Friday, May 30

Boy/girl alt-rock duo Blood Red Shoes play noisy guitar rock that oozes cool and was perfect for the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World soundtrack. The pair cites Sonic Youth as one of its main influences, which is perfect because they totally look like the offspring of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore. With Radkey, the Mad Caps. Barboza. 7 p.m. $10 adv. 21 and over. DML

Metalachi, a mariachi group that covers classic metal tracks, may sound like a gimmick at first. Hearing Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” performed with horns and melodramatic baritone vocals can seem like a stretch. But maybe there isn’t that big a difference between the genres: Metal doesn’t have the same cultural reverence, but is steeped in its own history and lore. Traditionally, mariachi is meant for dancing and playing at special occasions like weddings, baptisms, and funerals. While you likely won’t hear Metallica at someone’s wake, there’s still a celebratory and theatrical aesthetic to the music. Slayer’s pivotal 1986 record Reign in Blood is track after track of adrenaline-inducing riffs. When Metalachi takes on “Raining Blood,” the intensity remains, but the thematic lyric “Now I shall reign in blood” becomes a cause for partying instead of self-deprecation. Metalachi’s reinterpretation, intentional or not, sheds light on some of the subtleties in metal hidden behind all the distortion. With Stay Tuned, The Jilly Rizzo. El Corazon. 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094, elcorazonseattle.com. 8 p.m. $12 adv/$15 DOS. 
21 and over. DUSTY HENRY

Saturday, May 31

On July 29, Harvey Danger’s Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? will get a massive vinyl reissue. Often on such occasions, bands and critics take the time to reflect on their legacy (and surely in this case, somewhere a thinkpiece on hit single “Flagpole Sitta” will emerge). But that would do a disservice to what frontman Sean Nelson has built since the band’s split. Last year the songwriter released Make Good Choices, his first solo record, which shows his evolution from pop-punk front man to bona fide pop songwriter. He hasn’t abandoned raucous guitars altogether (hear the album’s title track), but his quiet moments at the piano exemplify his knack for melody and poetry, and short vignettes like “Ski Lift Incident,” in which a Christian woman asks him when life begins, shine light on Nelson’s wit and charm. We saw glimpses of this on Merrymakers in tracks like “Wrecking Ball,” but the years spent perfecting his craft since then have been fruitful. With Anthonie Tonnon, The Colt Kraft Band. Columbia City Theater. 8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. 21 and over. DH

Debacle Fest, various venues in Eastlake. Check out our write up

here

.