Our critics have picked the best musical ways to spend this week, including big-ticket items like Sasquatch! and Northwest Folklife, plus everything from the most horrifying thing to come out of New Jersey since Pauly D's DJ career (Ho99o9), to the reunion of one of the best hiphop groups to emerge from the slush pile of the '90s (Digable Planets), to the well-deserved stage ascension of a newly freed man (Freddie Gibbs). Click though the links below for complete show details, ticket links, and music clips, and find even more options on our music calendar.
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MONDAY
Hero Worship: Morrissey & The Smiths
Hero Worship: Tribute Night and Pony present the ultimate celebration of the life and work of Morrissey, the contentious boy prince of iconic English sadboi band The Smiths, and his own decades-spanning solo career. A full lineup of local and national music legends lend themselves to all-night live performances, featuring Princess Charming, Alicia Amiri, Nicki Boedigheimer, and Joey Veneziani. Backing soundtrack to the festivities will be provided by DJ Kirky and Dee Jay Jack.
Michael Kiwanuka with Cloves
There’s an entrancing, deeply poignant appeal to the music of Michael Kiwanuka, the UK’s latest high-quality soul export. His vocals are rich, emotive, and resonant with a light scratchiness and a cadence that hints at his Ugandan heritage, while his sound has a funky 1970s feel, with extravagant instrumental accouterments (haunting, gospel-tinged backing vocals, dramatic organ, and swells of strings and brass). Danger Mouse was among the producers of his 2016 second full-length, Love & Hate, which is good from start to finish. (“Black Man in a White World” is straight-up Curtis Mayfield, and I say that with much love.) Fans of HBO’s Big Little Lies should know that Kiwanuka’s “Cold Little Heart” was tapped for the show’s opening theme. This gig makes up for the one he had to cancel in December. LEILANI POLK
TUESDAY
Ho99o9 with Guests
Hiphop’s current congress (or maybe conflagration) with industrial music probably began circa 2011 with the release of Exmilitary, the first mixtape by Death Grips, and arguably culminated with Kanye West’s derivative 2013 record Yeezus. Neither act has really done much to impress since then, but the evil-rap torch still burns in the hands of bands like clipping and, to a lesser extent, Seattle’s Shabazz Palaces. But neither clipping nor Shabazz take the sound to its logical, Grand Guignol extreme the way Ho99o9 (Horror) do. The New Jersey duo’s new album, United States of Horror, is as much a call to arms as it is a love letter to Ministry. JOSEPH SCHAFER
The Jesus and Mary Chain with The Warlocks
The last time Scottish wall-of-sound rockers the Jesus and Mary Chain graced us with their presence, it was to play their landmark 1985 album Psychocandy in its entirety at the Showbox. This week, they return with their first new album in 19 years, Damage and Joy—in the vein of other 1980s/’90s alt-rock comebacks like My Bloody Valentine’s mbv, it re-creates their classic sound almost too well. Expect few surprises, but a few subtle joys, such as pristine bass lines by Martin “Youth” Glover of Killing Joke. It’s comforting to know that Jim Reid’s darkly romantic songwriting sensibilities remain sharp after all this time. JOSEPH SCHAFER
Negative Gemini, George Clanton, Ghost Soda
Genre-spanning electro-spinner Negative Gemini blends ’90s techno and head-high modern electronica with their own vocals and original lyrics. They'll be joined by tour partner George Clanton and Ghost Soda.
