ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Like most creative types, musicians generally get worse as they get older. Thank Christ Elvis Costello—who’s been brilliant for four decades and counting—is the exception to the rule. Expect some of Costello’s untouchable classics tonight, but don’t be surprised if a few of his excellent newer tracks—like those from Wise Up Ghost, his 2013 collaboration with the Roots—sneak onto the playlist, too. ERIK HENRIKSEN
SHELLAC, SHANNON WRIGHT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Shellac hold a rarefied position in the indie-rock universe. They release music only when they feel like it and they tour in short bursts, like the quick Northwest run that lands them here in Portland for two shows, both of which sold out. And they don’t need to do any of it. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Albini and bassist Bob Weston both have busy careers doing recording and mastering work (Weston is also the live soundman and fourth member of Mission of Burma). But we should be glad that those two, along with drummer Todd Trainer, still have an interest in creating Shellac music and playing it live. Their lean, steely sound always feels like an electric shock to the system or a hearty slap to the chops that will leave your ears ringing and your mouth tasting of aluminum. ROBERT HAM Also see My, What a Busy Week!
MISSION SPOTLIGHT, THE PARSON RED HEADS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Following their 2012 EP, Everything That Floats, Portland band Mission Spotlight have prepped Keep the Good Ones Close, their first full-length album and a handsome compendium of twang and tears. The album explores the downtrodden, ballad-y side of country and western, with Jackpot! Recording Studio’s Larry Crane providing the band with a clear, airy sound that’s both warm and forlorn. Mission Spotlight frontman Kurt Foster recorded the album’s final cut, “I Have Tried,” on his phone in a cabin on Mt. Hood, and it’s a whisper into the void—but elsewhere his sturdy-as-an-oak voice guides the band through carefully crafted, amber-tinted country rock. NED LANNAMANN
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, BUILT TO SPILL
(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) In 2003, who could have imagined Ben Gibbard’s second-best band headlining over Boise indie-rock legends Built to Spill? Maybe the people who soundtracked nationally broadcast teen television dramas—maybe. Death Cab for Cutie’s breakthrough album Transatlanticism came out 12 years ago, and since then an entire generation of teenagers have followed Gibbard into the dark, making Death Cab one of the most prominent radio-friendly rock bands, leading right up to their latest, this year’s Kintsugi. Nonetheless, Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch remains the owner of one of the most fetishized fretboards in music. His distinctive guitar twinkles and bends have become part of not only the Pacific Northwest rock continuum but all guitar-driven music today. This show is a living wax museum of recent rock history whose influence is ingrained in any twentysomething that felt feelings in their teens. CAMERON CROWELL
Last time I went to Elvis Costello at the schnitz there were enough people filming the show with their phones and tablets that it kind of ruined the performance. I decided not to go this time largely because they refuse to enforce their no photography rules.