That's what opener Anna Ternheim dubbed the Ternheim-Li-del Mar lineup at the Triple Door last night, the "Swedish girls tour." She was the solo singer/songwriter of the night, with a throaty, room-filling voice, a setlist stuffed with love and anti-love songs, and a guitar. (She also took over the grand piano.) "That one was about a girl who's a stalker," she mentioned off-handedly. "Any stalkers here tonight?" Her songs often ended surprisingly, in mid-flow. Twice......

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. 10......

DJ Rare Groove spins for the crowd before Atmosphere's set. Slug's tidy ponytail gleams, silhouetted against changing red, green and aqua lights. He moves his body like he's got something to clarify. "Oh, you know this one too?" he asks the deliriously excited crowd, and of course the answer is yes. In Seattle, Atmosphere's emcee Slug--dark, emotionally tortured, pensive Lothario Slug--is a god. We seem to prefer our rockstars on the brooding but safe......

Nas--NAS, people--is playing Showbox SoDo this Friday, and there are three possible reasons why tickets are still available. (1) No one knows he's coming (an unintentionally secret show?); (2) Word's gotten sufficiently around about Nas' weak live performance (but still... Nas!); or (3) Everyone's blown their ticket budgets on hipster-friendly Atmosphere, playing Tuesday at the same venue (for $20 less a ticket). Needless to say, Atmosphere and Nas don't really bring out the same crowd.......

Just before lunch we were bicycling down Broadway and this guy on the sidewalk asked us where the place was you can buy pizza by the slice. "Pagliacci," we called back. "What's to-day, my fine fellow?" he asked. "To-day!" we replied. "Why, Christmas Day!" That last part was not quite true. But it's like Christmas because Pagliacci Pizza is hosting a concert benefit, “A Night for Elise," at Neumo’s tonight, and that seems really nice.......

As if chocolate alone isn’t enough, tonight Theo Chocolate adds music, massage, and meditation to the menu. Can you believe it? Head over to Theo’s fun shop in Fremont to sample some chocolates and sip some Choice organic tea. They’ll have a string quartet playing, and if you’d like even more relaxation, you can enjoy a complementary Ayurvedic mini hand massage with Sweet Beauty chocolate lotion. Or ante up and purchase a two-person Ayurvedic......

RETURN TO THE '80s: The B-52s are playing at the Showbox at the Market tonight. We hope you already have your $50 (!) tickets since the show's sold out. If you're into that kind of '80s thing though, you can get your fill at "I Love the 80s" at Club Noc Noc with DJ Shane. Tonight is sure to be a love-shack bonanza. 9 p.m. // Club Noc Noc // Free TIME FOR THE BIRDS:......

CHARITABLE INDULGENCES: If you're not too hungover from tonight's couture cocktails with Jack Mackenroth at Product Runway, something beautiful involving imported beer and fine Scotch is happening in Fremont both tonight and tomorrow: the HopScotch Spring Beer and Scotch Festival. The festival's a benefit for NW Folklife, so think of your purchase of extra tequila tastings as an act of springtime charity. 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday, 1 p.m.-12 a.m. Saturday // Fremont Studios, 155 N.......

Laura Veirs has been writing and performing dreamy folk and pop songs for nearly a decade. She graces Seattle with a solo performance this Friday night at the Triple Door. 7:30pm & 10pm (21+) // Triple Door // $17 adv, $20 dos // Liam Finn opens Seattlest: Can you tell us a little about the solo tour? Laura Veirs: I start on Wednesday in Vancouver and then the second show will be in Seattle. It's......

MUSICAL: Just you wait, 'Enry 'Iggins! Lerner & Loewe's proto-Pretty Woman fantasia, My Fair Lady, opens at the Paramount, starring British theatre actors Christopher Cazenove and Lisa O'Hare as Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. The production unites the original U.K. artistic team with Trevor Nunn (director), Matthew Bourne (choreography and musical staging), and Anthony Ward (production design). 7:30 p.m. // Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine Street // Tickets: $25-$72 MUSIC: Peter Morén, the lead......

