When we showed up at the High Dive last week to celebrate their birthday (and watch a killer show), it was like going home. The whole place was full of friends, musicians and music lovers alike. It's the reason why we love being a part of the music scene--you never have to watch a show alone, even if you arrived by yourself. more ›

With four bands that promised to impress, how could you go wrong? more ›

Talk about bang for your buck, this Thursday's lineup at the High Dive is gonna keep your feet tapping and your booty shakin' all night long. We couldn't ask for a better bill of up and coming bands. We've been keeping a close eye on these guys and it's about time they're breaking the silence with a show. more ›

Looking for a way to fill in that anticipatory Friday evening before Bumbershoot? You know, that time when you're practically vibrating with excitement for the impending magical music goodness? We have a suggestion that will leave you satisfied, at least until the next morning. The FunOfficial Bumbershoot kickoff party at the High Dive is filled with great local music acts and you can win stuff too. What could be better? more ›

Bringing to mind the young enthusiasm of Matt Sharp-era Weezer, The Miniature Tigers and The Spinto Band have both been named as the heir to goofy, smart indie rock in the past several years*. With our beloved city’s summer leaving a bit to be desired this year, what better time to surround yourself with sunny indie pop? Both groups will be at the High Dive tonight with Miniature Tigers headlining. Of note, Ben Barnett of Kind of Like Spitting fame will kick the evening off with a set from his new band, Blunt Mechanic. more ›

For the last dozen years, matt pond PA has specialized in consistently combining thoughtful, often sentimental lyrics with music that can't help but cause you to reflect on your own place in the world. As a review of their 5th LP aptly put it, the band creates "the kind of songs that creep into your heart and reside there like warm memories." While this formula has delighted fans for years, the band, fronted by the group's namesake Matt Pond, has also been challenged by critics wanting to hear the songwriter push himself. more ›

Tonight Girls Rock! Seattle will host a "50 Shows in 50 States" fundraiser at The High Dive, featuring performances by Goodness, The Redwood Plan, Eighteen Individual Eyes, and Alicia Dara. The fundraiser is part of a nationwide effort to raise money and awareness for Girls Rock! Seattle and the Girls Rock Camp Alliance (GRCA), an international coalition unifying girls’ rock camps and girls’ music projects around the world. The goal of the fundraiser is to hold 50 shows in 50 states on the same day to benefit the cause. more ›

PAUL CONSTANT LIKES IT: We'd express an opinion ourselves, but we haven't read it yet, though our interest has been sufficiently piqued. Oh, what are we talking about? It's this "existential mystery novel" called Oh! A Mystery of Mono No Aware by Todd Shimada. We're not even sure exactly what "mono no aware" means, because it's, like, one of those super deep Japanese concepts you can only understand after studying the meaning of a circle for several years. Or maybe the author can explain at his reading tonight. 6 p.m. // Kobo at Higo // 602 S. Jackson St. // free! more ›

NERD BOOK: Junot Diaz, the nerdy Dominican-American novelist whose still be available, but you'll have to check at Benaroya's box office, as online sales have closed. more ›

EIGHT TRACKS 'N EIGHT TRACKS: Oh wait, that was the predecessor to Tapes 'N Tapes, the band playing at Neumos tonight. Everybody loves a little celebratory Midwestern indie rock on Inauguration Day, right? To prepare, or if you can't make it to the show but still don't want to Miss It, check out this Lollapalooza feature from a year or two ago where you can download the tracks from their set-list. more ›

It's been a long time since Kim had a tourist to show around, so she's looking forward to giving her father a stellar tour of Seattle and its environs. On the agenda: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Bainbridge Island, the Fremont troll, and plenty of great food--finally an excuse to go to the Kingfish! Before pops arrives, she'll kick the weekend off right, with Sera Cahoone and Zoe Muth tonight at the Tractor. more ›

, but given Grove's and Rosset's history, it's bound to cover plenty of interesting stuff. more ›

JUST IN CASE YOU'RE IGNORANT: There's something almost charming about books like Jonathan Curiel's , an earnest effort to demonstrate, through their contributions to American culture, that Arabs and Muslims are not such a scary Other but rather a part of the American cultural fabric, and have been so for a long time. There's a bit of "duh" factor to most of this, it sounds like, and we doubt that understanding how appropriation of Turkish music led to surf rock classics like "Miserlou" is going to sway your average Muslim-hater. Still, it's an interesting take and one little enough explored to justify heading up to Town Hall tonight to see Curiel speak. more ›

NON-FRENCH MUSIC: The High Dive hosts NadaMucho's New Music Mondays on, well, Mondays. The results are sometimes plenty interesting. Tonight, we're particularly interested in Canadian rock duo The Vicious Guns. Also, Look Closer and The Side Project. more ›

