Wednesday, August 31Earth, Wind and Fire + ChicagoTwo retro tastes that go

Published 7:00 am Monday, October 9, 2006

Wednesday, August 31Earth, Wind and Fire + ChicagoTwo retro tastes that go gaudily well together—horns, flash, tunes, feel-good overstatement, the works. EWF are of course by far the better band. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., 206-628-0888, 8 p.m. $35–$75The Juan Maclean + the Long Ranger + Daylight BasementSEE FEATURE, P. 67 (Long Ranger) AND CD REVIEW, P. 69 (Juan Maclean). Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $10Midweek Beats DJ Spin-Off FinalsCan’t afford the $10–$20 weekend covers? Wednesdays at Element are devoted to deep-funky-tribal house, feature live percussion, and cost absolutely nada. The final round of August’s DJ Spin-Off has three bedroom mix-masters competing to win two decks and a coveted Friday night gig. Element, 9 p.m. NCRocky VotolatoThe last we heard from Votolato was Suicide Medicine, wherein the local singer/songwriter intertwined death, confinement, and escape without a heavy hand or an overly earnest approach. Headliners Korby Lenker and the High and Mighty play bluegrass-inspired country-rock. Triple Door, 7:30 p.m. $10 adv./$12Thursday, September 1Grooverider + Fabio + Kid HopsGoldie flaked on his appearance at the same club earlier this month, but hopefully this heavyweight pair won’t disappoint the drum and bass die-hards. If they do, there’s the reliable Kid Hops for ya, natch. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $15Mary Lou LordWhen you’re a busker for life the way Lord is, you can tour anytime. Luckily, she’s still got some tailwind from last year’s fine Baby Blue (Rubric). Dirty Martini headline; Haley Bonar opens. Tractor Tavern, 9 p.m. $8Pearl JamIn anticipation of Pearl Jam’s eighth album, their people are offering digital bootlegs of the Gorge performance (the first in 12 years) and each show on the subsequent cross-Canadian tour. So if you’ve just gotta catch that Saskatoon gig, it’ll cost you way less than a plane ticket. Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Rd. N.W., George, 206-628-0888, 7 p.m. $49Richie Hawtin + Bruno PronsatoHe hasn’t been up to much lately in recorded output, but on the decks Hawtin still regularly fires on all cylinders. So does local techno hero Pronsato, though “decks” isn’t quite what we’d call his laptop performances. Showbox, 8 p.m. $18 adv./$20Friday, Sept. 2BumbershootSEE COVER STORY, P. 21, GRID, P. 35, AND MUSIC PICKS, P. 55. Seattle Center, 11 a.m. $28 (one day)/$45 (two days)/$80 (four days), $8 ages 5–12 and 65 and overThe Donnas (DJ set) + Four Color ZackIllicit, a new Seattle culture/fashion/music/art/creative writing magazine, launches its first issue in collaboration with the pandemonium of monthly Rags to Riches. Celebrate with DJ sets by the Donnas and Four Color Zack, magazines and treats. Come out for the arts . . . or for the party. War Room, 9 p.m. $5John VandersliceParanoia hangs over baroque-pop mastermind Vanderslice’s fifth album, Pixel Revolt (Barsuk), but it’s easy to miss among the gorgeous arrangements. Here, he’ll celebrate the disc’s release before heading back to town next month. Easy Street Records Queen Anne, 20 Mercer St., 206-691-3279, 6 p.m. FreeRobyn HitchcockThe father of all rock’s active cult heroes, Hitchcock loves this town so much he wrote a song about the airport. The Fell Swoops and Derby open. Crocodile Cafe, 9 p.m. $15Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers + the Black CrowesPetty’s such an annoying singer that it’s easy to wish he didn’t write such catchy melodies, but he does. Reunited after their umpteenth fight, Rich and Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes do the boogie thing better than is generally acknowledged outside their cult and not as well as you might hope. Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Rd. N.W., George, 206-628-0888, 7 p.m. $29.95–$59.95 Also Sat., Sept. 3VindalooThough they’re fairly workmanlike—the curse of straightahead hard rock bands everywhere—local trio Vindaloo come up with a few nifty left turns on their new, self-issued Diary of a Traveling Salesman. Turn to Fall, Ryewire, and the Zero Points open. Showbox, 8 p.m. $7 adv./$10Saturday, September 3A Frames + Old Time Relijun + the CripplesDark chaos with an avant-punk slant (A Frames), swamp gospel-jazz (Old Time Relijun) and synth-garage (the Cripples) converge for a meeting of the moods. The one you’re left with after the show is sure to require a hyphen. Sunset Tavern, 10 p.m. $7Desi WorldDJs Kazaan, Anshul, and Advent bring desi—an all-encompassing term for Indian/South Asian subculture—beats to Queen Anne with alternating weeks of Bollywood and Bhangra. Mirabeau Room, 9 p.m. $8 before 11 p.m./$10Retribution Gospel ChoirPerpetually gloomy Red House Painters’ Mark Kozelek once made AC/DC’s “Shock Me” sound downright sexy, so it’s not too far of a stretch to picture he and Low’s Alan Sparhawk covering the Stones, Pere Ubu, and A Flock of Seagulls—which, along with interpretations of each other’s songs, is what this wondrous Bumbershoot distraction is all about. No Wait Wait and Love Hotel open. Crocodile Cafe, 9 p.m. $10Sunday, Sept. 4Gerald LevertThe former lead vocalist for retro-nuevo ’80s R&B giants Levert, Gerald’s best known (and loved) for his magnificent 1987 single, “Casanova.” He plays in support of Do I Speak for the World (Atlantic), released late last year, and Collaborations (Rhino), due on the 27th. Paramount Theatre, 7 p.m. $35–$55Kitchen Syncopators + Jim and Jennie & the Pinetops + Baby GrampsThe headliners play sly jug band music, the middle group do much the same with bluegrass, and the opener ditto, only folk—for traditional-music lovers, a hell of a bill. Tractor Tavern, 9 p.m. $8Monday, September 5Mount Eerie (CD release)The followers of Phil Elverum’s Mount Eerie/Microphones projects are uniquely fanatical, and Elverum tends to offer his earthy, romantic art in bite-sized bits for the obsessive. This summer’s No Flashlight: Songs of the Fulfilled Night and The Drums From No Flashlight are two more crumbs for the collection. Calvin Johnson, Faerie Talk, and Good Luck Mr. Gorski contribute vibes. Chop Suey, 8 p.m. $7Tuesday, September 6Book of Black Earth (CD release)Book of Black Earth drag dark keyboard lines and heavy riffage through thick sludge but, evoking demonized children and mini-Satans, it’s the local band’s vocals that really put the “death” in death metal. With Sunday Night Blackouts and Wizards of War. Funhouse, 9:30 p.m. $5Grand Buffet + DJ Jester the Filipino FistPittsburgh rap duo Grand Buffet are said to be one of the most charged live acts in hip-hop—not all that difficult, granted, but we intend a (secondhand) compliment. DJ Jester, from San Antonio, fits right in with them, leaning on indie rock as much as hip-hop on his fine mix CDs. Sunset Tavern, 9 p.m. $7 EUPCOMING SHOWSSept 8 Tori Amos, Chateau Ste. MichelleSept 9 Sigur Ros, ParamountSept 9 Destiny’s Child + Mario + Amerie, KeyArenaSept 9 Oasis + Jet + Kasabian, Everett Events CenterSept 10 Keith Urban, Gorge AmphitheatreSept 12 Maximo Park + the Bravery, ShowboxSept 14 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club + Mark Gardner, Neumo’sSept 16 The Black Keys, Neumo’sSept 16 Overkill, Studio 7Sept 16 Royksopp + Annie, ShowboxSept 17 Aqualung + the Perishers, ShowboxSept 17 Antony and the Johnsons + CocoRosie, Triple DoorSept 17 Stellastarr*, Chop SueySept 17 Styx + REO Speedwagon, Gorge AmphitheatreSept 17–18 Dead Can Dance, Paramount TheatreSept 19 Lyrics Born, Neumo’sSept 19 Jaguares, Moore TheatreSept 19 Matisyahu + Mobius Band, ShowboxSept 20 Xiu Xiu, Neumo’sSept 20 Nouvelle Vague, Chop SueySept 20 Santana, Everett Events CenterSept 20 Neil Diamond, KeyArenaSept 21 The Arcade Fire, Paramount TheatreSept 22 Ashlee Simpson, ShowboxSept 23 Nine Inch Nails + Queens of the Stone Age + Autolux, KeyArenaSept 24 The New Pornographers + Destroyer, ShowboxSept 24 Akufen, Neumo’sSept 25 Duncan Sheik, Chop SueySept 25 Robert Plant, Chateau Ste. MichelleSept 25 The Queers, El CorazonSept 25 Isolee, Neumo’sSept 26 Green Day + Jimmy Eat World, Tacoma DomeSept 27 The Notwist + Themselves, Chop Suey