Wednesday, Aug. 25 Burnt by the SunThis quintet’s sharp elbow, obtuse-angle metal and goofy song titles (“Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom”?) harken back to our own dearly departed Botch. On their latest full-length The Perfect Is the Enemy of the Good (Relapse), courageous, three-dimensional fretwork locks neatly into end-of-the-world double bass pummeling to generate an art-metal assault that’s both intellectually evocative and kick-ass populist. Studio Seven, 8 p.m. $10Concrete BlondeIn the years since “Joey,” Concrete Blonde’s pop/punk/new wave ’80s sound has turned into dark, Latin-tinged goth-pop. Perhaps owing to singer Johnette Napolitano’s dealings in psychic power and her new home in the desert, the recent Mojave is ominous and weird—and a little over the top, too. Showbox, 8 p.m. $16 adv./$18GusterLast year’s aptly titled Keep It Together had a bad case of the blands: Only “Come Downstairs and Say Hello,” a jangler in ’80s-pop mode backed by the band’s signature bongo beat, rose above the call of duty. And even the loud, raw emotion and magnetic hooks of 1999’s Lost and Gone Forever seem a little whiny and shallow in retrospect. Marymoor Park, 6046 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy. N.E., 206-205-3661, 5:30 p.m. $30 Aimee MannProving that you don’t have to be punk to be punk, Aimee Mann has been on the DIY path for years now—even though her minor-chord song stories could be major-label material. Always an engaging performer, Mann brings brand new meaning to the term “pop-punk.” Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., 206-615-0076, 5 p.m. $19Tommy Stinson + Alien Crime SyndicateStinson was the teen heartthrob bassist for the Replacements; then he replaced Duff McKagan in Guns N’ Roses for a while. Now he’s solo, and locals Alien Crime Syndicate are backing him up in the headlining set. Stinson and ACS will also play separately. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $10 adv.Thursday, Aug. 26 David BannerSEE SW THIS WEEK, P. 43. Showbox, 8 p.m. $20–$40Man of the YearTheir innocuous guy-gal singsong antics popped up on Buffy and Roswell, but the Portland quartet’s sophomore effort A New and Greater Tokyo (Tiny) is far more refined than the usual teenybopper indie-pop gunk, thanks in no small part to the ambient flair of keyboardists Kelly Simmons and Brenna Sheridan. Crocodile Cafe, 9 p.m. $6 WonderfulU.S.E., our favorite band in the city, emerged out of this pop conglomerate, and the same good-times feel pervades both—same way with gigantic hooks, too. Nice to see them keeping both going even as the ex–side project threatens to engulf both. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $6Friday, Aug. 27Andy BeyThis 65-year-old vocalist has recently received a spike in recognition thanks to his February-released American Song (Savoy), one of the savviest and most affecting of his career. Triple Door, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $25. Also Sat. Aug. 28 The Cops + the Gris GrisSEE CD REVIEW, P. 5. Featuring members of Hello from Waveland and Black Panties (and a brand-new bass player), the Cops make punk rock reminiscent of HFW’s Replacements-esque jangles but have a sharper edge. Fans of the Clash are strongly encouraged to get arrested. Sunset Tavern, 9 p.m. $7KISW Family Picnic & Hooky Day: Static X + Trustcompany + Soil + Arithmetic of WarIn lieu of Indiepalooza, White River recovers with a dirt-cheap yard sale assortment of already obsolete, tuff guy modern schlock. Kittie already bailed, so it’s up to the Ministry Jr. techno-chug of Static X (who, to be fair, probably doesn’t deserve this sort of public exile) to appease a likely half-full shed. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 206-628-0888, 1 p.m. $9.99Layne Staley Fund Benefit: Aaron Lewis + Kevin Martin & the HiWattsThe mother of the deceased Alice in Chains vocalist co-founded this fund to “aid musicians in heroin recovery” (there’s a similar benefit at Funhouse on Saturday). Who better to draw a crowd to the niche cause than the voices behind Staind and Candlebox, two modern-rock acts clearly influenced by Staley’s sullen snarl. Premier, 8 p.m. $15 adv./$18The PalePretty original. Pretty good. Check them out while they’re in the hood. VERA Project, 7:30 p.m. $8 with club card/$9Saturday, Aug. 28The Fading CollectionStems, this local trip-hop-and-proud unit’s new remix disc, isn’t terribly interesting, which you’d expect from a remix disc. They sound just fine without other folks’ ministrations getting in the way, though. They’re also working on another (“real”) album, so expect some new material here. EMP Liquid Lounge, 10 p.m.Louie FestAn attempt to break the world record for the most guitarists playing the same song simultaneously in the same place, Tacoma’s Louie Fest must assemble 1,323 musicians to make history. (The festival also includes plenty of rock, blues, jazz, and folk on six performance stages.) Note to aspiring record-breakers: Before cranking out “Louie, Louie” en masse, please tune. For more info, visit www.louiefest.org. Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, 253-272-3663, 10:30 a.m. $10/$15. Also Sun. Aug. 29.WarrantWell before the American Pie phenomenon, Jani Lane was the first mainstream “artist” to employ baked goods as a vaginal metaphor (“Cherry Pie”). He’s no longer riding Warrant’s mike stand, but does it really matter? “Heaven” and “Cherry” are respectively third-to-last and last on the set list posted on their official site, so you can afford to show up late. Fenix Underground, 8 p.m. $12 JCSunday, Aug. 29 Eddie Spaghetti + Baby GrampsSure, Mr. Spaghetti will undoubtedly rock your and your kids’ heads off, but Baby Gramps is even more surefire—a jolly, weird, imperturbable Seattle folk fixture who’s put out two charming CDs on his own Grampophone label and is even more fun live. Science Fiction Museum (at EMP), 325 Fifth Ave. N., 877-367-5483, 1 p.m. $5–$25Monday, Aug. 30LimbeckThese guys bring absolutely nothing new to the indie-rock buffet. Their sound queerly resembles every band currently being played on MTV2’s Rock Countdown. Wow, it looks as though they have something to look forward to. Graceland, 6 p.m. $10 PrinceSEE PREVIEW, P. 45. KeyArena, 7:30 p.m. $49.50–$75. Also Tues. Aug. 31.Tuesday, Aug. 31WASPOnce, they fucked like beasts. Two decades on, it’s harder to tell from a distance—not that we’re necessarily in any hurry to find out. Fenix Underground, 8 p.m. $20–$23