(Ohm, 21 NW 1st) The Freqs most definitely come out at night, especially when they're in the hands of such able-bodied fellows as DJs Venom 33.3 and Seoul Brotha #1 spinning hiphop, herb aficionado MC Madgesdiq & his trusty DJ Sneakers performing numbers from Rebirth, and the more-than-capable longtime Portland MC, Mic Crenshaw. More Freqi than Whodini, Monsieur Crenshaw shall introduce the crowd to his new record, Stuggluh, and rap over some beats partially produced by his Suckapunch bandmate Keith Schreiner, also of Dahlia. Remember: when the freaks go out at night, they like to wear leather jackets, chains and spikes. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

RED ELVISES, DIGITAL KNIFE

(Berbati's, 231 SW Ankeny) The Red Elvises are three Siberian transplants and a Yankee drummer. Their gleeful surf and leopard print rock and roll has earned them lots of attention. Grinning and honest, these boys just worship the American dream of rock stardom. Their appreciation and energy is actually pretty humbling, and their songs are cheeky and more than a little silly. The shows are totally fun, especially when they let people onstage to drunkenly swing around to "I Wanna See You Bellydance." Quite a refreshing dive into the melting pot, and a downright retro "All American" fantasy of freedom and hope that's depressingly hard to find these days. Digital Knife writes songs about kale. MARJORIE SKINNER

VOYAGER ONE, DESERT CITY SOUNDTRACK, BLACK NIGHT CRASH, JACKIE, DJS

(Fez, 316 SW 11th) Jackie pretty much sums it up. The feigned effortlessness, the passionate spasming; they play rock that takes its cue from rock stars who knew they were cool and demanded that every hot-blood in town paid the same respect. The music's almost ageless, but still sounds retro, maybe '70s, but with looser pants. And if you melted when the Starve disappeared, this is where they went and got sexy as sin. MS

DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE, XENOVOLCANO, SUPER DUPITY

(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy) Touted as "experimental music and performance art," Degenerate Art Ensemble's latest album, Look-Away Popeye, is loaded with bells, whistles, screams, and general jazzy funktronics. But they must be seen to be believed. With elaborate, flowing costumes and creepy light designs, they incorporate a butoh (a kind of Japanese theater)-influenced, movement-based storytelling that will titillate and terrify. JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS, ESQUIRE III

BUILT TO SPILL, DRAW

(Crystal, 1332 E Burnside) My 1997 mix tape to Jennifer Kyle featured not one, but four Built to Spill tracks. Looking back on it, I was seriously in love with someone... too bad it was Doug Martsch and not the girl. There's Nothing Wrong With Love was the type of life-changing album teenagers dream of, and looking back on it makes me realize how many years it's been since a record touched me like that. Despite the guitar wankery of their hey-let's-watch-paint-dry live show, or their more recent sub-par release, I've done my best to stay a fan. But now that I'm older and capable of growing a beard that would make Martsch jealous, I have to stop forcing it. Much like the disinterested girlfriend of years past, I can now say I am no longer a fan of Built to Spill. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

BERLIN, MAN OF THE YEAR

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) In the constantly regurgitated world of pop culture, this show was inevitable. Berlin are cashing in during this damned '80s fix by releasing a new album and hitting the clubs (and amusement parks and county fairs). All the over-35s don't care that their last real album came out in '86 and that the "band" is just Terri Nunn and a bunch of fashion-damaged techno hippies. They won't even care that the new album is bad, even by Berlin's standards. But does the true fan know that on 1982's Pleasure Victim album Terri Nunn is credited with vocals and BJs? Yes, BJ's. She tried to play it off when everyone got all hot and bothered by saying it stood for "bad jokes." Right. Where is former synth guy Dave "Super Gay" Diamond when we need him? TED THIEMAN

