This week, our music critics have picked everything from Priests to Sir Mix-a-Lot to KEXP Rocks the Dock with Dude York, Moaning, and Dog Breth. Follow the links below for ticket links and music clips for all of their picks, and find even more shows on our complete music calendar. Plus, check out our arts critics' picks for the 29 best things to do this week.

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MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY

CLASSICAL

2019 Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival
The Seattle Chamber Music Society is, once again, throwing its Summer Festival, with free informal recitals and full orchestral performances for all ages throughout the month of July. The cabal of esteemed artists involved this year will include Andrew Wan, Jonathan Vinocour, Jeewon Park, Tessa Lark, Yura Lee, and many more. Plus, don't miss the Music Under the Stars series, during which a student ensemble sets up in a park and plays to whoever shows up, often folks with picnic blankets in tow and maybe a surreptitious bottle of wine, after which Benaroya Hall pipes in whatever festival performance is happening that night.

WEDNESDAY

BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLK

Activism in American Roots Music with Gabrielle Louise, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons
Colorado folk songstress Gabrielle Louise and Seattle's Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons will present an evening of songs and stories "exploring how American roots music is enhancing the work of activists in urban and rural communities." 

ROCK/POP

Pentatonix, Rachel Platten
Texas-based a cappella pop group Pentatonix are best known for their covers of popular hits—particularly Christmas songs—in their own harmony-laden style. On their summer world tour, they'll be joined by singer-songwriter and pop artist Rachel Platten.

Priests, Sons of an Illustrious Father
Fresh off the release of their second album, The Seduction of Kansas, the post-punk band from the other Washington is rolling through town, ready to fuck shit up. Priests' latest record marks a new and interesting direction for the band, which almost fell apart in 2017 after their bassist left to focus on his other band during the tour in support of their first full length, Nothing Feels Natural. The Seduction of Kansas is both brash and sexy, heavily political with a new wave sensibility about it. “Jesus’ Son” is searing, with G.L. Jaguar’s guitar cutting right to the heart of the track and Katie Alice Greer’s vocals chaotically soaring over it all. It’ll be good fun. JASMYNE KEIMIG

THURSDAY

DJ

July 4 BBQ Rooftop Party: Uniting Souls 22 Year Anniversary
The Fourth of July brings a rooftop dance party with DJs Anabel Englund and Mary Droppinz, Pillowtalk, plus a whole gaggle of Uniting Souls and Shameless resident DJs (including Arson Nicki and Kadeejah Streets). 

METAL/PUNK

Tailgate Punk Fest
Goddamn, if this remarkably good lineup of local bands don’t look like a sweaty, fun way to get facedown ass-up for our nation’s birfday!! Openers Merchant Mariner will mos def be playing their cool, melodic rock, Death Coach will shred proggy metal, while Muppet Fetish will blast late ’80s sounding metallic punk, Buff Muff will bring some cheeky madness, Warmup will stomp us with their thrashing noise, and it’ll all be wrapped up by headliners Having Issues, who'll slang ’n’ clang some heavy, chaotic punk!! I hope all y’all are off tomorrow for sleepin' off them hangovers! MIKE NIPPER

FRIDAY

BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLK

Jonny Lang, Robert Cray Band
Few contemporary axmen can match Jonny Lang's skill at crafting sizzling solos, and even fewer share his penchant for blue-eyed soul bellows. But no one in any genre can top Lang's ability to make guitar-playing look like the most vile of tortures. During each concert, Lang musters an expression that screams, "Bloody hell, I just lost my hand to the hedge clippers," even as his digits nimbly operate the strings. It's hard to discern the source of Lang's ostentatious angst, as he's been a successful musician since age 16. Fortunately, he doesn't resort to a far-fetched lyrical backstory, as dramatized in Ghost World when an all-white group moaned about "picking cotton all day." But Lang's recent leanings toward polished boogie rock have alienated longtime followers. If he unveils too many tunes from 2003's Long Time Coming at this show, fans might even outscowl their wayward hero. ANDREW MILLER

DJ

Around the World with KEXP: KEXP Mashup Dance Party
Dance to a diverse array of tunes from around the globe with KEXP DJs Chilly (El Sonido), Kid Hops (Positive Vibrations), and Darek Mazzone (Wo' Pop).

