Allen Stone
Thursday, May 2–Friday, May 3
Stone has been touring the world for two years, sharing his blue-eyed, greasy soul with the masses. But if we’ve learned anything about the Chewelah-born, Seattle-bred crooner, it’s that he doesn’t stray too far from home for long. After wrapping two weekends at Coachella, these “prom”-themed shows in Seattle are sure to bring the party; they’ll also serve as the official lineup-announcement party for Bumbershoot (which means Stone will be playing the Labor Day weekend festival, no?). In addition to lots of retro prom looks (sequins, shoulder pads, baby-blue suits), expect a number of Stone standards, baby-making Marvin Gaye covers, and lots of sweaty soul. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. SOLD OUT. All ages/bar with ID.
KEEGAN PROSSER
That 1 Guy
Friday, May 3
His name is Mike Silverman and he’s a classically trained bassist, but you won’t see much of that during his gig at the Tractor. Instead you’ll see him perform as a one-man band alongside his musical creation, the Magic Pipe: a 7-foot-tall harp-shaped set of electronic tubes that he can bow, pluck, or slap. He also plays an electric cowboy boot (no joke!) as well as a modified saw. Musically it’s a hodgepodge of funky, Zappa-influenced weirdness, but it’s a live experience unlike any other. And for an extra $35 you can score a ticket to his pre-concert close-up magic show, reserved for no more than 10 people (no joke!). With Captain Ahab’s Motorcycle Club. The Tractor, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9:30 p.m. $15.
DAVE LAKE
Beck’s Song Reader
Saturday, May 4
Late last year, Beck released yet another work into his canon of pop gems and oddities: a book of sheet music called Song Reader. The idea is to have tracks brought to life by artists in their own style; where Beck might utilize synths and a vocoder, Joe Smith may employ a sax, and so on. Several local artists, including the Seattle Rock Orchestra, have accepted the challenge—and tonight artists like Robb Benson (Dept of Energy, the Glass Notes), Hann Benn (Pollens), Carla Torgerson (the Walkabouts), Rachel DeShon, Robin Holcomb, Katie Jacobson (Honey Noble), and others will present an interpretation of one of Reader’s 20 tunes. Considering the venue’s penchant for improvisational jazz, the versions may stray far from the sonic template of what Beck might ever have imagined, though with titles like “Fluffy Ruffles” and “Ev’ry Morning I Bring Her Chicken,” there’s no mistaking the songwriter’s blueprint. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., 906-9920. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $12 adv./$15 DOS.
GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT
METZ
Saturday, May 4
The last time this Toronto trio came through town, they opened for The Men downstairs at Barboza, so they’re, like, literally moving up in the world, playing the building’s larger, above-ground club, Neumos. At Barboza, they blasted through some viscous grunge-inspired numbers from an album that wasn’t even out yet (which we now know as their killer self-titled Sub Pop debut), popping eyes and eardrums along the way. They absolutely ripped shit up, and introduced themselves to their new record label’s home city with authority. Their raw-throated, drumstick-fracturing blasts of distortion are proof that good, loud, aggressive rock never goes out of style. Now with a little time under their belt since hitting the international spotlight, they should be ready to tear it down on an even bigger stage. With No Joy, Eighteen Individual Eyes. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $13 adv. 21 and over.
TODD HAMM
Rachel Harrington
Sunday, May 5
Since Zoe Muth moved to Austin, Seattle can now boast Rachel Harrington as our twangiest country singer. She recently returned from a 32-date stop across the Atlantic, where American bluegrass, roots, and country music—along with Seattle artists like Muth and Cahalen Morrison and Eli West—have become increasingly popular. On her fourth album, Makin’ Our House a Honky Tonk, you can see why: Superbly penned originals from the fiery eponymous anthem to country tunes with vintage flair like the Loretta Lynn–esque “Wedding Ring Vacation” hearken back to a time when the genre was unfiltered and full of innuendo and female vocalists belted out clean, confident notes like the pop divas of today. With Rebecca Pronsky. Empty Sea Studios, 6300 Phinney Ave. N., 228-2483. 7 p.m. $15 adv./$18 DOS.
Gwendolyn Elliott
RNDM
Sunday, May 5
A RNDM show is at least interesting for the names that make up the headlining act. Surely you’re curious to hear what a Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam’s bassist)/Joseph Arthur (journeyman singer/songwriter/guitarist)/Richard Stuverud (drummer-about-town for bands like the Fastbacks, among others) collaboration sounds like. Arthur’s sing-alongs are as dominant as you’d expect; Ament has fun on the bass, jumping up and down the neck to make the most of his spot; Stuverud keeps things splashy and gets the pace running when it feels right. With the exception of the boring lyrical sections and occasional overdone harmony, their music is mainly inoffensive adult-contemporary rock; it “gets the job done” in providing sounds that will give people’s ears something to do at a concert venue. They aren’t breaking new ground, but maybe that’s not something their audience is looking for them to do. Tractor, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $20. 21 and over
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TODD HAMM
Acid Mother’s Temple
Tuesday, May 7
If you’re not going to drop acid, you’ll at least want to get rip-roaring stoned (it’s legal, after all) before heading out to see this experimental Japanese psychedelic collective led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto, who views himself less as a songwriter and more as a conduit for all the sounds of the cosmos. The group’s songs move from walls of noisy guitars to ambient synths, and lack any kind of traditional structure. It’s abstract art, to be sure; if you can open your third eye, you’ll probably have a much better time taking it all in. With Master Musicians of Bukkake, Tjutjuna. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005. 8 p.m. $12 adv./$15 DOS.
DAVE LAKE
