JUNE
6,7 THE POLICE Offset all that summer lawn watering: A portion of the proceeds from yoga-toned Sting and Co.’s tour will go to WaterAid, a nonprofit that works to improve access to safe water in the developing world. KeyArena.
9 PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES (FINAL SHOW) After six candy-coated, hard-rocking records and tours that took them all over the world, this beloved Seattle band will take their final curtain call. Neumo’s.
14 GANG GANG DANCE New York weirdos with gorilla fascination bring their tribal acid-trance-folk to Seattle. Crocodile Cafe.
16 GWEN STEFANI She may be just a girl, but she’s got a production (backup dancers! ripped midriffs!) that’s worth a holler back. White River Amphitheatre.
17 KEXP’S FATHER’S DAY DANCE PARTY Could there be a better way to celebrate Father’s Day than flailing your limbs to indie rock in a room full of toddlers alongside KEXP patriarch John Richards? Neumo’s.
21 ARTHUR & YU This new local favorite echo Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, and tonight celebrate the release of their debut full-length, In Camera, on another newbie, Sub Pop imprint Hardly Art Records. Crocodile Cafe.
21 ROCKY VOTOLATO The hardworking father of two takes the stage with his top-shelf brand of whiskey-soaked ballads at this record release show. Triple Door.
22–July 1 VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL There are usual-suspect headliners like Norah Jones and Chris Botti, but this 10-day festival is best known for bringing in the cream of the N.Y.C. and European avant-garde. Various venues, Vancouver B.C. www.coastaljazz.ca.
24 FEIST Leslie Feist is hardly the first singer to do what she does; that is, love, lose, weep, and sing about it. But she can’t be compared to her predecessors Joni Mitchell and Dusty Springfield. Rather, she should just be placed within the lineage. Moore Theatre.
27 BRANDI CARLILE On a hulking billboard at the Queen Anne Easy Street promoting this local songbird, a quote from Paste magazine screams, “Imagine a reincarnated Patsy Cline fronting Coldplay.” Compliment? Let the animals decide. Woodland Park Zoo, www.zoo.org/zootunes. SOLD OUT.
27 FALL OUT BOY Fall Out Boy’s main man, Pete Wentz, is known to put on quite a wild show, and with openers +44, the Academy Is, Paul Wall, and Cobra Starship, the T-Dome will be turned into Warped Tour’s mini-me. Tacoma Dome.
30 THE DIVORCE (FINAL SHOW) We’ll refrain from cracking the obvious dissolution joke here and just say that staying together for the kids is never a good idea. They do get a consolation prize, however: their very own final all-ages show. Crocodile Cafe.
JULY
1 CHRIS ISAAK Unfortunate recent appearances as a television correspondent for Extra! at the Super Bowl and at events like Fashion on Ice still can’t shake the Wicked Game this crooner brings to the stage. Chateau Ste. Michelle, www.ste-michelle.com.
2 BAND OF HORSES These newly minted South Carolinians return to the town that first gave them love. Expect more new songs of Southern twang and sweeping, epic rock. Showbox.
4 WILLIE NELSON’S FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC Probably the only thing finer than a fantasy Willie and Snoop “Up in Smoke” tour. The entire state of Washington should attend Willie’s alt-country picnic (held for the first time outside of Texas) and demand that he be free from paying taxes forever. The Gorge, www.hob.com/venues/concerts/gorge.
7 ALISON KRAUSS Idyllic Marymoor Park in the middle of summer couldn’t be a more appropriate backdrop for this angel-voiced singer’s crystalline offerings. Marymoor Park, www.concertsatmarymoor.com.
12 OZZ FEST We’ve seen more Ozzfests than we care to remember. Seeing Pantera and Type-O Negative changed our lives, not to mention the Black Sabbath reunion. This year, they’ve booked Finnish metal warriors Lordi, which rules. But not as much as the fact that it’s a free show. Yep. Free. White River Amphitheatre, www.whiteriverconcerts.com.
13 BENNI HEMM HEMM Keep cool with this symphonic many-membered band hailing from (you guessed it) Iceland. Crocodile Cafe.
19 DOOBIE BROTHERS Because these Doobies, like most, are always a do. Chateau Ste. Michelle.
19–22 WHAT THE HECK FEST For such a beautiful town, with a thriving DIY scene, Anacortes is shamefully overlooked. But the What the Heck Fest aims to reverse this injustice. With performances by Little Wings, Karl Blau, Calvin Johnson, the Lonely Forest, and tons more, it’s easily one of the quirkiest little fests in the region. Anacortes, www.whattheheckfest.com.
27 JAZZ PORT TOWNSEND Head to this quaint oasis on the peninsula to hear some of the best mainstream players on the West Coast and beyond. Top draws include Houston Person and Roy Hargrove on the mainstage at Fort Worden and pianist Benny Green in the clubs. Port Townsend, www.centrum.org.
27, 28 ESURANCE CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY While last year’s Murder City Devils reunion was tough to top, this year’s lineup is stepping up, bringing national acts like Silversun Pickups and Aesop Rock to the hottest intersection in town. Now with 100 percent more Cha Cha. 10th Avenue and Pine Street.
AUGUST
1 BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES Worth it, if only to witness Flecktones bassist Victor Wooten manhandle his fretless (behind the back!) like nobody’s business. Woodland Park Zoo.
4 SAN JUAN ISLAND FESTIVAL Not much is known of this event, but a reliable source tells us some “groovy old rich dude” holds this psychedelic festival on his property each year. He’s had Acid Mothers Temple once before, and this year he’s bringing Italian Syd Barrett freaks Jennifer Gentle. Can you dig it? San Juan Island.
8 ROBERT EARL KEEN Like any great Texan singer-songwriter, not only does Robert Earl Keen know how to tell a story, he also knows how to interpret someone else’s song. Request to hear Townes Van Zandt’s “Snowin’ on Raton.” You won’t be disappointed. Woodland Park Zoo.
15 OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW One of Nashville’s most unexpected success stories, the Old Crow Medicine Show straddles the line between fringe and mainstream. They play rough, Appalachian songs, but have been embraced by Marty Stuart and the Grand Ole Opry. Woodland Park Zoo.
25 DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL This interactive U.K.-born festival offers fans the chance to do more than just stand there getting sunburned eating elephant ears: Concertgoers can interact with artists through master-class workshops and Q&A sessions. Modest Mouse and the Presidents of the United States of America take the stage for their home state’s date at the Gorge along with Nada Surf, the Thermals, and more. The Gorge, www.downloadfestival.com.
31–2 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND No, it’s not 1995, but just as P.U.S.A. can sell out multiple dates at the Showbox, DMB fans will easily max out the Gorge on these three nights. The Gorge.
SEPTEMBER
1–3 BUMBERSHOOT Despite the crowds, lines, and drum circles that this ubiquitous music and arts festival inevitably draws each year, the acts still make it damn worth your while to brave it. This year the list is long as ever, but with Wu-Tang Clan on the bill, the rest—the Shins, Crowded House, Devendra Banhart, and many more—is just powdered sugar on the funnel cake. Seattle Center, www.bumbershoot.org.
8 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE He brought sexy back even though it was never actually out of style. But more important, he brought an urban seediness back to pop music that had been sorely lacking. Tacoma Dome.
