Helladope/Friday, March 12 See B-Sides.
Sandrider/Friday, March 12
Nikolaj Holm Møller
Copenhagen post-rock: Efterklang.
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For as popular as hardcore metal band Akimbo is, it's a bit strange they don't play out more often. Luckily, fans of the unearthly loud and brutal trio can get a partial fix tonight with Sandrider. Also a trio (Akimbo frontman Jon Weisnewski on guitar, Ruby Doe leader Jesse Roberts on bass, and Akimbo's Nat Damm on drums), Sandrider are opening for former Minuteman bassist and all-around punk-rock icon Mike Watt, currently touring with his latest project, the Missingmen. With Lite. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005. 9 p.m. $12 adv./$14 DOS.HANNAH LEVIN
The Wooden Birds/Friday, March 12
The Wooden Birds, a quartet led by the long-lived and much-beloved American Analog Set's Andrew Kenny, are proving to be a reliable band. Last year's Magnolia, the band's Barsuk debut, garnered warm reviews and comparisons to Fleetwood Mac. Now a new EP is available free on the band's Web site: Montague Street, a collection of four songs written and recorded by Kenny in Brooklyn when he was just beginning to conceive the band that would become the Wooden Birds. Magnolia and Montague Street are both pleasant and delicate, driven by Kenny's fine, lulling vocals and steady, imperious drum rhythms. The music creates a heady, tranquilizing buzz—an effect that will make a lot of AmAnSet fans happy. With The Clientele, Surf City. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9:30 p.m. $12 adv./$14 DOS. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Zeke/Friday, March 12
The mythos of all-encompassing evil that surrounds Seattle speed-punk freaks Zeke would lead you to believe they crawl into pentagram-lined coffins at the crack of dawn and quickly say their anti-prayers to Lemmy before the goodness of the sunlight burns them whole. Our boys in black have done little to dissuade this theory. From their legendarily crafted rider that promises an appetite for destruction of proportions so epic it makes Dethklok look like pussies (and releases the band from any and all liability) to their commitment to crafting the fastest, loudest, craziest music south of heaven, Zeke have taken a persona that could easily been perceived as shtick and owned the hell out of it for the last bazillion years. With Supersuckers, the Hollowpoints. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 8 p.m. $13 adv./$15 DOS. MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
Martin Taylor/Saturday, March 13
Jazz has produced a long succession of killer guitarists: Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Grant Green, Charlie Byrd, Pat Metheny, and Joe Pass, to name just a few. Yet only a select number have become renowned as solo performers. Martin Taylor sits near the top of that list. Though he's played in too many ensembles to keep track of, including an early stint with Stéphane Grappelli, the British virtuoso is loved primarily for his solo output. Taylor's agile fingers are capable of picking a tune's melody, chord progression, and bass line all at the same time. This sounds awfully technical, but to watch it in person is mesmerizing. It produces a wonderfully rich and textured sound that also flows and breathes with organic warmth. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729. 7:30 p.m. $25.50. JUSTIN F. FARRAR
Laura Veirs/Saturday, March 13 See Q&A.
Rocky Votolato/Saturday, March 13 See feature.
Gomez/Saturday, March 13 & Sunday, March 14
Gomez has evolved over six studio releases, starting with 1998's rootsy, booze-and-blues-fueled debut Bring It On—which set the bar high, winning the Mercury Prize as the UK's best album—but this Southport quintet have always made their bones onstage. There's a natural rapport and easy versatility live, as guitarists Tom Gray, Ian Ball, and Ben Ottewell—notable for his Vedder-esque growl—switch off on lead vocals and share spot-on harmonies. John Lee Hooker was a fan and Al Kooper still is, but blues is a mere touchstone for an eclectic group unafraid to veer off in new directions—like last year's low-key, largely acoustic A New Tide. The band (or various permutations) has made more than a dozen local appearances over the past decade, but rarely at a venue this intimate. With Buddy (Sat., sold out), One EskimO (Sun.). Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 8 p.m. $23.MICHAEL MAHONEY
Lisa Dank/Sunday, March 14
Seattle MC Lisa Dank's current popularity has more to do with showmanship than actual musical ability. Her vocal control is hit-or-miss, and some of her songs are ridiculous enough to make you cringe. But what Dank lacks in polish and songwriting chops, she makes up for tenfold in showmanship: outrageous feathered headdresses, Spandex-clad backup dancers, and more references to weed in 40 minutes than there are in the entirety of Half Baked. And moments of true pop musicianship do shine through the cracks in Dank's cabaret-tart veneer and smoke-scarred singing voice. With time, practice, and a much-needed vaporizer, Dank could transform herself into a female answer to Kid Cudi. Even if all that doesn't sound like your bag of sweet-potato chips, it's worth going to see Katie Kate, a young local MC whose flow and smooth delivery take a lesson from her DJ, P. Smoov. With No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Queerbait!. Nectar, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 8 p.m. $6. SARA BRICKNER
