DIDO, TARA MacLEAN
(Crocodile) I just had this great idea for a sociology experiment (or a movie-but if it gets made, I want a cut...). We switch tickets for tonight's Lilith-friendly gathering with those of the Korn show, causing the audience for electronic pop chanteuse Dido and neo-folkie Tara McLean to be filled with testosterone-overloaded teenage boys in need of a hug, and the crowd for rock's poster boys for alienation to be filled with gentle souls in need of some good head-banging. Hilarity ensues. BARBARA MITCHELL

JULIAN PRIESTER & OBO ADDY: CONFLUENCE, JAMES KNAPP ORCHESTRA
(Poncho Concert Hall) The Cornish College of the Arts is in the midst of hosting an impressive African music festival, and its second event features the always tasty trombonist Julian Priester (Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock) and the always amazing master drummer Obo Addy. They'll be exploring the connections between Jazz and African with a hot grouping of Seattle-based players. Arrive on time, as this first set will surely be the evening's highlight. JAMES KIRCHMER

HOT KNIFE, APES OF WRATH
(Rainbow) What a name! Apes of Wrath, a freaky foursome featuring bassist Scott Bell and singer Brad Mowen of Tim Young's Very Special Forces, pound out sensational, Naked City-tinged, speed-noise metal tunes that rarely exceed two minutes. Suffice to say that they rock very hard, as does Hot Knife, a seductively hard-edged power-pop trio starring Sadhappy bass warrior Paul Hinklin and fellow ex-Son of Man singer/guitarist Tal Goettling. JAMES KIRCHMER

FRANK BLACK AND THE CATHOLICS, REID PALEY
(Fenix) Yeah, Frank Black will play a few Pixies songs, so you can go for that-but Reid Paley is the kind of artist Seattle loves. His reedy, pack-a-day voice and humorous, hopeless ballads of stumbling, drunken loneliness will win your drunken and lonely Seattle heart. ERIN FRANZMAN

MOUNTAIN CON., SANFORD ARMS
(OK Hotel) There's an inherently twangy quality to Mountain Con. and Sanford Arms, but that's about the only thing the two bands have in common. You can feel the difference in the names alone: Sanford Arms conjures up a more classic, organic feel of AM radio and wide open spaces, while Mountain Con. exists solely in the here and now. There's no denying the catchiness of the songs, or the entertainment value of the latter's live show, but-like the name itself-something about this band feels a little too contrived. BARBARA MITCHELL

ELIADES OCHOA Y SU CUARTETO PATRIA,

LAS HERMANAS FERRIN
(Showbox) Eliades Ochoa has rescheduled his canceled February performance, and he'll surely more than satisfy your Buena Vista Social Club addiction: Ochoa's gorgeous guitar breaks provided many of that all-star band's most stirring instrumental moments. Simply put, he's a magical interpreter of traditional styles, as is the legendary Santiago de Cuba singing duo Las Hermanas Ferrin. JAMES KIRCHMER

ZEKE, MURDER CITY DEVILS
(Crocodile) According to some jaded sources, it wouldn't be an issue of The Stranger without a mention of the Murder City Devils. Tonight, the entire clientele of the Cha Cha Lounge (and their wallet chains) will no doubt be in attendance to catch the Devils (and their tattoos) rock the house with fellow hell-raisers Zeke, who have a new album to promote called Dirty Sanchez, out now on Epitaph. Go to this show if you love "the rock"; stay home if you're allergic to black hair dye, corduroy, or testosterone. BARBARA MITCHELL

VINYL, OTA-PROTA
(Sit & Spin) The tight old-school recipes that Vinyl (an eight-piece party band from the Bay Area) have come up with contain one of my favorite ingredients-Booker T. & the MG's-but the mix is much too short on originality. As with fellow funk-oriented "jam-bands" like Galactic, Vinyl's fun stylistic combinations consist mostly of seamlessly repackaged and cleverly reshuffled grooves destined to fail the test of time. JAMES KIRCHMER

THE PERSUADER, A.K.A. JESPER DAHLBÄCK
(I-Spy) Usually, the Internet is my trusty friend. Jesper Dahlbäck, however, is playing hard to get. Enter "the Persuader" in your search engine, and you'll find many entries, none of them remotely Jesper-ish (except for one Swedish hair band of the same name-at least they've got the right country). The Persuader is, by turns, the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, "one of Baltimore's hottest blues bands," and a dark yet compelling film, circa 1972. But wherefore art thou, my little Swede? When I finally locate the Svek Records sight, all I get is a panoramic shot of Stockholm. I give up. LEAH GREENBLATT

LAST OF THE JUANITAS, JP5
(Breakroom) Last time Last of the Juanitas played the Breakroom, they were all but unknown, even to the booker. The only buzz was that it included a former member of Drive like Jehu, but that was enough to get me there. The set was early-and all too brief, because Last of the Juanitas kicked ass and swirled brains with the kind of guitar power you'd hope for from a band that shared a member with 'Jehu. They sold all of their CDs in less than five minutes, so I settled on a T-shirt instead. It doesn't sound as good. KATHLEEN WILSON

BOB MOULD
(Showbox) What can you possibly say about Bob Mould that hasn't already been said? The man left an indelible print on the face of American "alternative" music in Hüsker Dü, reinvigorated power pop in Sugar, and has repeatedly proven himself as a complex and compelling solo artist. Even at his most accessible, there's an emotional intensity that burns through Mould's songwriting; the rare opportunity to experience that intensity live should not be missed. BARBARA MITCHELL

ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH DJ GARTH
(Superhighway) Seattle's primary destination for those who refuse to let the party die, Superhighway has devoted the past year to harboring the tweaked-out masses until the sun hits the horizon. It's purportedly 21+, but the dark, convoluted basement room, the lack of alcohol, and the glitter-sporting crowd often make it feel much more like a warehouse one-off in South Seattle than a weekly "club" event. DJ Garth's last local appearance was sadly underattended at ARO.space a few weeks ago; San Francisco's Wicked crew rarely fail to entertain, however, and this time DJ Garth should find a more enthusiastic, captive audience. LEAH GREENBLATT

USC PRESENTS MIXER AND

PROGRESSION TOUR
(Info line: 206-516-8660) Still a rarity in these days-a female DJ headlining a massive party without any kind of token-themed "Ladies' Night" angle. And a worthy female she is: Sandra Collins, the so-called "Trance Goddess," holds her own with the big boys. A current resident at NYC superclub Twilo, and former longtime L.A. resident (as well as serious frequent flyer), Collins' past and present associates include Frankie Bones, Sasha and Digweed, Josh Wink, and many more. The rest of the lineup sounds solid, if not superstar. LEAH GREENBLATT

KNOXVILLE GIRLS
(Crocodile) I used to work for a fashion designer in New York who was off her rocker. She once knocked over a paper cup of water next to my desk and yelled at me, "THAT'S THE WRONG-SHAPED CUP!" I never understood what she meant by that. She only let the staff have half an hour for lunch, and the studio's old elevators took half that time stopping at every damn floor. But the receptionist, Jack, would always take an hour. He didn't give a fuck. One day he just didn't show up; he had quit. He owed me 20 bucks. Sure enough, looky who's the guitarist in the Knoxville Girls: good ol' Jack. Where's my 20 bucks, pal? ERIN FRANZMAN

C AVERAGE
(Ground Zero, Bellevue) The rain was falling in heavy drops, and the sky was a darkening gray. The hooves of our horses were sticking in mud, and we were wet to our bones through our cloaks. To the north we could see the mountain, cobalt and green, rising into the clouds. Our thoughts were of pitching camp and resting by a fire, but it was only a few hours since we'd left the village. Then, from behind us, a galloping horse drowned out the clanking, sloshing sound of our beleaguered party's progress. Suddenly the horse was upon us, bearing a breathless rider who spoke as he drew up alongside. "Travelers! I know ye not but I have great news. The gathering is to the east, and C Average will play! If you have not seen them before, I implore you, see! If your path is not east, stray!" JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

DJ SHORTKUT, INVISBL SKRATCH PIKLZ
(Sit & Spin) Funny that a member of America's premier scratch crew tiptoes so quietly into Seattle. Despite the lack of fanfare, you'd be a fool to miss DJ Shortkut while he's here. The Piklz are known for many things-primarily their domination of nearly all trick championships, both here and abroad, as well as various members' associations with DJ Shadow and the Beastie Boys. Shortkut, a relative newcomer to the crew, has managed in the past six years to win plenty of his own awards, including the '94 Rap Sheet and Def Jam scratch DJ Championships, as well as the '98 DMC West Coast prize. LEAH GREENBLATT

