Buy Your Tickets For La Luz, Kanye West, BowieVision, And More Before They Sell Out
by Stranger Things To Do Staff
In addition to all of the excellent art events in Seattle during the first full month of fall, October brings with it plenty of excellent music all around the city. Many of these concerts will sell out, so now is the perfect time to buy tickets for concerts ranging from La Luz to Kanye West to BowieVision: The Ultimate David Bowie Tribute. Find all of the options that are likely to sell out this month below, and, as always, check out our complete music calendar for absolutely everything happening in Seattle.
THROUGH OCTOBER 2
Chance of Rain Festival
Chance of Rain is stepping into the chasm left by Decibel Festival’s absence. Because Decibel had provided world-class multimedia/electronic-music bills from 2004 to 2015, Chance of Rain—which is run by former Decibel volunteers—has its work cut out for it. To their credit, they’ve booked Detroit techno pioneer Derrick May as well as several other great producers and DJs, but they do lack May’s stature and name recognition. Still, there will be plenty of highlights: Big Phone and Convextion’s powerful and cerebral minimal techno, Randy Jones’s uniquely exotic and inventive synth explorations, Butane’s dark and sensual house excursions, Bloom Offering’s forbidding industrial anti-songs, and Circa Tapes’ engagingly chilling coldwave tunes. DAVE SEGAL
Macefield Music Festival
Organizers of the fourth annual Macefield Music Festival have taken the opportunity to further stretch its parameters from humble all-local music festival—which was rebranded from the ashes of Seattle Weekly’s old Reverb music festival—to… all local music festival with a couple non-local headliners. Countrified strummers Reigning Sound are coming to town from Memphis, and experimental multimedia band Psychic TV all the way from London. But as always, beneath the line of outside talent lies a plush layer of high-grade local acts. Shouldn’t-miss sets from the pile of hometown goodness include transplanted shadow-pop diva Zola Jesus, cinematic electro-rock genius Erik Blood, scorched desert rockers Dust Moth, loudest band you’ll ever see Sandrider, shroom gods Lesbian, art-rap spark-plug DoNormaal, garage-studs Boyfriends, Tacoma dance trio Mirrorgloss, delightful queercore punks Sashay, thumping jangle-rockers Charms, doom trio Bali Girls, and toothy prog outfit Merso (formerly Leather Daddy), just to name a few. Spanning five stages this year, including a new one at Hotel Albatross, Macefield is still a great way to dive headfirst into the local scene. TODD HAMM
OCTOBER 1
SMCO Season Opener
Celebrate the debut of the 2016/2017 season for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra with this opening event featuring works by Mendelssohn, Strauss, and Beethoven, with Carlin Ma on piano, and Geoffrey Larson conducting.
OCTOBER 1-2
Marcus Miller
Two-time Grammy-winning bassist and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller will play six shows over four nights with a full backing band of Alex Bailey on drums, Caleb McCambell on keys, Alex Han on sax, and Marquis Hill on trumpet.
OCTOBER 4
Danny Brown with Guests
It’s been six years since Danny Brown’s unforgettable goose-call of a voice first burned itself into ear canals on his proper debut album, The Hybrid. His outsize persona as an outlandish hornball and fearless amateur pharmacologist never obscured his MC bona fides, the fact that he spit like it might be his last: “I rap like I bet my life”—he says on “Greatest Rapper Ever”—“’cause in all actuality, nigga, I DID.” Brown has also been a bit of a tastemaker, being an early Pitchfork-approved champion of acts like Main Attrakionz and Young Thug (and, let us not forget, Kitty Pryde). He was also the only American rapper to claim a grime artist (Dizzee Rascal) as one of his chief influences, before the UK style was enjoying its Skepta-driven stateside resurgence. And now he’s got a new album coming out, Atrocity Exhibition. Touring with Brown is a well-deserving indie stalwart, the bellicose H-Town goon Maxo Kream—as well as Danny’s fellow Bruiser, Brigadeer ZelooperZ. LARRY MIZELL JR.
The Zombie Apocalypse Tour with Fabio Frizzi and DJ Veins
What fresh hell is this? Only the magnificent Italian horror-film soundtrack maestro Fabio Frizzi darkening Seattle's nightscape for the first time ever. With Death Waltz, Cinevox, Finders Keepers, and other reissue labels leading a revival of all things sonically and cinematically blood-curdling, the time's ripe for acts like Goblin, John Carpenter, and now Frizzi to bring their hauntological cues and tenebrous atmospheres to America's stages. Frizzi got his start in the mid '70s with Franco Bixio and Vince Tempera in the legendary Magnetic System group, who put the fright into the funk in many a sample-worthy track. Frizzi went on to score several movies by gore-mongering director Lucio Fulci, including Zombi 2, The Beyond, and Manhattan Baby. His powerful melodies, suspenseful rhythmic dynamics, and flare for tension-dissolving levity have gained Frizzi entry to the soundtrack pantheon, and tonight's a rare chance to experience them in the flesh. DAVE SEGAL
OCTOBER 4-5
Chick Corea Trio with Eddie Gomez and Brian Blade
Chick Corea has spent his life searching, seeking, finding, and then seeking and searching all over again. The 75-year-old keyboardist finds a way to expand jazz vocabulary by probing the outskirts of sound, composition, improvisation-as-composition, and sonics. He can cede the left-hand piano parts largely to the bassist (Eddie Gomez, this time—illustrious, tasty, and only a few years younger than Corea), or dive in for dive bombs. Drummer Brian Blade, this trio’s youngest member by decades, got his start in gospel music at his father’s church, filtered that through John Coltrane, Bird, and Miles, with a heaping helping of Coltrane’s classic drummer Elvin Jones, and never looked back. Go and plug into deep convolutions of jazz language. ANDREW HAMLIN
Robyn Hitchcock with Emma Swift
Fortunately for jangle- and microfloral-loving soft-punks, 1980s alternative-rock icon Robyn Hitchcock is in town for two nights, and he seems pretty delighted about it himself. As the paisley-clad and polka-dotted frontman for weirdo 1970s power-pop legends the Soft Boys, and in the 1980s with the Egyptians, and then just as himself, Hitchcock has released more than 20 records in the realm of fantastical neo-psych folk and “college rock.” With local musicians (including vocalist Sean “Seattleite of Love” Nelson) joining Hitchcock onstage, both nights should abound with mystically enriched lyrical imagery and well-crafted pop songwriting. The British singer-songwriter has a serious love for the Pacific Northwest: He wrote a song called “Viva! Sea Tac” and also noted in a recent Facebook post that he “can’t wait to be back under the gills of the Space Needle!” With the first night already sold out, it seems as though Seattle can’t wait, either. BRITTNIE FULLER
OCTOBER 5
Elizabeth Cook with Lee Harvey Osmond
In the vast traditionalist swamp of good old-fashioned country music, Elizabeth Cook never stops distinguishing herself. Her 2007 LP Balls earned its title with the hit "Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman" and a gorgeous cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning," and Cook's 2010 LP Welder leaves Balls in the dust. The music of Welder runs the gamut, from the twangy stomp of "El Camino" to the stripped-down acoustics of "Follow You Like Smoke" and beyond, but the lyrics are of a piece—simply witty, deeply telling, packed with the kind of pristine details that make you think songwriters should be eligible for Pulitzers. DAVID SCHMADER
KING with Joey Dosik
This trio of harmonizing neo-soul goddesses from Los Angeles is already lushly expressive within even the simplest of gestures. But encased in the darkness of Barboza and sardine-rolled into a mass of bodies eager for each ensuing note, I felt a new kind of mountain high from them. Beauty in such a setting can be transcendent. King lifted the ceiling and opened the heavens to a roomful of sweaty strangers. KIM SELLING
OCTOBER 6-9
Catherine Russell
Lauded by the Wall Street Journal as "the best jazz and blues singer going today," Catherine Russell takes the stage at Jazz Alley for four straight days, with six shows worth of genre-blending elegance.
OCTOBER 7
Adam Green's Aladdin
Deep-voiced indie weirdo and Macaulay Culkin's roommate Adam Green is back with his new film and accompanying stage show, Aladdin. Tonight includes a screening of Adam's Aladdin, which is a musical interpretation of the legendary Middle Eastern folk tale featuring all his art star celebrity friends. The screening will be followed by a concert in which Adam performs music from the movie as well as older and more familiar work from throughout his career.
An Evening with VNV Nation
For the past 21 years, VNV Nation have achieved cultlike status by offering monster-sized servings of thinking person's industrial, spicing up the harsh beats with lush orchestration and synth-pop subtleties. Fans of everything from trance to EBM and electro pop will find something danceable throughout their release, Automatic, the group's 11th release. Unlike much of the industrial underground, VNV Nation have always provided a dose of melodic accessibility alongside the darkness. KEVIN DIERS
Dover Quartet
The Dover Quartet, an internationally acclaimed ensemble, make their Seattle debut with an evening of Beethoven's early, middle, and late string quartet masterworks.
Dr. John & The Nite Trippers
Jazz and blues legend and top '60s freak-a-leek Dr. John showcases his lifelong embodiment of New Orleans' musical heritage with his band The Nite Trippers, headlining at the Pantages Theater.
Shannon & The Clams with Guests
Will Shannon Shaw blow you away with her unbelievable surf-queen voice? Will Cody Blanchard shoot rainbow notes and Kewpie dolls out of his guitar? Will the entire band be wearing the best outfits you’ve ever seen? You bet your clamshells, babes. EMILY NOKES
OCTOBER 7-NOVEMBER 11
Earshot Jazz Festival
This is the season of Seattle's premier jazz event, the Earshot Jazz Festival, which includes more than 50 distinct concerts and events in venues across town. One of the big names at this year's festival is veteran pianist Freddy Cole, who will present with his trio a performance tied to the legacy of his late brother, Nat King Cole. There will also be a tribute to Charlie Parker, helmed by the award-winning saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. Local ubiquitous talent D'Vonne Lewis will curate a series of concerts with his groups Limited Edition and Industrial Revelation, the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band, and special jazz festival collaborators, as this year's Resident Artist.
OCTOBER 8
Cathedrals XIII
Enjoy the sunset filtering through the windows of St Mark’s while absorbing some of Seattle’s most powerful voices, including Jeremy Enigk, Laura Gibson, Tomo Nakayama, and additional guests. All artists will perform stripped-down sets with no instruments, only equipped with the versatility of their own voices, in the Cathedral.
Okkervil River, Landlady, Julia Jacklin
Okkervil River’s third album, Black Sheep Boy, may not cut as deep as Big Star’s Third with its exposed-nerve laments about love, death, and love as death—but it comes close. Front man Will Sheff holds nothing back on the Austin sextet’s masterpiece, though what impresses some may merely exhaust others (one critic dubbed them “Overkill River”). It’s an understandable reaction, but for those drawn to Sheff’s destabilizing lyrics—“sometimes the blood from real cuts feels real nice”—and campfire-meets-concert-hall aesthetic, this show promises to be as revelatory as the new, extended version of the record with bonus tracks and covers of influences from Leadbelly to the Louvin Brothers. KATHY FENNESSY
Raekwon, Supernatural, Guests
Raekwon made some of the best early solo work post-'Tang — namely his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Rae's crime-heavy dramas and vivid storytelling are a force to be reckoned (Raekwon'd?) with. The original weed-smoking music for weed-smoking people. EMILY NOKES
Rocky Votolato with Chris Staples
At first listen, Rocky Notolato's 2012 album, Television of Saints, feels a little shallow compared to his past releases. Votolato has never sugarcoated his emotions—from 2003's Suicide Medicine to 2010's True Devotion, he's openly addressed depression and heartbreak. Television of Saints sounds so much more gentle and copacetic. But listen a little closer, and his daily battles are still there. For example, "Sunlight" sounds like a warm harmonica-laced country song, but it wasn't until the third or fourth listen that I really heard the lyrics: "Till you fall you never know what you've been standing on/Oh, mental health, where have you been hiding?/These illusions, they can be so blinding." Preach it, Votolato. MEGAN SELING
Seven Lions
DJ and producer Jeff Montalvo blends the genres of techno, house, and dubstep infusions as Seven Lions, with enough soulful, hybridized remixes to keep you dancing.
The Julie Ruin
Recent Hardly Art signees The Julie Ruin show up to the cradle of riot grrl with their post-Bikini Kill, post-Le Tigre interpretation of thumping, high-energy, pop-infused, cynically exuberant alt rock.
