MUSIC

ACTUAL TIGERS--With a new record out on Capitol Records, Seattle's Actual Tigers (formerly Willis) is characterized by smooth, gentle shifts between plaintive indie-folk, jammy mainstream pop, and the occasional thumping twanger. This is music Dave Matthews might make if he were raised on a steady diet of Death Cab for Cutie and the Replacements. Real Mainstage, Noon-1:00 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

DEREK MAZZONE--With residencies all over town, there isn't a night Mr. Mazzone's impeccable DJ skills have not touched. From electro to hiphop, house and beyond. He also does a world-pop radio show on KEXP. Flag Pavilion, Noon-1:30 pm. FRANK NIETO

LOW--This Minnesota trio creates a chrysalis-like world of downy sonic hush, proving that minimalism can deliver beauty and menace with as much power as a 30-piece orchestra, or the faux operatics of Sigur Rós. Opera House, 12:15-2:45 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

YERBA BUENA--Major labels may be shutting the door on Cuban music, fearing that the fad is over. But thankfully they can't stop groups like Seattle's Yerba Buena, who have always played their breezy, beautiful son and charanga for love, not money. The Funky Kingston Rhythm Stage, 12:15-1:30 pm. NATHAN THORNBURGH

CAT POWER--Like an indie-rock Patsy Cline, Chan Marshall--a.k.a. Cat Power--sings painful secrets with awesome displays of acoustic guitar and piano songwriting and interpretation. She's notorious for her live shows, where she frequently stops mid-song because she's not "feeling it." Go anyway. Close your eyes, and bask in Marshall's loneliness. Opera House, 12:15-2:45 pm. PAT KEARNEY

STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS--Talk all the smack you want. You know damn well that the Jicks are shit-hot American rock and roll. Post-Pavement, Malkmus has lost none of his shine; he's still an insouciant guitar hero and an indefatigably effortless singer of the cleverest non-lyrics in contemporary rock. DMX MUSIC Boombox, 1:30-2:45 pm. SEAN NELSON

ME'SHELL NDEG:OCELLO--You might know her best from 1993's Plantation Lullabies, when she seemed to come out of nowhere--a fierce, stormy lesbian backed by Madonna's public praise and record label, playing a funky bass, and singing in a sultry voice that mixes honey and purr. Damn. Real Mainstage, 1:30-2:45. JEFF DeROCHE

DAMON & NAOMI (w/KURIHARA OF GHOST)--Sad? Content to stay that way? Why, yes. Then Damon & Naomi, formerly of Galaxy 500, is your band. Nothing devastating, pivotal, or particularly groundbreaking in the introspection department--just switchback male-to-female musings to get lost in, without any kind of cathartic aftermath. PCC Northwest Court Stage, 3-4 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

LORETTA LYNN--You must attend this show. See Stranger music section, pg. 39. Real Mainstage, 3:45-5 pm.

KEN STRINGFELLOW--Blessed with the kind of voice that makes hearts swoon, Stringfellow is an internationally lauded singer/songwriter. When he isn't playing guitar for R.E.M. or Big Star, or touring Europe with the Posies, Stringfellow plays his own kind of solo material, informed by his other projects, but unique in constantly expressive ways. PCC Northwest Court Stage, 4:30-5:30 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

DJ KO & DJ SUSPENSE--These DJs have marvelous taste: They base their show in hiphop, but incorporate other genres to curious and sometimes funny results. They have the tactile skills to scratch well and juggle a beat, but their artistry is more concerned with what record they're going to put on next. Flag Pavilion, 4:30-5:45 pm. brian goedde

BUILT TO SPILL--Whether it's the band's capacity for melodic improvisation, or singer Doug Martsch's sweetly adolescent voice and economic, awe-striking lyrics, Built to Spill is one of the Northwest's most beloved live acts. Bumbershoot has repeatedly proven to be a venue in which Martsch and his fellow bandmates revel. DMX MUSIC Boombox, 4:45-6 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

JIMMIE DALE GILMORE--With the Flatlanders, and on his own sophisticated and emotional solo albums, Gilmore has gained a reputation as one of the Texas Panhandle's premier songsmiths, alongside Townes Van Zandt, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock. His literate bent and Buddhist spiritual concerns have put him in a league of his own. Northwest Airlines Blues Stage, 5:15-6:30 pm. NATE LIPPENS

RED ELVISES--These Siberian surf rockers via Los Angeles released two albums this last year, Welcome to the Freakshow and Bedroom Boogie. They combine rock and roll with ethnic influences, sing lyrics in English and Russian, and one of their Elvises is a balalaika virtuoso. Tesoro Bumbrella Stage, 5:15-6:30 pm. JEFF DeROCHE

MAKTUB--The members of Maktub have been involved with so many different projects in the last couple years that it would be misguiding to remind you of their soul/rock blend. Hopefully, this show will reflect the new ideas they've been toying with. The Funky Kingston Rhythm Stage, 5:30-6:45 pm. brian goedde

SHUGGIE--Shuggie visionary Andrew McKeag loves classic rock, a fact that's readily apparent in his band's sound. By no means a tribute act, Shuggie's songs are confoundingly current, while evoking that era of unabashed guitar solos and bombastic vocals. This is arena rock, pure and simple. BumberClub, 6:15-7 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

