All of them clad in black and illuminated only by the dark, glowing crimson of the big C at the Comet Tavern a couple of years ago, Portland quartet Caves seemed the epitome of modern-rock cool, like the Northwests version of Interpol or something. Though there were elements of that bands shivery, nocturnal post-punk in their own tunes, Caves also mixed in jumpy, angular guitar parts and dance-y rhythms a la Wire and Franz Ferdinand and the Killers that night, while front-dude Jacob Carey tapped into both his inner Joe Strummer and Billy Idol (not so much the angry snarl as that deep I dried your tears of pain warble) to deliver his gravelly, charismatic vocals. On their recently released Get On With It, Caves work plenty of dub and prog textures into their dramatic, sensual slink, so tonight could be even more of a hot fuss. With the Cops and the Girls. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8000. 9 p.m. $8. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG
Fri., April 4, 9 p.m., 2008
