Dad Rock w/Electric Hymn, Locals Only; Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th
It's only fitting that the final show at the Church of Rock 'n' Roll—the official name for the all-ages back section of Slabtown—should spotlight Dad Rock, one of the best younger bands the city currently has to offer. While their name and adorably self-aware aesthetic might evoke, well, practitioners of "dad rock," their music is anything but. The four cuts off their great digital-only debut EP, #1 Dad, are firmly housed in the scrappy Pacific Northwest punk-rock tradition, generating every bit of unbridled, under-rehearsed enthusiasm that such a description implies.
Day of the Dead Cover Show w/Sad Horse, Young Turks, Love and Caring, more; Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th
In spite of a crowd-funding effort to save the venerable venue (one that raised nearly one-fifth of its ambitious $50,000 goal, I might add), Slabtown is—barring a UHF-esque miracle—closing after tonight. But it's going to be the most glorious sunset you've ever seen: The very last Slabtown show, all ages or otherwise, will be in the form of what is debatably the Halloween cover show to end all Halloween cover shows, although I suppose it's technically a Day of the Dead cover show. Tonight's farewell bash features performances from Sad Horse as Nirvana, Young Turks as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Love and Caring as Joy Division, and many, many more. RIP, Slabtown.
Mr. Bones, New Social Outcasts, Panorama w/Rarrey Manough; Smart Collective, 6923 SE Foster
On a more optimistic note, the Smart Collective, a skateboard shop at SE 69th and Foster, will be hosting all-ages matinees semi-regularly, beginning with tonight's show, which features classic rock-tinged up-and-comers New Social Outcasts, grunge fetishists Panorama, and budding power pop saviors Mr. Bones.
