Nate Dogg Tribute/Wednesday, April 20
Shawn Brackbill
Lonesome stoner Kurt Vile.
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When Nathaniel "Nate Dogg" Hale passed last month, hip-hop lost one of its most distinctive voices—one that West Coast rap and the hook as we know it today both owe a massive debt of gratitude. He was a fixture, credited on more than 40 charting singles stretching back to 1992, including certified jams like Warren G's "Regulate," Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" and "The Next Episode," Ludacris' "Area Codes," and 50 Cent's "21 Questions"—and odds are none of these would have been the hits they were without his signature croon. In tribute, a posse of Seattle hip-hop artists (their names officially unannounced at press time) is assembling for a noteworthy cover show that'll send half its profits to the official memorial trust. And as a singer with the uncanny ability to make G-Funk's graphically violent and sexualized lyrics beautiful, you know Nate Dogg would want nothing more than for everyone to mount up in his honor. With DJ Swervewon, hosted by Spaceman and Neema. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 10 p.m. $5. NICK FELDMAN
Robert Plant and The Band of Joy/Wednesday, April 20
For all the '70s ballyhoo over Jimmy Page's alleged dealings with the devil, it's Robert Plant who still seems to shine like the "golden god" he declared himself more than 30 years ago. With his solid post- Zeppelin career, from the doo-wopping Honeydrippers in the '80s to his acclaimed Raising Sand with Alison Krauss to his latest project, the reuniting of Band of Joy (who perform their own Grammy- nominated Americana as well as stripped-down, countrified versions of Zep hits), Plant continues to keep it unpredictably interesting. And his mesmerizing voice has aged as well as his physical self. Man, I'd hate to think that means poor ol' Jimmy drank all that goat urine for nothing. With the North Mississippi Allstars. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., 467-5510. 8 p.m. $55–$85. All ages. MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
Donald Glover/Thursday, April 21
Donald Glover is pretty easily recognizable thanks to his role as Troy Barnes on NBC's Community, but that's not all—he raps and makes beats under the moniker Childish Gambino, and does both well. His TV-to-music transition makes for easy comparisons to Aubrey "Drake" Graham, best known as Degrassi: The Next Generation's Jimmy before selling a few million records and becoming one of the hottest pop-rap acts of 2010. It's even easier to make the connection when you catch on to Glover's occasional half-sung deliveries, deliberate punch lines (thanks to a creative-writing education at NYU), and Lil Wayne–influenced growls. But instead of using his background as a simple steppingstone, his unique skill set also makes for a captivating concert/comedy hybrid show—and in both arenas, it's undeniable that Glover, er, Gambino, is a talented dude. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. Sold out. All ages. NICK FELDMAN
Twin Shadow/Friday, April 22
Tourmates Twin Shadow and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart both look to the 1980s for sonic inspiration, but while Pains made its name mining the twee pop sounds of the C86 underground, Twin Shadow (aka George Lewis Jr.) incorporates a broader, more aboveground sound, refracting echoes of lite FM into his own winning brand of woozy, dreamy soft rock. Twin Shadow's excellent debut, Forget, speaks for itself, but the Dominican-born, Florida-raised, and now Brooklyn-based musician has also been the beneficiary of an outstanding music-video campaign—first with the Calvin Klein, wood-paneled-basement, soft-core-porn-spoofing "Slow," and more recently with the hilarious "official commentary" version of "At My Heels," in which two directors pontificate on the deep symbolism of their no-budget video. Both should be watched immediately if you haven't already seen them. Goofs aside, expect tonight's show to be a bill of eminently swoon-worthy indie pop. With Seapony. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 8 p.m. $13. Also at Easy Street Records, 20 Mercer St., 691-3279. 6 p.m. Free. All ages. ERIC GRANDY
Yuck/Friday, April 22
Yuck is a multinational band—its four young members hail from London, Japan, and New Jersey—but for all their disparity, they seem to have agreed on one prevalent sound and style—indie rock circa 1992 (ironically, around the time they were all born). Yuck's self-titled debut is chock-full of reverbing guitars, fuzzed-out vocals, and lackadaisical melodies. The comparisons are inevitable—the band's crunchier songs are very Pavement, the mellower songs very Sparklehorse. But it would be unfair to tag Yuck as derivative copycats. The members inject their own youthful vibrancy into infectious janglers like "Georgia" and a compelling amount of heart and sympathy into slower songs like "Suicide Policeman"; it's both original and believable. Yuck isn't mimicking the '90s sound, but translating it for the next generation. With Tame Impala. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $15. All ages. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Pickwick/Saturday, April 23
A year ago, Seattle's Pickwick wasn't a terrible band by any means, but they were still trying to find their voice and getting lost among the shuffle of a city with a surplus of guys with guitars and something to say. Somewhere along the way, lightning was bottled, a lasso was thrown around the wind, and the band liquidated everything but their name. Turning the distortion down and the reverb up, Pickwick has left small-pond indie-rock behind, and has obviously spent some time cramming with the Stax and Motown playbooks. Thanks in no small part to singer Galen Disston's captivating, throaty growl and a newly discovered desire to create perfect music for rug-cutting/baby-making, Pickwick's soulful new voice is a refreshing and unique addition to the noise of Seattle. With Kelli Schaefer, Legendary Oaks. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212. 9:30 p.m. $10.GREGORY FRANKLIN
