Seattle has one of the most renowned local music scenes in the United States, and to celebrate, Seattle Weekly is having both a Music Awards contest and an accompanying showcase concert. Across nine Pioneer Square bars in one night (Sunday, Aug. 10), the Awards Showcasefeaturing 52 of the nominated bandspresents some of local musics brightest talents. Heres a guide to the bandsand a cheat sheet to their set times and venues.
LAST SUPPER CLUB
124 S. Washington St., 206-748-9975
DORKWEED
They may be ridiculously prolific (five releases in four years), they may know how to crank out memorable song titles (“It’s Not Like I’m a Cat”), and lead singer Brent Amacher may insist that you call him “Weed,” but is there a solid rock core beneath Dorkweed’s garden of quirks? A scan of the creative sampling and molten riffs saturating their latest LP, Fluxivity Test Project (Shaky), indicates “Hell, yes.” Keeping the quirk fertile, the band is striving to out-trip Floyd with what Amacher calls “Dorkweed Karaoke,” a Fluxivity DVD with original art videos that will coincide with the album. 4 p.m. Indie Pop
MS. LED
With a sound that falls somewhere in between other Northwest female-fronted bands like Sleater-Kinney and Visqueen, Ms. Led are a power-pop four-piece with a strong but not heavy-handed feminist message and a straightforward punch. Fronted by Lesli Wood (whose name and clear, sirenlike voice will be familiar to those who recall her former band, lesliwood) and backed by notables Matt Menovcik of Saeta, Peg Wood, and Stephanie Hasselman, Ms. Led are an energetic, inspired act with enough experience and stage presence to give their sincere songwriting a solid backbone. 5 p.m. Punk/Hardcore
GRAIG MARKEL & VERSES ON VENUS
Released this year on Pattern 25, The Gospel Project was recorded and performed entirely by Graig Markel and displays the songwriter’s affection for ’70s pop, smooth soul, and mellow R&B. Of Markel’s previous release, Hard Grammer, CMJ magazine wrote, “This is the album your love life has been waiting for.” Clearly, Markel is as influenced by the pitfalls of modern romance as he is by performers like Prince, Steely Dan, and vintage Chicago. Also a noted recording engineer, Markel is a seasoned Seattle veteran who has worked with local bands like Tagging Satellites and Hello From Waveland. 6 p.m. Indie Pop
PLEASEEASAUR
Take King Missile-style humor, throw in DAT and video projections that draw from all things pleasurable from video games to ethnic food, and you’re starting to approach the unparalleled DIY force connecting this “boy and his machines.” Pleaseeasaur, aka J.P. Hasson, has previously tripped around the country with Dead Milkmen’s Joe Talcum in the bands We’re Not From Idaho and Touch Me Zoo, and both his costumes and lyrics give Mike Patton a run for his money. Not one for rock jocks or those who take themselves too seriously, his full-lengths include The Yellow Pages and As Seen on TV (Imputor?), the Australia-only Pleaseeasaur International Airport (Black Hole/ VB Recordings), and the Beef Flavored Island Adventures EP (Razler). www.pleaseeasaur.com. 7 p.m. Experimental/ Avant-Garde/Electronic
THE FADING COLLECTION
This down-tempo trip-hop duo comprises Sarah McColloch on vocals and Matt Frickelton on production. Their first LP, Interactive Family Radio, combines samples, drum loops, synthesizers, and organic elements to create what the duo describes as “groove-based soundscapes.” The Collection are fairly prolific performers, appearing at all the usual suspects around town and having made numerous appearances at EMP’s Liquid Lounge. 8 p.m. Experimental/ Avant-Garde/Electronic
TRICK DECK
With a rotating cast of contributors and performers over the years, Trick Deck is the creative brain of Mark Wand’s delays, tweaks, and hallucinogenic effects. Sounds like a studio obsession, but with frequent live performances and the aid of vocalists Nichole Halleen and the High Children’s Mr. E, Trick Deck mixes electronic wizardry with hip-hop influences and live instrumentation to challenge clubbers to step beyond their typical scene. Full-length releases include Freaky Love and Trick Deck (Infrasonic), with appearances on the Ponga Remix CD (Loosegroove), Hi Fi Killers’ Loaded (Loosegroove), and the Womb Till Tomb compilation. www.trickdeck.com. 9 p.m. Experimental/ Avant-Garde/Electronic
TIKI BOB’S CANTINA
166 S. King St., 206-382-8454
ONRY OZZBORN
Apocalyptic raps, darkened backgrounds, and boasts are hardly news in hip-hop, but throw out some props to chess champion Bobby Fischer and references to songwriter/kid poet Shel Silverstein, and you’ve got a unique spit. Proving to be one of the more prolific of the sprawling Portland-Seattle alliance Oldominion, Onry Ozzborn blends all of the above on slick productions and stout beats. Along with The Grey Area, just days off the press, and the soon-to-drop In Between EP, you can catch Onry’s flow on his solo debut, Alone, all on BSI/One Drop Recordings. 4 p.m. Hip-Hop/Rap
ZACHARIA
One of the founders of the Northwest’s drum and bass scene, Zacharia introduced Seattle to jungle’s ominous backgrounds, Reese bass lines, and breakneck “amen” breakbeats in the puddled shadows of the Alaskan Way Viaduct back in 1996 with the 360BPM crew (Marcus Lalario and DJs Nitsuj, Maxx, and Theory). The drum and bass buyer for Platinum Records, Zacharia is a rave and club mainstay across the Northwest, holding his own against the biggest international names with slots at Groovetech, the Baltic Room, Temple Billiards, Aristocrats, and his current monthly at Noiselab among his residencies. Bets are you can’t find a beat-head around who hasn’t felt his pressure. www.360bpm.com. 5 p.m. DJ/Turntablist
CODEBASE
Striking out from a litany of aliasesCodebase, Betamax, Heatsync, and Induction, as well as active membership in the .x09 collectiveTom Butcher is one of a handful of Seattle producers turning heads in Europe. With his roots in electro, Butcher pushes revisionist techno that finds middle ground between Detroit’s minimalism and burning deep house funk. Aside from Orbit Records, which he ran and released tracks on throughout the mid-’90s, you can find Codebase’s singles “Unravel” and “Esperanto” on Swayzak’s 240 Volts, or head straight for a full serving with his recent release, Style Encoding, on the widely respected Frankfurt label Force Inc. www.x09music. com/codebase/. 6 p.m. Experimental/ Avant-Garde/Electronic
BOOM BAP PROJECT
Members of the Northwest hip-hop collective Oldominion, the Boom Bap Project are MCs Karim and Destro Destructo and DJ Scene. Boom Bap can be found on the bill opening for just about every major hip-hop act that comes to town. They’ve performed with everyone from the Souls of Mischief to Wu-Tang Clan, and their fiery brand of battle raps and aggressive beats always excites. Their latest single, “Trade Remix,” produced by Vitamin D, is an always popular request on KEXP’s Street Sounds, and the 2001 EP Circumstance Dictates features cuts with underground legends Pep Love of the Hieroglyphics and L’Roneous of the Dreamweavers. 7 p.m. Hip-Hop/Rap
MR. SUPREME
Known around the Pacific Northwest for his underground mix tapes, Mr. Supreme is a DJ who’s performed with just about everybody. From DJing for the Rock Steady Crew’s 24th Anniversary Party to holding it down as Bumbershoot’s official DJ, Mr. Supreme always gets up, and his crowds always get down. 8 p.m. DJ/Turntablist
B-MELLO
B-Mello cut his teeth on mix tapes in the early ’90s and is a veteran of Seattle’s hip-hop battle scene. The DJ made his name when he battled Shortkut and Babu at the 1994 West Coast DMC Finals. Since then he’s put out several mix tapes, including Blends Pt. 3, which is ranked as one of the top 10 mix tapes of all time by Mixtapes.com. B-Mello currently hosts KEXP’s Street Sounds and can be found MCing what seems like every local hip-hop show. 9 p.m. DJ/Turntablist
THE NEW ORLEANS
114 First Ave. S., 206-622-2563
JAY THOMAS QUARTET
Idolized by young Seattle jazz musicians for decades, Thomas manages the feat of being a brilliant player on both brass and woodwind (tenor saxophone and trumpet, in his case), approaching each with a warm, ballsy, swinging tone. Thomas is revered by those few national jazz critics who manage to see beyond New York CityNat Hentoff celebrated him in the pages of The Wall Street Journal not long agobut for Seattle listeners, his great chops are modestly on display at joints like Tula’s any given night of the week. 4 p.m. Jazz MARK TAYLOR QUARTET
