Last time the Los Angeles-based space-rock quartet Silversun Pickups was in Seattle, frontman Brian Aubert was cracking self-disparaging jokes—apparently recycled ones at that—about how their presence at WaMu Theater could only be explained by the fact that they were opening for someone bigger and better. But that’s not exactly true. Material from their sophomore effort Swoon alternates between delicately dark and just plain loud, hitting crescendos and ebbs without losing any of the entrancingly distorted melody. Silversun Pickups match up with the Smashing Pumpkins in a significant way, but lean energy and speed set them apart. With Against Me!, The Henry Clay People. NICK FELDMAN

Sat., July 31, 8 p.m., 2010