JON HYDE BAND--Roots that swing between country's plaintive thoughtfulness and rock's definite edge. Hyde's band might, at any given time, feature Tucker Martine (of Mount Analog), Carolyn Wennblom (formerly of Crop Circles), or Bruce Wirth (of the late, great Johnny Webelo). Northwest Airlines Blues Stage, 7-8:15 pm. EMILY HALL

KINSKI--Esoteric and sometimes jammy, this local psychedelic outfit incorporates propulsive drumming and expansive guitar flurries into its mix, saving itself from the downfall that bands of this genre often experience: meandering pointlessness. Moody starts and explosive endings punctuate Kinski's compositions. BumberClub, 7:30-8:15 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

WEEN--Ween exists for one reason: self-entertainment. But the fact that the group's product is so entertaining to the rest of us is the reason Ween has been elevated, like Half Japanese, into the realm of respected cult act. The band's shows are, above all else, fun--and who doesn't like fun? DMX MUSIC Boombox, 8-10 pm. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

THE BRIEFS--People may snipe about the Briefs signing to Interscope, but in the end, who really gives a fuck? They make good ponky (i.e., punk-pop--and, yes, I just made the word "ponky" up). And in the end, nothing else really matters. They are local boys made good, no matter what, and should be congratulated as such. BumberClub, 8:45-9:45. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

NEKO CASE--Despite her roots in Tacoma and punk-rock drumming, local favorite Neko Case has earned herself a diehard following among the country/ twangy rock crowd with her songwriting chops and an unmistakable sound, which is not unlike that of a tipsy honky-tonk angel. Whether she's crooning solo, with fellow Corn Sister Carolyn Mark or label-mate Kelly Hogan, or whooping it up with her Boyfriends (get Furnace Room Lullaby to experience their polyamorous magic), expect to be positively smitten with Case's exquisite voice and bourbon-soaked sass 'n' spitfire. Northwest Airlines Blues Stage, 9-10:30 pm. MIN LIAO

THE BLACK CROWES--The new album may convince newcomers otherwise, but the Black Crowes are a fantastic band steeped in Southern roots. Singer Chris Robinson's wail evokes the low-slung, bell-bottomed '70s, and in a live setting, his band is famous for performing drawn-out, glittering versions of hits such as "Jealous Again" and "Hard to Handle." Real Mainstage, 9:15-10:45 pm. KATHLEEN WILSON

CARISSA'S WIERD--The prettiest band in Seattle (sorry, Death Cab for Cutie) guaranteed to hit everyone who's listening somewhere in the chest. What else do we need to say (that we haven't said 100 times already)? BumberClub, 10:15-11:15 pm. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

READINGS

INGA MUSCIO--Why not watch Inga Muscio? The few times I have met her, she has made agreeable company; and she used to write a column for this paper. This is more than enough reason to watch her read about how women can finally take control of the sexual universe. Starbucks Literary Stage, 3:45-4:45 pm. CHARLES MUDEDE

FILM by Sean Nelson

(all films are screened at the Intiman Theatre)

THE ODD COUPLE(S)--Midnight Gospel, The Confession, Two Heterosexual Men Get Ready to Go Out (One Has a Girlfriend). 1-1:45 pm.

DARN FUR'NERS!--Films by those who can't be bothered to learn how to speak English: The Censor, Femme la Porte, Cedula Ciudadano. 2-2:45 pm.

DREAM STATES--The creepy inner lives of struggling filmmakers: Nine Lives, Ginseng Dreams, Once, Dim Bulb, Fear of Flying, Stefan's Silver Bell. 3-3:45 pm.

STRAIGHT MEN, FOOLISH CHOICES--Heterosexuals say the darnedest things! Regular Joe, The Right Hook, and Gamblin' (with Daniel "Is that a crack pipe in your ass or are you just happy to see me?" Baldwin). 4-4:45 pm.

KIDS TODAY... @*#$%!--From Marilyn Manson to body mutilation: Always Forever, Delusions in Modern Primitivism, Go Army, Delivery. 5-5:45 pm.

THE ARTIST'S WAY--Not the motivational book. A Bullet in the Brain, Frank's Book (with the great John C. Reilly), The Kidnapping. 8-8:45 pm.

FILM RAP: NO SMALL STARS, JUST SHORT ROLES--Warren Etheredge and Jason Reitman ask a panel (which may include Daniel Baldwin, Robert Wagner, and John C. Reilly) why movie stars act in short films, too. 9-9:45 pm.

EXPERIMENTS IN THE DARK: KARL KROGSTAD--Spotlight on local maverick: Egg Nog, Palm Sunday, Catharsis. 9:30-11 pm.

TROMA PICTURES' B-MOVIE MADNESS--More ironic gruel: Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Cannibal! The Musical!, preceded by Brady Hall's The Gibraltar Code and Jean Jacket. 11 pm-1 am.

DANCE/THEATER

LILY CAI CHINESE DANCE COMPANY--Anyone who's seen Chinese opera has doubtless been dazzled by the lushly colored costumes and the ornate and stylized movement, which tell stories through ritualized signs and symbols. Combine this with modern dance, and the potential for splendor is limitless. Bagley Wright Theatre, 5-7 pm. BRET FETZER

MATT SMITH--For over a decade, writer/performer Matt Smith has been thrilling/antagonizing audiences with his charmingly malevolent improv comedy. In Beyond Kindness, Smith aims his fearsome, fearless wit at child-rearing, presenting a hilariously perverse "How-to" lecture that will bust your gut while you squirm in your seat. Bagley Wright Theatre, 7:30-8:30 pm. DAVID SCHMADER