HIP-HOP/RAP

Sir Mix-a-Lot, G.A.S.
You know, there's something special about a man who really loves ass. I think it reveals a lot about his character—moral rectitude, family values, unshakable faith. And that's why I'm so thankful that Seattle's patron saint of hip-hop and King of Ass, Sir Mix-A-Lot, is working a bit of his magic on Capitol Hill. Roll through to pay tribute to our own titan of PNW rap. JASMYNE KEIMIG

ROCK/POP

Rick Springfield and Eddie Money
Eighties pop-rock icon Rick Springfield will come to town with his irreverent showmanship and lifelong soap opera star mystique on his Best in Show tour with Eddie Money.

SATURDAY

DJ

Wig Out! '60s R&B and Soul Dance Party
In a Belltown basement, four DJs of a certain vintage spur humans of a certain age to dance with more vigor than you’re used to seeing said humans move. How do selectors Mike Nipper, Maxwell Edison, Michael Chrietzberg, and Kevin Fitzgerald achieve this impressive feat? Through scrupulous crate-digging, producing bountiful 7-inch slabs of molten R&B and soul rareness that has bumped under the radar of all but the most serious heads. These DJs' combined decades of experience behind the decks and acute aesthetics ensure that you'll leave Screwdriver drenched and ready to, uh... see the first part of the bar's name. DAVE SEGAL

JAZZ

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Son Little
I’ve seen Trombone Shorty perform on his home turf—at New Orleans Jazz Fest—and I’ve seen him on stages outside of the Crescent City, and all of those shows had unbridled showmanship and enthusiasm in common. The musician otherwise known as Troy Andrews can get a crowd on their feet and cutting a rug in no time flat. I once witnessed him take a crowd of end-of-weekend fest-goers, all tired, grumpy, and sunburned, and lift them up to reinvigorated heights with his high-octane fusion of NOLA-spiced jazz, blues, funk, and hip-hop grooves. Trombone Shorty’s lively personality serves his well-honed talents on trombone and trumpet well; there’s some traditional blowing and tooting, sure, but there’s also machine-gun bursts and blasts, velvety-voiced singing and crowd-amping in between, and a tight backing band chugging along with him, fleshing it all out and adding the oomph. His set lists include original material and covers songs by artists ranging from the Meters to Nirvana. LEILANI POLK

ROCK/POP

Electric Six, Kyle Shutt
Maybe you haven’t listened to Electric Six in a while. I kind of understand. Their brand of disco-meets-trash-meets-pop-meets-snide-cultural-commentary is, for me, firmly planted in the early 2000s zeitgeist of music videos that played on VH1 before school. “Danger! High Voltage” was stuck in my head for maybe years. But they remain a great listen with their propensity toward cheekiness (led fearlessly by lead singer Dick Valentine) and extremely danceable beats. JASMYNE KEIMIG

KEXP Rocks the Dock 2019
Local rockers Dude York (sunny singsong alt-pop), LA's Moaning (abrasive post-punk), and Seattle's Dogbreth (no-nonsense rock) will play live on the waterfront at KEXP's annual Rocks the Dock show.

The Vera Project Presents Search Party
Show your support for excellent all-ages music and art venue Vera Project by dancing to live sets from local and touring rockers the Darkness, Murder City Devils, Black Pistol Fire, and Pink Parts (as well as KEXP DJs) while eating treats from a variety of PNW food trucks and drinking over 40 different Elysian brews. All proceeds go to the Vera Project, so make sure to bring a friend and drink up.

SATURDAY–SUNDAY

VARIOUS

KURB Brew + Music Fest
During the Seattle Street Food Festival, check out live music from local bands like Smokey Brights and DoNormaal and drink adult beverages from Elysian Brewing, Barrel Brewing, and White Claw Hard Seltzer.

SUNDAY

ELECTRONIC

Timecop1983, Arcade High, Korine
Timecop1983 is a synthwave producer based in Eindhoven, Netherlands who will be joined by dark electro artists Arcade High and Korine for an evening of throwback energy.

HIP-HOP/RAP

Khalid, Clairo
God, it really seems like Khalid is everywhere recently—I get the appeal. A young, Gen Z quasi-R&B pop singer who laments about “not being able to really connect” and just wanting to “talk.” One gets the sense that the 21-year-old singer might slide into your DMs to confess his messy feelings, only to ghost you at the most convenient opportunity. But enough projection. “Location” was a legitimate bop, especially once UK rapping sensation Little Simz hopped on the remix. “Saved” got me through many a walk home. “Talk” is annoying, but fine. If you don’t mind the cheese, by all means, Khalid is your man. He’ll be joined by fresh-faced and equally viral lo-fi pop sensation Clairo. JASMYNE KEIMIG