Without doubt the smoothest, easiest transition of the night will occur between this set by Mark Taylor and the next by Matt Jorgensen. That’s because the two bands have identical personnelin the first set, the saxophonist leads; for the second set, the drummer takes over. (Taylor’s quartet also adds guitarist Chris Spencer to the mix.) With a crisp, biting style on alto and soprano, Taylor is solidly in the hard-bop tradition of Cannonball Adderley and Jackie McLean, but with modernist touches and off-kilter runs. His band plays a jittery swing, interspersed with gentler ballads. His most recent record as a leader is After Hours on Origin. 5 p.m. Jazz
MATT JORGENSEN + 451
Since returning last year from a decade in New York, drummer Matt Jorgensen has been making his Seattle presence heavily felt, taking over operations of the invaluable Ballard-based label Origin Records and making tracks with a number of bands, most especially the one he leads, composes, and arranges for, 451. This band, usually a quartet, covers the range of modern jazz, creating a distinctive hybrid that’s forward thinking, groove-based, and bad-assed. Ryan Burns handles Fender Rhodes duties these days, taking over from the great Marc Seales (whose work was a highlight of 451’s two Origin discs), while Phil Sparks occupies the bass chair and Mark Taylor handles the sax wailing. And Jorgensen’s drummingimpeccable, as always. 6 p.m. Jazz
LAYLA ANGULO
A regular performer at Seattle’s summer street festivals, downtown concerts, Bumbershoot, and clubs, Angulo’s Latin jazz band is a smooth-burning unit, covering Afro-Peruvian and other pan-Latin sounds with style and sweat. Angulo on sax is the rare female bandleader in the Latin realm; she and conguero Walter A. Torres also compose and arrange the band’s killer tunes. This isn’t generic salsa but something a lot looser and exciting, with strong horn solos and plenty of percussive drive. 7 p.m. Jazz
BALKAN CABARET
Somewhere around the mid-’90s, Balkan music became the hippest thing among New York musicians, who started weaving its intricate, melancholy motifs into progressive jazz. Balkan Cabaret subtract the downtown pretension to get a purer form of Balkan cafe music that’s made for toasting, dancing, and carousing. The band got its start two years ago, when Seattle vocalist Mary Sherhart linked up with some recently transplanted Bay Area folk musicians; later they added guitarist Steve Ramsey to the mix of fiddle, bass, and accordion. They get the crowds moving and talking about the old country at places like the Porta Greek Taverna on Eastlake. 8 p.m. World/Reggae
OBRADOR
Pioneers in the Northwest Latin-jazz scene, this Olympia 10-tet has been giving up a hot-headed, bighearted, bomba- salsa-funk for nearly three decades. They’ve played Bumbershoot and Du Maurier and opened for Charles Mingus and Don Cherry. A few years ago, they toured Cuba. And they still provide a high-minded party, with positive vocalizing from Connie Bunyer, fluid lines from guitarist Paul Hjelm, wild piano riffs from Michael Moore (not the filmmaker), and creative intergenre drumming from Steve Bentley. The band’s latest incarnation also features hot gusts from saxophonist Dan Blunck, plus two trombones. 9 p.m. World/Reggae
JUAN O’RILEYS
309 First Ave. S., 206-622-5826
HANUMAN COLLECTIVE
Blending modern rock, funk, folk, jazz, bluegrass, and world music into a Northwest-flavored organic cocktail, this quintet has appeared with the String Cheese Incident, the Mickey Hart Band, and the Zen Tricksters. The Hanuman Collective (formerly just Hanuman) includes Paul Benoit’s acoustic guitar, Tige DeCoster’s acoustic bass, Scott Law’s mandolin and acoustic guitar, Damien Aitken’s sax, and Will Dowd’s various rhythm instruments. Together these elements yield predominantly instrumental songs with a knack for making audiences groove. Formed in 1996, the band takes its name from the legends of a Hindu monkey god. 4 p.m. Groove/Jam
SIAMESE
Is it live or is it a cybertronic mutant escapee from a computer lab? New listeners can be expected to wonder, but patrons of ToST long ago learned that the electrolyte mix of organic and mechanical in Siamese has its source in the humanoid drummer Kevin (aka DJ) Sawka, who keeps up beats that would exhaust Pentagon computers. No wonder jazz bigs like Wayne Horvitz, Bill Frisell, and Graham Haynes have all sought him out. With Lightfoot on electric bass, Dave Z on keys, and all three players spooling samples and effects, this is drum and bass with frenetic and eerie impact. 5 p.m. Groove/Jam
