THURSDAY 8/3

RONDELLES, MOONEY SUZUKI

(Satyricon) The Rondelles play perfect pop music, music where the record never leaves the turntable and you have no choice but to bounce around the room or lie back in pop narcotic bliss. Juliet, as cool as any woman who has ever claimed a stage, plays guitar and sings in a voice that strafes the room with 9mm cupid rounds, while Yukiko plays the bass with the beatific look of a mystic caught slack-mouthed in the moment before a most holy and most obscene orgasm. The amazing Oakley plays the hell out of his barebones drum kit standing up, while pecking out a few repetitive and essential notes on his Casio with his right drumstick. New guitarist Cory is the source of much derision on the Rondelles e-group fan list, but if we welcome him with open arms maybe the Rondelles will realize that Portland loves them best and they should move here and play a weekly gig at Meow Meow. STEPHEN STRAUSBAUGH

WHISKEYTOWN REVUE

(The Screening Room) Bring on the girls! Enjoy First Thursday by visiting the halcyon days of the 1930s with a genuine show of burlesque. Give in to temptation and be treated to a vaudeville assortment of vintage erotic performances. Described as an underground amalgam of Parisian sensibilities mixed with Harlem jazz, it's high-concept enough that you can be sure you'll avoid the usual audience of drunken fraternity cretins who spend the whole time wondering aloud "Are they gonna get nekkid or what?" Limited engagement, (and I do mean limited--45 tickets!) so get on the ball! Whether or not this leads to your ruination is totally up to you. Personally, I'll be making a stop at the speakeasy afterwards and then probably end up at the House of the Rising Sun (again). IAN SMITH

IMPROV COLLECTIVE STARRING QUASI, COSMOS GROUP, HOCHENKEIT, STEVE LOBDEL

(Tonic Lounge) In case you were one of the two (unfortunate) people in Portland who didn't go to Quasi's last show at the Crystal, their finale was a 25-minute, at least partially improvised, Pink Floyd cover that seemed to be a backwards loop of the set they had just played. As drums squirmed cacophonously against echoes, the audience slowly trickled out--it was certainly not Quasi's traditional gift-wrapped pop--but, of course, it was still amazing, and exhibited another dimension of Sam & Janet's considerable talents. Those of us who stayed for that whole encore get to pack ourselves into the Tonic and see what other spacely tickings they have to offer. The Cosmos Group's demo has been floating around the office for awhile now, and I haven't heard it cause no one wants to give it back to me, so I guess that means it's pretty good. JULIANNE SHEPHERD


FRIDAY 8/4

ANDRE WILLIAMS, CHEATER SLICKS, HOLLY GOLIGHTLY, HAMMERDOWN TURPENTINE

(Cobalt Lounge) This is a dream, isn't it? Andre Williams, Godfather of Rap (whose most recent release, The Black Godfather, not only has cover art like a gangsta rap album, but features throaty, authoritative songs like "Whip the Booty," and "You Got it and I Want it"--tres saucy from this 64 year-old); the Cheater Slicks, whose 10 year-old dingy garage is breezy and forbidden; Holly Golightly, with her engaging, slow roots rock-a-betty (and a voice of Thee Headcoatees, aka the best party music that ever was); Hammerdown Turpentine, San Francisco whiskeyed-fiddle frenetics, playing? Together? I'm dreaming here, right? JS

IMPROV COLLECTIVE STARRING JACKIE-O MOTHERFUCKER, LARRY YES & DAVID PARKS, THE PLANET THE, THE DRUM MACHINE CIRCLE

(Tonic Lounge) Jackie-O, bastions of the most spacious intricacies, can increase from molecular sound to colossal clamor before you can even process what happened. Do they manipulate sound, or the fabric of time? Larry Yes' multimedia experience is like self-propagating improv, anyway, so it probably won't be much of a stretch. The Planet The constantly impress, though, with a super-collage of shockingly fast guitar parts, jarring changes, and comedy. The Drum Machine Circle: an enigma to me, but if the name at all describes the show, then zowie! JS

CAT POWER, SEAN CROGHAN

(Pine Street Theater) I love Chan Marshall. I love every moment of every one of her releases, from the thick suction of her guitar on Dear Sir, to the muffled, prickly cotton of Myra Lee, to the way her voice sounded as if it was frayed, golden floss unraveling on What Would the Community Think?. I love immersing myself in the intoxicant that is Moonpix, sliding down into her swampy destitution, and wondering what Crossbones Style is really about (I fervently believe it's Toni Morrisson's Beloved). Therefore I must defend her. Sure, she cries on stage, and stops and starts and does cartwheels yadda yadda whatever, but consider the amount of her actual self she puts forth while playing live; with every note she sings, it's like she's giving up a tiny piece of her soul. Compare her to ego-fondling whore rockers, and yeah, she puts on a crappy live show. But this is Cat Power, a woman whose whole self bleeds out and rusts without the assistance of contrived theatrics. So I suggest you go, not for the spectacle of "What crazy things will Chan do this time?" but for the oddity of a musician being completely, unabashedly honest onstage. JS