OCTOBER 8-9
Chanticleer: The Washing of the Water
Grammy-winning, all-male chorus Chanticleer will perform their latest effort, focusing on "the power of water to redeem, restore, and refresh the human soul," with selections from ancient to contemporary.
OCTOBER 9
Greg Brown
Prolific songwriter Greg Brown's work has been performed by many, among them Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Michael Johnson, Shawn Colvin, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Don't miss the chance to see him show off what he can do with his own material.
Shonen Knife with Ichi Bichi
Osaka, Japan's Shonen Knife have been hooking sugar addicts with their hyperglycemic pop punk (think Ramones, not Blink-182) ever since they released 1982's cassette-only Minna Tanoshiku in their home country. They gained a foothold stateside with a track on the now-infamous Sub Pop 100 comp. Shortly thereafter followed opening dates for pre-Nevermind explosion Nirvana, a deal with Capitol, and general greatness. Since addicts need their fix on a regular basis, SK graciously still make the international rounds at a fairly regular clip. GRANT BRISSEY
OCTOBER 11
Maroon 5 with Tove Lo and Phases
Enduring Los Angeles pop group Maroon 5 bring their sunny styles to KeyArena, with Top40 bill support from Tove Lo and Phases.
OCTOBER 12
!!! with Drug Apts
Sure, !!! are an entertaining live entity whether in a club or on an outdoor festival stage or in your buddy’s basement. Yes, their sinewy, sleek funk and disco jams and freaky frontman Nic Offer’s wry exhortations have been getting folks moving since the late ’90s. True, they have an album called As If that keeps the party vibes efficiently flowing, with some of their nastiest bass lines yet. DAVE SEGAL
Ying Yang Twins, Bezzel, Lil Rip, DJ Indica Jones
Atlanta’s Ying Yang Twins are best known for their platinum early-’00s work with two huge ATL tastemakers: iconic crunk choirmaster Lil Jon and the man who brought the world Soulja Boy, Mr. Collipark (aka DJ Smurf). While “Get Low” and “Salt Shaker” are C-word classics, it’s the snap/“intimate club” landmark “The Whisper Song” that’s endured far better (it even got bitten by David Banner’s “Play” within months of release). LARRY MIZELL JR
OCTOBER 13
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
The big event of this year’s Earshot Jazz Festival is certainly the brilliant and famous trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. He will perform with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. We can expect nothing but greatness from this event. And not just greatness but black greatness. And not just black greatness, but a history of that greatness. What do I mean by this?
Remember, Wynton Marsalis once criticized black Americans for not aggressively supporting America’s classical (black based) music, and continuing the tradition of greatness that’s exemplified by recordings like Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, Charles Mingus’ Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, and Duke Ellington’s Black Brown and Beige. His massive and gorgeous Blood On the Fields—which was released in 1997 and won a Pulitzer Prize—represented his Herculean effort to continue this black-neglected tradition of black greatness. But as a jazz critic at Amazon.com, Andrew Barlett, put it: “Marsalis won the Pulitzer Prize for Blood in 1997, decades after Ellington should've won for any of two or three suite-length works.” In short, the project was not about continuity or even the revival of a tradition. It was instead condemned to be an archeology or history of black greatness.
Wynton Marsalis is great, and so is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, but the age of black greatness is, sadly, in the past. Nevertheless, you must not miss this show. CHARLES MUDEDE
Pantha Du Prince with Guests
Pantha Du Prince (aka Berlin producer Hendrik Weber) has become one of the world's foremost purveyors of melodic minimal techno. His three albums—2004's Diamond Daze, 2007's This Bliss, and 2010's Black Noise—have catapulted PDP to the forefront of the recent wave of artists fusing shoegaze-rock textures with minimal's joyous, streamlined rhythms. This development isn't that surprising considering Weber's fandom of Creation Records, and especially My Bloody Valentine. DAVE SEGAL
OCTOBER 13-16
McCoy Tyner
His full name is Alfred McCoy Tyner, he was born in 1938, he is one of the greatest pianists that any American century has produced. He began formal training at the age of 13, and his first hero was his neighbor, Bud Powell, who, along with Thelonious Monk (Tyner's second hero), helped determine the direction that the piano would take through the daunting terrain of modern jazz. Philadelphia, the city that shaped Tyner's early development, is where he first met and befriended, in his late teens, the great (no, the god) John Coltrane. By 21, Tyner was a member of Coltrane's quartet.