CLINTON FEARON AND THE BOOGIE BROWN BAND
Before coming to the States from his native St. Catherine, Jamaica, Clinton Fearon was the well-known bassist, vocalist, and lyricist for the Gladiators, a mainstay of Jamaican music. Not incidentally, Fearon was also a regular session player at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One and Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark Studio in Kingston. Upon settling in Seattle, Fearon first formed the Defenders, and then, in 1993, the Boogie Brown Band. Staying true to the classic ’70s reggae aesthetic of the islands, Fearon and his five-piece band use time-tested harmonies, positive percussive vibrations, danceable melodies, and dub treatments to color their globe-spanning sound. 6 p.m. World/Reggae
PHAT SIDY SMOKEHOUSE
Phat Sidy, besides being a bunch of raging potheads, are Chris Littlefield (trumpet), Bob Lovelace (bass), Davee C (drums), Ernest Pumphry (vocals), John Ryser (sax), and Brian Ray (guitar). This six-strong funk-rock-soul band is almost always guaranteed to play Hempfest and can be caught at the pot party this month. Their first album, Platos Grande Rehersial, features the single “Make It Legal,” and their latest album, Subrabae, includes another stoner ballad, “Keef (It Burnin’).” 7 p.m. Groove/Jam
SOURCE OF LABOR
Seattle-born brothers Jonathan Moore and Upendo Tookas, aka Wordsayer and Negus 1, formed Source of Labor while living in Atlanta to “bring hip-hop back to the community,” and have been a staple of the Northwest hip-hop scene ever since their return a decade ago. With Moore on the mike and Negus 1 holding down the lion’s share of the production end, they’ve expanded to include the talents of Darrius Willrich (keyboards), Allen Matthews (drums), Kevin Hudson (bass), and Vitamin D (turntables). Aside from catching various members of this list weekly at Jumbalaya, you can check out SoL’s conscious hip-hop on Stolen Lives (Subverse). 8 p.m. Hip-Hop/Rap
NU SOL TRIBE
Nu Sol Tribe’s sound is a montage of funk, soul, and rhythm and blues. The core members of Nu SolChad Redlight, Buddhaful Mike, and Kimomet a year and a half ago at a Seattle jam session and have since added four more musicians to the lineup. Incorporating a neo-hippie ethic into their music, their shows often include fire, dancers, and shameless plugging of their Buddhaful line of clothing. They’ll also be playing at at this year’s Hempfest, the weekend of Aug. 16-17. 9 p.m. R&B/Soul
THE CENTRAL
207 First Ave. S., 206-622-0209
THE LAWNMOWERS
Gigantic, irresistible power-pop doesn’t always come from bright and shiny places. In 2000, Sister Psychic drummer Ryan Vego used part of his suicide note to ask his friend guitarist Andy Davenhall to commit some of the songs he’d written but never recorded to the studio. Davenhall honored the request and recorded his own music along with guitarist Ron Carnell, laying the groundwork for the Lawnmowers’ hyperactive Jack Endino-produced debut, Fearless (Good-Ink). The bittersweet hooks are still coming as the quartet, featuring former members of Pure Joy, the Bolos, Ottoman Bigwigs, and Dodi, are plotting their sophomore effort with Endino. 4 p.m. Indie Pop
DEAR JOHN LETTERS
Few indie notables juxtapose distinctively personal singer-songwriter sensibility with tasteful rock energy better than Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie; with the release of Stories of Our Lives (Foodchain), Dear John Letters’ leader, Robb Benson, just snatched himself a handful of Gibbard’s Excalibur. On “Creation Myth,” his voice charges up the register from fleeting sigh to the most impassioned, individualized wail west of Rocky Votolato. Dear John Letters sign off on everything from Simon and Garfunkel-esque folk strums (“You Always Win”) to righteous, full-throttle power pop. Benson says it best: “Perfection is for snowflakes.” 5 p.m. Indie Pop
THE PALE
Talk about a band that can negotiate the right place at the right time. The Pale have already infiltrated the Sasquatch Festival, EndFest XII, and pop-goth sensation Evanescence’s first-ever Seattle show, yet they sound little to nothing like the status quo on any of those bills. Delivering uniquely empathetic guitar- pop in the vein of Jimmy Eat World via Rivers Cuomo’s twisted, romantic looking glasses, the organ-bolstered Bellingham squad is still making waves with last year’s third LP, Gravity Gets Things Done (Always Never). Fans of the Barsuk stable should have little problem digesting them. 6 p.m. Indie Pop
