KEN STRINGFELLOW and JON AUER, HEATHER DUBY, DAMIEN JURADO
(Showbox) Stringfellow and Auer are teaming up again as the Posies for an acoustic show that promises the same level of quality entertainment we've come to expect from these two in their solo efforts. Too bad the corn-syrup ditziness of Heather Duby is infecting this otherwise delightful show. The "Acoustic Posies" will be like a soothing balm after Duby rubs up against you 'til you're raw; she's as cutesy and ethereal and insinuating and manufactured as a Twinkie past its expiration date. ERIN FRANZMAN

THE JUDDS
(Tacoma Dome) Obviously, the show will be fun and entertaining. The Judd ladies are veterans of the road 'n' stage, after all. You'll sway and boogie to the Judds' older classics ("Grandpa... tell me 'bout the good 'ol da-aays..."), some of Wynonna's crossover country-funk stuff, and some of the New Day Dawning duets from the reunited mother-daughter pair. But let's talk about Ashley-also known as Baby Judd, Flat-Hair Judd, Glam Judd, or... the Judd Who Speaks French. Oh, sweet, beautiful Ashley, with your perfect eyebrows, your secret smile, your sultry bourbon-voice that could break John Gotti's balls. Why can't all little sisters from Kentucky turn out just like you? MIN LIAO

WEIRD AL
(5th Avenue Theatre) Technically, Weird Al is a parasite. He makes his living off songs other people have already written, which would normally be a fairly loathsome endeavor. However, Weird Al is a genius-no one else is capable of lowering what should already be the lowest common denominator of pop culture, and making it so damn funny. "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi"? That kills me every time, as do classic tracks like "My Bologna" and "Like a Surgeon." BARBARA MITCHELL

HEAD TRAUMA SHOWCASE
(Crocodile) Rather than bitch that there hasn't been a lot of opportunity for heavy music here lately, the industrious folks behind the Head Trauma Coalition decided to do something about it. Each HTC show features a rotating lineup of bands from the coalition, and a low, low cover charge. (One measly dollar, to be exact.) So get on down and see what it's all about. BARBARA MITCHELL

WINTERGRASS BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
(Tacoma Sheraton) Impromptu pickin' sessions greeted me at every turn as I walked around this world-class fest for the first time last year. I swung up to the lobby, beer in hand, to check out ex-Ornette Coleman bass heavyweight Buell Neidlinger take Thelonious Monk for a killer country drive. Tickets ain't cheap, but the prices are fair: The hot lineup reads like a who's who of bluegrass. JAMES KIRCHMER

LES SAVY FAV, LOVE AS LAUGHTER, STAGGER LEE
(Sit & Spin) Before Les Savy Fav hit the stage tonight, you're likely to feel as if you've walked into a hip '70s flashback. Love as Laughter's Sam Jayne blazes through every sound the decade has to offer, while Stagger Lee stand firmly in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones. LAL are a bit more original than Stagger Lee, but who needs original when you're having fun? KATHLEEN WILSON

MARY LOU LORD, WILLY VLAUTIN, GRAIG MARKEL
(I-Spy) I used to have a real thing for Mary Lou Lord's music. Then she went all major label/Shawn Colvin on me, and got real boring, real quick. Her KRS split-EP with Sean Na Na is somewhat repentant, but the spark is mostly gone. However, Willy Vlautin of Richmond Fontaine is a great songwriter, even if he gets nervous on stage, so there's no doubt he'll steal the show. ERIN FRANZMAN

DIESEL BOY, DONALD GLAUDE
(Showbox) Once upon a time, Diesel Boy was hailed as the Great White Hope of American drum 'n' bass, or at least its best goodwill ambassador. But of course, that was a few years ago-light years for this genre, as we all know. Tonight, he's merited headliner status at Dedicated, one of the city's most consistently attended dance weeklies. Though what many of this night's bridge-and-tunnel patrons seem most "dedicated" to is being seen and getting laid, the club is no slouch at booking crowd-pleasing DJs. This shouldn't be an exception. LEAH GREENBLATT

MINUS 5
(Crocodile) Minus 5 are doing a show. Let's play WWSMcD: What Would Scott McCaughey Do? Scott McCaughey would go see Minus 5. Oh yeah, Scott McCaughey is Minus 5. ERIN FRANZMAN