FRIDAY 5/30

THE JOGGERS, NATURAL HISTORY, FIELDS OF GAFFNEY, THE LIBRARIANS

(Blackbird) See Music pg 16

QUASI, BLACK EYED SNAKES, THE WEISSTRONAUTS, STEVE WYNN

(Berbati's) In our interview earlier this month, Ira Glass described Quasi as "that girl from Sleater-Kinney and her ex-husband who sings all their songs about the marriage, while she gives him that weird look while she's on the drums." Far be it from me to disagree. With the Black Eyed Snakes, the project from Low's Alan Sparhawk that surprisingly goes blues and rock and back again, with a cogent depth of field. These people are all playing because of the TapeOp Conference, which is inexplicably nerdy but also devastatingly necessary. For more info, read pg 15. JS

MIRAH, THE TRYKES, THE SOUND OF DIRT

(Liberty Hall) Lovely Mirah plays again. She doesn't quite have anything new out.. yet... but she could play every song from Advisory Committee twice if she wanted, cause she's awesome, with a songbird voice and music that will keep you from wanting to slit your wrists at the lowest points in your life. I know... because I lived it. JS

THE INTIMA, THE OLD HAUNTS, THE MEASUREMENTS

(Red & Black, 2138 SE Division) Here is what we know about this show: 1. The Measurements includes Nathan Weaver, formerly of Lords of Light Speed, dude. 2. The Old Haunts stars Craig of Serum Greys, Chris of COCO (a great funky drummer) and Scott from Verticalville, LLP, and The Transfused. 3. The Intima features Andrew and Alex and Themba and Kayla and sometimes Nora, and Nora and Themba play in Liarbird, who are playing All Tomorrow's Parties in LA this year. 4. You may think we just gave you an aneurysm of factoids, but sometimes, it is beneficial to be schooled in the family trees of local music. Over and out. JS

DRINKING ABOUT SONGS: SASSHOLE, LOPEZ, THE AUTHORITIES, MUDDY RIVER NIGHTMARE BAND, SK & THE PUNK ASS BITCHES

(Twilight, 1420 SE Powell) Well here's a fine kettle of fish: a bunch of bands doing drinking songs. The sheer mayhem of Lopez is not to be fucked with in any sense, no. The gas pedal's to the floor and the motor mounts are comin' loose. Also, we have SK and the Punk Ass Bitches, wielding the sonic sceptre with much badassery. And in addition, the Muddy River Nightmare Band, who put the "Batman theme" back in "rock and Batman theme roll." Save your dough for--what else--drinking, because they'll throw in TWO more bands, and it don't cost a single goddamn dime! ROLAND COUTURE

JAMMOTRON, BROKAW, DJ BROKENWINDOW

(Stumptown Downtown, 128 SW 3rd, 9 pm) Hiphop duo Brokaw dabble in booty with "Carshit," the title track off their first CD-3 release, which features a sort of confounding, yet thoroughly entertaining blend of Southern rap dialect with Portland slacker drawl. My favorite track, "Workin' to Own," starts with the line, "I used to breakdance/before you were born/but I ain't breakin' no more/ cause I'm too fuckin' old." We appreciate the honesty, dudes. We also appreciate the beats, and their ballin'-casual, techy production--again, a weird but great junction of Southern bounce and clean laptopian lines. They're "choppin' emcees like trees in the Northwest Valley." JS

CLINTON FEARON & BOOGIE BROWN BAND,

7TH SEAL, SELECTAH CANSAMAN

(Conan's, 3862 SE Hawthorne) Jamaican-turned-Seattleite Clinton Fearon heads up the Boogie Brown Band and plays some serious roots reggae. Now here is a story: I accidentally witnessed the embarrassing sight of a dreadlocked hippie from Eugene front Jamaican at a local club recently, so the real deal seems like a mystical gift from above. JS

KIND OF LIKE SPITTING, FILM SCHOOL, SYSTEM & STATION, SUPER XXMAN

(Meow Meow, 520 SE Pine) You can say emo sucks this and emo sucks that, but if you've ever seen KOLS's Ben Barnett sing a cappella, eyes closed, straining to hit the notes and basically purging his damn guts out, you'll think twice about dissing people who call their music "honest." KOLS's new one, Bridges worth Burning, is a tumultuous, epic-ish piece of post-punk anthemia. ADAM GNADE