DANNY BARNES & THEE OLD CODGERS
(Owl 'n' Thistle) Every time Danny Barnes (Bad Livers, the Heathen) plays for free around here, there damn well ought to be an overflow crowd. If word gets out that some of these no-cover shows have been sparsely attended, folks around the USA are gonna start thinking our New Years' party-poopin' lame-out was no fluke. See, Danny's one of the most talented banjo-toting gentlemen on earth, and he usually charges good money. Soon he won't be so "new" around here, so enjoy these gifts while you can. JAMES KIRCHMER

PETER MURPHY
(Showbox) I remember my introduction to Peter Murphy's solo music as clearly as I remember my first real drink. It was 1990, and I knew Bauhaus only in the abstract, the way I knew about homelessness; I lived in D.C. and was in high school, so it's not like I could miss the evidence, but it's not like I had any real experience. Paul Davison and Court Anderson had tickets to Murphy's concert in Richmond, and casually asked one day if I was going. "Of course not-who the hell is Peter Murphy?" "Um, he's a prophet." Jonathan Grau loaned me copies of Deep and Love Hysteria: mind-blowing texts of basso profundo cryptomysticism, sharp hooks, and Thin White Duke-ness that took David Bowie to school. The scales fell from my ears. I listened to the CDs slavishly for years, often programming "Cuts You Up" or "Dragnet Drag" to repeat all night long while I slept. Though I missed the Richmond show, I saw him in Nashville that summer at a club about the size of the Showbox. Murphy charms like a snake onstage, and sings like a God. He is absolutely not to be missed. SEAN NELSON

KORN
(KeyArena) I never thought I would live to see the day when Korn seemed innovative or even interesting. In their early years, they seemed like a lowest common denominator nightmare-creation cobbled together from the worst elements of Rage against the Machine, Tool, and Alice in Chains. However, in comparison to their rap-metal cohorts in bands like the dreadfully adolescent Limp Bizkit, Korn have grown to seem downright meaningful and sophisticated. Besides, who hasn't felt like a freak on a leash? BARBARA MITCHELL

SCOTT FIELDS, PEGGY LEE, DYLAN VAN

DER SCHYFF, MICHAEL BISIO, EYVIND KANG,

CHARLIE GOCHER
(On the Boards) This first installment in Earshot Jazz's monthly "Voice and Vision" series brings together an accomplished post-free-jazz guitarist from Wisconsin and two of Vancouver, B.C.'s very best: the great cellist Peggy Lee (world-class all the way), and Dylan van der Schyff, her fabulous drummer-of-choice. Darn that damn border-this talented pair's Seattle appearances are much too rare. JAMES KIRCHMER

YO LA TENGO, LAMBCHOP
(King Cat) Lambchop are one of those bands that give you a little something extra when they play live. Besides the fact that their Nashville sound is more compelling in person, Lambchop guarantee at least nine members on stage; the total often hovers around 15. How do they fit them all in the van? And Yo La Tengo are touring with some extra meat on their bones in the form of Superchunk's Mac McCaughan and Clean's David Kilgour. ERIN FRANZMAN

MIKE NICOLAI
(Gordon Biersch) You know what? Mike Nicolai is the best singer-songwriter in the history of music. In fact, no one has ever made such angelic and memorable music with office supplies before. Plus, he gets naked and juggles iguanas when he plays-while blowing fire, mind you-which is truly something to behold. That's right, folks-you can experience all of this for FREE at the Gordon Biersch tonight. Anyone paying attention? I didn't think so.... BARBARA MITCHELL

CHICK COREA
(Jazz Alley) See Stranger Suggests.

MOUNTAIN CON., CONGRATULATORS
(Crocodile) Jason Finn is only in one of these bands. How unusual for a show at the Crocodile. ERIN FRANZMAN

FILTER
(Showbox) After the mega-success of "Hey Man, Nice Shot," it would be easy to dismiss Filter as a potential one-hit wonder, or try to pass the band off as a one-trick pony-if you weren't paying attention. The band's second album, Title of Record, is surprisingly diverse and startlingly good. Richard Patrick has grown leaps and bounds as a songwriter, and the unexpectedly subtle songs on Title only serve to heighten the impact of the full-blown, industrial-tinged rock moments. BARBARA MITCHELL

WILLY VLAUTIN
(Gordon Biersch) A mall's not the kind of place you'd expect to find an honest-to-goodness storyteller, but there'll be one warming the stool on Gordon Biersch's stage tonight. Vlautin, singer and songwriter for Portland's Richmond Fontaine, is not only an excellent narrative lyricist, but an evocative vocalist as well. His songs weep with shit-luck souls and desperate violence, and though he's playing at the top of Pacific Place, this intimate night will still shine. KATHLEEN WILSON