Friday, Sept. 12
If Bumbershoot is the last festival of the summer, consider Chinook Fest the inaugural fest of fall. Sunny days and crop tops will soon be traded for gray skies and sweaters, but that doesn’t mean the music has to stop. While Chinook Fest might not have the star power of other fests, it does offer a comprehensive roster of some of the region’s hottest groups, like Pickwick, Hobosexual, and McTuff. Through Sunday. With Cody Beebe & the Crooks, Rags and Ribbons, Whiskey Syndicate, Sammy Witness & The Reassignment, Austin Jenckes, Blake Noble, Tim Snider and House of Waters, SweetKiss Momma, the Wicks, Mikey and Matty, the Halyards, Fall Days, The Silent Comedy, Sturgill Simpson, Robert Jon & The Wreck, Rust on the Rails, Planes on Paper, Vaudeville Etiquette, Coldnote, Jelly Bread, Nick Foster, West Water Outlaws, Snug Harbor, Xolie Morra & The Strange Kind, Root Jack. Jim Sprick Community Park, 13680 State Rt. 410, Naches, Wash., chinookfest.com. $20–$90. Fri. & Sat., 21 and over; Sun., all ages. DUSTY HENRY
Saturday, Sept. 13
You’d be hard-pressed to pick a better act to play an outdoor winery gig than Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Maybe the Eagles, but only Kendall-Jackson can back up a big-enough Brinks truck to Don Henley’s door to make that happen. Many might say Stephen Stills’ voice isn’t what it used to be—ignore them! The music is timeless, the musicianship flawless, and the harmonies of Nash and Crosby as beautiful as ever. Don’t let the past remind you of what they are not now; they are yours, they are mine, they are what they are. Through Sunday. Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, 425-488-1133, ste-michelle.com. 7 p.m. SOLD OUT. CORBIN REIFF
Does anybody try harder than Katy Perry? While so many younger pop stars these days just want to shock, Perry seems content with just being liked. With Gaga being vomited on, Cyrus and her career as art installation, and 2014’s odd obsession with asses, Perry stands apart as the choice for those looking just to have fun. Say what you want about her music—there’s plenty to say—but can you picture a scenario in which you go to a Perry show and don’t at least crack a smile? Have you no heart anymore? With Tegan and Sara. Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, 253-272-3663, tacomadome.org. 7:30 p.m. $32.85–$118.05. CR
To delve into the world of Pomplamoose—the indie-pop/electro duo of Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn—is to experience something as visual as it is audible. Each song the pair releases is accompanied by an insanely creative “VideoSong.” Some are full of fun wigs and outfit changes; others feature images projected onto foam-board props that the pair moves around in time to the song. It’s all part of Pomplamoose: Season 2, a three-part project that includes new music videos, a full U.S. tour, and an album of the same name that features original tunes, mashups, and covers. The fact that Pomplamoose is doing all this without the help of a label makes it that much more impressive. With John Schroeder. Neumos. 8 p.m. $18 adv. All ages. ACP
While it’s worth noting that the members of Pittsburgh’s Code Orange are all youngsters, that shouldn’t sway your opinion one bit. Formerly known as Code Orange Kids, the band dropped “Kids” from its name for the recently released I Am King, its second record for Massachusetts hardcore label Deathwish (run by Converge vocalist Jacob Bannon and recorded by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou). It’s a more mature and focused effort that still contains the metallic-punk-hardcore of its debut, while expanding the sound into sludgier territory without getting bogged down by over-experimentation. With Burial Suit, Power, War Hungry, Twitching Tongues. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372, theveraproject.org. 7 p.m. $12 adv. All ages. JAMES BALLINGER
Sunday, Sept. 14
The Skatalites were originally together for only about 15 months between 1964 and 1965, but the music they made defined the Jamaican sound for many years to come. The lone surviving founding member is alto saxophonist Lester “Ska” Sterling—performing tonight with his reformed group—who presided over Jamaican music as it evolved from mento to ska to rocksteady, then reggae. In 1968 he recorded “Bangarang,” a track many believe to mark the incipience of reggae, as the genre reportedly got its name when Sterling told the organist to “Mek the organ go reggae, reggae.” With Yogoman Burning Band, DJ Darek Mazzone (KEXP). Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020, nectarlounge.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv./$20 DOS. 21 and over. TOBIAS WOODRUFF
As someone who doesn’t live in Seattle and gets to visit only every so often, it doesn’t feel like I’m really in the city until I hear a folk singer strumming a guitar while someone nearby plays the accordion and a magician performs sleight-of-hand with a parrot perched on his/her shoulder. It may seem cacophonous to some, but to me it’s what makes Seattle Seattle. To celebrate the artists who entertain the masses in their own idiosyncratic ways—and 40 years of street-legal performing—Pike Place Market kicks off Seattle Busker Week with a festival. Starting at 11 a.m., the Market will host multiple stages highlighting Seattle’s best street performers. The Week continues through Saturday with a host of events throughout downtown. pikeplacemarketbuskers.com. Free. All ages. ACP
Drake Vs. Lil Wayne In the larger landscape of pop-cultural contrivance, this package clearly takes the cake in 2014 as far as tours go. Whether that’s a bad thing is a completely different discussion; what is relevant here is whether it’s worth seeing in person. If you want to check out a couple of the biggest artists in the rap game trading verses at their peak, then yes. If your greater motivation is to insert yourself into an obviously irrelevant conversation to bring up at the water cooler, maybe catching some good tunes collaterally: Well, maybe it’s time to take a look inward. With G-Easy. White River Amphitheater, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., Auburn, 360-825-6200, livenation.com/venues/14577/white-river-amphitheatre. 7 p.m. $33.75 and up. CR