This weekend smells like autumn. But if you point your nose in just the right direction, you'll smell something a little brinier, a little boozier; you will catch a whiff of some of Seattle's most creative hiphop, a scent emanating tonight from the High Dive (Grayskul/Champagne Champagne) and at the Rendezvous (They Live!/Fatal Lucciauno) for "The Corner." It's your call where you fork over your cash, but either way you're going to be in the company of Seattle-drenched hiphop greatness. more ›

Way back in February, we went down to Memphis for our other job to commune with all the other folk music nuts at the International Folk Alliance Conference. While there, we stumbled into a late night songwriters-in-the-round showcase that was taking place in someone's hotel room around about midnight, or one of the hours between it and sunrise. It was all a big blur, to be honest. But one of the artists that struck our fancy was one Natalia Zukerman of New York City. Zukerman will be joining forces with Adrianne (of Atlanta, Georgia) this Wednesday to bring some of that swell East Coast action to our little Pacific outpost. They'll set up shop at the High Dive at 9 p.m., and play until someone shuts them down. We recommend you go, and we bet Zukerman would recommend the same. We didn't ask her that when we got her on the phone last week, but we did ask her other things. Read on... more ›

Break out the hackysack and butterfly wings, because former Phish bassist Mike Gordon is at the Tractor tonight in support of his new solo record, The Green Sparrow. more ›

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. more ›

. Casella, a physician, draws on her intimate knowledge of the health industry to construct a dramatic portrait of the subtleties and complexities of medical malpractice, when a child's death on the operating table sends an anesthesiologist's life into a tail-spin. more ›

Tonight, Das Llamas celebrate their new album Class Wars: K-12 at the Comet. The local rock fourpiece stomp out a little bit of everything, from synthy no-wave punk to dirty electro rock, offering up "a platypus of sound that is a new noise in a new era." more ›

FREE BOOTY: Scion is desperate to be cool, and the latest result of that pathological drive is a CD sampler of work from IHEARTCOMIX, the LA-based label/lifestyle company. The CD is available at Scion dealerships, but the real cool news is that IHEARTCOMIX is sending dj Franki Chan (with Radiocl*t and Drop the Lime) on a limited and exclusive tour to support the release that comes to the War Room tonight. The show's free, but you have to RSVP here first. more ›

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 the ferociously experimental indie Sarathan quintet. more ›

HUGE AMOUNTS OF CHEESE: The Cheese Festival is upon us! This is one of our top three favorite events of the year (#2: our birthday, #3: Christmas). Several reasons: a city block full of cheese, friendly vendors, wholesale prices on bottles in the wine garden (don't buy the red wine that says "bacon" three times in its description, we made that mistake last year), and (it bears repeating) a city block full of cheese. more ›

Head to the Showbox this weekend for Ghostland Observatory tonight and tomorrow night. We've seen the Austin duo thrice before, and we can guarantee their yelpy dance-rock is much better live than in the recorded form (and much better in a packed and sweaty room like the Showbox than a spacious outdoor venue). more ›

As previously mentioned, tonight's Wig Bash at the High Dive, as well as the second, final, and sold-out performance of Nada Surf at the Showbox. Also sold out: Springsteen at Key Arena Saturday. But never fear, there's still other options out there, like Golem at Nectar tomorrow night. We don't know much about them, but we've heard that the six-piece klezmer band play "Eastern European drinking songs" and that they're "fun as hell." That's enough for us to make a recommendation. more ›

Another year, another Wig Bash. The local music website/indie PR firm is celebrating their fourth year in existence with four shows, two in Seattle followed by another two in Spokane, excellent line-ups for all. Festivities kick off tomorrow night with the official Wig Bash 08 preshow. Check it: more ›

Last weekend was dead, so of course this weekend there's approximately one bajillion bands playing. We've already mentioned Kaki King, Dengue Fever, and Born Ruffians, so here's the other weekend shows of interest: more ›

Been a while since we've been out for a truly good time on a Saturday night. We want music, but not just any music. Something upbeat and a little crazy. Something that'll leave us sweaty and exhilarated when it's all over. Lots going on this weekend, sure, but one show in particular shines bright through a crowded calendar. more ›

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Tonight, if you're not already going to the second sold-out Magnetic Fields show, there's still a few tickets left for John in the Morning at Night at Neumo's, with the Duke Spirit, the Voom Blooms, and Tulsa. There's also PWRFL Power's (aka Kaz Nomura) second CD release show at the Vera Project. Since Kaz won a slot at last year's Capitol Hill Block Party (via the Stranger's Block Star contest last spring), he also won a spot in an Esurance ad, resulting in "the most unusual Esurance commercial to date." Check it: more ›