THURSDAY 6/8

BATTLE CAT, ELBO FINN, CRACK CITY ROCKERS, MOME RATHS

(Meow Meow) In theory, Salt Lake City's Elbo Finn should be a really fun band. I mean, they have songs called "Freezer Hash," and "Worm of Khan," and "Big Wheel Explosion." But then, if you really think about it, those are the thinly-disguised song titles of hippie music--Which is kind of what they're playing. Their self-important, self-conscious, classically-styled acoustic noodling and radio-rock-circa-1993-vocals exhibit all the excitement of Hootie & the Blowfish. Which is to say, they're not unskilled, but a 92-hour episode of Third Rock from the Sun is less boring. Mome Raths more than make up for them, however, with an ethereal barrage of electricity. (See Music Bio page 19) JULIANNE SHEPHERD

T-MODEL FORD, ROBERT BELFOUR, PAUL JONES

(Berbati's Pan) When T-Model Ford belts out "ain't nothin' but a junk!" over a grease-stained slide guitar riff, you can picture him arguing with his neighbor over a rusted-out car. His songs, which always sound like they're on the verge of slipping into a jug of corn-whiskey, reflect his life from the vantage point of having trudged upon this earth for 80 years--and he's got as many stories. There's the time he worked on a chain gang for killing a man in a bar fight. There are his 26 children and five wives, the last of whom bought him a guitar the night she left him. It's been a full twenty years since the night he called up his friend who "brought over a gallon of moonshine, and I picked up the guitar and started goin' down the strings/I didn't know what I was doing/and I started getting that blues sound by just bumpin' on it like I knew something about it." Robert Belfour plays a style of blues that is more at home on dusty '78s than in a rock club. His voice and acoustic guitar sound like a pack of ghost wolves chasing him through the night. Paul Jones rounds out the evening with a more rollicking set of rural blues. Give him time...he's still only 53. JON WILLETT

LITTLE FEAT, KEROSENE DREAM

(Roseland) If you cook red beans and rice for dinner regularly for about thirty years and put some effort into it, it's going to turn into a pretty good recipe. Tonight, bluesy codger band Little Feat perform their "pretty good" zydeco with Kerosene Dream. You remember Little Feat; they're the band who did the song "Dixie Chicken" that reminds you of your hippie uncle. They also wrote "Oh Atlanta" and, technically, they cooked up lots of other songs too, as they do have 15-plus albums. But you may not have noticed the other songs because they are all from the same recipe with minor variations in seasoning: a long slide guitar solo on this song, a sudden quiet section on that with a hyperextension of the keyboard solo, etc. Their Austin show, which can be seen at littlefeat.net, was served with flair but not with subtlety or finesse, and becomes tiresome in its stylistic monotony after about an hour. No matter how many times you cook it, it's still just red beans and rice. JAY HUGGINS


FRIDAY 6/9

POH-HOP VI WITH RAS KASS, G-ISM, BOOM BAP, OLD DOMINION, COOL NUTZ

(Berbati's Pan) Ras Kass is the sort of smooth rapper who really makes me want to drive a jeep. How better to listen to his Dr. Dre/Coolio-collaborated rhymes than loud, and in the summer air? "Ghetto Fabulous," the best song from 1998's Rasassination, was not only a Grade A booty shaker, but it was also a testament to staying true to yourself, even if you make millions and millions of dollars making fairly bad hip-hop. Can't shake a stick at that. Area acts G-ism, Boom Bap, Old Dominion, and Cool Nutz fill out the evening with some hometown, lyrical poetry. JS

ALAN CHARING CONTROVERSY

(Buffalo Gap) Hardcore, Hip-Hop, and Indie fans--start running, 'cause Alan Charing is in the house. This Portland acoustic rocker has a lot to offer. The question is, do you want it? His music is a well-practiced country/rock-y mish-mash that leaves you wishing you could pair him up with the Heartbreakers, or any music with some balls. In listening to Charing's latest album, Seconds West, I spaced out through three separate songs--which could have been from the glue I was inhaling, but I highly doubt it. Old Al is the kind of artist that has potential, with his pleasantly twangy vocals and obvious talent--IF he quits with the pedestrian lyrics, plays with some goddamn soul, and loses the lonely western guitar guy thang. KATIE SHIMER