WEDNESDAY
Black Marble, Draa, Dreamdecay
Black Marble’s 2012 debut LP for Hardly Art, A Different Arrangement, slotted all too neatly into streamlined, ’80s-synth-band revivalism. Granted, Chris Stewart (aka Black Marble) had mastered the lugubrious, deadpan delivery of Stephin Merritt, albeit not as magnetically as that famous grump. But there was little about the music that made it stand out. On the latest It’s Immaterial album for Ghostly International, Black Marble has brought a more vivid production style, greater rhythmic variety, and perhaps a slightly jauntier mood to his songs while maintaining an overall downer vibe that will resonate with fans of New Order’s first two albums. So, progress. DAVE SEGAL
Father John Misty with Entrance
Father John Misty has a voice like an aged oak barrel, spot-on cool-uncle dance moves, and an excellent head of hair. Other than those pluses, though, his swirling cult of personality rankles—as it stands in its current form of traveling-preacher-bard-probably-axed-from-the-Big-Fish-script. His latest album, Pure Comedy, comes up against that classic thematic crossroads of utilizing memory versus instilling nostalgia—as expressive and plainspoken-poetic as Josh Tillman’s work can be, it falls so heavily on the sword of nostalgia, it prevents itself from making anything memorable. The problem with too much nostalgia is that its very existence prevents newness and growth, and allows for music to be made only about what straight white people would refer to as “a simpler time.” He touches on that point in “Leaving LA” by invoking “another white guy in 2017, who takes himself so goddamn seriously,” but then writes solely from that perspective for the entire album. Let’s hope in his next piece, FJM can move from repeatedly mansplaining cultural irony to actual introspection. KIM SELLING
Rodrigo y Gabriela with Ryan Sheridan
Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero have been pushing out instrumental-guitar-driven duets, mostly minus a full band, for more than 17 years. They both wield acoustic axes, and employ choppy technicality and stylistic qualities that complement each other—Rodrigo is the quicksilver picker and fret-jumper, Gabriela the strummer with intense rhythmicality, and both bust out beats on the bodies of their guitars. While their sound is clearly rooted in the flamenco of their Mexico City home, both were weaned on rock, heavy metal, and jazz—and elements from all three come out in their playing and the covers that show up on their albums (like Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” off their self-titled LP) and live performances (e.g., a medley of Metallica’s “One” and Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”). LEILANI POLK
Teebs, Lefto, Free The Robots
Teebs is a New York–bred, Los Angeles–based producer and painter signed to Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label. His musical statements, like his paintings, are often collaged or repurposed media smeared with warm colors, extended daydreams, and fuzzy, wordless interactions. Though Teebs’s left-field beats might suggest an immersive headphone experience, his live shows provide an equally contemplative environment. One song soaks into the next like a drip of paint working its way through the fibers of a canvas. Sounding similarly hopeful, but more up-tempo and beat-driven, opener Free the Robots, along with notable Belgian DJ Lefto, will provide a good warm-up. TODD HAMM
THURSDAY
Chemical Clock, Lilac, Sean Lane
Chemical Clock: Put every chart-climbing western musical format known to personkind under a Ginsu knife, chop fine, toss into the stew. You don’t like where it’s going, wait 15 seconds. Lilac: I’ll see you in electric dreams, some closer to chillax, some festooned with alarming electronic emphysema noises, but always with the gentle beats. Sean Lane: Drums drums drums, although the sometime David Bazan and Fences collaborator throws in a rig called “The Bike,” which he designed himself and which looks like an artfully flattened bicycle, sans squished rider. I’m not sure what sounds he’ll bring, but I’ll usually say thumbs-up to more drums! ANDREW HAMLIN
Mokoomba
Zimbabwe legends Mokoomba are known for their fiery dance-floor-ready mixes, developing a unique blend of rap and ska together with Tonga and pan-African music traditions.
T.I. with DJ Swervewon
T.I., the Atlanta hiphop standard-bearer and person to blame for Iggy Azalea, hits the stage on his Hustle Gang Tour with DJ Swervewon in tow.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Instrumental metal is a funny thing—there’s obviously room to display guitar wizardry within the metal genre, but when the noodling gets too heavy-handed, it tends to come off as simply masturbatory. For a prime example of this, see anything Yngwie Malmsteen has ever touched. KEVIN DIERS
FRIDAY
Divinity Roxx with Black Stax
Divinity Roxx is a triple-threat talent, performing as an acclaimed bass player, and acting as band leader for Beyoncé and music director for both Beyoncé's crew and that of K-Pop sensation 2NE1.
