Fungal Abyss/Wednesday, August 24
A&M Records
Janet's "Number Ones" tour is all for you.
Dustin Cohen
Jeff Bridges and the Abiders.
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Their name conjures visions of some kind of psilocybic hell—say, that clammy, grope-y (and worst of all, campy) pit of hands from Labyrinth—or worse, just some mush-headed Rainbow Gathering jam band (I guess I already said "psilocybic hell"), but the reality of Fungal Abyss is both darker and far more appealing than all that. The band is the improvisational psychedelic side project of local metal leviathans Lesbian, and for the month of August they've taken up a weekly residency at the Comet, where they keep things heavy and heady, lifting off from low, gut-rumbling bass grooves to high, arcing, stratospheric guitar riffs without ever drifting entirely into space. Opening tonight's installment is the deeply knowledgeable DJ Veins, a veritable Yoda of all things kraut, psych, experimental, and beyond. Hold on to your dome. With Ayahuasca Travelers. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 9 p.m. $7. ERIC GRANDY
Hip-Hop Kitchen: A Night Out Edition/Thursday, August 25
When Dice opened for Aloe Blacc last November, it became extremely clear that her glaringly honest songwriting was a force to be reckoned with. Even before that, she was being recognized as one of the few among a sea of rappers and singers in this city who could more than stand their ground in both categories. And away from the mike, Dice has another strength: cooking. The pair of skills came together two years ago in a University District apartment alongside Nu Era MC 5 Flat for a dinner party and freestyle cypher session called Hip-Hop Kitchen. Now the invite is public. A VIP ticket comes with access to Dice's legendary cooking—a mouthwatering menu that includes sweet jalapeño corn bread, candied yams, collard greens, and apple crisp—all to be enjoyed along with the tunes of Vitamin D and Maineack B's Stahi Bros and $1 bottles of High Life. With Xperience, Willie Joe, Nu Era. Nectar, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 8 p.m. $10/$25 VIP. NICK FELDMAN
Mouthbreathers/Thursday, August 25
On first listen of Mouthbreathers' debut 7-inch (on legendary trash punk label In The Red), it's easy to imagine the band broadcasting live from a ramshackle ballroom somewhere in late-'60s Detroit. Iggy and the Asheton brothers would likely be comparing battle scars with Rob Tyner and Wayne Kramer, watching from the side of the stage while Mouthbreathers ripped into their brand of now-vintage garage punk. Hailing instead from the placid streets of Lawrence, Kansas, circa now, Mouthbreathers have obviously spent some time studying their garage-rock history. Paying loving tribute while still remaining contemporary, Mouthbreathers manage to channel their scuzzy, fuzzed-out majesty into a well-balanced combination of head-boppingly catchy tunes and hyperactive, frantic moments that find the band nearly careening off the tracks into chasms of noise. With Tit Pig. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8000. 9 p.m. $7. GREGORY FRANKLIN
State of the Artist/Thursday, August 25
The cornerstone artists of upstart record label/sultans of soirée Members Only, State of the Artist have grown noticeably over the past year and change, releasing the more group-focused EP Altered State earlier this year, the follow-up to their interesting but feature-dominated 2010 debut Seattlecalifragilisticextrahelladopeness, and have slowly begun to add depth to their occasionally over-swagged lyricism. Co-headliners are Theoretics, a rap-rock group known for performing in full suit and tie. Show up early to catch the party-fabulous Hi-Life Soundsystem and find out who brought the flyest shirt-and-tie combo. With Richie Aldente. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $12. TODD HAMM
Nazca Lines/Friday, August 26
It's difficult to resist comparing Nazca Lines to At the Drive-In, simply because frontman Cory Alfano's strident, clipped howl immediately echoes that of ATDI's Cedric Bixler-Zavala. However, unlike the latter band's impassioned and dramatic sprawl of arty, angular rock, Nazca Lines' material sounds like the work of artists much more interested in keeping their cards close to their chest. There is plenty of tension and release, but also a deceptive tautness that never slackens, making their songs tightly drawn, borderline-claustrophobic, and impressively succinct. Tonight they celebrate the release of their Matt Bayles–produced full-length, Hyperventilation, with help from like-minded peers Virgin Islands and Blood Orange Paradise, a promising quartet that will please anyone with a Fugazi fixation. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880. 10 p.m. $8. HANNAH LEVIN
Kenny Rogers/Friday, August 26
Kenny Rogers produced some great songs in his prime, but he is no longer a singer. He's an entertainer. To take in a Kenny Rogers show is to submit oneself to The Kenny Rogers Experience. In terms of expectations, think of the stage not as a stage, but as Kenny's front porch. You, the audience, are therefore sitting in the massive front yard of his country estate, watching Grandpa Kenny (with no wrinkles!) sip lemonade, chew tobacky, and crack wise. Occasionally he'll sing, often packing his hits into medleys so he can get back to chatting as soon as possible. It's a conversation with Kenny Rogers, except only Kenny gets to talk. If the man weren't a national monument, it'd be an exercise in extreme narcissism. But the man is a national monument. Tulalip Casino, 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd., Marysville, 360-651-1111. 7 p.m. $40–$75. MIKE SEELY
