CLASSICAL
by Christopher DeLaurenti

THURSDAY 8/9

NORTHWOODS WIND QUINTET--Whilst tarrying at Trick and Murray you might want to catch some "light classics" by Mozart and Beethoven. This quintet's transcriptions of popular favorites by Edith Piaf, George M. Cohan, and Scott Joplin should be easy on the ears too. Two Union Square, 6th and Union, Noon, free.

FRIDAY 8/10

MATTHEW McCOLL--These days I can't walk down the street without bumping into a Classical guitarist. I'm not complaining: aside from guitarists, which other solo instrumentalists so diligently dig up forgotten composers and play new pieces? Guitarist Matthew McColl performs an evening of lesser-known solo works by Spanish guitar masters Narvaez, Sor, Albeniz, and Rodrigo along with new works by Gaquere and Brouwer. St. James Cathedral, 804 9th Ave, 382-4874, 7:45 pm, $14.

SATURDAY 8/11

MARROWSTONE MUSIC FESTIVAL--This afternoon of French music boasts three fine French composers: Poulenc, Ravel, and Durand. Performed by an all-star cast of chamber musicians, Poulenc's sunny Sextet for Piano and Winds and Ravel's proto-Neoclassical String Quartet in F (the opening pizzicati of the second movement always gives me chills) should be sublime. Former Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra conductor Jonathan Shames tackles Joël-François Durand's Le chemin, a solo piano piece extracted from his deliciously spiky Piano Concerto. Western Washington University Concert Hall, Bellingham, 362-2300, 3 pm, $14-$18.

OLYMPIC CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL--Rule #452 of Classical Music Festivals: thou shalt have at least one themed concert. For OCMF's "Viennese Program," assorted musicians will perform two pieces by Schubert, Sei Mir Gegrüsst, and the Fantasy in C Major for Violin and Piano, and a chestnut by Mozart, the Divertimento in E Flat Major for Strings, K. 563. As for acknowledging the Second Viennese School (Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern) all we get are Schoenberg's sinuous Cabaret Songs. Sheesh! The Barn, Center Road, Quilcene, WA (206) 527-8839, 2 pm, $14-$24. Also Sun Aug 12.

MONDAY 8/13

KIM CASCONE--A protégé of David Lynch and an adventurous musician to boot, Cascone caused a stir recently with an article in Computer Music Journal detailing the overlooked world of glitch and lowercase sound. Sparse blips, shards, and arcs of sound will be fascinating for some, maddening for others. Also on the bill is Sound Traffic Control guru Vance Galloway and experimental trombonist Brian Allen. Club I-Spy, 1921 5th Ave, 9 pm, $6.

TUESDAY 8/14

MUTANT DATA ORCHESTRA--While networking live circuits of digital answering machines, cheap digital toys, and abandoned Casio keyboards, the MDO whip up sumptuous cascades of very loud noise into a shimmering miasma of ricocheting frequencies. What does this have to do with Classical? Why yes Virginia, there is orchestral music for the 21st century: Noise! Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive, 8 pm, free.

OUT OF TOWN

STYX: Thurs Aug 9, Clark County Fair, Ridgefield, WA

SQUAREPUSHER, PLAID, MIRA CALIX: Thurs Aug 9, B Complex, Portland

TOOTS & THE MAYTALS: Thurs Aug 9, Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC

PETER TORK: Thurs Aug 9, Skagit County Fair, Mount Vernon

THE FIREBALLS OF FREEDOM, THE FATAL FLYING GUILLOTINES, FEDERATION X: Thurs Aug 9, Satyricon, Portland

THE WALLFLOWERS: Fri Aug 10, General Motors Palace, Vancouver, BC

ODYSSEY, DAN REED, SOLOVOX: Fri Aug 10, OHM, Portland

STROKES, NATRONS: Fri, Aug 10, Roseland, Portland

ENUFF Z'NUFF, POISON, QUIET RIOT, WARRANT: Sat Aug 11, Playfair Racetrack, Spokane

SCARED OF CHAKA: Sat Aug 11, Showoff Gallery, Bellingham

PETER TORK: Sat Aug 11, Moses Lake Summer Concert Series, Moses Lake

BUJU BANTON, DJ Kutfather: Sat Aug 11, Crystal Ballroom, Portland

PETER TORK: Sun Aug 12, Red Wind Casino, Olympia

MERLE HAGGARD: Mon Aug 13, Crystal Ballroom, Portland