THURSDAY 7/24

QUIET RIOT, LAST EMPIRE, BETTIE FORD
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) As much fun as I had pulling neck muscles to Quiet Riot hits ("Metal Health," "Cum on Feel the Noize," etc.), I hated on them for still touring. When I looked behind the music at their true non-Hollywood story, however, a rock 'n' roll tear came to my eye. They unfortunately haven't managed to bring original guitarist Randy Rhoads back from the dead, but their next-best lineup (Kevin, Frankie, Carlos, and Rudy) will represent in all their glory. As if in a horror flick, they've gone through many personnel changes, died completely, and risen again in the early '90s at the beckoning of Marilyn Manson (who asked them to play an after party). They also meet crucial '80s touring metal band criteria: they release records on indie labels and tour small clubs; they haven't gone alternative or nu-metal; and they take care of their glorious manes and use wrinkle cream. AARON MILES

ELEFANT, MENOMENA, THE SILENTS
(Berbati's 231 SW Ankeny) With a salon-styled, Strokes-approved, shaggy haircut, Diego Garcia--the New York living Detroit born son of Argentinean parents, sure can sing a pretty little ditty. His songs are built around those new fangled pop rock grooves that get dancefloors wet, his baritone voice and some pop hooks circa Britain 1985. Garcia likes the live stylings and theatrics of Bowie, so that's something to watch, but I can't help but think that this act will be a flash in the new rock frying pan. AM See Also CD Review pg 23, My What a Busy Week pg 21

THE IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS II, THE NATRONS, THE HOOKIE BOYS, birds of war

(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy) Dirty rawk drenched in shitty beer just like you like it, you knuckle dragging hipster. The latest incarnation of The Immortal Lee County Killers goes a little deeper into the Delta to bring back, well, something that sounds an awful lot like everything you already wrote off because some other band doing it is on MTV. The shame of that is there lies a certain subtlety in ILCKII's Love Is a Charm of Powerful Trouble that other bands of the genre lack. Maybe it's the woodshed production or maybe I'm just drunk, but on tracks like "Truth Through Sound" there is an other worldliness in Chet Weise's voice that's enough to make you dust off the ol' Good Book or start on a killing spree; I'll let you decide which. CHAZZ MADRIGAL

CROSSTIDE, MIKE WALKER, WOKE UP FALLING
(Tonic, 3100 NE Sandy) Is there anything more wonderful than a bunch of boys singing about being spurned by love to the tune of fuzzy, loud guitar kicks? If there is, I can't think of it. Crosstide does that thing I love where they have this little, plucky, sweet riff, and they're all quiet and sad, and then... suddenly... BAM, they tear into the anthemic distortion rock with epic vocal octave changes, moaning something like "IT'S NOT TRUE," or "I MISS YOU TONIGHT," or some other equally tortured line of regret. And it's so unabashadly sweet and cheesy, it somehow isn't a bit dorky. And yes, I'm a straight male. JWS

FRIDAY 7/25

TRACHTENBURG FAMILY SLIDESHOW PLAYERS
(Aladdin, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Music pg 23

CONNECT W/MV, DAVE ELLIOTT
(1201, 1201 SW 12th) MV, a DJ/producer from Ottawa Canada, plays a ripping, fluidly danceable house set for the 1201's weekly house night, Connect. Including echoing samples, futuristic electronics, and high-energy beats, it's unlikely that anyone will be able to avoid the dancefloor. If you're looking for a DJ who knows his shit and can own a club with his sound, see this show. KS

ERIC MCFADDEN TRIO, SUSHIROBO, down by law, pseudo heroes
(Dante's) Seattle oddballs Sushirobo just dropped The Light Fingered Feeling of Sushirobo, and it's as much skronked-out Dismemberment Plan as it is an exercise in Floydia funktronic theory. Most of the band's songwriting is done in jam-session style, and the disjointedness shows--but in a neat, underwater drugfest way, not in a crappy way. The live show should prove interesting, given that lots has to happen for the translation of effects-heavy recorded material to come off sounding less like a syntactically incorrect Sony instructions manual and more like a rock show. JOAN HILLER