ONCE FOR KICKS
When Kurt Bloch and Kim Warnick of Fastbacks fame lend their production and vocal skills to a band, it’s a safe bet that you’re dealing with quality. Another scuffed-just-right gem in Bellingham’s boisterous rock scene, Once for Kicks (formerly Sourmash) keep things messily distorted, yet conjure everything in the pop landscape from the Beach Boys to Green Day. No amount of grime could cover the hooks, especially in “Either Way, We’re Going Ashore,” a song that imagines The Simpsons‘ Montgomery Burns as a “WWII fighter pilot determined to defeat King Kong” and, incredibly, makes sense as such. 7 p.m. Indie Rock
THE DT’S
The Dt’s are Dave Crider on guitar, Diana Young-Blanchard on vocals, and Phil Carter on drums. Formed in 2001, the Dt’s are contemporaries of other like-minded bassless blues-influenced hard-soul rock bands like the White Stripes and the Soledad Brothers. Young-Blanchard’s husky, gospel-singer vocals are the predominant ingredient, with Crider’s (formerly of the Mono Men) guitar as a close second. Crider is also the head of Estrus Records, the local imprint responsible for releases from bands like Gas Huffer, Monkey Wrench, and the Cherry Valence. 8 p.m. R&B/Soul
NO. 13 BABY
This Pixies tribute band is named for track 11 of the Pixies Elektra debut, Doolittle, and has been known to turn in live shows that are better than those of the original. Not without their own fair share of celebrity, No. 13 Baby boast Presidents of the U.S.A. drummer Jason Finn, guitarists Jeff Barnes and Craig Montgomery, and bassist Jennifer Czeisler. Everybody in the band serves double duty and pitches in on vocals. Regulars at the Crocodile would be hard-pressed to tell them apart from the real thing, except for the lack of condescending attitude. 9 p.m. Cover/Tribute
THE FENIX UNDERGROUND
109 S. Washington St., 206-405-4313
THE ABODOX
Guitarist Nathan Smurthwaite, bassist Dorando Hodous, and drummer Benjamin Kennedy keep their live arsenal simple (Kennedy plays only a four-piece kit) and their assault ferocious. The Abodox, who share a name with a Nintendo video game, cross college-radio-ready indie rock with harsh, punkish metal. On their self-titled debut album (released by Pullman’s Cymbeline Records), the trio, who describe their sound with the cryptic tag “Black is a pigment, a pigment of your imagination,” favor hard, heavy riffs and minimal vocals from the esophagus-churn school of hard-rock singing. 4:20 p.m. Hard Rock/Metal
MICO DE NOCHE
Barely two years old, Mico de Noche have already forgotten how to play nice with other brats. Making the power-rock duo trend look tame and lame, guitarist Courvosier Jones and drummer Don de Noche trade in sexy, self-stylized “freak rock” that ignites, explodes, and evaporates just as you start to appreciate the black rhythmic undercurrents. The concept: Smash everything in sight and maybe clean it up the next afternoon. Mico’s discordant new EP, Stripper Wars (Perverted Son), is just the right soundtrack for a hallucinogenic all-night bender of lap dances and switchblades. Mike Patton would be proud. 5:20 p.m. Hard Rock/Metal
THE SPEEDLES
It had to be done, and the Speedles finally did it. Formed in London and brought to Seattle by manager Dwayne Edwards, the Speedles give a new twist on two classic (and, seemingly, diametrically opposed) styles. The group plays all Beatles coversonly they do so in the style of U.K.-circa-1977 punk rockers like the Clash, the Damned, and the Sex Pistols. Singer Johnny Stallin, guitarists Harry George and Lenny Best, bassist Saul McHartley, and drummer Ringo Marrs speed up and thrash out everyone’s favorite Fab Four classics till they become tickets to ride . . . straight into the mosh pit. 6:20 p.m. Cover/Tribute
C AVERAGE
If you’ve been touched by God, you’ve witnessed the men of C Average uniting with Eddie Vedder to perform ultrarare sets of Who covers. If you’re just an everyday Pacific NW concertgoer, well, you’ll be just as blessed to see this Olympia-based troll-core duo break out heavily ironic, still kick-ass heavy metal. They’ll slay you with all manner of battle-axes, from curt musings on three-way calling with Dr. Laura (remember her?) to Lord of the Rings-inspired blitzkriegs penned well before Orlando Bloom-mania (“Orcs vs. Elves”) to the occasionalif you’re luckyZZ Top cover. 7:20 p.m. Hard Rock/Metal