BUILT TO SPILL, THE PRIDS, DRAW

(Crystal Ballroom) One of the coolest things I ever saw Pedro the Lion's Dave Bazan do was stop a show mid-song and tell the audience that the band was gonna take a break so they could listen to Built to Spill, who were playing across the field at this big outdoor rock festival in LA. He also said he wouldn't be hurt if we took off and walked over to watch BTS. After that, the whole band set down their instruments, turned around and watched BTS off in the distance. Then, when BTS had gone through a couple songs, Dave and Co. picked up their guitars and kept playing. So, even if you call BTS "Built to Snore" like I used to, you should give 'em a chance, because with fans like Dave Bazan, they GOTTA have something going. AG

SATURDAY 5/31

DITCHLIQUOR, DIRTY LOWDOWNS, BAST

(Twilight) This promises to be an evening wherein those present doth relish and enjoy the Dark Side. If you like dark chocolate, dark coffee, and dark sex partners, well then you already understand, "dark" doesn't mean "big bummer"; it's just a little richer-tasting. So smoke a fatty or something first, and head on over for the down-low, movin'-slow, heavy-ass grooves of Ditchliquor and Bast, two lumbering, giant prehistoric beasts that can suddenly pick up surprising and deadly speed. And since every Oreo needs some filling to keep the flava from being one-dimensional, you've got the faster-paced exuberant dirtiness of the Lowdowns. Holy shit! RC

PARADISE CITY, 58 FURY, THE TROUBLE WITH GIRLS

(Conan's) Guns N' Roses wussed out a long time ago, but that's why we have tribute bands like Paradise City. Tribute bands recreate the time in the tributee's life when it/they was most tributable (i.e. coolest). JWS, E3

STEPHEN MALKMUS, THE RADAR BROTHERS, NEDELLE, THE BEAUTY PILL

(Berbati's) I'm going to rip off my friend Alison here, because I think she described the Beauty Pill perfectly when she said, "They're like the boy who lures you in for a kiss, but then bites your lip." Yeah, sounds pretty sexy, huh? Well they totally are. They're on Dischord, so they're punk rockers, but not so much in sound (the punk rockness lies in the lyrics and ideas)--their sound is much more gentle and pretty, with male and female vocals and a Wurlitzer. MEGAN SELING

KULTUR SHOCK, LASERHAWK, CR AVERY

(Blackbird) A year focused on creating music brought the Laserhawk to an apex, followed by disbanding due to a member moving away. Saturday night will be the release party Fly by Air, the new full-length by these prog-fusion post-rockers. Come thank the boys and kiss them off on their NW tour. Also on the bill is the incredibly talented CR AVERY, who is somehow able to play his guitarboard, beatbox, rap, and frolic with his harmonica, all simultaneously. KEVIN O'CONNOR

SUNDAY 6/1

[[[VVRSSNN]]], BOBBY BIRDMAN, CHERRY BLOSSOMS, ROB WALMART, YACHT, E*ROCK, DJ HOT AIR BALLOON

(The Birdnest, 1536 SE 32nd Place, 6 pm BBQ, 8 pm show) Though he's already renamed himself "Soft.Dolphin," Adam Forkner of [[[VVRSSNN]]] is releasing his electronic pop-lovin' debut on K Records tonight. If his gleaming idealistic panache and taste for pretty visceral hooks wasn't enough, there are FIVE MILLION other awesome people to make your brain burst open like piÑata. For instance, E*Rock will drop electronic pop science, while Rob Walmart (of Thanksgiving) kills electronics and vocal improvisations, as does YACHT, but with more house. Interestingly, while there won't be any actual dub music, the entire evening will be imbued with a sense of dub, aka people feeling love and lifted up by the power of uplift. Get ready for good vibes; they could very well kill you. JS