The solo Tyner provided for Coltrane's over-interpretation of "My Favorite Things" (1961) is startling. How could someone so young (23 at the time), whose formal experience of the piano had just reached the decade mark, bring out of this very difficult instrument emotions that very few artists are lucky enough to articulate near the end of a long life. The solo said "autumn in a big city," "falling leaves in a central park," "short and early dusks," "those shimmering stars," and "my lover's grey and brown sweater"—all of these ephemeral things were communicated with impeccable ease. Under his fingers, the wild piano was tamed and seemed to obey the exact course of his musical thoughts. The solo officially announced the arrival of a new genius to the already genius-packed world of post–World War II jazz.
After Tyner left Coltrane's quartet in the mid '60s, he embarked on a solo career that has produced way too many great recordings. Opening his body of work is like opening an unabridged dictionary. Everything is in there: solo recordings; performances with trios, combos, and orchestras; experiments with Latin, African, and Asian rhythms. And through it all, Tyner, who is the last living member of the classic quartet, has not lost the substance of his approach, which has been defined by a sense of adventure. CHARLES MUDEDE
OCTOBER 14
Cold War Kids, The Strumbellas
California's Cold War Kids attempt to stay modern in the face of the world of contemplative indie rock, sounding like "a mellowed, second-generation Wolf Parade," emerging from the blinding sun of Los Angeles.
Ghost, Popestar, Marissa Nadler
Swedish heavy metal lords Ghost create surging pop hymns that cross genres with their sacrilegious power. They'll be joined by Popestar and Marissa Nadler.
OCTOBER 15
Saint Vitus, The Skull, Witch Mountain, Ancient Warlocks
Still active after 31 years, ponderous doom-slingers Saint Vitus show their decades of influence on both the Los Angeles and international metal scene. They're joined by The Skull, Witch Mountain, and Ancient Warlocks.
The Fray with American Authors
Every time I see/hear about the contemporary group The Fray, I get a leetle bit stoked. Uh, thing is it's only cause I THINK I'm seeing/hearing something about the '60s English R&beat group called The Frays. Yes, now you can just imagine my heartbreak when I heard The Fray's music. Turns out they're prolly more proper for providing soundtracks to TV shows such as Gossip Girl or one of the vampire TV shows, specifically I'd reckon they'd be soundtracking a montage. Or, perhaps, they would/could make a fine contemporary Christian pop group, but never, EVER genius frantic smashed blocked R&B. MIKE NIPPER
OCTOBER 15-16
Donovan
Iconic sad-eyed songwriter and perennial Bob Dylan rival Donovan Leitch brings his soft-psych of the '60s to Seattle on his 50th celebration tour of Sunshine Superman, just in time for the season of the witch (which is autumn).
OCTOBER 16
TroyBoi
Southeast London EDM and trap producer Troyboi brings the noise, brings the funk to a live set at the Showbox.
OCTOBER 17
Jim Knapp Orchestra
The Jim Knapp Orchestra utilizes all 13 pieces of its jazz ensemble to achieve a new sound courtesy of the compositions and arrangements of band leader Jim Knapp, with the work of many renowned Pacific Northwest chamber musicians and soloists.
Purity Ring with HANA
In case you missed the memo, trashy is the new classy, and the music of ice-pop purveyors Purity Ring skillfully walks the line between club conquering and heartrending in a sonic strategy that can only be called “schlock and gloss.” KYLE FLECK
Rachael Yamagata with Pressing Strings
Invoking the spirit of Fiona Apple, Rachael Yamagata uses her lilting husky tones to conjure lush romantic moods within pristine piano ballads.
OCTOBER 18
An Evening with Terry Bozzio
Prolific drummer Terry Bozzio, best known for his work with Frank Zappa and Missing Persons, hits the Triple Door stage for an evening of wild percussion.