MAIDEN SEATTLE
The self-proclaimed “premier Iron Maiden tribute band” of the city, Maiden Seattle take their roles seriously. On their Web site, the band members are introduced along with their doppelg䮧ers from Iron Maiden itself. Vocalist Ken Rich (“Bruce”), drummer Steve Fournier (“Nicko”), bassist Kristian Ulriksen (“Steve”), and guitarists Tommy Steinley (“Dave”) and Joe Kurtz (“Adrian”) have honed their act to a fine sheen, paying deft homage to metal classics like “Number of the Beast,” “Can I Play With Madness,” “Run to the Hills,” “Flight of Icarus,” “Two Minutes to Midnight,” and many, many more. 8:20 p.m. Cover/Tribute
THE FENIX
109 S. Washington St., 206-405-4313
THE MEXICAN BLACKBIRDS
A member of local label Dirtnap Records’ stellar rock and punk roster, Tacoma’s Mexican Blackbirds promise “no goofy stage costumes, no stupid pyrotechnics, no deep, meaningful lyrics to try and impress the locals with, no inside jokes, and no gimmicks to fool anyone into believing we’re superheroes.” Even better, they deliver. Vocalist Chris Trashcan and drummer-backup singer Jill Trueblood (formerly of the Valentine Killers) shout with vigorous authority, while guitarist Corey Knafelz and bassist Marty Sparks propel the songs forward with fuzzy, gnarly, sloppy riffs, and ground-out chords. They’re one band that hasn’t quite left the garage, and that has no need to. 4 p.m. Punk/Hardcore
THE ROTTEN APPLES
Lots of bands have clever naming gimmicks (the Ramones, the Donnas), and the Rotten Apples have a great one: Each of its four members’ stage monikers plays on the group name. An all-female quartet, the Rotten Applesguitarist-vocalist Dejha Colantuono (“Candy”), drummer-backing vocalist Heather Jane (“Rotten”), guitarist-backing vocalist J.J. Henry (“Caramel”), and bassist-backing vocalist Bambi Nutt (“Sour”)have been compared to Joan Jett, Elastica, the Muffs, the Jim Carroll Band, and Blondie. Their hooky, catchy, attitude-drenched sound rocks like a house on fire. Hear them on their album, Real Tuff (Empty Records), and the Dirtnap Across the Northwest compilation CD. 5 p.m. Punk/Hardcore
THE TURN-ONS
Androgynous ’80s Britpop and psychedelic ’70s glam inform the sounds of the Turn-Ons. Taking cues from T.Rex, Bowie, the New York Dolls, and Morrissey, frontman Travis DeVries possesses the mysterious appeal of his heroes and a unique flair all his own. In keeping with their stylish aesthetic, the Turn-Ons frequently augment their live shows with slides, collaged film, and other visuals. In the British music monthly Q, columnist and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck called them his “favorite new Seattle band.” Respected producer and multi- instrumentalist Erik Blood rounded out the lineup when he joined DeVries, Sharon Oshima, Will Hallauer, and Corey Gutch in 2000. 6 p.m. Rock/Garage
COOKIE
Sabrina RockArena, the bassist-vocalist for local hard-rock trio Cookie, may well have the best name of any Seattle musician, though guitarist JayMe LayMe isn’t far behind. (Drummer Tommy Sparks’ moniker isn’t too shabby, either.) Playing what the group describes as “sexy muscle-car rock and sleazy country and western with a glittery flash of metal,” the band formed in 1995 and have appeared on the Vans Warped Tour; they’ve also released two albums, 1999’s All Hell Can’t Stop Us (produced by Conrad Uno) and the more recent Sweat-Soaked & Satisfied. And RockArena has even had a red plaid handbag, designed by Paul Frank head designer Missy Broom, named for her. 7 p.m. Hard Rock/Metal
THE SPITS
Led by Midwest-born and -bred brothers Erin and Sean Wood, the Spits are a four-piece punk band known as much for their over-the-top stage antics and ridiculous costumes as they are for their catchy, deceptively simple pop-punk tunes. Speeding drumbeats, up-front keyboard noise, and purposefully anti-intellectual lyrics trademark their self-titled 2002 release. Comparisons to the Ramones, Devo, and the Screamers, along with their chaotic live shows, have garnered the band a loyal cult following in punk clubs across the country. One noted underground zine, Horizontal Action, called them “brilliantly retarded.” 8 p.m. Punk/Hardcore
DOC MAYNARD’S
