THURSDAY 12/26


'TWAS THE NIGHT AFTER XMAS FEATURING MIKE JOHNSON, JAN AND JASON, TIFFANY ANDERS, LAZY
(Crocodile) Mike Johnson may have begun his musical career as a sideman--an elegant, very tall sideman--but he's not going to finish up that way. Johnson's first name-gig was as a bassist for Dinosaur Jr., where salty J Mascis hoarded the limelight for his own nefarious East Coast purposes. Johnson, who hails from Eugene, Oregon, found his interests lying elsewhere. After musically backing ex-Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan on the whiskey-and-cigarette-scarred singer's first solo, dark Americana record, Johnson released Where Am I?, his own collection of somber songs. Albums equally dark, rich, and filled with evocative humor followed--including Year of Mondays, I Feel Alright, and 2002's What Would You Do. Generally consisting of moving ballads that frame Johnson's smooth and authoritative baritone voice, his work also occasionally broaches the psychedelic energy and beautiful mess of a talented, brooding garage band. It's moody stuff--the perfect antidote to holiday cheer. JON DURBIN

FRIDAY 12/27


THE HOLLOWPOINTS, GRAVEYARD SHIFT, THE AMAZOMBIES, THE GREEDIE$
(Catwalk) The dead little bulbs planted over the past few years in our city's punk scene have lately begun blossoming into dead little flowers. Word on the street has it that the Seattle psychobilly madmen of Graveyard Shift may soon take a little spin around the dance floor with Epitaph Records subsidiary/Tim Armstrong's day job Hellcat Records. Meanwhile, rock-punk trio the Amazombies have been picked up by Go Kart, and über-catchy social distorters the Hollowpoints have just released their first full-length album, Bullet Holes in City Walls, on Pop Militia Records. The Greedie$, sadly, have no present ambitions loftier than spraying you, the audience, with snottiness snottier than Snothelm Snotgrass III--which is probably for the best, as they're from old money anyway and have no need for the fabulous fame and monetary perks that come with being in a punk band from Everett. The perfect show for all your post-holiday bacchanalia needs. BILL BULLOCK

JODIE WATTS, PURTY MOUTH, DJ DEUTSCHER MEISTER
(Sit & Spin) Let's face it--the holidays are anything but a Norman Rockwell experience for most of us. If you're looking for a good way to erase the trauma--or just looking for a good time, period--I'd be hard-pressed to recommend a better solution than this here show. Jodie Watts' highly energetic and entertaining performance should put a smile back on your face, but it's pretty much guaranteed that Purty Mouth will steal the show (and become your new favorite band). If you haven't already witnessed the genius that is "Seattle's premier almost all-gay country band," you'll thank me for the tip. While their set puts a new spin on some time-tested gems, PM have been spreading their wings and adding some great originals to the mix. Catch 'em in a small club while you can! BARBARA MITCHELL

SATURDAY 12/28


COBRA HIGH, HINT HINT, THE DANCE DISASTER MOVEMENT
(Graceland) See Stranger Suggests, page 23.

DOUBLE TROUBLE BASH AT CHOP SUEY
(Chop Suey) I couldn't ask for more a conscientious neighbor than Double Trouble, the fashionable vintage store that also hosts rock shows and dance parties. Sure, I live in a zone that boasts as many businesses as it does apartments, so I really have no right to bitch about noise--not that I ever would. But the proprietors of Double Trouble have gone out of their way to accommodate those around them, following noise ordinance rules and procuring the proper permits. Their blowout Trailer Trash Bash tonight--featuring DJs Dann Gallucci and WP2K--will be held at Chop Suey, so everyone can revel in post-Xmas, pre-New Year's hysteria while getting as loud and drunk as they damn well want (or need). Bring a can of food for Northwest Harvest and get in for $3 ($5 without). KATHLEEN WILSON

