The Fall of Troy / Wednesday, March 31
Ian Witlen
Florida's Surfer Blood will play the Vera Project on April 4.
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After nine years and four full-length albums—not to mention a level of commercial success that saw their songs featured in Guitar Hero and the soundtracks of other video games—the Mukilteo-based mathcore trio is calling it quits. Though there's no big explosion and no plan to stop making music, their "Marked Men of 2010" tour is also a celebratory farewell for the still-young bandmates. And while they're touring on their most recent release In the Unlikely Event, it's really a catalogue stretching back to their debut material recorded when the guys were in high school. The band's technical rhythms and exhilarating guitar riffs layer with front man Thomas Erak's powerful vocals and penetrating shrieks for a hardcore experience enjoyable even to those who run from any genre with the suffix -core. With Envy on the Coast, Twin Atlantic. El Corazón, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482. 7 p.m. $13. All ages. NICK FELDMAN
John Mayer / Wednesday, March 31
John Mayer recently gave Playboy a salacious interview wherein he asserted, among other things, "My dick is sort of like a white supremacist," and casually dropped the n-bomb when asked whether he had a "hood pass." The public fallout from the interview thoroughly ridiculed Mayer and his eager, awkward grappling with his own celebrity. Because as much as he may fancy himself a rock star, Mayer's strength lies in acknowledging and indulging his delicate insecurity and soft-pop appeal. His latest album, Battle Studies, full of emotive ditties about regrets and heartaches, is exactly what fans adore about him, and showcases the vulnerability it seems he's attempting to escape. Mayer is an exceptional guitar player, and his live show promises to deliver all that an adult-contemporary arena affair should. The peanut gallery suggests, however, that Mayer take a cue from a man with a comparable style, Dave Matthews, and trade the L.A. arm candy and hubris for Birkenstocks and a stroll down Wallingford Avenue. With Michael Franti & Spearhead. KeyArena, 305 Harrison St., 684-0761. 8 p.m. $34–$74. All ages.HOLLIS WONG-WEAR
The Paper Chase / Wednesday, March 31
Kill Rock Stars' The Paper Chase is not for the faint of heart. If John Congleton's strangled, slightly manic vocals don't turn you away; if you manage to listen through the nearly antagonistic bent of the fractured instrumental intrusions and dissonant structure; if you don't wince at Congleton's deeply troubled lyrical sensibility; if you've come this far, you've learned the secret of Congleton's genius—all chaos has some structure. Buried within Congleton's hammering pianos, sawing guitars, and cut-and-paste samples, layers of melody weave among the chaos, creating a tidal pull between the cacophonous and the downright catchy. With Kiss Kiss, At the Spine. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212. 8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. NICHOLAS HALL
RA Scion / Wednesday, March 31
"I recognize the diminishing possibility of breaking into an industry driven and dominated by fresh, young talent," writes RA Scion, one of the city's most talented wordsmiths, on his Web site. It's the kind of admission/recognition that comes only with age. Though it has a melancholic flavor, there's a certain freedom involved in facing facts. And RA is about nothing but telling hard truths. He's best known, of course, for spitting complex, tangled lyrics over Sabzi's beats under the Common Market banner. But tonight, one suspects he'll perform songs from Victor Shade, his side project with producer MTK. The two cuts that leaked online prior to the disc's March 27 release date, "Soothsayer" and "Sway," have a much more aggressive vibe than RA's work with Sabzi, proving that while RA may be getting older, he still has plenty of energy. With Graves 33, Jewels Hunter, Xperience, Audio Poet, Nathan Wolfe, DJ 100Proof. Nectar, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 8 p.m. $10. KEVIN CAPP
Kidz in the Hall / Thursday, April 1
Kidz in the Hall (not to be confused with the Canadian comedy troupe) are hip-hop's equivalent of the cool kids in the gifted class. The duo blurs lines and pushes boundaries in a knowing, wink-wink sort of way, which is why they get slapped with the "alternative" label. Comprising MC Naledge and DJ/producer Double-O, the group dropped two critically acclaimed albums by 2008 before releasing Land of Make Believe in early March. Guests abound on the new disc, including Just Blaze performing producer duty and MC Lyte and Amanda Diva on vocals. The track "Traffic" nicely encapsulates what Kidz is all about: It has an almost epic sound and pulses with an addictive, chaotic blend of dance fever and hip-hop anthem. With 88 Keys, Izza Kizza, Donnis, Lacosa, Brothers From Another, Rain City Clique. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312. 7 p.m. $12 adv./$15 DOS. All ages. KEVIN CAPP
Owl City / Thursday, April 1 See Q&A.
Pierced Arrows / Thursday, April 1
Clearly, Fred and Toody Cole were never meant to stroll off into the land of elderhostels, early-bird specials, and shuffleboard, even when they retired their long-running and much-revered cult rock band Dead Moon a few years back as they were approaching their 60s. Nope, the Coles are lifers. While they're not dwelling in the exact same spot as Dead Moon, the trio's craggy, gutsy blues-punk certainly lives in the same neighborhood—and that's nothing but tremendous news for everyone who's followed the Coles for 40 years and is on the hook for 40 more. With Lullabye Arkestra, The Gloryholes, Ape City R&B. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave. N., 374-8400. 9:30 p.m. $10.MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG
