BOB LOG III
(Crocodile) I lerb the Bob Log (the Third) when he shake 'n' bakes his sookie nookie! He don't need no help gettin' it on either... he got bass on his thumb, "melody" in his index finger, a helmet with a telephone as a microphone on his noodle, and the beat on his FEET! And it's with THAT he stomps out some hot 'tater, bent blues. Y'all ever heard the Doo Rag? Long time ago he was half of 'em--the Doo probably. Anyways, if you ain't seen him, I swear, he IS somethin' else--a one-man-band y'all, and that's ALL! MIKE NIPPER

DOODLEBUG & THE COSMIC FUNK ORCHESTRA
(Bohemian) It's the re-Rebirth of Cool, with ex-Digable Planets member Doodlebug leaving fellow bugs Butterfly and Lady behind. No one knows for sure whether he has stuck to the jazzy, finger-snapping cool that brought the original Beat-poets-cum-hip-hoppers to "Cool Like Dat" fame. If he's playing with Neil Norman and the Cosmic Funk Orchestra, however, whose "interpretations" of classic sci-fi movie themes (Outer Limits, Planet of the Apes) sound like a cross between the Muzak in a swingin' dentist's office and a Trekkie's favorite Napster picks, then Lord knows something's changed. LEAH GREENBLATT

GONZALO RUBALCABA
(Jazz Alley) A classically trained pianist, Rubalcaba can do anything from classical to swing and bop, along with Cuban son and other Latin and African mixes. He's promoting a new CD on the Blue Note label called Inner Voyage, with Ignacio Berroa on drums and Carlos Henriquez on the bass. For the most part, this album is a collection of tender ballads that invoke his family and friends. Don't expect a WOMAD-like evening of traditional Cuban music. Though there will undoubtedly be moments of son, Rubalcaba's playing will be much more in the tradition of Ellington, Monk, and Evans. KREG HASEGAWA

WU-TANG CLAN
(Moore Theatre) Republican Vice Presidential nominee Dick Cheney isn't the only Old Dirty Bastard making the headlines this summer. The original Old Dirty Bastard, the New York rapper, founded the Wu-Tang Clan with Genius way back in '93, but you better hide the rice wine, because they're on tour again. Don't miss out on the tag-team raps, the Wu Wear clothing line, and the nutty, Jin-Dynasty-meets-Staten-Island lyrics. As they say, "the Wu is the Way, the Tang is the Slang, the Clan is the Fam." NATHAN THORNBURGH

THEE HEATHEN, LOWER 48
(Rainbow) Besides being an all-around nice guy and great band leader, Danny Barnes has rollicking licks and vocal twangs that have been sharpened to a hair-splitting edge by time. Barnes is in part responsible for driving the bluegrass outfit the Bad Livers into genre-bending hangovers, especially apparent on Blood & Mood. Tonight, Danny Barnes and Thee Heathen, which also features Dan Tyack of Blackened Toast on the pedal steel, will transport you to a strange land where country and bluegrass have mutated into punk. You have to see it to believe it. KREG HASEGAWA

LOCAL 808, SMP
(Graceland) These days it seems to be the hip thing to combine hiphop with rock, metal, goth-industrial, or whatever else your specialty is. Of course, some people saw the possibilities ages ago (does anyone else recall the brief collaboration between Public Enemy and Anthrax?), but it took awhile for the concept to seep in. Regionally, Local 808 and SMP have been doing a great deal with this idea, and it seems to have served them well; one combines hiphop and R&B over a guitar-driven base, the other explores interesting possibilities between rap and electronic music. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

RAI
(Tractor Tavern) Ballard, which is often like Seattle's little replica of Poulsbo, might seem like a possible breeding ground for knee-jerk Poulsbo Republicanism. But Ballard's leading music venue, the Tractor Tavern, has done its part to keep the liberal fire aflame, despite its usual country/folk format. Last year, they hosted one of Judy "Power to the People" Nicastro's campaign fundraising events, and this year they are bringing in more rockers, more horn players, and more funkers in place of the usually conservative fare. RAI are a good example of the trend--the local funk band are multicultural, original, and have an all-around good buzz going. Patronize them, and let the Tractor know you endorse the Tavern's new communist tendencies. NATHAN THORNBURGH

