RICARDO LEMVO & MAKINA LOCA
(Century Ballroom) These next four years will not be a highlight of American internationalism, with George Bush mocking Europe, spitting on China, and ignoring Africa altogether. But while Bush may think the Congo is just another line dance from his drunken frat days, native Congolese singer Ricardo Lemvo has been blowing up audiences from coast to coast with his dexterous mix of African soukous and Cuban salsa. His Makina Loca is a collection of some of the finest live musicians from Cuba, Compton, and beyond, and their latest album, the incredibly dense and danceable Sao Salvador, is already on top of the charts in Europe. Even George Bush had better watch his ass now: No missile defense system in the world can protect America from the live firepower of Makina Loca. NATHAN THORNBURGH
THE NEED, KILL SADIE, V4V
(Graceland) Olympia's the Need is officially rounded out as a three-piece, featuring (a man!) Joe Preston of the Melvins on bass. Which is terrific in my mind, because long-term lesbian pairings of any sort are about as original as bands composed of four straight guys. Or bowling, even. The Need, which has long been an edgy guitar-and-drum duo, has a great live and recorded career to date of mathy, histrionic, quick-change art rock--plus the requisite rock opera thrown in for spice (or whatever). V4V is V for Vendetta, comprising a couple ladies from Providence, Rhode Island, who, according to the Need's press person, play "inspiring" math rock, wrought with "calculated" emotion. Are you a Need fan? If so, V4V sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Ooooooh, it's ladies night. JEFF DeROCHE
AVEO
(Seattle Art Museum) For months now, this excellent band has been growing increasingly confident and competent, and at its most recent show, Aveo was luminous. The songs were tight and the bass seemed abnormally high in the mix, showcasing the one person in Aveo that this paper hasn't already written into the ground: bassist Michael Hudson. Which is the real reason (above William Wilson's Marr-inspired guitar lines) that Aveo's live shows sound so much like the Smiths. Hudson's bass lines are catchy, propulsive, and infinitely hummable. The songs are finally all sewn up into a forthcoming Phil Ek-produced package projected for the end of May, tentatively called Bridge to the Northern Lights. It's a warm, rich record, worthy of as much attention as the Shins are generating. JEFF DeROCHE
ARAB STRAP, SHIPPING NEWS, KINSKI
(Graceland) See preview this issue.
HARVEY DANGER, HAZEL, SUNSET VALLEY
(Sit & Spin) Call me biased, but I've always felt that the music that came out of Portland in the early '90s was some of the best the Northwest ever boasted. Bands like Crackerbash, Pond, and Hazel shared a similar influence (living in a town that had a gigantic chip on its shoulder, thanks to all the media attention showered upon Seattle, yet whose naiveté kept illusions of grandeur in check), but in the process each reflected a different facet of rock, ranging from punk to what would become known as emo. Hazel sat squarely in the middle, with drummer Jody Bleyle's political rants providing a contrast to the self-conscious pop-leanings of guitarist Pete Krebs and bassist Brady Smith (all three members sang), while Fred Nemo flailed about the stage providing interpretive dance. Though the mid-'90s signaled a cooling-off period for the band, on-stage bickering accompanied by an unofficial breakup, Krebs' solo career, and Bleyle's deepening focus on her Chainsaw label. Fans remained passionate, and this reunion of sorts will no doubt be well received. KATHLEEN WILSON
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS, THE KINGSMEN
(EMP) Paul Revere & the Raiders' performance at EMP kicks off the "Ride to the Wall" project in which Revere will reenact his much-ballyhooed cross-country motorcycle ride to aid Vietnam veterans. KATHLEEN WILSON
THE MAKERS, MONKEYWRENCH, THE BANGS
(Crocodile) Ballsy, ballsy, ballsy Mark Arm. He struts; he screams; he's a cocky rock star with a big old microphone shoved right up in his face, opening his mouth to release that addled rock-star fury... the ladies love him, the dudes want to be him. Me? I just say "ballsy." His band, the Monkeywrench, whips up a deafening swell of soulful blues and psychedelic metal, through which Mark Arm sounds like, well, Mark Arm. At the latest Mudhoney reunion, Arm stood watching the Catheters play their opening set, his arms folded, his face deadly serious. Lots of people were watching him because he's so ballsy. Then he got up on stage, went apeshit, and kicked each and every audience member's ass. I wondered how old he was, because, strangely, it seems like he doesn't ever age. Mark Arm? Ballsy. JEFF DeROCHE
ATOM & HIS PACKAGE, HAR MAR SUPERSTAR, TALES FROM THE BIRDBATH
(Old Fire House) Two tireless do-it-yourselfers come to Redmond for an evening of smart, silly, all-ages fun. Philadelphia's Atom & His Package is Adam Goren, who with a guitar and a collection of sequencers known as the Package cranks out catchy, electronic pop-punk decrying obnoxious pricks and our stubborn refusal of the metric system. He's borrowed his parents' car to tour the nation with Har Mar Superstar (Sean Tillman, also of Sean Na Na), a one-man R&B... well, superstar... described as "the musical equivalent of Onion columnist Smoove B." This is the kind of inspired, undiluted, scary creativity that rarely occurs when more than one person is involved. Fantastic. JASON PAGANO
THE JANUARIES, THE CINEMATICS, PAPILLION
(Breakroom) It's refreshing to encounter a genuine sex kitten like the Januaries' singer Debbie Diamond--someone who can purr a line like, "If you're gonna come home with me, better pick up some chocolate and strawberries," and make it sound both dangerous and fun. The band's Foodchain debut definitely owes a debt to the swinging '60s, providing upbeat, go-go-based madness that will leave you wiggling like Austin Powers. But the Januaries are far from a nostalgia act. This L.A. outfit seems, instead, on a mission for danger, seduction, and good times. BARBARA MITCHELL
AC/DC, WIDEMOUTH MASON
(Tacoma Dome) The Dorian Gray of butt rock, AC/DC never ages, and the music never changes. Somehow, long in the tooth as this Australian mainstay is, AC/DC has managed to sidestep the inadvertent self-parody or slick middle-age gassiness of, say, KISS. 2000's Stiff Upper Lip kicked rock-and-roll ass just as hard as did Back in Black, and each bombastic tour provides fans with some of the most honest, ecstatic rock and roll ever to bless the arenas. KATHLEEN WILSON
BILLY MOON, ROCKIN' TEENAGE COMBO
(Lake City Community Center) Leon G. Johnson of Cranium's Coffee & Collectibles is organizing a benefit for the Lake City Western Vigilantes. "You know," Johnson writes, in a well-received e-mail to The Stranger, "the guys who refuse to grow up, run around in cowboy suits, and shoot their guns off. Well," Johnson continues, "it seems these guys donate all their funds and services to various children's charities. Can you sniveling bastards say 'Charity'? Can you pull your heads out of your self-absorbed asses long enough to help us peons out? Now I know that Billy Moon is not your normal braindead thrash/shit band that your supposed music experts seem to favor. God help us that you ever review a mature, intelligent band that just happens to have Kristy Karen Smith, the best singer/songwriter in Seattle and coincidentally a hot-looking babe." Lastly, Johnson promises to do something for us in return if we do opt to help his cause. "Unfortunately I can't suck you all off, as you'd probably like," he states, his helplessness apparent. "That is, unless you're young, pretty, and don't have a penis dangling between your legs.... God, I can't believe I'm whoring myself like this just to get you assholes to pay attention!" Right. So, let it be known that The Stranger makes this recommendation to all our readers: Go see this show, and while you're there, say hello to Leon G. Johnson for us. And tell him if he ever changes his mind about that blowjob, we can be reached by e-mail. JEFF DeROCHE
NEUROSIS, BOTCH, AMBER ASYLUM, THE THRONES
(Graceland) Much more than a Woody Allen personality trait, or a malevolent moniker to be scratched on bathroom walls, Neurosis isn't nearly as metallic- or punk-minded as you'd think. Though the band has clearly been nursing at the teats of Black Sabbath and the Dead Milkmen, its cerebral, depressive dirge epics alternate between sounding like lost outtakes from Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music and reverent homages to the Swans or Joy Division. This bill finds Neurosis logically buttressed by Amber Asylum, the languorous, significantly more soft-spoken brainchild of violinist and avant-garde composer Kris Force, and the Thrones, the glue-sniffing stepchild of the Melvins' Joe Preston. Last time he was in town, Preston enchanted and confused the hell out of audiences by donning a blue wig and dousing himself in carob syrup while on stage--and he recently returned from a tour with the equally deranged beauty that is Pleaseeasaur, so don't count on being bored in the least. HANNAH LEVIN
CANDYE KANE, L. J. PORTER & THE VAMPIN' HO'S
(EMP) While Los Angeles-based singer Candye Kane often chooses to highlight her racy past as a zaftig porn star, she really doesn't need such novel credentials to push her way into the boys' club of rockabilly swing. Her sweetly schizoid combination of raunchy blues, jazzy interludes, and downright yodely country makes her more charming than Annie Sprinkle crashing the set of Hee-Haw. Her smart choice of collaborative producers (she's worked with everyone from fellow cowpunk troublemaker Dave Alvin to well-respected veterans the Paladins) helps keep her boogie jumping within credible parameters, and her rambunctiously talented backing band creates a formidable package of kamikaze honky-tonk that is anything but gimmick-driven. HANNAH LEVIN
KING OF HAWAII, MERCURY MAN
(Sit & Spin) Since 1995, guitarist Mark Klebeck has helmed instrumentalists King of Hawaii, playing an amalgam of surf, rock, and rockabilly. The band's sound careens with a giddy abandon, drawing on influences such as Gene Vincent, the Shadows, and Martin Denny. King of Hawaii has effloresced into a six-piece, with rhythm guitarist Dave Dysart and pedal steel player Terry Davison fleshing out Klebeck's powerful leads. Bassist Leo Raymindo and drummer Mark Yeend are a solid and inventive rhythm section, and keyboardist Nathaniel Papadakis augments the sound with a playful touch. The band's strong lineup plays to the strengths of the material, adding new dimensions and power to time-tested genres, expanding and exploring them as it goes. NATE LIPPENS
NEUROSIS, BOTCH, AMBER ASYLUM, PLAYING ENEMY
(Graceland) See Saturday listing.
AMY RAY, THE BUTCHIES, SARAH DOUGHER
(Showbox) As an Indigo Girl, Amy Ray has done her share of flawless harmonizing, and perfected the art of the "You go, girl!" anthem. But now that she's alone and adventurous (her new release is called Stag), Ray's not so interested in sounding folky against a backdrop of acoustic guitars. Her solo side project will surprise you: strong, clean rock and roll, with Ray's trademark scratchy vocals and just enough twang 'n' holler to drop Southern hints. No, it's not quite Indigo Grrrl... it's just louder, faster, and sexier than what we've heard from Amy Ray so far--and it's about time. MIN LIAO
JERRY CANTRELL, MIRV, SWARM
(Moore Theatre) According to jerrycantrell.com, the last thing this former member of Alice in Chains did was release Boggy Depot on Columbia Records in 1998. He's playing at the Moore, for those interested in attending. JEFF DeROCHE
THE JULIANA THEORY, SQUAD FIVE-O, ACCEPTANCE
(Paradox) Lots of people are excited about Tooth and Nail's the Juliana Theory, so, in deference to that fact, and for fear of sounding negative, I've decided to give you three reasons why you should attend this evening's Juliana Theory show. If they sound more like reasons to not attend the show, then so be it: (1) The band has buttons that say, "Girls Love the Juliana Theory." (2) The band's most recent record, Emotion Is Dead, shimmers and echoes with lots and lots of production, lending the band a sound I would describe as "hardcore-ish Bush." (3) The band has a song lyric that goes, "Here's a thought, if you're willing to listen. I only tell the truth of the feelings I'm given. Can you hear me now? Listen. Whispers in the rain...." JEFF DeROCHE
ST. GERMAIN
(Showbox) Two albums into his career as St. Germain, Parisian Ludovic Navarre is considered something of a recent elder statesman in electro-jazz music--his influences upon artists like Daft Punk, Air, and even Moby are apparent, and said influences are occasionally referred to as Navarre's "French touch." Though he began as a DJ and doesn't really consider himself a musician, St. Germain's 2000 Blue Note release, Tourist, is nine elegant tracks featuring live jazz musicians on trumpet, sax, flute, talking drum, and baritone, among other instruments. It's a sexy, atmospheric record--a bright wash of slow jazz, blues, house, and gentle, ambient percussion. St. Germain will be at the Showbox as a six-piece ensemble composed of experienced jazz musicians. Expect to be lulled and charmed. JEFF DeROCHE
CHICKS ON SPEED, IQU, C.O.C.O.
(Crocodile) See preview this issue.