OCTOBER 19
An Evening with Paula Cole
Relive the top-charted Lilith Fair heyday of the '90s with Grammy-certified songstress Paula Cole. Make sure she plays "Where Have all the Cowboys Gone."
Christine and the Queens
Tiny French firecracker Christine brings her Queens on the road to the Showbox for a night of clashing Euro dance-pop.
Kanye West
Hiphop legend, fashion designer, and generally contentious human person Kanye West graces the KeyArena stage this October.
OCTOBER 20
Alice Cooper
Kohl-stained music legend and Wayne's World day-player Alice Cooper hits the EQC showroom with four decades of twisted legendary American rock and roll experience.
Death From Above 1979 + Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Deap Valley
Canadian indie grind duo Death From Above 1979 adds dive bar blues-rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to their co-headlining United States tour of sonic assault.
of Montreal with TEEN
Of Montreal have been out-“of Montreal”ing all of you quirky jerks for years, so listen up. With a catalog that stretches back almost 20 years, and spawned from the sweet, chiming bosom of the Elephant 6 collective, of Montreal, anchored by songwriter and mystical thesaurus Kevin Barnes, has been shape-shifting for years without missing a beat. He’s cited influences like Sylvia Plath and the psychedelic movement of the ’60s for past records, and the 2015 studio release Aureate Gloom draws directly from the CBGB heyday, with Patti Smith and Television at the helm. Live shows with Barnes dolled up like David Bowie, and bacchanalian onstage dance shows promise to leave you wondering where the hell you are and why the hell you would ever want to leave. KATHLEEN TARRANT
OCTOBER 21
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
Old punk turned folksy singer-songwriter Billy Bragg lends his British charm to the Neptune stage, in an intimate performance with Joe Henry. Guitars in hand, they'll attempt to fully reconnect with the legends and culture of railroad travel, and the decade of music it inspired.
ScHoolboy Q with Joey Bada$$
One of Top Dawg's strongest assets has long been Quincy "ScHoolboy Q" Hanley. ScHoolboy (the "H" always capitalized in honor of his set, the Hoover Crips) has an instantly recognizable voice and flow, somewhere between Kanye's balls-out throat-clearing and Tha Dogg Pound's balance of lyricism with Funkadelic psycho-alpha hootin-and-hollering. He's not claiming to be a Good Kid, he's an unrepentant gangbanger, hardly believing that he's "finally the illest Crip" in the rap game. He's also startlingly upfront in his best moments, detailing his own pill addiction, and staying grateful for what he has. LARRY MIZELL JR
OCTOBER 22
Beat Connection, Brothers From Another, Sassyblack
Seattle electronic-pop quartet Beat Connection’s hard work over the last few years has resulted in a deal with the huge indie label Anti- (home of Tom Waits, Neko Case, Simian Mobile Disco, etc.). Their vocal-centric 2012 album, The Palace Garden, exudes a glowing optimism, with melodies that glisten and go down easy and beats that politely coax you to groove. The apotheosis of this style is “Further Out,” which seems destined to appear in an inspirational youth-oriented film, TV show, or advertisement any minute now. Their Anti- debut full-length, Product 3, boasts more rigorous, danceable beats and even hints of tropical funk. Sounding more melodically mature and rhythmically confident and lubricious, Beat Connection seem poised to climb to a higher level on the mainstream dance-music food chain. DAVE SEGAL
Ingrid Michaelson
Sassy bespectacled singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson shows her piano chops and decades of charting experience at the Moore on her Hell No Tour.
Leyla & Dom with Guests
Leyla McCalla combines her New York roots with her classical cello background and Creole and Haitian musical traditions into a folk-infused rendering of many varied beauties played on cello, guitar, and banjo. She'll be joined by her partner, string-band style virtuoso and founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops Dom Flemons, and opening guests.
