BROTHER ALI, VAST AIRE, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE
(Neumo's) See preview, page 43.
AIR, MOSQUITOS
(Paramount) See preview, page 38.
MORBID ANGEL, SUFFOCATION, SATYRICON, PREMONITIONS OF WAR
(Graceland) Of the many death metal bands with names ending in "tion," the best one has to be the upstate New York quintet Suffocation. Their lineup looks like a rogue UN assembly, and their dissonant, hyper-percussive onslaught has influenced countless (inferior) imitators. They debuted in the early '90s with the gory, relatively primitive Human Waste EP, then gradually progressed all the way up through their complex, but still heavy as hell 1998 EP Despise the Sun (Relapse). That seemed to be their farewell release, but they've reunited and have another album on the way this year. Will it suck? Let's hope not. WILL YORK
FRIDAY 4/30
THE GIRLS (CD RELEASE), THE LIGHTS, DALMATIANS, DJS BRIAN EVERETT, JOHNNY MAYDAY
(Chop Suey) See Live Wire, page 50.
PANJABI MC, DJ ANSHUL, DAREK MAZZONE, DJ MANPREET, JAMES WHETZEL, MITCH HAYRE, UBC GIRLS BHANGRA TEAM, RHYTHMS OF PUNJAB CO-ED BHANGRA TEAM, KAMAL SANDHU
(Showbox) See preview, page 47.
GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS
(Hideaway) See Drunk by Noon, page 53.
HIGH ON FIRE, THE RUBY DOE, HELL PROMISE, THE NEW MEXICANS
(Neumo's) See Stranger Suggests, page 25.
YEAH YEAH YEAH!
(Paramount) How excited was I to drive by the Paramount recently and see the marquee lit up with not one but two nights of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Right on the tail end of their recent show at Neumo's that I missed? And then how much of a dumbass did I feel like when I realized this show has nothing to do with Karen O. and crew, but is instead a Yeah Yeah Yeah! show (no "s"), some kind of multimedia Beatles cover night? Yeesh. I hope I wasn't the only one making that stupid mistake, but here's to catching it in time. JENNIFER MAERZ
MONEEN, NORTHSTAR, THE FIGHT, PARK
(Vera Project) Since the recent release of their second album, Pollyanna, New York's Northstar are constantly being compared to Brand New, probably because their former labelmates also released a debut pop-punkish record and then followed it up with a sophomore release that was supposedly evidence of the band's growth and maturity (with more advanced compositions and less typical lyrics). The difference is that I really like Brand New's sophomore release, Deja Entendu. Jesse Lacey has a way with words, and the whole record feels more sincere than an attempt to cash in on the new wave of this whole post-punk/emo/screamo/call-it-whatever-you-want trend. Pollyanna, on the other hand, feels more like a desperate attempt to fit in. The songs are mainly about girls, backed with very mechanical and average songwriting. Yawn. I feel like a jerk for saying it, but if Pollyanna is Northstar's Deja Entendu, it sounds like they got stuck with all of Brand New's sloppy seconds. MEGAN SELING
WOGGLES, GIRL TROUBLE, LOS PELIGROSOS
(Fun House) Fuck YEAH! I swear, even though they've been beset by the tragic loss of their ace ax man George Holton (AKA Mister Montague), the Woggles have rebounded respectfully and gracefully and have been workin' some of that sweet, fine Wogglin' ass right the hell off! And dammit if the Woggles don't always impress me, not so much for their fucking ace of a stage performance... which is heavenly... but for their cool, always clean and perfectly executed, sweat drippin' 'n' riff rippin' '60s-style garage rock. And, by the way, their latest LP, Ragged but Right, is a damn fine testimony, Woggle style! MIKE NIPPER
JASON WEBLEY