SATURDAY 6/10

DAMIEN JURADO, JEN WOOD, JULIE DOIRON

(Meow Meow--matinee) As a general rule, the very mention of the words "singer-songwriter" and "acoustic" in the same phrase inspire nausea in an alarming number of people. So much that it has inspired countless parodies, from Lili Taylor's brilliant "Joe lies/When he cries" character in Say Anything to the less subtle (and less funny) Lisa Kudrow/ "Smelly Cat" acoustic idiotry on Friends. Let's face it; a lot of the musicians who've been attached to the singer-songwriter label have been really, really, mind-numbingly boring. Jen Wood and Julie Doiron, however, are pushing the boundaries of how gorgeous and lush one person and a guitar can actually be. Wood's last full-length album, No More Wading, was a blotter-soft, melodic wailing that truly embodied the familiar voice-as-velvet analogy. Doiron, who was the doe-eyed, egg-cream voice of Eric's Trip has proven she was also its forte since embarking on her current career (both solo and with Wooden Stars). This should be a truly superb experience. (see My, What a Busy Week, page 11) JS

RALLY BOY, CAPTAIN VS. CREW, THE STANDARD

(Meow Meow--evening) The music of local pop punk outfit Captain Vs. Crew is a little like going to a party. But it's not a dumb party, where the only beer is Michelob and you spend the whole time trying to fend off some drunk asshole with your handbag--Oh no. Captain Vs. Crew are like an intimate pool party sort of party; the kind where everybody's pretty much nice and by the end of the night you might even dance a little. They're the kind of party that you feel like you've sort of been to before, and you'll probably go there again, but you don't mind. Maybe last year's party was a little better than this one, because Mac from Superchunk was actually there, and it got a little rowdier, but this party is still pretty all right. The Captain Vs. Crew party is fun, and by the end of the night people start getting nostalgic and put on The Cure's Seventeen Seconds and probably Land Speed Record, or maybe even Jawbox. It's fun, and you want to go, but ultimately, it's pretty innocuous. JS

JULIANA HATFIELD, BILL JANOVITZ, SARAH DOUGHER

(Crystal Ballroom) For the first time in the history of Juliana Hatfield, she rocks. I know, it's hard to imagine from a woman who's spent her entire career sweetly pining about boys (and that greasy Evan Dando, in particular). It seems as if she's bought a Big Muff pedal and a Liz Phair album and got herself a pretty good producer and her new record isn't all that bad! Heh!? Bill Janovitz, from Boston's Buffalo Tom, has a fairly throaty, man-who-smokes-pipe voice that rivals only Sarah Dougher's for weirdest timbre. Come to think of it, Juliana Hatfield's oxygen-powered soprano is pretty freaking weird, too. What does it all mean? (See Music page 15) JS

KING BLACK ACID

(Satyricon) There is a school of thought that says popular music should be confined to one 3-minute bundle for easy insertion between commercials and attention spans on radio playlists. King Black Acid has no patience for this pre-packaging. With their constantly evolving line-up, they eschew the conventions of the frequency-modulated, government-controlled mundane airwaves. Instead, they spin out intellectual guitar ramblings that fully expand and assimilate the consciousness at once. Their mix of living soundscapes and stream-of-consciousness psychedelia are both uncontainable and sprawling. IAN SMITH


SUNDAY 6/11

TAINTED LOVE

(Berbati's Pan) Unfortunately, I have way more experience with the music of the '80s than I'd like to admit. Yeah, I know all the songs in Tainted Love's set. What's it to ya? In the days of Tab and velcro, I was young, unathletic, and not motivated enough to make it to the mall, so what did that leave? TV. And MTV. Tainted Love play the songs you heard when you flipped to MTV during the commercial breaks between the A-Team and Miami Vice. Retro dress is imperative for this show; break out your gold lamè jackets, skinny ties, and creepers. You might even want to get an asymmetrical haircut, because each member of the band has graciously volunteered to reproduce one of 1985's many grievous fashion faux pas. Wherever he is, Brian Ferry should feel redeemed right now. IS

