Anyone who has acted in even the most amateur community theater knows that on nights when the house is half-full, it’s hard to muster the same energy for performance that comes with the adrenaline of a sold-out show. X Japan is one of the biggest bands in the world. They’ve filled the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times. On Friday they played for 1,200 people in the Paramount Theatre without a hint that this wasn’t their biggest night yet. more ›

Take Guns-N'-Roses, add a dash of Queen theatrics, throw in some Aerosmith and U2 arena-rock charisma and you’ll have X Japan; superstar glam rockers, poised to blow your mind with sweeping metal-pop-punk. They’ll be at the Paramount tonight on the third show of their first ever North American tour. Beyond huge in Japan, (they’ve filled the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times) X Japan is venturing onto American soil to see how hard we all can rock. more ›

Pretty much everyone describes long-running Canadian metal band Anvil as "the real-life Spinal Tap." They went virtually unnoticed for most of their thirty-year existence until the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil became an audience favorite on the festival circuit last year. The film will start its Seattle run at the Varsity this Friday, but you can see it first at El Corazon tonight (7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show), at what's being dubbed "The Anvil Experience," an all-ages screening of the film followed by a live performance by the band themselves. Tix are $15. more ›

FROM THE PAGE: This season's Book-It Repertory Theatre production is an adaption of Dinaw Mengestu's The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, which was the 2008 Seattle Reads pick. Tonight, the good Book-It people are hosting their regular forum, From The Page To The Stage, to give Seattleites a free preview of and background for the upcoming production. The show itself opens on April 14. more ›

pump by Taylor Hain more ›

Ahh, Saturday! A chronologically arranged discussion of the Block Party, Day Zwei (Day Eins here): more ›

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. more ›

"King Cobra's hiphop hymen has been broken!" declared Gatsby of Cancer Rising last night. It's true: The Physics were the first hiphop group ever to grace the newish stage in the rock-n'-roll-ified nightclub, and Cancer Rising made it extra official in a mixed line-up featuring the metal-rock, electric guitar-wielding Emeralds as well as Portland's indie rockers Caves. The night was "magical," as Caves singer Jacob Carey deemed it. Welcome, King Cobra, to Seattlest's short list of favorite venues, you with your yellow under-lit tables and your flickering neon bar shelves! Someone told us your food is tasty and your bar stools are even comfortable, and for all of those reasons you have earned our sincere affection. more ›

Apparently, Dethklok are going on tour this summer, playing at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle in June, with pre-sale tickets available now with the secret password "duncanhills." more ›