610 First Ave., 206-682-4649
LITTLE RAY AND THE UPPERCUTS
Of all the formalist American roots-music genres, rockabilly may be the trickiest to pull offeasy to approximate, difficult to make your own. Local combo Little Ray and the Uppercuts, though, go a decent ways toward the latter option, thanks to a high-spirited approach that gets ’em dancing in the aisles. They’re regulars at a few local venues and parties, the latter of which is a more than appropriate place to appreciate their style. 4 p.m. Country/Rockabilly
BILLY DWAYNE AND THE CREEPERS
With a logo that approximates the classic Chevrolet font and a look and sound that lead one to imagine that the car they’d be happiest in would be the 1957 model of that particular auto make, Billy Dwayne and the Creepers are one of the most beloved retro-swinging rockabilly groups in Seattle. If you haven’t caught their energetic live show, try out the three songs (“The Chance You Take,” “Hell Raiser,” and “Lucky Stars”) available online at MP3.com. 5 p.m. Country/Rockabilly
ROY KAY TRIO
Using rockabilly legends like Johnny Burnette, Charlie Feathers, and Carl Perkins as starting points, the Roy Kay Trio are a drumless ’50s revival band that manages to be perfectly rhythmic with just an acoustic guitar, an electric one, and an upright bass. Lyrically as well as musically, the Trio take unabashed inspiration from country and rock genres, fusing them into a spirited tribute to Americana. They sing about heartache and sock hops, and their aesthetic is purely vintage, too. Surf-guitar legend Deke Dickerson produced the band’s debut record. 6 p.m. Country/Rockabilly
CHRISTY MCWILSON & THE CROSS TIE WALKERS
Formerly the frontwoman for the Picketts, the rootsy McWilson has been favorably compared to Sarah McLachlan, minus the schmaltz in the balladry. Notables like R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows’ Scott McCaughey, and Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s have performed with her in the past, but McWilson is clearly the star of her own show, a fiery, poetic vocalist who dazzles no matter the backup. She’s got renowned solo albums under her buckle, Bed of Roses and The Lucky One (HighTone), and even delivers a rare, killer cover of Brian Wilson’s “‘Til I Die” on the latter. 7 p.m. Americana/Roots
ERIC “TWO SCOOPS” MOORE
Eric “Two Scoops” Moore and his Two Scoops Combo have been plying their tradea mixture of boogie-woogie piano magic, electric blues, and old-time rock and rollfor nearly seven years. And if you think the bar-band circuit is tough 36 states, 12 countries, and three continents so farthis American badass has survived . . . wait for it . . . flesh-eating bacteria. Let’s see Kid Rock do that. Moore (who plays piano and sings) and his bandbassist Guy Quintino, tenor sax player Jim King, and drummer Cutts Peaselyjoin New Orleans with Chicago (Moore has played with many of the Hog Butcher’s famous sidemen, including those of Muddy Waters) and Memphis. Nothing particularly new then, but Moore’s pounding keyboard style and Professor Longhair-esque growlers are sure to stomp out a party beat. 8 p.m. Blues
THE DONETTES
Rockabilly has always been one of the secret ingredients in punk rock; Charlie Feathers’ pedal-to-the-metal summer hymns were the hillbilly kissing cousins to Chuck Berry’s suburban blues. The key is not speed but the Big Beat: a reminder of a time when rock and roll was actually, y’know, dance music, rather than something to contemplate your pierced navel to. The Donnettessinger Rebecca Kemberling, upright bassist Kirsten Ballweg, rhythm guitarist Sarah Bratsch, lead guitarist Jonathan Stuart, and drummer Tom Forsternever forget that “rock and roll” was a euphemism not just for sex but for dancing, too. (And anyway, since when have the two ever been separate?) They’re a mixture of the old standbysrockabilly, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and both kinds of Southern music, country and western. 9 p.m. Country/Rockabilly
OLD TIMERS CAFɼ/B> 620 First Ave., 206-623-9800
ROBB BENSON
