Saturday afternoon MvB is going to talk to a pack of Emerging Critics at the Seattle Rep--and hopefully avoid being panned--before heading to the Moore for Compagnie Heddy Maalem's version of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps. Sunday he's packing for Iceland. Warm socks, etc. Dropping into town between flights to and from Paris, Ronald is going to attend a seminar on blogging at the UW on Saturday. Lots of traveling, as always, for Jay. He'll......

Matthew Dear is a Michigan-based artist most known for his techno productions, both under his own name and under a slew of aliases. Over the last few years the incredibly productive Dear has taken a decidedly pop turn, adding his own baritone vocals to his techno productions, crafting songs instead of tracks under his own name. Dear hinted at the pop shift with his 2003 release Leave Luck to Heaven (and the hit "Dog......

John's band, in light of America's financial misfortunes, will be returning to the home-made recording studio to use our economic meltdown as inspiration for new songwriting material. David will be watching as much playoff baseball as he can, since it's the first weekend in October, while his new live-in girlfriend wonders what she did, and if it's not too late. MvB is earning his man-about-town stripes with a Saturday visit to the scissors wizards at......

Even if you're going to tonight's John in the Morning at Night, Friday's best bet is DJ/blue-eyed soul man/gold lamé bathrobe-wearer/consummate performer Jamie Lidell, along with opener Janelle Monae at Showbox. Jamie also has an instore at Easy Street Queen Anne this evening at 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, there's the Anticon two-fer of Why? and Restiform Bodies at the Vera Project.......

If you haven't heard it yet, the above video is for Noah and the Whale's light-hearted poppy single "5 Years Time" off their debut album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down. That catchy song just begs to be used in pretty much every movie trailer—Wes Anderson ones especially—and/or TV ad (we've already seen it in a car commercial). The folky twee British quartet plays a free show tonight at Chop Suey with openers Grand......

Does It Offend You, Yeah? attracts a good crowd. Last night at Chop Suey, the angular British electro-rock four-piece had an audience of fans eager to dance, sing and clap along, and once (just once) send someone aloft crowd surfing. For the rest of the show, DIOYY acted as the big beats soundtrack to a dark and bangin' dance party. Morgan Quaintance provided more cowbell (see above), while singer James Rushent yelped the vocals--that......

BATTLING HIPSTER SHOWS: Which music venue will the hoodied fixie-riders descend upon tonight? We think the vast majority will suffer the all-ages (no drinking) five-band-strong line-up at the Vera Project with Raggedy Annes, Strong Killings, and Japanther. The stragglers, who can't see a show without PBR or at a venue off the Hill, will be heading to Chop Suey for Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Team Robespierre. Japanther, et al. // 7:30 p.m. //......

BLACK MONDAY: Good God! Have you been following what's going on in the banking sector? We're closing our WaMu accounts as fast as we can and switching to WSECU before our Wamoola goes the same way as the investors in Lehman Bros. Wait...is that how bank runs start? Shit. Anyway, if ever there was a good day for drinking, it's today. Which is why Seattlest is happy to host a Moe Bar happy hour tonight......

MEET ME IN THE CHAMBER: We don't need to sell the symphony fans on chamber music, but maybe you rock and rollers could use a little primer. Catch six chamber ensembles at Town Hall tonight, and get your chamber music in 15-minute doses. It's like tapas, but with violins. 8 p.m. // Town Hall // Free LOCAL AUTHOR BLOWOUT: TNT sports writer Dave Boling has written a novel. Go Dave! Guernica is set during the......

There's a whole cavalcade of delicately dear boys in town tonight. Head to the Triple Door for pretentious Juilliard grad/Philip Glass collaborator Nico Muhly who composes and plays experimental classical works. He's part of the 802 Tour, along with Sam Amidon and Doveman, who recently covered the Footloose soundtrack non-ironically and in its entirety. It's actually his touching and bittersweet tribute to a childhood friend's half-sister. For reals. Stream the whole thing at Doveman's website.......

