Wednesday, July 26

Helvetia + Mike Johnson

Former Dinosaur Jr. bassist Mike Johnson has one of those whiskey-and-cigarette baritones that fans of Mark Lanegan will be fond of. The Eugene, Ore., native makes gloomy, snarling tunes that resonate with lovers of heavy rain and cloudy skies. He’s probably not gonna make your summer playlist—unless, of course, you hate summer. War Room, 9 p.m. $5

Os Mutantes

Moore Theatre, 8 p.m. $29.50–$39.50

Thursday, July 27

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Let’s face it—this is nothing more than a Neil Young show in which three overweight hippies flank him. Anyone who witnessed the 2000 and 2002 CSNY reunions will recall how Mr. Young’s dominant stage presence put shame to his on-again off-again bandmates, all of whom resembled nothing short of your uncles trying to be funky while wearing Izods. So, if you’ve got the money to blow, and wish to see Ol’ Neil outshine his worn-out friends, it’s worth it. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 360-825-6200, 8 p.m. $36–$151.

Chris Isaak + Allison Moorer

Charming crooner Isaak returns to the Chateau with his first Best Of in tow, so if you’re looking for new material, get over it. His retrospective—including, of course, “Wicked Game”—will perfectly complement the recent heat. Moorer’s neo-country Getting Somewhere just came out and is getting favorable attention. Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, 425-415-3300, 7 p.m. $39.50–$69.50

Tara Jane O’Neil + Nick Castro and the Young Elders + Jen Wood

Singer-songwriter O’Neil is now known as a Northwest-based painter, and formerly a key musician in the mid-’90s Louisville scene, which produced several near-brilliant bands and recordings (Rachel’s, Slint, Rodan’s Rusty), then vanished from most of the nation’s consciousness. Luckily, she’s never stopped working—her new EP, A Raveling, is as smart as anything she’s done. Sunset Tavern, 9 p.m. $7

The Raconteurs

Jack White and Brendan Benson’s vanity-not-vanity project released Broken Boy Soldiers this spring, and it’s decent, but not enough of a departure from their work with the White Stripes and solo (respectively) that it warrants this kind of price-gouging. Moore Theatre, 8 p.m. $30–$33.50

Laura Veirs and the Tortured Souls + Johanna Kunin + Mike Dumovich

Veirs is one of Seattle’s best-kept secrets—a genuine storyteller with a strong voice, as heard on her excellent Carbon Glacier and Year of Meteors. Her songwriting chops keep her romanticized tales miles ahead of the coffee shop masses. Tractor Tavern, 9 p.m. $12

Friday, July 28

Blue Cheer + Goblin Cock + Kalas + Mos Generator

SEE PREVIEW [Kalas], P. 39. El Corazon, 9 p.m. $15

Capitol Hill Block Party Mainstage: Slender Means + Helio Sequence + Himsa + Band of Horses + Pretty Girls Make Graves

For the first day of the big bash, this is one hell of an MVP lineup. They’re all local kids done well, whether you favor the electro-punk of PGMG, the bracing metal of Himsa, or the atmospheric jangle of Band of Horses, whose existence is one of Seattle rock’s most surprising breakthroughs in some time. 10th Avenue and Pine Street, 4:30 p.m. $12 wristband

Capitol Hill Block Party Neumo’s Stage: Immaculate Machine + Tennis Pro + the Village Green + thee Emergency + the Cops

Energy abounds on this local stage with garage rockers thee Emergency, the Cops, and the Village Green. An afterparty with Big Business and DJs Franki Chan and Four Color Zack follows at 11 p.m., and it’s just five bones or free with your block party wristband. 11th Avenue and Pine Street, 5 p.m. $12 wristband

Capitol Hill Block Party Vera Stage: Tall Birds + Abyssinian Creole + Panther + the Pharmacy + Sea Navy + Macklemore + Visqueen

The Pharmacy sent us a 7-inch a few weeks ago that was slid into a beautiful album sleeve, presumably screen-printed by hand. While that would normally be enough to merit kind words for the band, the tunes etched into the piece of vinyl were quite stellar as well. Side A’s “Overcast Summer” is a gem of drizzly pop-punk, the kind of tune that could only be written in the Pacific Northwest. 11th Avenue and Pine Street, 4 p.m. $12 wristband