BRITNEY SPEARS
(Gorge) Forget the growling protest of "I'm not that innocent" on "Oops!... I Did It Again," the red vinyl cat suit, or the now-legendary Barely Legal plaid-skirt-and-pigtails getup. At heart, Britney's a good girl, and no more naughty than the average 18-year-old has any right to be--she's just a lot richer and more media-savvy. It's bleached-platinum Christina Aguilera who's the real bad one--you just know she would take it in the butt; meanwhile, Miss Spears continues to save her sacred flower for marriage, or at least Justin Timberlake. Plus, she never bombards the audience with those "See? I can really sing!" vocal gymnastics at every live event, à la Christina (probably because she can't, but that only makes us love her more). So here's to Britney--preteen-girl's idol, Swedish producer's puppet, adult-male-masturbation-fantasy pinup, sweet 'n' sassy Southern belle: You are loved. LEAH GREENBLATT

EARTH, WIND & FIRE, ROKIA TRAORE
(Pier 62/63) The Republican menace had a good year in 1970. They had Nixon in the White House, they managed to kill four pinkos at Kent State, and court-ordered desegregation was still a year away. The only thing that keeps 1970 from being a total GOP victory is the fact that Earth, Wind & Fire were founded that year. They began by mixing a dash of P-Funk with a whole lot of Temptations, and they quickly became one of the most popular R&B groups of all time. In the year 2000, unlike the Republicans, Earth, Wind & Fire are rested, ready, and due for a comeback. NATHAN THORNBURGH

TOO SLIM & THE TAILDRAGGERS
(Central Saloon) Man, Burnside Records has been turning out some good music: Duffy Bishop, John Fahey, Obo Addy, and, of course, Too Slim & the Taildraggers. They play a couple hundred gigs a year, and have been around for a good decade and a half--they ought to be good at what they do, and indeed they are. Local favorites for a long time, lately they have been getting some national and international attention too, all of it earned by their killer road schedule. A good time is guaranteed with these guys--not bad at all for a blues-rock band from Spokane. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

GRUNTRUCK
(Graceland) I remember when I first heard about Gruntruck. I was still in high school on the other side of the country, but Headbanger's Ball played their video and interviewed them. Then the national flirtation with grunge passed, I went to college, and we heard nothing more of them. Now--oh, joy!--they're back. They're still doing what they do, they're still good at it, and they still rock. These guys deserve points for determination at the very least. Rock on. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

TIM McGRAW & FAITH HILL
(Tacoma Dome) From the recent upswing in Republican blubbering about the virtue of hetero marriage, you'd think that getting hitched to a foxy young Christian like Faith Hill would cause a fella to settle down. But not so for Tim McGraw. On the eve of his current tour with his wife, Tim and a buddy were arrested for climbing on a police horse without permission, and then slugging a cop. If the Republicans really want to crack down on crime, then they should start by cracking down on marriage. Or maybe just country singers. NATHAN THORNBURGH

THREE DAY STUBBLE, VERY SPECIAL FORCES, KATO HIDEKI
(Rainbow) Attention all fans of Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Ween, and Mister Bungle! There will be enough goofiness combined with brilliant musicianship tonight to remind everyone for a long time that the late '60s and '70s did more for music than produce two generations of Deadheads. Three Day Stubble, self-proclaimed nerd rockers from San Francisco, are idiotic virtuosos (e.g., "Pee Pee Pee & Poo" and the funky "Baby Butt Baby"). Very Special Forces, on the other hand, are rude Seattle boys with a sardonic flair for mocking corporate rock as well as pop favorites. KREG HASEGAWA