LES SAVY FAV, S PRCSS, THE PLANET THE
(Berbati's) Tim Harrington, the lead singer of Les Savy Fav, is a sexual phenomenon. He is a bald, unsightly, and somewhat overweight man. However, when he takes to the stage his fearless antics, and monumental self-assurance grant him the sex appeal of Ashton Kutcher times 10. His performance is arousing; his energy is titillating; and at every Les Savy Fav show that I've been to I've noticed that this sexual energy spills into the audience. People become aroused and before you know it you're surrounded by spontaneous make-out sessions. Oh, and did I mention the band fucking rocks? STEVE LANNING

FLEETWOOD MAC
(Rose Garden, 1401 N Wheeler) Part of the reason that the 1977 album Rumours remains one of the best-selling records ever, is that I continually lose my copy. In the past 18 months alone I have lost--or had my ex steal--Rumours three times! And, each time I rush out and replace it. Even though my brain is saturated with the songs, the music remains crisp, fresh, and volatile (except "Don't Stop," which Bill Clinton ruined forever). With the bandmates bickering, back-stabbing, and bedding down with each other, the songs are as combustible as they are sweet, like a high school chemistry experiment waiting to blow up. But much of that original explosiveness has evaporated over the ensuing two decades. Emotional maturity, happy marriages, and Stevie Nicks' break-out career have made those original tensions immaterial. The music is still engaging, but watching the aged group perform it is like wheeling out a former street-racing muscle car onto stage with no gas in the engine--a quaint reminder of what was, with no more boom-boom in the engine room. PHIL BUSSE

SATURDAY 7/26

DJ BROKENWINDOW, DECAPOD CLAW, JERRY ABSTRACT
(Holocene, 10th & SE Morrison) See Music pg 23

DEAD SCIENCE CD RELEASE, GOOD FOR COWS, DESTRO YELLOW SWANS, GHOST TO FALCO
(Blackbird) See Music pg 23

VANISHING KIDS, STELLA MARIE
(Beulahland, 118 NE 28th) Who isn't happy that the Vanishing Kids have brought back '80s-style goth... People who hate everything and people who hate when things come back in style, that's who. But they don't have to come to this fantastic free show, now do they? KS

CEX, Y.A.C.H.T., NICE NICE, MACENROE
(Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine) It's everybody's favorite skinny white hyper-sexual electronic-backed joke rapper, CEX. But seriously folks, his stage show is a blast and if you're under 21 it's you're time to shine. KS

MAD GENIUS W/AMOREE LOVELL, DORIEN CAMPBELL, MESMER, PAINTED BIRDS, WINTER
(111, 111 SE Madison) All of these artists claim to be crazy, but are they geniuses?? Well, Amoree Lovell is a genius of dark schizophrenic piano playing and smoking on stage, so that's a good start. Expect an evening of sweet musings interrupted by jagged noises, and of course a crescendo or two. KS

ROCK 'N' ROLL CAMP FOR GIRLS BENEFIT W/ LITTLE SUE, CUTE DON'T CUT IT, THE GO DOWNS, NY RIFLES, SMIDGEN, ALTERBOYS
(Ash Street, 225 SW Ash) The Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls has grown tremendously since its inception two years ago by founder Misty McElroy; like, crazy-tremendously. Press coverage has gone through the roof, and with Rolling Stone and major weeklies and dailies the nation over giving props to underage girl bands like Black Peppercorns and Smoosh, every girl now wants IN. Problem is, RRCG is volunteer-run, and they need CA$H. Rock Institute day camp is a newer addition this year, hosting programs on writing about music, the history of women and rock, web technology, and DJ/electro workshops. Sounds like Oberlin, but it's for ladies aged 8-18, and everyone's guess is that the shockwaves made here will continue to revolutionize the way kids of both genders are brought up to think about the rock. GO AND SUPPORT THIS, EVEN IF YOU DON'T GIVE A GOOD GODDAMN ABOUT THE BANDS. JH

WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY
(Les Schwab Ampitheater, Bend, OR) When Willie Nelson eventually passes on, he'll be remembered for his many accomplishments; Five Grammys, a handful of hits and, of course, "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," his duet with Julio Iglesias that used to make my mom cry anytime she heard it. But screw all that stuff. The Willie Nelson I will remember is the weed-smoking, tax-evading, Taco Bell pitchman that wrote "Red Headed Stranger." So until that tragic day, I'll pay special tribute to 'ole Red in the form of a gigantic Graffix bong, a seven-layer burrito and a disregarded 10-40 EZ form, all while "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" drifts from my stereo. CARMELO MARTINEZ

NO QUARTER, THE MISS U'S
(Crystal Ballroom) Nothing fancy about this show; it's just a couple of good ol' fashioned tributes to two of the greatest rock bands ever. No Quarter will channel Plant, Page, and the gang with some Led Zeppelin covers, and the Miss U's will curl their lips, toss their hair, and lay down some Rolling Stones. JWS

SUNDAY 7/27

THEBROTHEREGG, DESERT CITY SOUNDTRACK, SYSTEM & STATION
(Blackbird) See the ballsy and sufficiently talented emo of Desert City Soundtrack and the confusing, but loveable pop folk of the thebrotheregg. KS

EXOTIC ANNIVERSARY W/THE PORCELAIN TWINZ, MISS HOLLY FOXXX, THE FIREHOUSE GIRLS, UNION JACKS GIRLS, LUCY FUR
(Dante's) Are you one of those Coors-drinking bucketheads who has a fantasy about getting together with twins? Because it will never actually happen in real life, I recommend checking out the Porcelain Twinz. Actual twins who get lewd together on stage to the delight/disgust of the audience. As per usual, Dante's will also host fire dancers, scantily clad strippers, drinks, and music. If ever you were going to find a free lapdance, this would be the place. KS

MONDAY 7/28

SNOOP DOGG, DAZ, SOOPAFLY, LIFESAVAS, DJ MARK MACK
(Keller Auditorium) See Music pg 35

SCIENCE OF YABRA, NORTH ATLANTIC, SKELETON COAST, NEW MEXICO LOVES YOU
(Blackbird) See My What a Busy Week pg 21

THE THREADS
(Disjecta, 116 NE Russell) Before the two talented members of At the Drive-In hit the pipe and went all druggy prog-rock on us with Mars Volta, they represented a newfound front to modern indierock. A mixture of style, anger, and art--a new model of modern punks influenced equally by traditional punk music as they were the early '90s Gravity Records scene. Hailing from Santa Barbara, The Threads carry the post ATDI torch with much success. The band sets fire to the traditional post-hardcore/whatever genre with wave after wave of dissonant noise, barked yelps and a kind of reckless live performance that is a showcase of the band's limber frames as much as it is their don't-give-a-fuck attitude. CM

PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES, PARTYTIME, THE NIGHTMARES
(Dante's) Dear Pretty Girls Make Graves: Although I do not have your new album, I have its release date, September 9th, marked with a big fat red heart on my calendar. But hey, who could blame me? It's been years since a band with roots in pop-punk could possibly make me feel this incredible. I'd chalk that up to your intelligent songwriting and pedigree of being ex-members of some of Seattle's finest bands. I promise life-long allegiance to all things Pretty Girls Make Graves just as long as you keep that shit real. Remember The Misfits? Well, they're playing right up the road from you tonight. If 15 years from now I see that you guys have become the same tired joke that they are, you will break my ever-so fragile heart. Please be true Pretty Girls Make Graves. CM

TUESDAY 7/29

RYE COALITION, OCCIFER, HEAVY JOHNSON TRIO
(Berbati's) Lock up your 12-packs and dust off your finest ironic foam trucker cap, because the kings of retarded Jersey-boy rock are coming back to Puddletown! Rye Coalition are far too smart for their "we're just a bunch of working class dudes from Jersey who like to party and shit" act, but their avalanche of jerky Jesus Lizard riffs and macho swagger are undeniably great. About as intelligent as huffing, and just as much fun, Rye are the AC/DC of indierock; a baffling cocktail of hipster cred and bonehead guitar heroics. They are truly the kind of band that you wouldn't dare listen to sober--or in female company--basically they are like the soundtrack to those terrible Coors' "Guys Night Out" ads. CM