Justin Martin

Glitzy DJ AM is playing around town tonight, too, but here’s where we recommend you go if you really want to get your groove on. Not only is the War Room, with its just-right-sized dancefloor, one of the best places to hear house music, but Buzzin’ Fly DJ Martin’s recent mix of funked-up house and techno (featuring Iz & Diz, John Tejada, and Swayzak) would sound sweet coming through that soundsystem. With Eric Allen and Sol Calderon. War Room, 9 p.m. $5

PDXplore: Norfolk and Western + Laura Gibson

This edition of PDXplore, which brings the best of Portland to us, really does feature one of Portland’s best—so if you’ve missed the tender Americana of Norfolk and Western before, here’s another chance to see why they’ve been praised by everyone from Pitchfork to their former tourmate M. Ward. Sunset Tavern, 7 p.m. $5

Pete Yorn

Music for the Morning After, Yorn’s 2001 debut, was one of the few decent songwriting efforts that year—WB-ready but without sounding rote or stale. Rather, he’s always seemed sincere, and not nearly as miserable as his L.A.-based, star-chasing cohorts in that genre. This double gig will preview the August release of Nightcrawler, which looks like it might be—if we know Yorn—kinda sexy. Crocodile Cafe, 8:30 p.m. $20 adv./$25 All ages Also at Easy Street Records, 20 Mercer St., 6 p.m. NC

Saturday, July 29

Capitol Hill Block Party Mainstage: Schoolyard Heroes + Smoosh + Silversun Pickups + Minus the Bear + Black Angels + Common Market + Murder City Devils

SEE CD REVIEW [Silversun Pickups], P. 42. A bombastic horror-punk troupe led by a prom queen (Schoolyard Heroes). Precocious teenagers who are definitely Free to Stay (as Smoosh’s latest Barsuk album was titled). Local legends (Minus the Bear) and legends-in-the-making (Austin’s Black Angels, who sold out Chop Suey last month). Hip-hop innovators (Common Market) and the goddamn Murder City Devils!!! Do you need any more reasons to get your ass out into the street? 10th Avenue and Pine Street, 2 p.m. $12 wristband

Capitol Hill Block Party Neumo’s Stage: The Fleet Foxes + the Can’t See + Sera Cahoone + Six Organs of Admittance + Magnolia Electric Company + the Divorce

The Murder City Devils afterparty will be held here, along with the Little Ones and DJs Fat Buddy Holly and Merchbot 2000. It starts at 11 p.m. and is $5 or free with your block party wristband. 11th Avenue and Pine Street, 2:45 p.m. $12 wristband

Capitol Hill Block Party Vera Stage: Der Trasch + Ladyhawk + Wallpaper + Speaker Speaker + the Saturday Knights + Grayskul + the Lonely H + the Pale Pacific

The references dogging Ladyhawk will abound—Neil Young, Buffalo Tom, Dino Jr. But you can’t deny how few bands in indie rock make you wanna put on a flannel and have a kegger in the woods. These Vancouver, B.C., natives more than make up for that void with their grass-stained riffs and boot-stomping glory. 11th Avenue and Pine Street, 2 p.m. $12 wristband

KUBE Summer Jam: E-40 + Ludacris + T.I. + Bow Wow + Ray J + Cherish

Hey, ladies! This one’s obviously for you. Last year’s Jam brought Brooke Valentine and princess Ciara, and we’re curious about the lack of female representation here—especially since the summer airwaves are thick with Rihanna’s “S.O.S.,” Field Mob and Ciara’s “So What,” Kelis’ “Bossy,” and naturally, “Promiscuous.” Of course, San Francisco’s E-40 has been bridging commercial and underground radio with his brand of hyphy for months–so if you need to be told when to go, it’s now. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 360-825-6200, 12:30 p.m. $20–$75

3 Leg Torso

This Portland ensemble takes inspiration from tango and Eastern European folk to create modern chamber pop that’s both elegant and charming, and which has gotten attention from NPR’s All Things Considered. Consider Béla Balogh’s strings and trumpet, and Courtney Von Drehle’s accordion for yourself at this extremely appropriate venue. Can Can, 94 Pike St., 652-0832.