BEWARE OF CLEVO, THE PLANET THE, BOTTLEDOG
(Graceland) Both Beware of Clevo and Bottledog started off in Iowa City, the land of righteous corn, crank, and the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Beware of Clevo, now living in Seattle, center their pop songs around intricate guitar riffs and vocal harmonies, adding just enough noise to make me smile. Bottledog, residing in Oakland, enjoy noisier disjunctions. Their tunes slip from a Sonic Youth groove to a June of '44 breakout, with a rock-opera swell cascading into the ambience of rain or maybe a bluesy jam. Pure listening satisfaction! KREG HASEGAWA

PIERRE DØRGE & THE NEW JUNGLE ORCHESTRA
(Tractor Tavern) Pierre Dørge's New Jungle Orchestra transports the big-band stylings of Duke Ellington to Denmark where the tunes become moodier, and, well, more continental. The tunes don't swing as hard as Ellington's. Though there are swing and blues tonalities here, as well as South American and African flairs, a definite European sensibility permeates the presentation and makes it feel somewhat "classical." The lineup will include the following: Kasper Tranberg (trumpet), Jakob Mygind (sax), Morten Carlsen (taragot and sax), Kenneth Agerholm and Mads Hyhne (trombones), Irene Becker (piano and keys), Hugo Rasmussen (bass), Ayi Solomon (percussions), Bent Clausen (drums), and, of course, Pierre Dørge on guitar. KREG HASEGAWA

D'ANGELO, DILATED PEOPLES
(Pier 62/63) D'Angelo is a dream: sophisticated, demure, and talented enough to sell a million records while earning the praise of usually aloof musicians like jazzer Charlie Hunter. He's everything that black music should be, without the filter of white money, because he is truly driven by the music, not the market. NATHAN THORNBURGH

POISON, CINDERELLA, DOKKEN, SLAUGHTER
(Gorge) So the GOP is obviously a hideous abscess on the skin of America, but let's not forget that it was Tipper "Mrs. Al" Gore who led the dirtiest fight of the '80s: the battle to kill heavy metal. As the figurehead behind scapegoat prosecutions of Judas Priest and the like, Tipper identified headbanging as a resident evil in society. She may yet be the First Lady, but Tipper undoubtedly failed in her long quest to kill metal. In fact, as evidenced by the dusty crossover lineup at the Gorge, metal still refuses to die quietly. NATHAN THORNBURGH

BASSACKWARDS
(700 Club) The Republicans, despite their contrived displays of ethnic children and cheering housewives at their convention, are still nothing more than the party of business interests. For that reason, they would love the progress in the 700 Club's Denny Triangle neighborhood: $980 million in pending real-estate development means good business to a right-winger. A true Democrat might yet shed a tear, however, for talented musicians like Bassackward's Lief Totusek (guitar), Chris Littlefield (trumpet), and Steve Scalfati (saxophone), who will eventually be displaced from their 700 Club gig by the megamoney. Although the 700 Club won't survive the bullish economy, I command you to go see Bassackwards on Tuesday nights while you have the chance: Their kind of hard-hitting, improvisation-based soul music is exactly what will cause everyone to miss the 700 Club when it goes. NATHAN THORNBURGH

GIPSY KINGS
(Pier 62/63) Anyone who has heard George W. Bush say, "Por favor, votan para mi este Noviembre," knows that just speaking Spanish doesn't mean you have any real esteem for Spanish-speaking people or culture. That's why the Gipsy Kings, who play Spanish flamenco but are actually from France, tend to rile many Spaniards. Froggies, the line of reasoning goes, should stick to Piaf covers, but in this case, the Frenchies in the Gipsy Kings are vindicated because they scream their gravely Gypsy screams better than most in Spain or elsewhere. NATHAN THORNBURGH

NANCI GRIFFITH
(Woodland Park Zoo) George W. Bush is busy plugging the fact that his wife is a schoolteacher, both to win votes and to distract people from his patently anti-education platform. But the truth is, it's already hard to get by on a teacher's salary in Texas. Lots of teachers supplement their regular income with various night jobs and late shifts. For Nanci Griffith, who was a kindergarten teacher in the '70s, the poverty of Texas teachers turned out to be a blessing, as she moonlighted as a singer and discovered that her life's calling had nothing to do with runny noses and everything to do with her delicately sung roots-and-country music. NATHAN THORNBURGH