M Ward with Lemolo
In addition to the old-world tone of his guitar and the beamed-in-from-afar blast of his voice, most of M. Ward's songs are about distance, or the past, or other fable-big spans of time and space. M. Ward has been writing songs in this mode since he began writing songs. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE
OCTOBER 25
La Luz, The Shivas, DoNormaal
It's been a little more than seven months since La Luz moved away from Seattle. While it was sad to see them go, their dreamy doo-wop vocals and surf-inspired harmonies hinting at the strange and uncanny seemed like a perfect fit for their next destination: Los Angeles. Guitarist/vocalist Shana Cleveland, drummer Marian Li Pino, keyboardist Alice Sandahl, and bassist Lena Simon all moved together, but they haven't exactly settled in. They've been touring and rehearsing almost nonstop for their next album (to be recorded in November), and gearing up for a fall European tour. AMBER CORTES
M83 with Yeasayer
French multi-instrumentalist Anthony Gonzalez, aka M83, is an expert at bridging the infinite and the finite. Stratospheric keyboards soar around urgent, sometimes danceable beats, rippling sub-melodies, and elegant vocals. When he performs, Gonzalez executes his layered collages with live instrumentation, and the shows tend to be amplified for maximum catharsis. While much is made of Gonzales’s John Hughes affinity and ’80s signifiers, M83 brings something much more rich and vibrant than the recent swell of that decade’s regurgitators. GRANT BRISSEY
Opeth with The Sword
Death-metallers-turned-prog-rockers Opeth's epic metal melodramas have been compared to both Joy Division and Pink Floyd, and nearly all of their songs clock in at over 10 theatrical minutes. These Swedes seem determined to take their live shows to impossible new heights. In 2010, they released a live album recorded at London's fancy-pants Royal Albert Hall—the same theater where the English National Ballet and Cirque du Soleil regularly perform. This would all be ridiculous if Opeth weren't such gifted musicians. To quote Shakespeare: Be not afraid of greatness. KELLY O
The Faint, Gang of Four, Pictureplane
Omaha indie rockers The Faint reunite this autumn for a tour with punk veterans Gang of Four, and Pictureplane.
OCTOBER 26
Bad Religion, Against Me!, Dave Hause
Punk-rock bands aren’t known for their durability. The music typically attracts those with personality types leaning toward intense and volatile, and the long, sweaty rides in cramped vans take their toll on even the most diehard. It’s an incredible feat for punk groups to make it beyond the decade mark, so it’s downright insane that Bad Religion have continued to churn out their signature brand of politically charged, middle-finger-to-the-face, melodic skate punk for the past 37 years. Sure, vocalist Greg Graffin is the only member who’s been there since day one and they’re not exactly touring year ’round, but the fact that the signature “crossed-out-cross” logo lives on in 2016 is pretty damn cool. KEVIN DIERS
Ben Folds and a Piano
Generally likable neighborhood dad Ben Folds shows off his decades of indie rock pastiche in an intimate evening, just some guy and his piano.
Screaming Females, Moor Mother, Listen Lady
Iconic Jersey punk trio Screaming Females rehash their last 10 years as a band with experimental god-talker Moor Mother, and Listen Lady.
Yellowcard, Acceptance, Like Torches, Dry Jacket
Jacksonville rock survivalists Yellowcard are somehow back and ready to play their final world tour in promotion of their seventh studio album, Lift a Sail.
OCTOBER 27
DJ Spooky: The Hidden Code
Always a crafty shapeshifter behind the turntables or laptop, DJ Spooky (aka Paul D. Miller) has been one of the most interesting sonic scavengers for nearly 20 years. I’ve seen him DJ Iannis Xenakis to Harry Smith animations, reconfigure the powerful soul music of the Wattstax documentary, and “remix” D.W. Griffiths’s 1915 silent film, The Birth of a Nation. Furthering his eclectic credentials, Spooky’s also recorded with dub legends Lee Perry and Mad Professor, jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. DAVE SEGAL
The King Khan & & BBQ Show, Paint Fumes, DJ Kave-In
This is one pumped hoedown! Seriously, I don’t know anyone who does NOT love the rock-and-roll mayhem King Khan brings when he and his BBQ Show rain down their contemporary party-time rave-ups. God damn, after a night like tonight, tomorrow morning might hurt. MIKE NIPPER
The Naked and Famous, XYLØ, The Chain Gang of 1974
