Seattle City of Music Awards / Wednesday, October 6
Ian Judd
Double, double . . . Witch Gardens.
Jamie Isaia
Funstyle girl Liz Phair.
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There's a reason the 21-member Seattle Music Commission selected alt-country darling Brandi Carlile to receive a City of Music Award. Carlile's raw, emotional songs are both commercially friendly ("The Story" and a handful of other tracks were famously heard on Grey's Anatomy) and critically lauded (über-producer Rick Rubin took the reins on last year's Give Up the Ghost). But to give Carlile the Breakthrough Award, though deserved, seems a little late. Carlile "broke through" in 2004, when Columbia signed her; if anything, she should be recognized for the continual meteoric rise of her career over the past six years. At least the two other recipients—Gerard Schwarz, in his 26th season as music director of the Seattle Symphony, being recognized for Outstanding Achievement, and jazz-band directors Clarence Acox (Garfield High) and Scott Brown (Roosevelt), jointly receiving the Impact Award—are spot on. With Northern Departure, M.O.V., the Garfield and Roosevelt High School Jazz All-Stars, a Brandi Carlile special video performance, and a Big Brass Tribute to Gerard Schwarz. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 7 p.m. Free. All ages. PAIGE RICHMOND
Frightened Rabbit / Thursday, October 7
Lyrical honesty is an oft-discussed and intensely debated topic among musicians and fans alike. Some claim to represent it, some fake it, and some pretend it doesn't matter. But to hear this Scottish five-piece lament about a lover whispering the wrong name into your ear, only to ignore the slight in favor of the company—that's soul-baring. What began as frontman Scott Hutchinson toying with a 4-track eventually blossomed into an outfit (a few guitars, keys, bass, and drums) responsible for haunting, layered melodies that complement the equally haunting vocals. And though seven years of touring and recording has translated into a more polished sound, Frightened Rabbit's lovably rugged charm isn't out of reach. With Plants and Animals, Bad Veins. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 8 p.m. $17.50 adv./$20 DOS. All ages. NICK FELDMAN
Joseph Giant / Thursday, October 7
Conor Byrne is truly one of Seattle's best-kept secrets when it comes to discovering promising new local talent (most recently, the Head and the Heart got its start here). The gently weathered space's warm brick walls and vintage fixtures exude an ambience and acoustics that make it an ideal platform for singer/songwriters. Joseph Giant will undoubtedly sound lovely under Conor's 14-foot ceilings; band leader Joe Syverson (formerly of the Final Spins) is a curiously compelling vocalist who spins lovelorn tales of doubt and redemption against a backdrop of furiously strummed, bright guitars. With Falcon, Andrew Norsworthy. Conor Byrne, 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-3640. 9 p.m. $7. HANNAH LEVIN
Nomeansno / Thursday, October 7
I like to dream of an alternate universe where the long-running Vancouver post-punk trio Nomeansno—equally shaped by jazz, hardcore, and noise rock—is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while Bon Jovi sits out in the cold, alone and ignored. Where Walmart pipes 1989's brilliant Wrong into its stores and no one is horrified by the strains of "Rags and Bones" or "Big Dick." Where people line up outside enormodomes days in advance, dressed like founding brothers John and Rob Wright, to see Nomeansno in concert while Lady Gaga has trouble filling a broom closet. It'll never happen, but as Jake Barnes says at the end of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, "Isn't it pretty to think so?" With Ford Pier, The Ruby Doe. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $15. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG
Alice in Chains / Friday, October 8
So Alice in Chains has a new lead singer. So what? It's not that replacing a dead legend isn't worth getting worked up over, it's that Alice in Chains isn't. Truth be told, they were negligibly better than Candlebox. Their genius, if you can call it that, was simply a matter of timing: When grunge became huge, Alice in Chains was in its prime. Or, shall we say, sub-prime: Cacophonous minor chords with whiny vocals might be some people's bag of sugar-studded pecans, but for most, it was fucking ear torture. Yeah, they rocked, but given the severe fun deficit in their music, they never rolled. Hence, ambivalence is the proper way to greet the new guy (who sort of looks like Lenny Kravitz); go to this show for Mastodon instead. With Deftones, Mastodon. Key Arena, 305 Harrison St., 682-8225. 7 p.m. $27.50–$63. All ages. MIKE SEELY
Come Together: The Music of John Lennon / Saturday, October 9
Had the disturbed psyche of Mark David Chapman not led him to gun down one of the world's most talented musical minds on December 8, 1980, John Lennon would turn 70 today. To celebrate his life and work, an impressive cache of Seattle musicians will take the Triple Door stage tonight. While the entire lineup is stellar, it's the renderings by pop savant Rusty Willoughby and sardonic raconteur John Roderick that have the most potential to adroitly channel Lennon's genius. With Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs, Kristen Ward, Gary Westlake. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333. 7 p.m. $23 adv./$25 DOS. All ages. HANNAH LEVIN
The Corin Tucker Band / Friday, October 8 See the music lead.