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

(Gorge Amphitheater) Charlottesville, Virginia, 1991. A young man claiming South African ancestry is tending bar, serving frothy Budweisers to cookie cutter college kids. Suddenly, a drunken male football cheerleader hurls a pint mug in anger, after learning that his girlfriend has been seeing the mascot. The mug sails through the air, spilling beer over astonished and disgusted patrons of the bar. The bartender, hearing the commotion, looks up from the tap he's pouring from with wide eyes, just in time to see the mug close in on his forehead. In the next instant the bartender crumples to the floor, blood and glass disfiguring his face. When he comes to, he speaks. But what comes out is a series of peaks and valleys of sound, highs and lows with sporadic grunts and groans. Someone tells him he should sing. The bartender has gone from popular alcohol dude to popular warbling singer/songwriter in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned for Part II: Not Without My Pennyloafers! JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ


SATURDAY 8/5

AIMFEST STARRING SEAN CROGHAN, THE DAYLIGHTS, TELEVISION EYE, HELIO SEQUENCE, SURFACE CREEPER, RICK BAIN AND THE GENIUS POSITION, ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE, NO. 2, HIGH VIOLETS, PINEHURST KIDS

(Waterfront Park, under Hawthorne Bridge, Westside) AIMFEST: "Alternative Independent Music Festival." And so, I look at this roster of bands, and I think of the tradition of AIMFEST, and I would say they're 87% musicians I enjoy seeing quite a lot, but I also wish there were a few less obvious choices. I mean, most of these acts have some modicum of local starpower, which is fine and dandy, but there should be a few more bands playing who don't already get all the opening gigs for bigger, less independent acts, you know? At any rate, we will get to see some great bands somewhere other than a smoky bar. (Highlights: Helio Sequence, High Violets, No. 2, the Daylights.) JS

CRAVEDOG FAMILY PICNIC, DAY 1

(Horning's Hideout) As the Mercury maintains a low tolerance for acoustic jams, picnicking, and, for that matter, nature, we asked an old regular of the mud 'n banjo circuit to share his thoughts on Cravedog performers: "Young Eduardians: Megalomaniacally wack DJ takes his mum's clothes for a test drive. Luther Russell: Uh, produces lotsa shit, plays a bunch, knows lotsa people, has a really gravelly voice for a skinny pug. Ian Moore: I was excited when someone invited me to Ian Moore at Berbati's and disappointed when I realized we weren't talking Stone Roses' Ian. Pete Droge: I'm a friend of a friend, officially, but I'll say anything to get on TV. I think he was buddies with one of the 'Seattle' bands (Pearl Jam?) and got hooked up, moved to Portland for a week, appeared on Letterman with his hit--avoiding 'Seattle' problems by claiming 'Portland'. Where is he from? Fernando: When I arrived at the first one, he was piss-drunk, jamming through an amp with a blown speaker alongside a guy who'd apparently decided to take up drums that night on a makeshift stage decorated with straw while 29 hippies looked for their dogs. Ah, Fernando." BRENDA MULLINS

SUPER DIAMOND

(Pine Street Theater) There really is no need to parody Neil Diamond, as these days he does a bang-up job of that himself, overemphasizing petty heartache and giving far too much attention to what remains of his lion's mane of hair. But, at one time, Neil Diamond was a hipster rocker--truly! Songs like "Sweet Caroline" and "I Am, I Said" have worn down over time, but when they were released thirty years ago they carried an emotional wallup--spunky and mournful all at once. "Super Diamond," an unabashed cover band from San Francisco, rekindles that spark. What is most alluring is that Frontman Randy Cordeiro, a.k.a., "The Surreal Neil," plays the straight man, refusing to take advantage of an easy parody. He tightly winds up such mainstays as "Kentucky Woman" and lets them rip, like hyper-kinetic tops. He is perhaps a better Neil Diamond than Neil ever was--even in his heyday. PHIL BUSSE

E-40 & THE CLICK, DBA, G-ISM, MANIAC LOK, SHUGA SHAFT, MR. D.O.G., KENNY MACK, MORE

(Roseland) The great thing about an E-40 show is that it works to both infuriate and delight: I love the music and I hate the lyrics. Undoubtedly, you will see me leaving the show overwhelmingly disturbed and mutually inspired to move to Vallejo and become the next Suga T. Basically, E-40 is a brilliant rapper; his beats are tight, and his voice is incredibly unique in a kind of mocking, arrogant way. But, he's also one of the most misogynistic, violent people I've ever given my attention to for longer than 30 seconds. B Legit, Suga T., and D-Shot are one giant, happy, female-bashing family, and hopefully you'll hate them as much as I do. KATIA DUNN


