CARRIE AKRE, MATCHLESS, LESLI WOOD
(Crocodile) Carrie Akre gets a lot of press, but it's just because we're all excited that she left her band Goodness for a solo career that features a dash of evil. After all, the solo album fronts a picture of her looking like quite the devil, all red hair, pale skin, and glowing green eyes. It looks like the success of her album, as well as her rising stock in the musical community, is wicked revenge against anyone who doubted that her rich, oily voice could go solo. NATHAN THORNBURGH

CHERYL BENTYNE
(Benaroya Hall) Cheryl Bentyne is not just a soprano singer that the Manhattan Transfer brought on for her high, clear voice and assertive bustline. No, she is also a native of our very own Mt. Vernon, heart of the Skagit Valley. It's been a long a cappella road from the bumpkin tulip town to fame and fortune (which includes this special gala evening at Benaroya Hall), but let's get one thing clear: Cheryl Bentyne is her own woman. So all you hangers-on from Skagit County--don't bother driving your pickup trucks down here looking for a handout. Cheryl don't owe you a fuckin' dime. NATHAN THORNBURGH

MARY LYDIA RYAN
(Tractor Tavern) Though reviews in The Seattle Times and other local press often resort to superlatives, in the case of Ryan, they're utterly deserved. New listeners will inevitably compare her soaring voice and breathy delivery to Tori Amos, especially since Ryan also plays piano, but she ain't no Tori II. Where Amos tends to overwhelm, Ryan persuades; she's filigree where Amos is quicksilver. Diaphanous, Ryan's second independent release, is so stunningly good that I'm at a loss for words to describe it. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

STUMBLEBUM, THE NOW, PROM KINGS
(Central Saloon) There is a reason that I skipped my high school prom (aside from not having a date), and it is the same reason I opted out of graduation ceremonies and my 10-year reunion as well. It's nice to think that after a while we can drop all of the old prejudices and just accept the folks we thought were jerks for who they are. Maybe there is something redeeming about things that never change. Like music in Pioneer Square since the Velvet Elvis closed. NATE LEVIN

RAINER TRÜBY
(Baltic Room) Guten tag, amigos! It seems the sunny, samba-rific sounds of el movemento Latino have gone far beyond Ricky and Buena Vista, infiltrating even the darkest industrial reaches of Germany's DJ scene. The lovable Kraut who is Rainer Trüby calls it many things--"Latin jungle," "Brazil boogie tunes," "future jazz"--which basically means lovely, Latin-inflected nu-jazz/techno that is soothingly downtempo without being anywhere near horizontal. It should be a perfect match for the Baltic Room's recently expanded environs. LEAH GREENBLATT

ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY
(Jazz Alley) Adult contemporary acts at the Jazz Alley are no longer a cause for surprise and were never a cause for celebration, but this week is a little different. After all the mugging, shooting, and wilding in Belltown and downtown last month, a bit of soothing ear candy might be just the right thing. And the Grammy-nominated, guitar-driven group Acoustic Alchemy know all about calming the nervous heart: The original lineup started their career as a house band for Virgin Airlines, providing in-flight musical entertainment for those intolerably long trans-Atlantic flights. NATHAN THORNBURGH

ROBERT WALTER'S 20TH CONGRESS
(Rainbow) Robert Walter is a mean musician, and his endless horn-and-drum-backed jams will lend a sense of urgency to the Rainbow that's been missing since Hempfest '98. He was a founding member of the Greyboy Allstars, whose slick, wolfish licks in the '90s made all other suburban groove acts (including Medeski, Martin & Wood) sound like mangy, yelping dingoes. NATHAN THORNBURGH

FEAR, PORTRAIT OF POVERTY, HOG MOLLY, FLAMETHROWER
(Graceland) The last time I saw Tad (the band) play, they blew out the Bellingham Bay Brewing Co.'s fuse box four times before even starting their set. Admittedly, this was a number of years ago, but don't think for a second that Tad (the man) has waned in his love of playing some of the chunkiest and ugliest music this town has to offer. Call Hog Molly's music what you will: grunge, metal, punk, or better yet, just call it all of the above. Tonight's lineup promises to deliver all that it claims, including the need-no-introduction punk veterans Fear (you should be afraid), Flamethrower (incendiary weaponry--you should be very afraid), and Portrait of Poverty, who will show you why Tacoma has always had more punk rock in the tip of its pinkie finger than this city could ever dream. NATE LEVIN

PEDRO THE LION, JOEL R. L. PHELPS & THE DOWNER TRIO, VELOUR 100
(Tractor Tavern) It is not fair to equate an artist's work with his faith any more than it is for the faithful to foist their beliefs on the rest of us. Pedro the Lion's David Bazan is not one to do either. If there are to be any conversions this evening, it will be by the weight of Pedro the Lion's music alone. Fans of early Silkworm unfamiliar with Joel R. L. Phelps' newer work would do themselves a favor seeing the Downer Trio. Stark, honest, and pure without being a whiny drag, Phelps' more maudlin side is haunting but redemptive, sad in a way that feels good. In the trio's considerate hands, Phelps' songs become gems. NATE LEVIN

COOKIE, WITCHTHROTTLEGUSH, THE RUBY DOE, VANDEMONIUM
(Breakroom) Think "tough cookie," not "sweet, gooey, sugary confection." This local punk-rock trio has been steadily accumulating fans and accolades for its revved-up, high-spirited, downright fun take on the genre. Think the Muffs, if Kim Shattuck would stop snarling and start singing. Singer Sabrina Rockarena kicks some serious ass, and songs like "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" and "Black 'n Blue 4 U" are classics-in-waiting. The band's been getting some high-profile opening gigs lately, which means that more folks are getting hip to the Cookie tip. BARBARA MITCHELL

THRONES, C AVERAGE, LORDS OF LIGHTSPEED
(Capitol Theater, Olympia) If you are sick of all this Seattle nonsense, come on down to Olympia for a spell and see what this nice little town can wring from a person's soul. The lads of C Average shall emerge from a long journey in the mountains, spirits cleansed and instincts honed, and give a demonstration of what can be achieved if you put your mind to it. And like a wizened magician, the Thrones will expound on mystical lessons learned from the bear, the whale, and the rabbit. Paying a special visit to this humble burg, from beyond the stars, are the Lords of Lightspeed. Their searing metal attack will bring water to the knees of even the heartiest lads. This night is also Arts Walk in downtown Olympia, where there are many other shows going on--such as Dead Moon and Girl Trouble (together!), and Two Ton Boa. Come on down! JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

FACE TO FACE, SAVE THE DAY, SUM 41
(Graceland, early) Seattle is the last stop for the Face to Face U.S. tour in support of their new album Reactionary, out on Vagrant Records. Come on down and join in the Napster-sponsored mayhem as they plug their way through a set of solid (if less than original), three-chord "she done me wrong, I don't really care, and I'm laughing all the way to the bank." Internet-savvy, merchandise-slinging, latter-day punk rock. NATE LEVIN

FOR THE LOVE OF SUFFERING, RESIN ROOM
(Graceland, late) The best heavy metal is always a healthy mix of pleasure and pain, and Seattle's For the Love of Suffering are no strangers to hurt--they live it, inflict it, and transcend it via music. Carrying the tattered heavy metal banner since 1995, in the face of the post-'80s metal backlash, FTLOS have done what any self-respecting metal outfit should: continue, despite overwhelming adversity, to kick in the teeth of the undeserving. Longtime local heshers will hear traces of the Accused in FTLOS' approach. Theirs is the kind of music that gets slapped with parental warning stickers by default. NATE LEVIN

AL GREEN
(Paramount) Nowhere is the link between gospel and R&B more apparent than in the career of Al Green. His gospel roots and seductive falsetto have been both symbiotic and antagonistic, a perfect metaphor for the duality in the life of a man who has been both sex symbol and man of God. Green's early '70s run of R&B hits ended when he devoted himself to the ministry, after his ex-girlfriend burned him severely with boiling grits and then killed herself with his gun. He has since had a sign or two more and continues to disavow his former life of hedonism, yet his recordings have crossed over on occasion from the religious to the secular. But whether he sounds better from the stage or from the pulpit, one thing has not changed: Al Green has got some serious soul! KRIS ADAMS

