Friday, May 16
Think of Nathaniel Rateliff as the blue-collar cousin of Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam. A former truck driver from Denver, his tender yet haunting songs share a similar intimacy with Beam’s (with some thanks to Brian Deck, who has produced both artists). But where Beam, a former college professor, can sing you a soothing lullaby, it’s Rateliff you want in your corner when the shit goes down. With Carly Ritter. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, thebarboza.com. 7 p.m. $10. GE
Lots of well-crafted power pop will be on display tonight as Gerald Collier, former front man of Best Kissers in the World, shares the bill with Red Jacket Mine. Collier’s material is the more delicate of the two, but both acts share an affinity for the Beatles, Elvis Costello, and three-minute pop gems. With Gibraltar. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212, highdiveseattle.com. 9:30 p.m. $8. 21 and over. DL
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready annually bands together with other local talent in Flight to Mars, a tribute to British heavy-metal outfit UFO. Tonight the band celebrates its 12th year by rocking a benefit for Camp Oasis, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s program for child sufferers of the disease. With the Young Evils. The Showbox. 9 p.m. $20–$25 adv. 21 and over. JM
DJ set with Lil Jon is a man who genuinely has no fucks to give. With the East Side Boyz in the mid-2000s, he sent the PC patrol into a frenzy with a gigantic Confederate flag in the music video for the band’s first hit, “Bia Bia.” In case the unsuspecting public missed those stars and bars, the rapper also wore the flag draped across his shoulders onstage, under his flowing dreads. Before that Southern battle cry hit the airwaves, we never knew that mundane words like “What?,” “Yeah!,” and “OK!” could become stand-alone lyrics. Producing for everyone from Usher to E-40, Lil Jon dominated the crunk movement that he mainstreamed; then, eschewing predictability, he turned to EDM. Since then, his collaborators have been less crunk and more David Guetta, LMFAO, and DJ Snake. After eight years of DJing in the EDM scene, the prodigal artist has returned to the pop charts with his latest Top-10 single, “Turn Down for What,” with a seismic EDM beat laid under explosive vocals. As basic yet addictive as “What You Gon’ Do” or “Snap Yo Fingers,” we replay it constantly but are not sure why. With Butch Clancy. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., showboxpresents.org. 8 p.m. $28–$37. 18 and over. JN
Saturday, May 17
Capitol Hill’s Highline bar is turning 4 this week, and three of the Pacific Northwest’s most notorious heavy bands are helping to celebrate. Agalloch mixes neo-folk with blasts of black metal, doom and prog, and on its latest record, The Serpent & the Sphere, it’s done to perfection. Show up early—this will most definitely sell out. With Yob, Wounded Giant. The Highline, 210 Broadway Ave. E., 328-7837, highlineseattle.com. 9 p.m. $16 adv./$18 DOS. 21 and over. JAMES BALLINGER
Nickel Creek, the Moore. Read our interview with the band’s Sean Watkins
here
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Sunday, May 18
The Kyle Gass Band Though he’s made a name as half of comedy-rock band Tenacious D, Kyle Gass’ skills as a singer, guitarist, and flutist (really) are no joke. Gass, along with members of his now-defunct side project Trainwreck and Tenacious D touring guitarist John Konesky, create solid rock jams that wouldn’t be out of place at your favorite local bar. With Sonny Votolato & the Groupons, Scarves. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $15. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
Doom-metal pioneer Saint Vitus is celebrating 35 years of slow, sludgy, Sabbath-inspired metal. Pitchfork said its 2012 LP Lillie: F-65, its first in 17 years, was “flush with renewed energy.” Not bad for a bunch of 50-something metal lifers. With Mos Generator, Sons of Huns. The Highline. 9 p.m. $15 adv./$17 DOS. 21 and over. DL
L.A.’s Failure were lost among the grunge clones who clogged alternative radio in the ’90s—which is too bad, since its songs were better and more sonically intricate than most everybody else’s. Fifteen years later, the band’s enjoying a deserved renaissance. Make sure to get there early: The tour forgoes an opener for a longer set list. The Showbox. 8:30 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. DL