Through 11 years and seven albums, singer-songwriter Robb Benson has become something like Seattle’s Bob Seger, a perennial hometown favorite on the verge of greater success. Both solo and with his two bandsthe Nevada Bachelors and the Dear John LettersBenson marries lo-fi introspection with big, bright ’70s chords and hooks. So maybe he’s Seattle’s Alex Chilton then, except without the creepy subtext and classic-rock baggage. Over the last few years, he’s opened for artists such as the Posies, Fountains of Wayne, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion, and Harvey Danger, which may be the best gauge of his sound and range. Tongue-in-cheek but not so far that it’s lapping the shoreline; retro-leaning but without the specter of irony. 4 p.m. Singer/Songwriter
WILLOW
What is it with preternatural musical savants and the dark side? Willow, like Jad Fair and Jandek before her, picked up a guitar one day in 1992 and started to write, formal training be damned. But instead of Fair’s childhood-imp-of-the-perverse or Jandek’s just plain creepiness, Willow belongs to a more formalist goth lineage, like a female Nick Cave (or at least the one who isn’t PJ Harvey). Daughter of a preacher man and former hard-core Bible student, she also brings to mind Sixteen Horsepower’s David Eugene Edwards, the son of a minister, who likewise straddles the line between sin and redemption, reveling in the fire-and-brimstone of it all. But unlike both Cave and Edwards, Willow’s music is imbued with a gentle lyricismfull of swirling strings alternating with hushed moments of pure voicethat suggests redemption might be possible after all. 5 pm. Singer/Songwriter
ALICE STUART
They say it’s not polite to mention a lady’s age, but here it makes sense. Alice Stuart is 60 years old this year. Big dealso are millions of people, right? But few of them have been making music since 1961: fronting bands, playing guitar, and sharing the stage with some of the biggest rock, blues, and folk names of the decades that made those sounds important, like Lightning Hopkins, Joan Baez, and Jerry Garcia. It hasn’t been a continuous journey; like a lot of musicians (the Velvet Underground’s Moe Tucker comes to mind), she dropped out of sight in 1978 to raise her family before returning in 1992. Since then, she’s released three CDs, the latest of which produced a song that was picked up by Miramax for inclusion in a forthcoming feature film. But Stuart’s music remains the same down-to-earth combination of blues, country, and rock. 6 p.m. Blues
RADIO NATIONALS
With a name that somehow manages to conflate wishful pop superstardom with old, broken-down little red wagons, you’d be forgiven for guessing that Radio Nationals are an alt-country band. They’ve been compared to Wilco, but their love for crackling distortion and overdriven amps marks them closer to Jeff Tweedy’s old band, Uncle Tupelo. But while there’s a definite aggression to the Radio Nationals’ attack (reminding us that Black Flag were once as important as Loretta Lynn in the alt-country canon), they just as easily slip into a tear-in-my-beer heartbreak mode, reminding us that Hank Williams was tuffer than Henry Rollins ever was. 7 p.m. Americana/Roots
MEMPHIS RADIO KINGS
The Memphis Radio Kings hearken back to a time when “new music from Minneapolis” was something to look forward to whenever it wasn’t Prince or industrial disco. Basically this means “the Replacements,” but also early Soul Asylum, Jayhawks, even Hsker D when they had the distortion turned down. Sprightly indie pop with a twang then, but before the twang took over and turned into alt-country. The band themselves state that “writing songs that first pleased [us], then eventually [our] friends and fans was, and remains, [our] only goal.” Which is sound advice for anyone. 8 p.m. Americana/Roots
THE SWAINS
Is there a sound in music that evokes orange soda down the back of your throat on a hot, dusty summer’s day better than pedal steel guitar? (That is, when it’s not evoking luaus.) The Swains’ endless summer is on some old honky-tonk shit, as easy to swoon to as jump and wail. This is music for a time when they called bars “saloons” without irony and 50 cents could buy you more than . . . wait, can 50 cents actually buy you anything today? The Swains should know, since they also bring that old-school work ethic, “the gigging band,” at a time when guys in Stetsons make millions of dollars parading around behind giant Coke ads 15 times a year. While still too close to the verities of the old sounds to be “country” in the nu-Nashville sense, they’re nonetheless more Dwight Yokam than Ryan Adams. 9 p.m. Country/Rockabilly