(Town Hall) Last November Jason Webley died. In a chaotic, bizarre, and dramatic ceremony involving "gnome dancing," dozens and dozens of balloons, and a small orchestra of instruments (including a clarinet, piano, cello, and trombone), local madman Webley crumpled into a coffin and was carried out of Town Hall. He died in 2002 too, actually. And each spring, after his ceremonious death, Webley miraculously comes back to life, bringing his accordion and insane folk/punk/rock business with him. His death show was celebratory of life with drunken dancing and everyone tickling everyone.... It was kind of insane. And I was kind of uncomfortable with the whole thing (uhh, I guess it's 'cause I'm not a big fan of strangers tickling me?), but at the same time, it really was entertaining and fun to witness. Jason Webley is a damn good performer and his crazy antics have helped recruit a large following of fans. Town Hall was packed in November when the guy died (with a crowd 600 strong), so I'm sure it'll be packed when he returns from the dead, too. MEGAN SELING
THE BLANK-ITS, LEATHERBOY, THE DEAD VAMPIRES
(Patti Summers') Tonight's show marks the record release party for local trio the Blank-Its, whose snotty vocals always sound to me like the words are floating up from the bottom of a swimming pool on little air bubbles, drowning in cool distortion until they get to the surface. The new 7-inch up for grabs is "Johnny's Tongue" b/w "I'm Ok," two songs that perform a sideways pogo of fuzzy, psychedelic pop and speedy garage rock. I commend these guys not only on a great new release but also on having the show at Patti Summers', one of the most offbeat venues I've been to in this city. JENNIFER MAERZ
SATURDAY 5/1
PRETTY IN PINK PUNK ROCK PROM: HINT HINT, THE FITNESS, THE SNACKS, THE STRANGERS
(Old Fire House) See Underage, page 61.
THE HUNCHES, GOLDEN DAWN, THE HIGH BEAMS
(Comet) Holy. Fucking. Shit. Okay, so I'd HEARD a couple years ago Golden Dawn were sorta back together, like, they were playing around Austin... well, turns out, they're touring, and we're lucky enough to be gettin' us an Emerald Shitty stop! Golden Dawn were an ace Texas psychedelic band from the '60s... "psychedelic"... in the Midwest sense. Like, they were expanding the "idea" of the garage band, and you can STILL hear the garage in 'em, but their songs are bigger... more strident, madly melodic, but not cliché... there are no "pointless" guitar solos or heavy-for-the-sake-of-loud bits, and very few effects. In fact, if pushed, I COULD say they sound kinda like the 13th Floor Elevators, but... different, and I bet I'll catch hell for this, but GD were less goofy. So there you go... go see 'em and, as they say, listen to the sounds of revolution! MIKE NIPPER See also Stranger Suggests, page 25.
URGE OVERKILL, BLOOM, THE LAST VEGAS
(Graceland) It was just fine when Urge Overkill was but a memory, but here they are again, and with mostly crappy records to promote. Irony only works in spare amounts, and despite Nash Kato's excellent horse face, it's way past time for the glue factory, boys. KATHLEEN WILSON
ROY LONEY & THE LONGSHOTS, SGT. MAJOR, DONOVAN'S BRAIN, PENNY IKINGER
(Sunset) Roy Loney fronted the Flamin' Groovies during the band's most vital era, 1965-1971, back when the San Francisco ruffians were writing legendary non-hits like "Teenage Head" and "Slow Death," bumming out hippies with a wild amalgam of slippery rockabilly and gutbucket R&B. Generations of sideburn types have sung their praises ever since. The Groovies' sound changed dramatically with Loney's defection, losing a lot of grit in favor of Byrdsy strumming, but Loney kept the faith with a series of solo albums true to his original ethos. The latest is Drunkard in the Think Tank, recorded with his all-star backup band, the Longshots (which has featured a few Young Fresh Fellows in the past). Luckily, Loney hasn't lost the grease smoke or the bam balam and still puts on a righteous show, so this gig is worth more than just the chance to eyeball a former legend. FRED BELDIN
MUSCLE
(Eagle) Queer boys, queer girls, and their queer friends (whether or not that term applies to their sexuality) have a dance floor to call their own as DJ El Toro (the wonderful Stranger scribe also known as Kurt B. Reighley) and Amateur Youth throw down rock, hiphop, electro, no wave, and that one song you've been dying to hear out in a club. You know the one, it's got that cool beat and that one cool-looking record-store clerk told you about it? Whatever. Sounds like a great way to both begin and end the night. JENNIFER MAERZ
SUNDAY 5/2
SEATTLE CHAMBER PLAYERS W/DJ SPOOKY
(Benaroya) See the Score, page 63.