MISFITS FIEND FEST W/THE DAMNED, THE DICKIES, AGNOSTIC FRONT, BALZAC, D.I.
(Crystal, 1332 W Burnside) Twenty five years ago a kid from Lodi, NJ started something I don't think even his diabolical mind could have pictured would go so far. That kid was Glenn Danzig and what he started was The Misfits. Danzig parted ways with the boys a long way back but their legacy lives on thanks to Hot Topic stores and Jerry Only's wholesale exploitation of the franchise. This time around Only has managed to dig up former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone as well as Black Flag frontman Dez Cadena to fill in the missing pieces of the fiendish four. If your inability to break away from a nostalgic longing to relive the old days sends you to the teenage hell of this show you can at least be glad that Agnostic Front signed on. Although no more younger or less removed from their glory days, Roger Miret and company will have you finger pointing and picking up change without missing a beat. CZM

WEDNESDAY 7/30

ERIN MCKEOWN
(Aladdin) When Erin McKeown spent a spring opening for Ani DiFranco, the concerts were studies in contrast. McKeown's lyrics are subtle where the Righteous Babe's are strident, and she prefers jazz-tinged folk to slap-happy funk. However, the Virginia native won over DiFranco's fans with her coy charm, breezy banter, and showtune-style melodies. In fact, with McKeown's charisma, she could probably convert almost any crowd into a faithful following while working from the support-act slot. As the headliner on this tour, McKeown has more space for the stories behind the songs, and more opportunities to display her instrumental acumen on the banjo, guitar, and piano. ANDREW MILLER

LE FREAKSHOW STARRING DJ SLEAZY DISCO
(Devil's Point 5305 SE Foster) Taking a cue from old European clubs, burlesque shows, and good old vaudeville, Le Freakshow offers le freaky fun for big boys and girls. The underlying theme is that of a freak circus, with weekly themes like: Hawaiian. DJ Sleazy Disco says he sound-tracks this naughty movie with "French, Euro-trash, electro, and old school punk" (not necessarily in that order). Mr. Disco says to expect "circus clowns, jugglers, song and dance acts, some nudity and lots of couples. It's not just guys with their dicks in their hands." Show up on time ye lovers of the freak, because the circus comes to town at 8 pm sharp, then the Devil's Point turns back into a pumpkin. AM

OLIVER MTUKUDZI, BLACK SPIRITS
(Oregon Zoo) Zimbabwean Oliver Mtukudzi is his home country's Bob Dylan, a singer whose music is infectious but also packs a walloping political punch. But instead of a harmonica and raspy voice, Mtukudzi is backed by a lively drum section, a honey-sweet chorus, and a mbira--a honky-tonk instrument best described as a tiny, junkyard metal piano. PB

VICTORIA WILLIAMS, MARC OLSON & THE CREEKDIPPERS
(Dante's, 7pm) In essence, Williams is a gospel singer. Her songs are full of wide-eyed wonder and the details of daily life, with mortality and divinity often waltzing through them. Her optimism and spirituality are given special poignance when you know that Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992. Her peers rallied to her side with the benefit album Sweet Relief, featuring REM, Pearl Jam, Lucinda Williams, and Lou Reed. Her illness didn't sideline her art, though. With a subsequent major-label deal, Williams released two of her finest albums--Loose and Musings of a Creek Dipper. Buy her new album, Sing Some Ol' Songs, while you're out. NATE LIPPENS

THE SPITS, DISKORDS
(Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine, 8 pm) The late '70s punk sound and elaborate outfitry of The Spits will undoubtedly make this a show worth seeing. Plus, you'll be supporting the friends and family of the deceased members of the Exploding Hearts. See "In Other News" pg 6 for details.

THE MINDS, THE RISKS, THE EPOXIES,

KING LOUIE
(Dante's, 10 pm) The Exploding Hearts benefit show continues on at Dante's with the Epoxies, a punk band famous for their incredible stage show (pyrotechnics, gyrating, etc.). Who knows what tack they'll take for such a somber event. Dante's will be giving half the bar earnings tonight to the cause, so drink a lot, I guess. KS