MIGUEL MIGS, LISA SHAW

(Fez Ballroom) Miguel Migs makes house music that is smooth and buttery, and is excellent at melding a pile of records into a smooth and buttery mix 'til daybreak. When I saw him DJ in Miami, there were noise complaints (the show was basically on the beach), and so the volume had to be turned WAY down. This was a definite downer to the crowd of cocktailed South Beachers--until Lisa Shaw stepped up to the mic. She sang over the barely audible beats, and simply owned it with finesse and dynamism. Shaw is unique, unlike most vocalists in dance music, in that her voice doesn't have to be manipulated by a studio geek to get your hands in the air. With Portland marinating in (quality) out-of-town DJs weekend after weekend, Migs and Shaw offer something out of the ordinary for your dancing dollar. ELLIOTT ADAMS

MONDAY 6/2

THANKSGIVING, TIM HARTE, AUTOPILOT

(Meow Meow) Since before his mom had time to bury the placenta, Thanksgiving's Adrian Orange has been playing, breathing, and living music. Now that he is 17 (or 16 or 18, we lost track), he's taking his band, his rickety honest vocals, his knack for capturing scenes and feelings in their most raw state, and perhaps an odd conglomeration of jury-rigged instruments ON TOUR. Don't miss it tonight, cause you'll miss him later while he's charming people in other cities, and you'll be all jealous and shit. JS

TUESDAY 6/3

JERI ANN'S WAKE W/THE GALS SHE LEFT BEHIND, KARAOKE FROM HELL

(Eagle's Lodge, 4904 SE Hawthorne, 8 pm) The Founder of Frances Farmer Gals, Jeri Ann passed away a couple of weeks ago. Tonight, though, it will be a celebration of her life, and what she meant to her bandmates in the Gals and Karaoke from Hell--and what she meant to Portland. She was a legend. Join the Gals She Left Behind (FFG's Vic the Stick, Eric Von Kit, and Mistress Dawn) and remember that life is short, but some of people burn awfully bright. JS

MATCHBOX TWENTY, SUGAR RAY, MAROON 5

(Rose Garden) Remember how cool Matchbox cars were? I had so many of those little bastards. Trucks, race cars, cool panel vans, even one called "The Shark Car" which had all sorts of fins on it and a sweet nautical paint job. So it makes me sad to think Rob Thomas and his cretinous Matchbox Twenty have soured the Matchbox company's good name. I hope future generations of kids don't miss out on the joy of tiny, metal cars because of the SARS-like stigma that's now attached to the word. Bah humbug. AG

HEADPHONE, SKELETON COAST, WEST EYES EAST

(Red & Black) If you love the idea of the operatic Vikings of black metal, but would like it better if the Vikings were executing the kick-and-lock of the Kid 'n' Play, Headphone is yr man. Well, are yr men--there are two of them, though not for long--and they plug operatic riffs into their scorching keyboards and scream their heads off. They're best when they're doing the disco funk, layering noodly dramatic synths and guitar over polyrhythmic drum machine free-for-alls, but I'll take what I can get when there's two dudes shredding their vocals chords like this, just for the love of the scream. They used to be in a band called Necktie Party; other ex-members make up Olympia's West Eyes East. JS

WEDNESDAY 6/4

COCAINE UNICORN, COSMIC SALVATION BAND, MA FORD

(Berbati's) If you are ever in need of anything and you have musician friends, Portland is the place to be. Tonight's friend in need is Joe Kish, a one-time Portland resident who now resides in a hospital bed following an accident, which left him in a coma with partial paralysis. These class-act bands are trying raise money to help with his bills which, after more than a month in ICU, you can imagine are pretty extensive. Joseph Patterson's got a brand new bag and it's sure to please the growing Portland country scene, while bringing something for the rockers as well. The Cosmic Salvation Band is the meeting of Eric Clampitt, Joe, and Nathan. Whereas Clampitt's other outfit, Clampitt & Gaddis, focus more on the folk roots side of country, CSB follows in the tradition of country rock bands, with a sound as classic as the Flying Burrito Bros. And Wilco. CHAZZ MADRIGAL

FREESTYLE RAP GRAND FINALE

(Roc's Bar & Grill) Yo, tonight Roc's is the place to be, / Come root for your favorite rhyme-blastin' emcee. / Cats'll be workin' it, bustin' fresh flows only, / Don't miss this shit, don't make 'em feel lonely. / Don't bust my chops for trying to rhyme, / At least I'm not trying to mime. Word! JWS