SNOW PATROL, CARINA ROUND
(Crocodile) If you loathe Belle & Sebastian but understand why people like them, Snow Patrol is the lumped-together alternative you can get behind and play without faded-green-T-shirt shame. I think it's because, while temperamentally shadowing the Jeepster label's shy indie-shuffle--especially in Gary Lightbody's vocals--they've grown over the last three albums, dodging apocalyptic twee with distortion and pace. They've even worked with big beat's Cut La Roc and now make songs that kind of sound like Placebo. Hooray! Wolverhampton's Carina Round, on the other hand, falls on a bad wreck of middle-England Meredith Brooks emotional vanity, with embarrassing lyrics and a stage name that sounds like it was thought up after a night of sloshed-off drink and puns. So no on that. GUY FAWKES
MONDAY 5/3
OF MONTREAL, THE MINDERS, TERRENE
(Sunset) Satanic Panic in the Attic is the latest from Athens, Georgia-based Of Montreal, and what a curve ball the band has thrown with a mix of trippy '70s beats and '80s new wave. They've gone all electroclash without losing any of the pretty pop, no doubt due to their strong Beatles influences. The Minders' new album, The Future's Always Perfect, is not quite perfect, but poppy enough to make the Portland band's latest fine enough to put a smile on your face. KATHLEEN WILSON
TUESDAY 5/4
ANDREW W. K., NO MOTIV, JERSEY, FIREBALL MINISTRY
(Neumo's) It's a smart marketing move to realize that hard rock is like a religion to its worshipers, coin your band Fireball Ministry, make your tagline "the first church of rock 'n' roll," and then name your frontman "The Reverend" (specifically Rev. James A. Rota II). The Ministry's music, released on Bong Load, Small Stone, and Nuclear Blast, is the brand of sleazy, '70s-primed stoner rock sure to please fans of early Fu Manchu and Nebula, heavy on riffage thick as the clouds of smoke in a freshman dorm room. But the L.A. band are sure to pay respects to their aesthetic ancestors, the way they did justice to Black Sabbath's "Victim of Changes" on their 2001 eponymous EP. JENNIFER MAERZ
WEDNESDAY 5/5
EINSTĂśRZENDE NEUBAUTEN
(Showbox) See preview, page 44.
THE CONSTANTINES, THE DIVORCE, AUDIO LEARNING CENTER
(Crocodile) In the opposite direction to Sub Pop's relationship with Canadians Zumpano (whose frontman Carl Newman went on to win a Juno--Canada's Grammy--with the New Pornographers after the band left the label), the arty-messy Constantines, tonight's headliners, already had a Juno nomination under their belt before Sub Pop snagged the band and released Shine a Light last year. Also tonight expect to see a little more of the elusive-of-late power-pop band the Divorce, who are finally ready to reintroduce themselves and their new, stronger material to lucky Seattle audiences. KATHLEEN WILSON
BELLE & SEBASTIAN
(Paramount) I love Belle & Sebastian on record, but the last three attempts to see them play a good live show just haven't lived up to the hype or opinions of fanatics who would like the endlessly clever and fashionable band were they to be playing from inside a stage-sized burlap sack. But the band is Scottish, so who gives a rip, as their accents alone are mellifluous enough. Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003) is a great album, which surely has a lot to do with Stuart Murdoch being back in the driver's seat, taking slow trips down scenic side roads that just may bring back the wonder once instilled by Belle & Sebastian's delightful stage presence. KATHLEEN WILSON.
CHRIS GEDDES AND RICHARD COLBURN OF BELLE & SEBASTIAN
(Graceland) Geddes (keyboards) and Colburn (drums) bust out their favorite soul, Motown, rare groove, and funk platters for their rabidly meek fans after Belle & Sebastian gingerly elevate the roof of the Paramount earlier in the evening. Bring your best heckles, hecklers. DAVE SEGAL