Sunday, July 30

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers + Trey Anastasio

SEE FEATURE [Tom Petty], P. 42. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 360-825-6200, 6 p.m. $32.50–$75

Project W: Shoup + Arnold + Campbell

In recent months, we’ve been disappointed to head to the Hideout for their first Sunday jazz night and find Shoup & co. conspicuously absent. While the monthly didn’t last as long as we’d have liked, this reunion show will showcase the trio of experimental jazzists for those who need one more fix. With location and performers so perfectly matched, hopefully it’ll be the first of many. Hideout, 9 p.m. NC

Monday, July 31

Ruth Brown

Inspired by Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday, Brown rose to the top of R & B stardom in the ’50s, when Atlantic Records was affectionately called “the house that Ruth built.” Younger generations might remember her as Hairspray‘s Motormouth Maybelle, or for her starring role in the Tony-winning Broadway play Black and Blue. But the lady’s still got pipes, and knows how to use them—Brown’s a cultural force not to be missed. Triple Door, 10 p.m. $35 adv./$38

Kelley Stoltz + Steve Turner and His Bad Ideas

Though Steve Turner will always take a position of self-deprecation when talking about his guitar playing, we have no problem admitting the bearded one is a hell of an ax-man. His first solo disc, Search for a Melody, put him at the forefront of his own acoustic genre, “skate folk”, and his latest, New Wave Punk Asshole, finds the Mudhoney guitarist returning to his punk roots. Sunset Tavern, 9 p.m. $8 E

UPCOMING SHOWS

Aug 4 Harvey Danger, Neumo’s

Aug 5 Diplo, Neumo’s

Aug 6 The Coup + Common Market, Neumo’s

Aug 9 Peaches + Eagles of Death Metal, Showbox

Aug 9 Tim McGraw + Faith Hill, KeyArena

Aug 10 World Party, Showbox

Aug 14 Ghostland Observatory, Crocodile Cafe

Aug 15 French Kicks, Neumo’s

Aug 16 Ani DiFranco, the Met (Spokane)

Aug 17 Pete Droge + Korby Lenker, Tractor

Aug 18 Ani DiFranco, Marymoor Park

Aug 19 Comets on Fire + Kinski, Neumo’s

Aug 21 Wolf Parade + Frog Eyes, Showbox

Aug 22 Cracker, Crocodile Cafe

Aug 23 Styx, Chateau Ste. Michelle

Aug 25 The Kingsmen, Triple Door

Aug 25-26 Chicago, Chateau Ste. Michelle

Aug 26 The Clientele, Chop Suey

Aug 27 Tool, Gorge Amphitheatre

Sept 1 M. Ward, Neumo’s

Sept 1-3 Dave Matthews Band, Gorge Amphitheatre

Sept 3 Bonnie Raitt + Keb Mo, Chateau Ste. Michelle

Sept 6 The Black Keys, Showbox

Sept 6 Matisyahu + Polyphonic Spree, Marymoor Park

Sept 7 Silver Jews, Showbox

Sept 8 The Dandy Warhols, Showbox

Sept 9 Devo, Paramount

Sept 14-16 Decibel Festival, Neumo’s

Sept 15 Mission of Burma + 50 Ft Wave, Crocodile Cafe

Sept 21 Two Gallants, Crocodile Cafe

Sept 22 Medeski, Martin & Wood, Moore Theatre

Sept 22 Elton John, KeyArena

Sept 23 John Mayer + Sheryl Crow, White River Amphitheatre

Sept 26-27 Rancid, Showbox

Sept 27 Buju Banton, Neumo’s

Sept 27 Phoenix, Crocodile Cafe

Sept 29 Felix Da Housecat, Last Supper Club

Oct 3 Cibelle, Triple Door

Oct 13-14 Queensrÿche, Moore Theatre

Oct 15 Sufjan Stevens, Paramount

Oct 22 Madlib + Peanutbutter Wolf + Oh No + Dudley Perkins, Neumo’s

Oct 31 KMFDM, Neumo’s

Nov 17 Kaskade, Neumo’s

Nov 25 Do Make Say Think, Neumo’s