16 HORSEPOWER
(Showbox) The last time 16 Horsepower came through town happened to be right in the middle of WTO curfew mania--an event that turned downtown into a ghost town. That desolate, tumbleweeds-blowin'-in-the-street, am-I-going-to-get-arrested-for- leaving-my-house vibe lent a certain magical quality to the evening's show (after all, 16 Horsepower are masters at turning desolation into beauty), but these guys deserve to play to a real crowd. Many bands might attempt being spooky, but 16 Horsepower are genuinely haunting in the most gorgeously spiritual and semi-Appalachian-folky way. BARBARA MITCHELL

MERL SAUNDERS & HIS FUNKY FRIENDS
(Ballard Firehouse) Many aging musical careers crawl to the Ballard Firehouse to curl up and die, and Merl Saunders' career may be no exception. But you have to give Saunders credit--he's an old-school funk and jazz organist who has laid his credibility on the line not only by collaborating often with the Grateful Dead, but also by dedicating much of his career to environmentalism. How can you not respect a solid player who had the gumption to field a group called Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band, and release an album called Save the Planet So We'll Have Someplace to Boogie? NATHAN THORNBURGH

DAMO SUZUKI, DJ MASA
(Crocodile) In the realm of sprightly, big-haired, and large-lunged Japanese art-rockers, Suzuki certainly gives Yoko a run for her money. The former frontman of legendary German prog innovators Can is still truckin' 25 years later with the Damo Suzuki Band. Old Can fans who aren't familiar with the artist's later work, fear not--it's said he'll play some classic Can goods as well as newer material. One thing's for sure: Judging from the press photos we've seen, he is absolutely guaranteed to be wearing crazy pants. LEAH GREENBLATT

ZONY MASH
(Rainbow) Should it be surprising that one of the best live acts in the Pacific Northwest remains relatively unheard of? Well tonight you can go see Zony Mash, those funkified gods who have brought fire down from the heavens, brought jazz down from the ivory tower for the masses to enjoy. Their hard funk, R&B, and country riffs hook you from note one, and slam you relentlessly. KREG HASEGAWA

ROLLERBALL, GHIDRA, INTONING SILENCE
(I-Spy) Ghidra, named after that three-headed monster who battles Godzilla, is the most animated and caustic of our local out-jazz improv trios. Featuring Wally Shoup of Project W, Bill Horist (noise-improv guitarist extraordinaire), and Mike Peterson from Apes of Wrath, Ghidra creates some of the wackiest sounds I've heard since Melt Banana. If you enjoy big noise or adventurous punk at all, you need to get your ass downtown and see this show. KREG HASEGAWA

MARK TAYLOR & THE STEVE KORN GROUP
(OK Hotel) Steve Korn is already a top local jazz drummer, and it looks like he might be expanding his repertoire. His latest release includes Joe Doria on organ and Dan Heck on guitar, both of whom are perfectly capable of grounding Korn's ethereal jazz with some meatier soul and funk. This gig with journeyman keyboard player Mark Taylor at the sailors' and sinners' OK Hotel is just another sign that Korn might be toughening up just in time for winter. NATHAN THORNBURGH

TONY BENNETT, NATALIE COLE
(KeyArena) Tony Bennett's voice is as smooth as butter, and repackaged for a new generation, courtesy of MTV. As weird as it is that Tony Bennett was chosen by the great icon creator to speak to us as a voice of a past generation, it can't be overlooked that he does have a gorgeous set of cords and that he is a surviving member of the Rat Pack. It's a bit of history and a great opportunity. CHARLES REDELL

THE SOUVENIRS, JACK INGRAM & THE WELL-READNECKS
(Tractor Tavern) Hard-working Texan Jack Ingram brings his act through Seattle tonight, and as if that wasn't enough, our own Souvenirs open the bill. Shame on you if you haven't checked out this outstanding nuevo honky-tonk combo. The Souvenirs are one of those rare bands who really do offer something for everyone: They know their country roots, but aren't stuck there; their songs are outstanding; their passion and playing are genuine; and singer Lucky Lawrence possesses a gosh-darned golden voice. BARBARA MITCHELL