Girlpool with Snail Mail
As buzz bands go, Girlpool are pretty good. It’s easy to get blasé about yet another LA rock group dipping toes into shoegaze revivalism, but Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker (aided by newish drummer Miles Wintner) accomplish the difficult task of prompting a jaded critic to make comparisons to—and think longingly of—early Lush singles. Girlpool’s new Powerplant album skews toward the hushed and twee, but never cloyingly so. They write concise and pretty songs that caress your ears with breathy unison vocals and guitars that spangle and jangle with poised assertiveness. These tunes go down easy and raise your spirits just as facilely. It’s a rare new rock record that’s worth playing on repeat. DAVE SEGAL
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter with Diminished Men
Jesse Sykes always works the space between the notes, and if she ever runs out of notes to play, she’ll still be able to work the spaces. The songs creep up and swirl, like the cigarette smoke in that iconic photograph of her. She used to live here, but now she doesn’t, and presumably she’s finding wider open spaces in Iowa. Diminished Men conjure at least as much space in their music, but it’s more sinister, like a tape recorder running in the closet stashing a kidnap victim. Gasps, heavy breathing, electronic moans, thunder, storms, a side order of twang. But so long as you can see them onstage, you can see they aren’t getting away with anything, at the moment… ANDREW HAMLIN
Om Unit, Sigrah, Agate
Om Unit’s Jim Coles doesn’t fuss around. Having gotten his start as a jungle producer in his teens, he soon turned to headier fare with the turntablism of 2tall for most of the ’00s. It wasn’t until around 2009 that he started to turn up on bass heads’ radars via his dub-inflected machinations. But he really picked up steam when he turned his deft hand to jungle-inflected footwork on the series of EPs he put out as Philip D Kick. He entered the D&B big leagues when he began collaborating with scene legend Goldie and his Metalheadz label, through which he released the album Inversions. Coles will be bringing a wide assortment of dance-floor heat with him to Kremwerk. NICK ZURKO
Woods, Golden Daze
The election of Donald Trump upended many American lives, not least those of Brooklyn band Woods. In 2016, they released City Sun Eater in the River of Light, took their show on the road, and planned to take time off afterward. But the regime change galvanized them to act. Instead of a protest record, they designed their 10th full-length, Love Is Love, to offer more comfort than catharsis. The quintet have always specialized in a sylvan brand of psych folk, and that hasn’t changed, but they’ve added the distinctive textures of Ethiopian jazz, notably on the 10-minute “Spring Is in the Air,” where contemplative brass and hypnotic percussion meet rolling waves of wah-wah guitar, like something from Buda Musique’s monumentally soul-soothing Ethiopiques series. Mission accomplished. KATHY FENNESSY
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
Northwest Folklife Festival
Folklife's goal is noble as heck: "We envision strong communities, united by arts and culture. Northwest Folklife stands for the belief that the arts invigorate and revitalize interpersonal connections and sense of community. When people share aspects of their culture, opportunities are created to dissolve misunderstandings, break down stereotypes, and increase respect for one another." What does this translate to? A gigantic hippie fest full of lovely people, dancing, performing world music from "yodeling to beatboxing" and everything in between, serving tasty street food, and leading workshops in arts and crafts. It's a great, if potentially overwhelming people-watching experience: up to 250,000 people have visited the festival in past years.