DICK DALE, WOLF COLONEL

(Crystal Ballroom) What can be said about Dick Dale? That he's widely regarded as the founding father of surf music? That he may well be the only artist adored by both the Beach Boys and the goth subculture? That thanks to him, an entire generation of moviegoers now associates the words "pulp fiction" with crunchy surf guitar riffage? That he has an unnerving tendency to refer to himself in the third person? Looks like the Crystal's sound system is gonna get a workout. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

U.S. BOMBS, UNION 13, BOY SETS FIRE, DAMNATION, ANN BARETTA

(Paradigm) Boy Sets Fire is the sort of passionately political band that keeps the currently substance-barren genre of punk from slipping into the throes of inanity. Their music is surprisingly layered, and Nathan Gray's yearning voice is perfect for his progressive lyrics of labor, revolt, and general dissatisfaction. Live, they are consistently intense and inspiring, and probably the best of the genre. JS


MONDAY 6/12

COWBOY JUNKIES, OVER THE RHINE

(Aladdin Theater) I have never been to the South. But somehow, somewhere, at some point, I'm convinced I was a Southern-no, wait...a S'uthun lady with a back porch and dusty, Confederate flags in the attic, who loved the wrong men and rinsed away heartache with bourbon and crushed mint leaves. This must explain my love and loyalty for the Cowboy Junkies: The soft, sweltering, 10-miles-an-hour band that beautifully evokes images of lonely Airstream trailers, wilting railroad towns, and homecoming queens with toddlers and lost dreams. Country, folk-pop, whatever-lead singer Margo Timmins' voice stubbornly transcends categorization; the group's hushed sweetness remains timeless and trend proof; and hearing them live will inspire either bittersweet tears or lopsided grins...depending on the day. MIN LIAO


TUESDAY 6/13

UZ JSME DOMA, ADD-X, HOCKENKEIT

(Satyricon) Just so you don't have to be afraid to pronounce the name of this outstanding Czech art-punk band, it's OOzh smEH DOUGH-ma (the first two words get slurred together, and the whole thing kinda rhymes with "Rouge my donut." That sounds naughty!) I only mention it cause I could imagine making a fool of myself at the door and unfairly holding it against Uz Jsme Doma, who've had enough to deal with what with Communism, Balkan unrest, and major labels. ERIN FRANZMAN

CREED, SEVENDUST, NICKELBACK

(Memorial Coliseum) OK folks, I'm hard-strapped to say anything nice about this dung heap of a band, so goddamn it, I won't. I'm well aware that despite my unabashed slamming, pre-teens will still buy the album in droves, and that 101.1 FM will still play their horrible songs unceasingly, and that my hatred of Creed will not cause them any grief--nor lead them towards the realization that their expiration date is approaching. Anyhow, if you haven't heard this suck-pile's music, I will lend a quote from my friend Rob to explain: "If you love popular music of the early '90s, you'll like this band-slightly." Good synopsis, Rob. Let me add that all of their songs are meaningless strings of rhymes that have absolutely no relevance--and make little to no sense. At least fucking Soundgarden made a great song about July 4th, a very important holiday in our country's history. KS


WEDNESDAY 6/14

SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND WITH LITTLE SUE, LARA MICHELL, EZRA HOLBROOK, SATTIE CLARK

(Berbati's Pan) The Songwriters in the Round series has been a popular one around town over the last year. It's a cool concept: Throw a couple of local singer-songwriters up on a stage, have them trade off the mic, and let them chat about the inspiration behind each number. One of the mainstays of the series has been Carmina Piranha's guitarist, Lara Michell, whose enchanting solo material is one of P-Town's best-kept secrets. Equal parts ethereal beauty, guitar wizardry, and good ol' fashioned songsmithery form the chemical make-up of Michell's music. Lightly dose with some sparkly stage presence, and you have a genuinely engaging performer. Joining Michell for the night, Little Sue is another one of those sweet personalities who has a deadly cache of tunes. Her down-home tales kick the alt. out of country for a pure, way-out-west campfire experience. This acoustic setting is one of the best places to see Ms. Weaver because it puts her wonderfully textured voice right out front, where it can charm you right out of your boots and chaps. JAMIE S. RICH