Tragically Hip ~ Wednesday, June 17
Alexandra Sarkozy
Martin Bisi: urban cowboy.
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That rarest of all North American beasts—the cult band that's also a household name—the Tragically Hip have gotten more than 25 years of mileage from what at first appears to be a fairly pedestrian classic rock–derived approach. Closer inspection, though, reveals that the Hip almost always manages to put a fresh twist on meat-and-potatoes rock, and usually to put a twist on the twist with each successive album. Venerated in its native Canada, the band doesn't quite command the same popularity in the U.S. as other proud Canadian exports like Rush or, say, Labatt Blue, but its perennial underdog status enhances its other attributes. And for better or worse, through frontman Gord Downie's densely cerebral lyrics, the Hip serve as a continuing reminder that though we mostly speak the same language, the U.S. and Canada truly do exist in two different worlds. Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., 443-1744. 8 p.m. $35. All ages.SABY REYES-KULKARNI
Esham ~ Wednesday, June 17
"Oprah—lemme deep throat ya," Esham raps on "DSL" from his epic 27-track '08 release, Sacrificial Lambz. Not his finest lyrical moment, true, but it gives you an idea of where this Detroit troublemaker is coming from: an X-rated house of horrors built of bones, not unlike his fellow Motor City denizens Twiztid and ICP. But unlike those groups of painted ghouls—who, love 'em or hate 'em, fill a vital, if creatively bereft, niche—Esham seems to be about more than shock and awe. Since the '90s, for example, the prolific MC has attempted to blend rock and hip-hop in ways only later made popular by the likes of Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock. Also, as he showed on '99's Mail Dominance, he isn't afraid to move beyond scare tactics and try something a little more subdued (though the title still has a sadomasochistic refrain). Don't like the legions of kids playing dress-up, or Eminem's songs about murder and mayhem? Blame Esham—he started "acid rap." With Natas, Project Born, Daniel Jordan, KaGaH with Cheap Meat Suits, Neema, Jay Barz, Partners in Crhyme, DJ Butter. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 7 p.m. $15. All ages. KEVIN CAPP
Martin Bisi ~ Thursday, June 18
Known for his work as producer/engineer on a staggering list of landmark recordings (by Sonic Youth, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Kramer, Alice Donut, Material, Helmet, Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop, the Dresden Dolls, Herbie Hancock, etc, etc.), Martin Bisi has only recently begun to concentrate on his own material. For this rare live appearance, Bisi (pronounced "BC") works off his 2008 album Sirens of the Apocalypse. A playful sendup of female stereotypes, Sirens sees Bisi addressing his own romantic woes and a wider range of social issues simultaneously. He even takes some lighthearted jabs at some of the musical movements he helped midwife in the studio. Over an illustrious 27-year recording career, Bisi earned his reputation on a willingness to take chances, but in his own music moved away from experimentation toward a more straightforward rock sound. Thankfully, his definition of "straight" still falls pretty far left of center. With the Family Curse, the Purrs, Bill Horist. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave. N., 374-8400. 9:30 p.m. $5. SABY REYES-KULKARNI
The Quiet Ones ~ Thursday, June 18
YouTubing the Quiet Ones will bring you to several videos of the Totten brothers—John, David, and Chris—and drummer Baine Craft doing some funky dancing in their kitchen, jamming on keyboards, and blithely performing a New Pornographers cover. The videos are buoyant, charming, and sure to make you feel like life is all right—just like their music. A cross-country collective, the Quiet Ones' current lineup now includes the Tottens, Craft, and producer Mason Neely, who resides in Boston and sent and received tracks by mail during the recording of the band's superior 2006 EP, Nite You Surprised Me, and their latest album, Better Walk Than Ride Like That. The record continues in the Quiet Ones' vein of delightfully sunny indie pop, layering rattling percussion, swelling background harmonies, lively guitar lines, and puckish lyrics—all harkening back to the early-'90s lo-fi sound of Pavement and Guided By Voices. With Kinski and MartyMarquis of Blitzen Trapper. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 8 p.m. $8 adv. ERIN THOMPSON
Helio Sequence ~ Thursday, June 18
When you come from the East Coast—an overpopulated clusterfuck—the Pacific Northwest can feel expansive and liberating (y'know, skies, mountains, ocean, etc.). Since moving here seven years ago, I've found myself drawn to the bands whose music embodies thatwide-openness. To my surprise, though, very few out there aim for that feeling. With 2008'sKeep Your Eyes Ahead, however, Portland's Helio Sequence thought big and produced a broad and shimmering Pacific Northwest album. Songs like "Can't Say No" and "The Captive Mind" are driven by skyrocketing synths and rhythms that swell and crash like muscular waves. Drummer Benjamin Weikel pushes the songs not just forward butoutward, while vocalist Brandon Summers sweeps the lyrics up off the ground like a strong coastal wind. Sure, Helio Sequence is an indie-pop band that evokes the Stone Roses and early U2, but they are hardly Anglophilic pansies. You'll know this when you see them live, because they are really fucking loud. With Grand Hallway, Palmer Electric Co. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. Free.BRIAN J. BARR