Sasquatch! Music Festival
PBR&B crooner Frank Ocean may have bowed out of his Friday headlining slot due to “production delays beyond his control,” but his replacement is eminently cooler (and more fun and exciting): LCD Soundsystem, the NYC-brewed dance punk/electro-rock project of James Murphy, who’s putting the finishing touches on the first new LCD album since 2010’s This Is Happening. Additional highlights of the three-day music extravaganza at the Gorge: smart, syrupy Chicago alt-hiphop-talent-turned-Grammy-darling Chance the Rapper; psych rockers MGMT, mostly absent from the spotlight the past four years but back in the swing of things with video teases about a forthcoming LP, Little Dark Age; and indie-rock/folk pushers of poignant songwriting, the Shins. Other performers include Twenty One Pilots, Bonobo, Phantogram, Mac Miller, Sleigh Bells, Thee Oh Sees, Foxygen, Big Freedia, Jagwar Ma, and American Football. LEILANI POLK
SATURDAY
Digable Planets with DJ Cutz and Guests
Alternative hiphop trio Digable Planets helped transform the game with two funky, jazz-rap LPs, 1993’s Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)—which featured the iconic “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” along with “Where I’m From” and “Nickel Bags”—and 1994’s Afrocentric, underappreciated (and less successful) follow-up, Blowout Comb. In the years since, Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira has collabed with Del the Funkee Homosapien, kid-friendly Dino 5, and Brazilian hiphop fusion group BROOKZILL! with Dino 5 member Prince Paul, among others; Craig “Doodlebug” Irving tours and leads the heady Cee Knowledge & the Cosmic Funk Orchestra; and local Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler has been performing in Seattle-based experimental groove duo Shabazz Palaces (with multi-instrumental Tendai “Baba” Maraire) for the past eight years. They still come back together on occasion, however, and this solo (non-festival) date finds them backed by a live band. LEILANI POLK
Freddie Gibbs with Guests
Gary, Indiana, native Freddie Gibbs has been happy to call Los Angeles his home for years, but until pretty recently, his main residence was up in an Austrian prison, after being accused of sexual assault in Vienna last summer. A recent XXL story detailed the harrowing ordeal that left one of the most distinctive and certified voices in the game drained by a foreign justice system that nakedly assumed his guilt with next to no evidence. Beset by a whole other level of anti-Black-slash-anti-Black-American racism, he gave his all just to keep his head above water through the trial, in which he was finally acquitted. A new LP, You Only Live 2wice, plus another promised album-length collaboration with Madlib called Bandana, are on their way, and Gangsta Gibbs doubtless got some shit to get off his chest. So goddamn welcome the man home. LARRY MIZELL JR.
Naomi Wachira
Wachira’s understatedly powerful songs of resilience, identity, and empowerment would seem to be the perfect fit for a night about internal strength, without ever getting preachy or melodramatic about it. It doesn’t hurt that she’s got a wallop of a voice, all the better to deliver her casually catchy ballads. KYLE FLECK
Sashay, Pink Parts, Princess Charming
Sweat your entire life away thrashing to the beauty pageant punks of Sashay, who perform with the intention to bankrupt you of all your identities but the most debased of your core. KIM SELLING
Sir Richard Bishop with Robert Millis
Said it before, will say it again: Any Sir Richard Bishop live performance is a revelation in the ways a guitar can communicate in fluent Esperanto. The former Sun City Girls member and Sublime Frequencies operative is also a noted ethnomusicologist whose travels and studies have informed his mesmerizing playing for more than three decades. A master of noise rock and myriad delicate and fiery strains of folk music, Bishop is a virtuosic internationalist who values the modern drone as much as he does the intricate latticework of old, foreign cultures. And he’s not averse to throwing in a Beatles song or a Fugs ditty, when perversity strikes him. DAVE SEGAL
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, the self-admitted First Couple of Country, hit the road on their Soul 2 Soul world tour, with a stop at our humble Tacoma Dome.
The Upper Crust, The Grannies, Ball Bag
In our age of being ruled by an outlandish orange overlord, it seems fitting we’d get a group of like-minded fancy rock snoots whose asses are meant to sit exclusively on toilet seats made of GOLD! The Upper Crust are a quartet of fops who wear bespoke velvet tops and well-coiffed powdered mops, and they rock like AC/DC and bit like your favorite bar band, but in a good way! Warming up us plebes will be a group of sweaty San Franciscan freaks who call themselves the Grannies, they play Jack Endino–approved rockin’ punk (if this were the ’90s, they’d be the darlings of Flipside magazine), and Ball Bag, a local trio that shred “mid-tempo, Northwest-style dirgey punk.” MIKE NIPPER
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