It's a relaxing evening at Chop Suey, Earlimart has draped Christmas lights on their gear, and we sip our gin and tonic as midnight approaches. Aaron Espinoza thanks the crowd at Chop Suey several times, though "crowd" may be stretching it--as usual at an Earlimart show in Seattle, a ragtag band of resistance fighters has showed. They sway in semi-darkness, drowning in a rumbling drone, to gently sung, lush pop that promises "it's a deathtrap,......

GIRLS WITH STRONG GASTROCS: The Pacific Northwest Highland Games are up in Enumclaw this weekend! Have you ever seen a troupe of Highland dancers, or examined any of their calves? Those ladies have serious plantar flexion skillz. And the National Highland Dance Competition's not all that's going down. We're talking pub piping, Scottish sing-alongs, a full-blown ceilidgh (it's more than just a barn dance!) and of course the field games! Seattlest's Scottish blood thrills to......

Road trip! The seventh annual What the Heck Fest is taking place all weekend at venues in Anacortes. Mt. Eerie is but one of the many bands set to perform. If you're staying here in town, tonight loud-ass two-piece Middle Class Rut plays King Cobra, along with Burning Brides.......

Philly rapper Freeway at Chop Suey on Saturday: gruff, powerful, in control. Prodigious beard. His set was a pleasure to behold, with thick, thumping, meaty beats over which his growl sounded just right. Such sparkly bling, too! Our only complaints are that he cut off "It's Over" way too early and there were a couple too many a capellas, but the man can keep filthily perfect time and impresses regardless of the beat behind him.......

ARTISTS X-ING, WITH CAMERAS: A motley crew of photographers are gathering down at the Market tonight to explore the area through their camera lenses for the evening. They're meeting at that brass pig by the fish throwers (could this event get any more Seattle?) and will be snapping photos around the Market, downtown, Pioneer Square, the waterfront, and more. It's open to anyone who wants to join in the spirit of discovery and photography. 6......

BOMBS BURSTING, ETC: Happy Independence Day! Grill up some zucchini, down a beer or three, and enjoy your day off. Ivars is doing their exploding chemicals thing after sunset, so if you're into that, sedate your dogs/chickens/goldfish and enjoy the 23 minute show over Elliott Bay. Or wherever: check here and here for your options. 10 p.m. // Your Roof // Free(dom) GANGSTA RAP—SERIOUSLY: Get your gangsta self to Chop Suey on Saturday for Crooked......

Liz Phair's musical legacy packed Chop Suey last night, as Seattle's indie rock scene turned out to wish Three Imaginary Girls a happy sixth birthday, and Phair's Exile in Guyville a happy fifteenth. In truth, the affair had an insider-ish feel, with a large number of people we recognize from the local music industry, due both to TIG's status as the local Pitchfork and to Exile's status as a cult album. The six bands/artists who......

When Liz Phair released Exile in Guyville back in 1993, music was, well, pretty much where it is now: A boys' playground of aggressive, booze- and drug-addled hyper-aggressive music, a scene that women fit into either by imitating the boys or by settling for the marginal spaces reserved for women, whether that was soul-searching singer-songwriter strumming an acoustic guitar, or tramped-out pop vixen delivering sugary three-minute radio singles. Into this toxic mix of misogyny, Liz......

Last Friday, before X-Ray Press took the stage at Chop Suey, we ran into an acquaintance who described them as "math rock, circa 1994." After their set, another friend described them as "intellectual" musicians. Both are fair assessments: we wouldn't credit it as "original," but "skillful"? Hell yeah. Jumping between jerky time signatures, with a jagged, frequently dissonant guitar opposite thundering bass-lines and fuzzy keyboard melodies, X-Ray Press got down old-skool Don Cab-style. And then......

A very rock 'n' roll Chuck Mung, swathed in two vests (one furry, one with red, white and blue sequins) and a kilt, won the Seattle regionals for the Cuervo Black US Air Guitar Championships at Chop Suey last night! We could tell at his performance in Round 1 that there was something special about this one, a skillful edge that set him apart from his (admittedly crazy) competition. The night wrapped up by......

The word on the Web is that another Seattle venue has been sold. The club on the auction block this time? Chop Suey, apparently sold to a yet-to-be-named Japanese company. Hannah Levin and Reverb were the first to report the story after Miss Levin ran into Chop Suey's booker Pete Greenberg on a Ballard bike ride last night. Greenberg, who was also the booker at the dearly beloved and departed Crocodile, must be feeling......

It's going down tonight. Contestants are carb-loading, judges are wrapping up their pre-competition detox diets, and the crowd--frankly, the crowd was born ready for the Seattle regionals of 2008's Cuervo Black US Air Guitar Championship tour! This is the first year that Seattle (home of Jimi, for God's sake!) gets to compete, and we have not a shadow of a doubt that local Air Guitar artists have more than enough attitude and commitment to the......

GET A HAIRCUT, GET A REAL JOB: If you're among the throngs getting laid off thanks to this booming economy we're having, try skipping the liquid breakfast today. Roll out of bed early and get on down to Seattle Center with a stack of resumes. The Northwest Career Fair kicks off this morning at 11 and, with any luck, there should be at least something for which you're qualified. They're hiring for just about everything—from......

It's a great weekend for hiphop, Seattle! On Saturday, Grynch is headlining a show with D.Black, XPerience, Khingz, and the hilarious Sonny Bonoho at Chop Suey. It's a well-balanced bill full of funny, talented performers who draw big crowds on their own steam, so on a line-up together--well, Chop Suey will be alive and on fire Saturday night! On Sunday night, Dyme Def officially releases their crazy-good new mixtape, 3 Bad Brothaaas, at Nectar. Naturally,......

MORE THAN CLOWNS: Two college friends who shared a love of making balloon animals blow the balloon world wide open with their film TWISTED: A Balloonamentary. This documentary shows how eight balloon twisters' lives have been changed by balloon animals. The opening night screening includes a balloon twisting workshop (get that dog you always wanted). Bonus: the film is at Central Cinema, so you can kick it with a beer and a pizza while......

These New Puritans hail from the UK, and despite having a strong album in Beat Pyramid, they've managed to avoid being burdened by the usual praise of the UK press, leaving Seattlest much more receptive to their post-punk wares when the CD finally reached our desk. It seems these days every other band is post-something, so tossing those descriptions out the window, what makes These New Puritans stand out is the overwhelming urgency evident on......

It may not feel like summer in Seattle, but tomorrow afternoon is The End's Summer Camp II at Marymoor Park. It's a mix of the good (Nada Surf, MGMT), the bad (Flogging Molly, Pennywise), and the emo-ey (Armor for Sleep). Meanwhile, all weekend long Noise for the Needy marches on, raising money for Urban Rest Stop. Come tomorrow night, it's Matt and Kim, YACHT, and local band Feral Children at Neumo's. Here's a clip of......

For a brief moment last night, it was summer in Seattle. Inside the sold-out Ting Tings show at Chop Suey, it was hot and humid. The house was packed with young people drinking, dancing, and carousing. The music was pounding, and the gays were in full effect—all the trademark signs of summer. And then, about half an hour later, it was over. Anni Rossi kicked off the show with an abbreviated twenty-minute opening set.......

FULL PUPPET NUDITY: You might have noticed that big banner on the side of the Paramount advertising puppet cleavage Avenue Q. Well, tonight is opening night, so if you haven't gotten your tickets for this ever-so-brief run of the Tony Award-winning show, now's your time. Seattlest will be there tonight for the kick-off, but then it's up to you to get out and see those puppets sing and swear all over the place. June 10-22......

Stairwell Sisters have joined the slowly growing community of all-girl old-timey bands, and recently released their third album, Get Off Your Money. They do much better when they tackle the traditional fiddle tunes, but their originals do the genre plenty of justice. They’ll be joined at the Tractor tonight by local old-timey heroes the Tallboys. The Seattle branch of the famed Paul Green School of Rock opened in January. Now, the inaugural class of talented......