BO DIDDLEY
(Showbox) Bo Diddley got loads of honors in 2002--numerous lifetime achievement awards, inductions into various halls of fame... you know, the pats on the back they give you when they think you're gonna die soon. Well, he may be turning 74 two days after this gig, but the artist formerly known as Ellas Otha Bates McDaniels is still going strong. Yes, he laid the groundwork for rock 'n' roll--his electric blues directly influencing Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, AC/DC, the Clash, and countless others. Yes, his experimental guitar style presaged Jimi Hendrix. Yes, you can hear his signature rhythms in nearly all of today's garage-revival bands. But can he still play and sing and tear up the joint? Hell yeah, he can. If you only know about Bo Diddley from history books or Nike commercials, go to this show. Who knows how many more chances you'll get. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

THE MAKERS, ALARM BELL, THE JET CITY FIX
(Sit & Spin) Yeah, the Makers! I've written about how much I love their new record quite often in this paper already--so, accepting that opinion as fact, I'm gonna move on to their style. Most musicians in Seattle dress like they're pulling on whatever came out cleanest in the laundry pile, a style I know well because I live that way myself a little too often. But not the Makers. The image of Mike Maker draped in black leather and some kind of Prince-looking hat at the Capitol Hill Block Party will stay forever lodged in my mind, because the same day he strolled around in heavy fashion artillery, other people got heat stroke wearing much less. But his style's always on like that. The guy's got the best vintage collection I've seen since I stopped being able to hit up L.A.'s Wasteland on a regular basis. All this has absolutely nothing to do with his music, but I've already told you how great the band's glam-garage offerings are, and I'm running out of new things to say about these guys. Next time you see Mike Maker, find out where he shops. JENNIFER MAERZ

NEW LUCK TOY, MERCURY 4
(Zak's) If I had to pick just one local group with all the properties of a "party band," I would have to go with New Luck Toy. Singer Steve King has stage presence to spare, and New Luck Toy's blend of '70s punk and '80s new wave is always a blast to jump around (or just hoot along) to. You're not likely to find a more dependable band--in terms of one whose performance can't be ruined by a bad mood--in Seattle. KATHLEEN WILSONSUNDAY 12/29


PEYOTE CALAMITY
(Zak's) Featuring three spry fellows from Redwood City, California, Peyote Calamity is fueled by the young-male hormones that can only produce total throat-puking grindcore with guttural time changes and a demonic, utterly deathical twist. Now, you may be wondering about the name, because it does tend toward the "I had a bad experience in the Grand Canyon after smoking some weird plant my spirit guide offered me" sort of imagery. You will be happy to know, though, that "Peyote Calamity" was settled upon after the trio dropped the less-becoming "Animal Porn Dealers." Whatever moniker they may choose to perform under, this much is true: They come from a great history of NoCal metal bands that lean a tad toward the spaz, and have a little bit of artiness lurking beneath their spidery screeches and moans. PC gets theatrical with melodies, switching them up whenever possible, and just as they embark on a labyrinthine crescendo, they toss in the herky-jerky guitar effects. Likely to equally charm fans of Total Shutdown and fans of Cradle of Filth, Peyote Calamity never ceases to please. (Or make rad puke vocals.) JULIANNE SHEPHERD

MONDAY 12/30


THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES, DJ FRANKI CHAN, DJ RED LEATHER CHAPSTICK
(Graceland) Okay, I have officially reached maximum love for our new local bands. These Arms Are Snakes? Wasn't I just saying that I missed all that gooey, reverb-drenched shoegazer (early to 1995 Verve) stuff? And just a few weeks before, was I not euphorically jumping up and down over the reissue of Pitchfork's Eucalyptus? Smash those things together, and you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from These Arms Are Snakes. Of course, the fact that former members of Kill Sadie and Botch are involved already means it's going to be mathy, heavy, AND melodic--but this, THIS takes it to a whole other level. God, I love Seattle. KATHLEEN WILSON

TUESDAY 12/31


DEFY THE TYRANNY OF TIME PROM NITE FEATURING LES SAVY FAV, PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES, THE VELLS, DJ DANN GALLUCCI
(Graceland) See Stranger Suggests, page 23.

THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE DIVORCE, THE FITNESS, ANNA OXYGEN
(Crocodile) The Presidents of the United States of America used to get a lot of shit in these pages (and elsewhere), but here's the thing: Even if you hated songs like "Kitty" and "Peaches," even if you absolutely despised their cutesy, borderline-Tickle Tune Typhoon brand of pop nonsense (which I didn't, but that's just me), chances were you would still have fun watching them play live. The reason: Chris, Dave, and Jason (as in, Jason Finn--AKA the Man Who Has Played Drums for Every Band in Seattle) were, and probably still are, all about lunacy onstage, pounding through their short numbers with near-maniacal glee. So it's only fitting that on New Year's Eve, the night the bulk of the world tends to lose its shit, the Presidents are reuniting, if only for one show. Go have fun. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

PHO BANG! NEW YEAR'S BASH FEATURING URSULA & THE ANDROIDS, JACKIE & THE CONTROL TOPS, THE TURN-ONS
(Re-bar) It's a sad thing that Jackie and Ursula, my two favorite drag queens in Seattle, have moved Pho Bang to a monthly (as opposed to weekly) party. That means when they do put on their punk-rock cabaret, it's a very special event--one that this time might not come again until February. So kick off 2003 with plenty of screaming, singing, bad humor, good dancing, live music, and prizes for worst costume. Costume, you ask? Yes, well, there are a couple options to choose from tonight: Dress in masquerade theme, and get in for $7. Dress as a chicken or a cat, and get in free. Don't dress up, and pay $10. And if you're party-hopping this evening, you can still hit Pho Bang--this night the event will run late, into after-hours time. JENNIFER MAERZ

DJ SPOOKY, IQU, DJs on Strike!, DJs Suspence, Brian Webber, A.C. Lewis, K.O.
(I-Spy) Where is Tricky now? He had a big record deal; he challenged the king of jungle; he abused one of the greatest singers of the '90s, Martina; he went out with Björk; and he challenged DJ Spooky by mocking his intellectualism. (Tricky claimed to have read only one book in his entire life--a biography of Bob Marley.) But where is this Tricky now? What is he doing these days? Nada, mon frère! His last CD, Blowback, sucked--and because he never bothered to improve his mind, the end of his fame has meant the end of everything he had to offer. DJ Spooky, on the other hand, established early in his career long-term intellectual investments and commitments, so when his fame evaporates he won't be left standing naked. (Tricky was once "naked and famous," but now he's just naked.) DJ Spooky will be around for a long time, and judging from the album he's working on (he was kind enough to play parts of it for me during his last visit to Seattle), he's getting better and better. CHARLES MUDEDE

THE GLORYHOLES, GUESTS
(The Comet) If you're not into the big, spendy New Year's Eve production, what better place to get your rock 'n' roll fix than at the Comet with the Gloryholes? The Gloryholes are an excellent live band, whether frontman Doug White is in your face, rolling on the ground at your feet, or dancing his lanky body through the crowd like he's pogoing to someone else's set. I can attest that these garage punks will get you in the party spirit, as you'd have to be a real sourpuss not to catch their infectious energy. JENNIFER MAERZ

WEDNESDAY 1/1


DJ KEN DIRTNAP
(Zak's) There are a lot of great local bands in the Northwest, but as for local labels, I have to say that Dirtnap Records rises right to the top of my list. With tons of great spaz/pop/art/garage punk on his roster, Ken Dirtnap has given many talented freaks a home (the Epoxies, the Briefs, the Cripples, and the Gloryholes, to name a few). He's working the turntables as Zak's resident new DJ; if his record collection is anywhere near as diverse as his band list, tonight should be a treat. JENNIFER MAERZ