FOOD: First things first. Before you go rushing off into your weekend, you should eat. Eastlake Italian restaurant Serafina is having a grand reopening Friday night after a kitchen remodel and bar facelift, with a new spring menu. It's their 18th anniversary, too. What more do you need? Friday, 5:30-11 p.m. // Serafina, 2043 Eastlake Avenue East // Entrees $16-$27 MUSIC: The GRAMMY-winning Shelby Lynne is at the Showbox SoDo Friday night. Her new......

ART: New York graffiti artist Ghost a/k/a Cousin Frank has a show up at the BLVD Gallery. A pioneer who got started in the late 1970s, Ghost was on the ground for the NYC subway graffiti movement featured so prominently in Warriors. His stuff is instantly recognizable. If we end up walking by, we're heading in. 1-6 p.m. // BLVD Gallery, 2316 Second Avenue // FREE FILM: Now where did that cat Jonesy get......

If you've come to know Rilo Kiley through recordings, we're here to tell you that they're an even better band live. They open up the studio packaging and let the songs breathe. Sometimes it's bluesy, sometimes it's R&B, sometimes a torchy twang. Jenny Lewis led the Showbox audience through songs off the new album, Under the Blacklight, but everyone already knew all the words to "Close Call" and "The Moneymaker." We'd always thought of Rilo......

MUSIC: If you're not taking the ferry Friday night to Bremerton's Admiral Theatre to catch Death Cab for Cutie (we understand if you're not, it's a real schlep) and if you don't have tickets to Blitzen Trapper/Fleet Foxes at Neumo's (it's sold out), then my god, what the hell were you planning on doing? How about a trip up to Everett for the Everett Symphony's Tribute to Burt Bacharach. (We agree, Mrs. Hendy, he......

BIRTHDAY: Seattlest contributor and man about town Donte presents the "I Ain't Dead Yet Mutha*%&# Dirty Thirty Extravaganza!" featuring: Truckasaurus, Sleepy Eyes of Death, and Randy Jones. As Donte points out, that's "two of The Stranger's Young Ones, and a veteran producer/DJ--for free. What more could you want?" 8 p.m. doors // Neumos, 925 East Pike Street // NO COVER (21+) BIDNESS: Seattle Tech Startups is having another meet-up to...you know...talk about tech startups.......

"Let Us" by Seattlest Flickr member JeanineAnderson Hooray! The first batch of the Capitol Hill Block Party line-up for this summer has been announced, and we're thrilled to see what a truly fine list it is. Hot groups such as Vampire Weekend, Les Savy Fav, Kimya Dawson, and The Physics are already confirmed, with nary a six-hour-long Spoon set to be found. (Okay, so maybe last year's Spoon performance wasn't exactly six hours long,......

"Blue Scholars" from Brokn on Flickr. Thanks! The most important thing we brought away from the EMP Pop Conference was the name Labi Siffre, along with a link to the English musician's blog, Into The Light. This was the fruit of a moving, well-researched presentation from Charles Aaron, music editor at Spin, and we can't wait to dive deeper into Siffre's poetry and musical catalog from the 70s and 80s. Aside from that presentation......

FRIDAY MUSIC: Subtle, the genre-blending Bay Area group that plays music described as indie, electronic, experimental rock, and abstract hip-hop, have added a new element to the mix: lasers. Subtle frontman Doseone will attend a laser CD listening party at, naturally, Seattle's Laser Dome; they're hyping their new album ExitingARM. The laser show will also include some of the bands artwork. (Their Seattle live show will be at Nectar Lounge on May 10.) 9:15-10:15......

MUSIC: The 2008 Pop Conference at EMP kicks off today (and runs through the 13th). There's more than 160 presenters across some forty panels. Tonight there's a keynote panel (inspired by the current EMP|SFM exhibition American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music) with Louie Perez of Los Lobos and Raul Pacheco of Ozomatli. Later on in the conference, a performance by Blue Scholars, a talk about being a "ghostwriter" by the king of the......

JOBS: What with all the layoffs recently (wow, there's a lead-in good for any occasion), you may want to hot-foot it down to the Seattle Weekly job fair at EMP. If nothing else, go to pick up a free Zipcar membership so you can get to interviews on time and in style. Recruiters will include the Auburn Regional Medical Center, UPS, Clearwire, Seattle Goodwill, Tect Aerospace, Seattle Peace Corps, Solid Ground, City of Everett,......

Clearly we are big fans of The Cribs. The Brit-rock trio put out a great album last year, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, featuring the barreling title track (above). The band is a family affair--twins Ryan and Gary Jarman on guitar, bass, and vocals and baby brother Ross on drums--with the result being a sharp (and often sexy) mix of post-punk and edgy, precise pop. But for all that they've got going for them,......

Ever since we heard that Nick "Hedwig" Garrison was going to be the Emcee, we were looking forward to seeing Cabaret at the 5th Ave (through April 13, tickets: $20-$77). We imagined that Garrison knows exactly what life in little cabarets is like. And, it turns out, he does--of all the performers onstage, he's the one who gives that extra wattage for the big numbers, dials it down for friendly, catty asides, and acts like......

Two ambulances pulled up outside the Showbox SoDo on Monday night, just as the doors were opening at 8pm. They attended to a very drunk young lady who no doubt missed out on the all-ages Diplo/Justice bill for that evening. Ah, the youth. Upon entering, we came face to face with a wall of said youth and unavoidable flat-screen monitors plastered everywhere running MySpace videos and ad spam. Up the stairs to the bar,......

ALL-STAR PANEL: The Hugo House 2007-2008 Literary Series presents "Answered Prayers and Other Tragedies," a colloquium with authors Sherman Alexie and Michelle Tea, the Stranger's man-about-town David Schmader, and musician Sean Nelson. All are responding artistically to the question, "Is the only real tragedy getting what you want?" Ben Blum, the winner of the Hugo House New Works Competition, will also be there, wondering if this is what he really wanted. Friday, 7:30pm //......

Take a break from harrowing five-year Iraq war retrospectives and political sex scandals to see the lovely Johanna Kunin and DC's These United States at the Sunset tonight! The first time we went to see Johanna Kunin, we left practically purring with satisfaction. We expect tonight to be no different. Kunin uses dreamy, hypnotic loops and mind-buzzingly beautiful harmonies to lull you into your happy place. These United States' songs are layered and intricate, with......

Part of the reason we Zipcar-ed out to Ballard was to see the space that The Space (aka the 608 Club, at 608 NW 65th) is in. We found a door that said 608 on it and walked into a foyer crammed with electric organs and keyboards and a couch. People glanced up at us, but we kept on, down a hall to a small merch table that also contained a paper bag filled with......

MUSIC: Yes, we know, you wanted to catch Vampire Weekend at Neumos but the show's sold out. What we suggest you do instead is walk across the street to the Comet and enjoy Jet Lag Palm, The Antiques, Slow Skate (they're out sick), and Half Light. The bill is half local music, so it doesn't have to travel as far to get to your ears. Save the planet! 8pm doors // Comet Tavern, 922......

Not too long ago, we were attempting a trip to San Francisco. As soon as we got to SeaTac, we found that our flight was somehow already an hour and a half late. The employees at the ticket counter, civil without being friendly, couldn't get us on another flight, so we got some food and a drink and watched our delay get longer. Eventually, it was time to board (on what was now the......

Having quickly sold-out the Showbox this Friday night, Nada Surf has added a Thursday show. And lucky you, we'd say. After seeing their magnificent acoustic set at the Triple Door last month, we knew right away we'd be back for more. Word on the street says this week's shows will be plugged in so it will be cool to hear them in full-on rock mode. If, however, you missed the acoustic show and cried yourself......

A red-bereted, beaming man with diamond-encrusted glasses stepped onto Chop Suey's stage last night around 11pm and shouted, "ChhhhyeLOWWW!" "ChhhyeLOWWW," the delighted crowd screamed back at Mistah F.A.B. It's no mystery why F.A.B.'s so popular. His swooping, playful, sharp music reminds us of nothing more than driving down a busy California six-lane boulevard on one of those stunningly hot summer days, though our sense of heat and motion might have been coming from the writhing,......