photo by Jim (sea turtle); Seattlest Flickr pool Cupcake Royale // Ballard, Washington // Sunday // 8:45 PM A scruffy man in a well-fitting jacket plays the guitar outside with his friend who is sitting at one of the sidewalk tables. Earlier the skinny friend was waiting in line for a coffee; he tuned his guitar while he waited. Some minutes later, a bass-heavy, rock-bluesy instrumental began to reverberate through the high-ceilinged cafe. At first......

A sign inside Fremont's High Dive states that the little bar's maximum occupancy is 98. Saturday night, with Bellingham's The Trucks in the house, it felt more like 398. Good for the band's young ladies, not so good for the claustrophobic. When Seattlest arrived, the Dive was already crowded for opener Black Eyes and Neckties, an appropriately costumed hard-punk outfit. The hyperactive, Seth Rogen-y singer's unintelligible shouting quickly became tiresome and the set--admittedly well-played,......

So, there's that big, crowded festival-thingy going on this weekend and we could recommend a bunch of stuff to hit there, but ah, we're far too lazy to do that. Here's the schedule - make yourself happy. No one's looking. Tuesday 29th >>> The Maldives at The Tractor. Ease into the week with some slow-ass folk tonight. 9pm; $6. Wednesday 30th >>> Pretty Girls Make Graves, Sunday Night Blackout, Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive......