Let’s face it, weekend shows on the University of Washington campus are a little like standing in a grocery check-out line on a Saturday night with a tub of cookie dough and a sixer of Diet Dr. Pepper. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s not necessarily the first place you want to be seen. Still, the UW HUB has hosted some unexpectedly good bands over the years, including Cursive, Blue Scholars, the Posies and most notably, Nirvana in 1990—who were subsequently banned for life from all UW venues for destroying so much equipment. That won’t be a problem tonight, when Menomena and Blitzen Trapper (both from Portland), and local band Boat play a birthday concert for UW’s radio station, Rainy Dawg Radio. Sloppy-poppy, electro-acoustic Boat deliver infectious hooks, synthy keyboard licks, handclaps, and “ooo”’s. Blitzen Trapper play backwoods ‘60s country rock a la the Band and Canned Heat if they were around long enough to reap the benefits of 21st-century pedals and digital production, and indie-experimentalists Menomena play soulful rock exploding with vocal harmonies, baritone saxophone, and vibraphone without seeming to ever take themselves too seriously. Truly, a triple header we can all be proud to attend. University of Washington HUB North Den. $6 with UW ID/$12. 7 p.m. ERIK NEUMANN

Fri., Feb. 22, 7 p.m., 2008