The Alfredo Rodríguez Trio / Wednesday, September 1
Gail Butensky
Pavement doesn't need Bumbershoot.
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While this 24-year-old Cuban pianist was "discovered" and championed by none other than Quincy Jones, he obviously caught Q's serious jazz ear because there's nothing crossover about him. Rodríguez and his trio break up even 4/4 time into an elusive, polyrhythmic groove that swings hard even as it avoids every cliché of popular Latin-jazz. Rodríguez channels Monk, montuno, baroque classical, soundtrack lyricism, and the power chords of the Palmieris into a sound that's gripping, original, and unpretentious. It's been about 25 years since the last piano player (Gonzalo Rubalcaba) was whisked out of Castro's Cuba to jazz superstardom, but I like this guy even better. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729. 7:30 p.m. $21.50.MARK D. FEFER
Hootenanny for a Healthy Gulf / Thursday, September 2
About six months ago, a few weeks after the earthquake in Haiti, STG honcho Debra Heesch and Ashley O'Connor (the wife of Pearl Jam's Mike McCready) stepped up to organize the Hootenanny for Haiti at the Showbox at the Market. Featuring McCready, myself, Star Anna, Mark Pickerel, and others, the Hoot was quickly organized and sold out even faster. It can be a big headache to corral a bunch of artists into the same cause and venue for a single performance. I think it says something about this city's arts community that all these musicians actually dropped everything, not only for an important cause but for the chance to play with each other. Deb and Ashley are back in action for Thursday's Hootenanny for a Healthy Gulf at the Moore. Artists this time around? McCready, Pete Droge, Shawn Smith, the original Fastbacks, Rachel Flotard, and many others, including myself. With Star Anna, Mark Pickerel, Kim Virant, Justin Davis, Tim DiJulio, Chris & Rick Friel, Rebeqa Rivers, Jeff Rouse, Ty Bailie, Kristen Ward, Gary Westlake, Rusty Willoughby. Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., 877-784-4849. 7:30 p.m. $20 adv./$25 DOS. All ages.DUFF MCKAGAN
Cyndi Lauper / Thursday, September 2
Like pizza, unexpected tax refunds, and sunny days in winter, it's impossible not to like Cyndi Lauper. In the '80s she came off like Madonna's wacky, kinda dorky, completely adorable cousin; she symbolized "girl power" long before the Spice Girls thought of it, and sang her heart out on "Time After Time" and "True Colors"—two of the best songs recorded during the Reagan era. In the '90s and '00s she branched out into critically acclaimed soul, roots, and adult-contemporary sounds, and became a hero in the LGBT community for her tireless activism. Refusing to be categorized as some sort of '80s throwback, Lauper's most recent album, Memphis Blues, is a legit blues platter full of sweat and passion. See—girls wanna have fun, but they also wanna go down to the crossroads! With Charlie Musselwhite. Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., 548-2500. 5 p.m. $32. All ages.MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG
Dave Matthews Band / Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5
It's very chic for connoisseurs of "cool" music to trash the Dave Matthews Band. Yes, they crank out jammy songs that tend to be indistinguishable from one another, they're so prolific they come off as annoyingly ubiquitous, and they attract inebriated throngs of former Greek-system undergrads to their shows. But you should be thanking their asses: DMB's three-show run at the Gorge every Labor Day weekend means those people won't be showing up for Dylan or Neko at Memorial Stadium or stumbling around one of Bumbershoot's smaller stages. And you should also lighten up and consider both their roots (they slaved away on the bar-band circuit for years before attaining megastardom) and where Dave's put down his (Wallingford). Plus, best of luck assailing the bang (three-hour concerts are de rigueur) they give their fans for the buck. With Ben Harper and Relentless 7, Alberta Cross. Gorge Amphitheater, 754 Silica Rd. N.W., Quincy, 6 p.m. $62–$85.20. All ages. MIKE SEELY
Dave Mustaine / Friday, September 3
Perhaps the only thing harder than defending Courtney Love is being a Dave Mustaine apologist. After being famously ejected from the original Metallica lineup, the curmudgeonly guitarist and vocalist went on to make some truly progressive, intelligent records with his own influential speed metal/thrash outfit, Megadeth. However, much like Love, Mustaine is often his own worst enemy, starting and resolving feuds with his peers faster than a Gossip Girl story arc, and generally facilitating the notion that calling him a diva isn't much of a stretch. The caveats for this signing event for his new autobiography, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir, don't help much: "Dave will sign books only. He will not sign memorabilia. Dave will not be personalizing books. No posed photos." Sheesh, Dave, why bother? Skip the clown convention and save your time and money for the live show at WaMu Theater later tonight. [See Rocket Queen]. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400. 12:30 p.m. Free. All ages.HANNAH LEVIN
Ear Candy's Official Bumbershoot Kickoff Party / Friday, September 3
What better way to kick off Bumbershoot weekend than with a solid lineup drawn from all corners of the local soundscape? This Macklemore-hosted and festival-condoned kickoff event opens with the harmonic indie rock of five-piece outfit Curtains For You, followed by the bold swagger and smooth flow of unstoppably creative MC Sol and the psychedelic cross-genre pop of Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground. At the top of the bill is the soulful bluesy rock of Thee Emergency, led by spirited frontwoman Dita Vox. Bumbershoot is all about the best Seattle has to offer, and that's exactly what this kickoff celebrates. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212. 9 p.m. $10.NICK FELDMAN