SUNDAY 8/6

AISLERS SET, DEAR NORA, GUESTS

(Meow Meow) If you're looking to introduce yourself to the world of modern derivative pop music, this is the night to do it. Aislers Set are the glitterati of San Francisco's innocent guitar underground, including Amy Linton (ex-Henry's Dress) and Alicia Vanden Heuval (from the very lovely, lilting Poundsign). Dear Nora is their Portland counterpart. I've never heard Guests, but they've apparently been touring since the beginning of time. Nyuk nyuk nyuk. JS

FLAME ON QUEER NIGHT WITH DJ EKO

(Ohm) We get a lot of homophobic bastards writing stupid letters to the Mercury asking why we're such a "freakin' homo paper." Without them, however, we would live in peace and harmony (how boring) and our only enemies would be the crappy bands we tear apart (hello Elbo Finn), and those twerps who are still offended by the word "fuck" (what up WW). Well here we go advocating another homo cause, so go ahead dip shits--sharpen your pencils. Queers and straights alike are invited to get all sweaty and rub their nips together on Ohm's suspiciously crowded, bump and grind dance floor. Rock out with your cock out to 80's disco, modern house and pop--and bring your strap-ons along to make those ass brushes just that much more exciting. KATIE SHIMER

CRAVEDOG FAMILY PICNIC, DAY 2

About the bands: Continued remembrances of a fellow traveler... "Jackstraw: I hear you can't see their fingers. James Low: Just finished recording his album at Nancy Hess' studio. Mad Hattie: Used to be fronted by two gals, they had a falling out, and one stayed. I hear they both actually are crazy, though. Jeff Trott: Sheryl Crow songwriting partner--really. Little Sue: Small girl, apparently wants to be a schoolteacher. Flapjacks: Are they still around? What ever happened to that handsome, art-faggy drummer they used to have? Old Joe Clarks: They sound like hillbillies. Basically, they all sound like hillbillies." BM


MONDAY 8/7

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS

(Berbati's) You think you can't be everything to everybody? Then you've never met the North Mississippi Allstars. References include everything from "country blues" a la R. L. Burnside to the Blues Explosion, G. Love and Special Sauce, Phish, Medeski, Martin and Wood and Widespread Panic. Widespread Panic? And I thought I was the only one who was frightened by that combination.... BARBARA MITCHELL

764-HERO, LOVE AS LAUGHTER, WOLF COLONEL

(Crystal) Ladies and Gentleman, I present you the Holy Trinity of Pacific Northwest rock, featuring band members of some of our other great and under-appreciated bands (Lync, Satisfact, Juned, Red Stars Theory, Bell Jar...Giant Bug Village...) JS

CAUSEY WAY, BISHOP OF BATTLE

(Satyricon) Causey Way, who were supposedly pals with David Koresh, make this super, humorous space pop commentary that's part Ms. Pac-Man, part Claude Denjean, part Jim Jones death-topia. But wait...is it commentary? Is this audience-interactive performance, or are we being duped into joining the Causey cult? Great music (Devo says "hi"), thought-provoking (if baffling) accompaniment, and a lot more fun than drinking poison kool-aid. JS


TUESDAY 8/8

BOB LOG III, DWP FEATURING PETRA HADEN, GOATSUCKERS

(Cobalt) Safety-conscious Bob Log III is a one-man, spazz-blues Main Attraction who thrives off energy, antics, and legend. DWP stands for Danny Frankel, Woody Jackson, and Petra Haden, and promises a swell of jazziness. Ms. Haden's gorgeous voice and instinct for the unexpected never, ever disappoints. JS

 

DIDO

(Aladdin) There are three types of people who know about Dido. Those who know her work with her brother Rollo's band Faithless, those who like the theme song from Roswell, and Slim Shady fans. She is 28, but she's been a musician since she was a little kid. Her main instrument was the recorder, until she discovered her voice. Her solo songs are electronic/acoustic mixes that have drawn comparisons to Portishead and Beth Orton. She drives a 1991 BMW convertible, hates rock music but loves Nirvana, and defends Eminem from his many critics. Her name means "virgin" in the Punic tongue, and Dido, in Latin mythology was a Carthaginian warrior queen who killed herself. And boy, is she cute. JCR


WEDNESDAY 8/9

You'll be resting from the weekend's festivals tonight, won't you?


GOING TO SEATTLE?

 

Thurs 8/3: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (Jazz Alley); Cat Power (Crocodile)

Fri 8/4: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends (Crocodile); Loudermilk (Mural Amphitheatre); War (Pier 62/63)

Sat 8/5: Shemekia Copeland (Jazz Alley); Deftones (Fairgrounds); El Vez, Dusty 45s (Stage 2 at the Pier)

Sun 8/6: North Mississippi Allstars (Crocodile)

Wed 8/9: KRS One (Showbox); The Golden Ticket (Hi*Score Arcade); Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Jazz Alley)