New Zealanders The Naked and Famous have so many pleasantly catchy pop jams that have somehow been Incepted into my brain. JOSH BIS
OCTOBER 28
Adore Delano with Guests
Do you remember that drag queen Adore Delano? Rather cute and kinda sassy? She appeared more than 22 million years ago in the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. She's singing with a live band, from her debut album, Till Death Do Us Party, and her latest work #AFTERPARTY. ADRIAN RYAN
Blitzen Trapper with Sera Cahoone
Sera Cahoone’s innate language is that of heartbreak, of knowing what you have in this life is perfect, or as perfect as humans can access, and there’s no way it could ever last. No matter how many fairy circles you happen upon or gentle brooks lapping at your Chaco-nestled feet, this love will end, and in that finale lies your inevitable destruction. The soft, throaty Cahoone will bandage your wounds while examining her own fault lines, drawing attention to each facet of surface tension. We could all be better, we could all be more pure and good, and Cahoone’s willowy, honest attempt to understand human nature uncovers more than you thought of your own experiences at first blush. KIM SELLING
BowieVision: The Ultimate David Bowie Tribute
The local tribute group Bowievision—featuring members of Dudley Manlove Quartet and Purr Gato, plus saxophonist Brian Bermudez—replicate as faithfully as they can the chameleonic British singer/songwriter’s hits, with a light show and video backdrops for bonus dazzlement. DAVE SEGAL
The Sonics, Tom Price Desert Classic, Ayron Jones
It only took 49 years for Tacoma garage-punk legends the Sonics to follow up their last album, Boom. Is This Is The Sonics worth the wait? If you’re a fan of their cut-to-the-chase style of hip-shaking, head-swiveling rock that reached its apex in the mid ’60s, then yes. The latest Sonics album contains 12 songs that replicate what they do best: high-energy, primal, raunchy-riffed rock for boozed-up bacchanals. The new shout-intensive songs hit you with the immediacy of tequila shots, proving these geezers have aged shockingly well. DAVE SEGAL
OCTOBER 28-29
FreakNight 2016
Annual high-key wild-out throwdown FreakNight raises the bar for their 20th anniversary celebration, with a two-day set of live music, dancing, and a darkly neon environment of circus surprises, bizarre sideshow wonders, and carnival rides. Enjoy unruly sets from headliners Zedd, Armin Van Buuren, and Martin Garrix, as well as from Getter, Tchami, Galantis, Paul Van Dyk, Flux Pavilion, 3LAU, Jamie Jones, and many more.
OCTOBER 29
KHU.EEX
KHU.EEX is an experimental funk group that includes bassist Preston Singletary, Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, and saxophonist Skerik, who together fuse elements of funk, jazz, and Native American Tlingit singing and storytelling. It is also the brainchild of recently deceased Bernie Worrell, the pioneering funk and soul keyboardist of Funkadelic and Talking Heads. Gather to honor Bernie's legacy with musicians who truly knew him and appreciated his work.
Majid Jordan with DJ TJ
Join babely neo-electro-R&B duo Majid Jordan on their massive North American tour this October.
Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs A Tribute to David Bowie
Seattle Rock Orchestra throws down with a full set of rollicking glam, dance, and art rock hits from each stage of David Bowie's iconic musical career. Dress the part and show up to boogie to classics like "Young Americans," "Starman," "Let’s Dance," and "Fame," with many more jammers throughout this night-long tribute.
Sum 41, Senses Fail, As It Is
Pop punk hold-outs Sum 41 resurrect themselves and hit the ground running on their "Don't Call It A Sum-Back" Tour, with support from Senses Fail, and As It Is.
OCTOBER 30
Hilary Hahn in Recital
Hilary Hahn may only be 34, but she has already garnered many awards of renown, and has been an international violin sensation for years. On this tour, she performs selections from Bach to brand new commissions—baroque to contemporary.
R. Kelly
Questionable ethics-holder and falsetto crooner R. Kelly hits the Xfinity stage on his Buffet Tour, with fourteen albums worth of R&B and neo-soul to go around.
OCTOBER 31
CL
CL is the team leader of South Korean girl-group 2NE1, and has moved on to be her own triple-threat as a rapper, vocalist, and dancer. Show up for her catchy tracks, stay for her wild, neon, and unattainably cool style.
Nicolas Jaar
Jaar satisfies your need for understated, richly melodic techno with suave panache. His 2011 debut album, Space Is Only Noise, is a euphorically morose bedroom-techno album for the ages. DAVE SEGAL