JOSH WINK
(ARO.space) Terminally photogenic DJ coverboy Josh Wink (née Winkelstein)-he of the recently shorn golden dreadlocks and Colgate smile-brings his Philly house sounds to the eager masses at ARO.space tonight. While his recorded work tends to fall short of his kinetic live sets-witness the silly New Age noodling on Left above the Clouds, and the under-performing herehear-he is, as Q-tip once said, "devoted to the art of moving butts." He's also well-known for a handful of bona fide club classics, Europe absolutely loves him, and his marquee value is high enough to fill most any chosen venue. A skilled DJ and genuinely nice guy-but oh, do we miss the hair. LEAH GREENBLATT

EDDIE SHAW and THE WOLF GANG
(New Orleans) The "Wolf" this Chicago-based gang refers to is none other than the late, great, Mississippi-born blues-shouter Howling Wolf. Mick Jagger might have ended up shagging his students at Cambridge instead of his groupies in Brazil were it not for this giant of a man. Saxophonist Eddie Shaw played extensively with the Wolf, right up until the end, and has kept his rockin' legacy alive ever since. Keep in mind, though, that this old-schooler's currently stompin' past his prime. JAMES KIRCHMER

DISCOUNT
(Paradox) A great little band in a lot of turmoil, Discount released their impressive new album, Crash Diagnostic (recorded by ex-Jawbox J. Robbins), to this sad message from singer Alison Mosshart: "It's necessary to announce that the following tours are the last tours that Discount will do. My head is not yet prepared to explain in full. But I know that if there were a band I was totally in love with and they'd decided to do their last tours without first announcing that these were their last tours together as a band, I would be upset. I hope very much to see you at these shows. I just feel nauseous about the whole thing right now. I promise a more definitive statement at a later date." Isn't that sad? This show will be powerful. ERIN FRANZMAN

RUBEN GONZALEZ and IBRAHIM FERRER
(Paramount) Given the runaway success of the Buena Vista Social Club, I'm not surprised that this show has been repeatedly advertised. The pull of that all-star Cuban band's name has not only enabled all its members (which include these two gentlemen) to embark on successful solo careers, it has single-handedly brought about a renaissance of long-overdue respect to many other deserving Cuban innovators. Here's hoping that most of those currently on the Havana bandwagon are on their way to developing a lifelong appreciation of this rich heritage, and aren't temporarily tagging along simply because it's "in." JAMES KIRCHMER

AIR SUPPLY
(Emerald Queen Casino) Air Supply are the spray cheese in my musical diet-I know they're bad, I know they're bad for me, and I know they barely qualify as "music," but every now and again I still feel that awful, undeniable urge to indulge myself in the sheer (pardon the pun) cheesy brilliance of classic power ballads like "All out of Love," "Lost in Love," and, of course, "Making Love out of Nothing at All." (Does this count as a cry for help?) BARBARA MITCHELL

LOU BARLOW
(Tractor Tavern) Why is Lou Barlow still so mad about getting kicked out of Dinosaur Jr.? Shouldn't he quit whining already? He's done all right for himself. In fact, he's done better than J. Mascis in many ways, and he's built his career around getting fired. So what the hell is he still complaining about? And who the fuck does he think he is to storm off stage whenever he's in a bad mood or his throat hurts? I'm sorry, but his childish behavior should not be rewarded with an audience. ERIN FRANZMAN

DISMEMBERMENT PLAN, JUNO
(Crocodile) The peanut butter and chocolate of contemporary emo. ERIN FRANZMAN

OLD TIME RELIJUN
(Coffee Messiah) Bangy, discordant rock with shouted lyrics in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese... perfect for an early show at Capitol Hill's Coffee Messiah. KATHLEEN WILSON

RUSTON MIRE
(OK Hotel) Sparkling pop fortified with shimmering melodies is what you can expect from Ruston Mire, who have been busy of late laying down tracks for a new CD. KATHLEEN WILSON

NELS CLINE and GREGG BENDIAN:

INTERSTELLAR

SPACE REVISITED:

THE MUSIC OF JOHN

COLTRANE, PROJECT W
(Rainbow) Nels Cline, an amazingly talented and versatile guitarist (Geraldine Fibbers, Scarnella, Mike Watt, Thurston Moore) has joined forces with percussionist Gregg Bendian (ex-Cecil Taylor and Derek Bailey) to produce one of the most daring "tribute" albums I've ever heard. Tonight they'll pay homage to John Coltrane and Rashied Ali by humbly covering their Interstellar Space album in its entirety, along with some other choice Coltrane classics. Project W, a local trio of fellow outcasts once seen opening for Sonic Youth at the Moore, open what promises to be a punk-fueled, free-jazz journey of epic proportions. JAMES KIRCHMER

RICHMOND FONTAINE
(Graceland) Look forward to seeing Richmond Fontaine frontman Willy Vlautin around these parts a lot, as he's scheduled to play several solo shows in March. KATHLEEN WILSON

PROZAC PARTY
(ARO.space) Come celebrate the chosen psychotropic of sad, lonely, and chemically imbalanced people the world over. Turn that frown upside down with French DJ and Cassius cohort Pepe Bradock along with Vancouver's Craig Mullin, get make-up counseling from Urban Decay, enjoy the follicular therapy of the Vain Guerilla Hair team in the upstairs lounge, and for God's sake, stop humming that goddamn Smiths song long enough to hear the house pounding out of the speakers. There may not be many highs and lows, and you may feel surprisingly platonic toward the swarm of writhing bodies on the dance floor, but at least you won't start crying just because the bartender forgot the olive in your martini. LEAH GREENBLATT

LICKIT!
(I-Spy) It's all about the 206 tonight. The campy-fun house of DJ Wesley Homes and Señor El Toro (better known as Seattle Weekly scribe Kurt B. Reighley) come up against the more eccentric sounds of Plastiq Phantom. Those who saw Plastiq open for Luke Vibert and U-Ziq earlier this month had nothing but kind things to say, and as my informants are good, honest people, I believe them. And of course, what is a local lineup without Seattle's hardest working Brit transplant, Nasir? Put on your I ™ My Seattle DJ shirt and head on down. LEAH GREENBLATT

DRESSY BESSY, AISLERS SET
(I-Spy) For a new (excuse me, "reconditioned") venue, the I-Spy has been remarkably quiet on the live music front. Tonight's show features a double bill of top-notch indie pop, with San Fran-cisco's Aislers Set and Denver's Dressy Bessy. It's the perfect excuse to go check the place out while catching two bands who rarely grace us with their presence. BARBARA MITCHELL

ELLIOTT SMITH
(Breakroom) No explanation necessary, really. Just a warning: drink lots of water, and stay home if you're claustrophobic, 'cause this show will pack the Breakroom like a can of sardines. ERIN FRANZMAN

INTONARUMORI
(Club Mercury) Kevin Goldsmith has been working under the name "Intonarumori" (Italian for "noise intoners") since his university days, when he studied experimental and electronic composition. He plays cello, bass, prepared guitar, synthesizer, and electronics, for a mostly ambient minimalism that will be right at home in this dimly lit establishment. JAMES KIRCHMER

TWO DOLLAR GUITAR, KINSKI
(Graceland) See Stranger Suggests.

EQUATION
(Conor Byrne's) If you find yourself shut out of the all-star Celtic Fiddle Festival at the Tractor, forget about your disappointment and head across the street. For barely more than the price of a Guinness, you'll be charmed by some entirely pretty, violin-laced pastoral-pop from these young Brits. They wear their can't-miss influences with enviable perfection, like young models, and walk with enough accidental grace to convince one that their sound is indeed the offspring of lovely equations-rather than the ugly union of innocent beauties and beastly music-industry formulas. JAMES KIRCHMER

WESLEY WILLIS
(Breakroom) I've never been able to decide if the attention lavished on Wesley Willis is an act of kindness or the ultimate junior high, laugh-at-the-freak prank. Willis is a mentally ill Chicago "musician" who became famous for his "songs" about various local and touring bands. Given the fact that every composition varies only slightly (name of artist, a couple of key phrases), you pretty much know exactly what you're going to get (off-key vocals, lots of Casio, etc.). I just don't know who to feel more sorry for-the man on stage, or the people in the audience. BARBARA MITCHELL

KILA
(Tractor) There's a city in Montana that goes by the name of Kila, as does this fun band of traditional-yet-modern instrumentalists from Ireland. Their hard-to-pin-down, WOMAD-friendly sound has garnered them a gold record over there, and I'll bet their rootsy, Dublin-styled "world music" vibes make for quite the live show. JAMES KIRCHMER