While the adrenalin-surging effect of the local hip-hop scene’s growing significance is causing some to insist that Seattle’s rock scene is on the wane, the reality is that it’s just being augmented for the better. The mischievous MCs behind the Saturday Knights are hardly dismissive of punk passion—that’s probably why they pulled Cops frontman Mike Jaworski on board as a guitarist last year. Joining the Knights tonight are Dyme Def, whose strong, deceptively simple delivery and brash personas helped land them the coveted opening slot (along with the more cerebral wordsmiths of Cancer Rising) on the recent Wu Tang Clan bill at the Showbox. Local rock ain’t dead, it just has to share the playground with the rest of the kids, and that sort of integration is good for everyone. HANNAH LEVIN

Listen to a sample of The Saturday Knights’ “Gospel.”

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Fri., Jan. 11, 9 p.m., 2008