a stellar idea, since both possess something real and powerful musically, and on stage they definitely deliver. BARBARA MITCHELL

KOMMUNITY FK, SMP, OTTO PILOT
(Catwalk) This is the latest of several resurrections for legendary death-rockers Kommunity FK, but this time it comes from our own back yard. Frontman Patrick Mata must have decided Seattle's gray skies were more conducive to KFK's gothic aesthetic when he moved here from L.A. last year. Sure, you can expect the band's morose but impassioned elegy "Something Inside Me Has Died," but also look for several new songs. Rumor has it that Mata's planning the band's first album since 1985. DAVID SLATTON


SATURDAY 9/16

ROGER CLINE & THE PEACEMAKERS, WEARY
(Breakroom) Three records vie to be reincarnated through the hands and tongue of Weary's Kevin Aichler: Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion II, Dinosaur Jr.'s Where You Been, and Jeff Buckley's Grace. These three notes, however, haven't yet made a new chord. When and if they do, it should be good, and one suspects that moment may be witnessed live, as the musicians of Weary care enough to play a lot of gigs and promote themselves aggressively. They just seem to be one batch of songs away from where they want to be. May the best influence win. GRANT COGSWELL

HELL'S BELLES, HAFACAT, BAD APPLES
(Graceland) Let's hear it for the LADIES. Tonight, the women of Seattle will leave no doubt that the ability to rock is not restricted to the male residents of the city. Hell's Belles are an all-female AC/DC cover band, and the Bad Apples, led by the multi-talented Dejha (a bona fide rock star), will kick out the punk-rock jams. Add up-and-comers Hafacat to the bill and you've got quite an evening's worth of quality rock 'n' roll. BARBARA MITCHELL

COUNTING CROWS, LIVE, GALACTIC
(Gorge) Call them pretentious and make fun of them all you want--I have to confess that Live's second album is a guilty pleasure. When Live are at their best, they (like U2) are capable of taking rock music to spectacular heights. Earnest, anthemic, and intelligent, their passion more than translates into their live performances. BARBARA MITCHELL

KULTUR SHOCK, HAIRYAPESBMX
(Crocodile) What happens when a bunch of folks from Eastern Europe defect and relocate to the Pacific Northwest? They get jobs and form bands, dude. For instance, if you're wondering who is behind the socialist realism of a lot of those Starbucks designs, it's the drummer for Kultur Shock, Boris Iochev, who is from Bulgaria. Kultur Shock's music is a concoction of blues, folk from afar, rock, punk, and a bit of jazz. When these guys get together they make the various traditions meld, carnival style, with an in-your-face, confrontational humor that WOMAD is missing out on. KREG HASEGAWA

ROBERT BRADLEY'S BLACKWATER SURPRISE, SOULIVE
(Showbox) Robert Bradley is a blind-since-birth blues singer who spent over a decade playing his music on street corners before meeting up with three white alt-rockers and heading down a road to stardom that seems to just be getting into gear. The national press digs their pretty story, and the public digs their bicultural mixture of rock and soul. Go to the Showbox to hear the goods, but on the way, throw a dollar to a street musician: The hard truth of American music is that most of them won't be getting a recording contract anytime soon. NATHAN THORNBURGH

TOM LANDA & THE PAPERBOYS, FLANNEL JIMMY
(Tractor Tavern) Tom Landa has to be one of the hardest-working men in the world of Celtic bluegrass folk-pop (what the Paperboys affectionately refer to as STOMP). The Paperboys' energetic shows have earned them a large and loyal local following, and their second release, Molinos, won a Juno award (like a Grammy, but Canadian) a few years back. Rather like the Pogues, minus the gravel-voiced drunk, and with an extra teaspoon of sugar. Show up early because this show is sure to be packed. NATHAN THORNBURGH

BILL HORIST, PAUL HOSKIN
(Second Ave Pizza) By taking a slew of found objects (including metal bars, hemostats, cymbals, and a Slinky, among others) and sticking them methodically between the strings, fret board, or pickups of his guitar, Horist loops and layers heavily textured sounds. He melds the insectile blips and beeps, industrial beats, and scraps of noise together into a soundscape of bric-a-brac, a musical collage that disturbs and chisels away at your expectations. This is not music that you merely listen to. Rather, it is something you employ to eat away at what's clogging the kitchen sink of your mind, like a Liquid-Plumber for the aural synapses. KREG HASEGAWA

DEDICATED: FELIX DA HOUSECAT
(Showbox) Young Felix got his start at the tender age of 15 in his native Chicago, laying down a studio track that made its way into the hands of the legendary DJ Pierre, who tweaked it a little to turn out the early house music smash "Phantasy Girl." Through mentorship with Pierre, Felix went on to do quite well on the early Chi-town scene, and though Dad temporarily interrupted his flow by sending him off to college in Alabama, the homesick Housecat eventually returned, triumphant, to his beloved Windy City, started the well-respected Clashbakk label, and continues to churn out thumping, synthy warehouse anthems for capacity crowds both here and abroad. LEAH GREENBLATT


SUNDAY 9/17

JELLY ROLLERS
(Owl 'n' Thistle) The Jelly Rollers are not only a damn fine blues band, but also an effective cure for the Sunday night itch. And the party's free. Darren Loucus plays his guitar with a serene, sweetly lyrical groove. Sean Divine blows the harp through one of those old microphones. And sometimes, Jon Parry (Thee Ole Codgers, 78 RPM, Goose Creek Symphony) sits in on the fiddle. So go ahead and duct-tape that liver for one more night. KREG HASEGAWA

THE CINEMATICS
(Safeco Field) If we are stuck paying for that big, retractable-roofed ball field that most of us voted against, then it is about damn time we started putting it to good use. The Cinematics' energetic, head bopping jangle of keyboard pop could be the perfect forerunner to a future for the field as this city's answer to the Gorge Amphitheatre. An unlikely scenario maybe, but what could be more democratically accessible than this Seattle Quintet's brand of B-52s-ish pop music, after all? NATE LEVIN


MONDAY 9/18

EYEHATEGOD, SUPLECS, SLUDGEPLOW
(Graceland) EyeHateGodhavebeenaroundfor12yearsnow. That's pretty good for a gnarly hardcore metal band from New Orleans. Most of the people in this band are involved in other projects now, including Suplecs, one of the opening bands. JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ


TUESDAY 9/19

ADVENTURES IN STEREO, WAXWINGS, THE CHAMBER STRINGS
(Graceland) Three bands from Chicago's Bob Sled label, each playing variations of great, retro-tinged pop: Adventures in Stereo, whose gorgeous Monomania is an updated take on ethereal '60s pop; the Beach Boys-inspired Waxwings, whose album Low to the Ground is wonderful, though difficult to locate; and the Chamber Strings, who are gearing up to release another album of low-key, Kinks-influenced brilliance, and were great last time they rolled through Seattle. BARBARA MITCHELL

TRISTEZA, GO GO GO AIRHEART, TRANSMARINE
(Paradox) See Stranger Suggests.

IRON MAIDEN, QUEENSRĂżCHE, HALFORD
(Tacoma Dome) Metal rulz! Or lives, at least--limping along to the Tacoma Dome in the form of three '80s metal powerhouses. Local heroes QueensrĂżche have a greatest-hits album to flog, as well as an unfortunately titled album called Q2K, released last year. Iron Maiden celebrated the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson last year, and former Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford appears to have returned to his metal roots, after attempting a pseudo-industrial makeover. BARBARA MITCHELL


Wednesday 9/20

QUIET RIOT
(Ballard Firehouse) You could go see the triumphant return of these much-beloved (and much bewigged) headbangers. Or you could stay home and watch The West Wing. You decide. CARLOS BUSTAMANTE