Friday, Jan. 31

The Pack A.D. Except for surprisingly soft album-closer “Needles,” Do Not Engage features all the fuzzy garage rock listeners have come to know and love from Vancouver-based duo The Pack A.D. The pair’s fifth album, a follow-up to 2011’s Unpersons, finds drummer Maya Miller and singer/guitarist Becky Black as brash and in-your-face as ever, with Black adding even more venom to each snarled lyric. With the Dee Dees. Barboza. 7 p.m. $10. 21 and over. AP

Alexandra Niedzialkowski’s project Cumulus is an adrenaline shot of guitar rock. Hooks buzz with overdriven distortion and poppy bliss throughout the group’s debut album I Never Meant It to Be Like This. While staying away from straightforward punk, Niedzialkowski is more than adept at giving melodic indie rock a much-needed rugged edge. With Dresses, Tomten, the Hoot Hoots. Chop Suey. $10 adv./$13 DOS. 8 p.m. 21 and over. DUSTY HENRY

Led by vocalist/guitarist Jake Hemming, Big Sur has built a solid reputation for its soaring melodies and tendency to perform folk songs that are both incredibly sad and undeniably beautiful. The Seattle folk sweethearts will continue that tradition here, with the help of some friends. With Brite Lines, Ruler. Columbia City Theater. 9 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS/21 and over. KEEGAN PROSSER

For this edition of the Starbucks’ Little Big Show, singer/songwriter and producer Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, brings his dreamy and chilling brand of pillow talk-worthy electro-pop to a familiar stage. The last time he played the Neptune, the college kids and lovestruck hipsters couldn’t help but sway. With Kingdom Crumbs, Kisses. The Neptune. 9 p.m. $15. All ages/bar with ID. KP

Judy Collins with the Passenger String Quartet As a child, Judy Collins showed great promise as a concert pianist. She began piano lessons at age 5 after her family moved from Seattle to Los Angeles. In her teens, she fell under the spell of folk music, and rose to fame through her interpretations of other peoples’ music. Over her 50-year career, Collins, now 74, has ventured into showtunes and cabaret, and has often featured classical arrangements, as in her most recent studio release, 2011’s Bohemian. The Passenger String Quartet, accompanying Collins on this four-concert swing, grew out of the Seattle Rock Orchestra and recently stepped into the national spotlight accompanying Mary Lambert on The Tonight Show. Pantages Theatre, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. 7:30 p.m. $28–$64. MICHAEL F. BERRY

In many ways, Eternal Fair is the ideal classic-rock group. Though the Seattle group formed in 2010, the lineup has a ’70s flair with its prog-rock sensibilities. The band is tight and polished right down to Andrew Vait’s smooth and pristine vocals, at times channeling Roger Waters. With Animal Eyes, the Magic Mirrors. Sunset Tavern. $8. 10 p.m. 21 and over. DH

Ultra Bide

Dokkiri Record, a compilation record from 1980, is commonly regarded as the very first Japanese punk album. Dokkiri, translated as “heart pounding,” led off with none other than Ultra Bide, a band that went on to release its 1995 album God Is God, Puke Is Puke through Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label. Thirty-four years after that first compilation, the band just put out a new album, DNA vs DNA-C, and is bringing its Japunk to our unsuspecting shores. With Two Heads Is Twice as Many Teeth, MTNS. El Corazon. $10 adv./$12 DOS. 21 and over. KELTON SEARS

The Blue Tracks This Seattle-based five-piece “roadhouse-blues-rock” band is either way ahead of itself or behind the times—in the most delightful way! The Blue Tracks combine traditional blues rock with modern influences (like the White Stripes) to create a killer original sound. Kelsey Alina’s pipes take center stage; behind her are a ripping blues guitar, a solid rhythm section, and additional female vocals that give a charming hat tip to Motown. With GreenhornBluehorn, Friendly Gomez. Conor Byrne Pub. 9 p.m. $9. 21 and over. JESSIE MCKENNA

Saturday, Feb. 1

Chastity Belt wears its duality well. While the band’s guitars shimmer with a strong indie-rock footing, leader Julia Shapiro sings brash punk lyrics in a slow and sultry voice. Her wit inspires endlessly quotable lyrics: “I’m so drunk I just want some chips and dip” and “So turn off the lights and take off your pants, just dance.” With Wishbear, Mega Bog. Columbia City Theater. $7 adv./$8 DOS. 9 p.m. 21 and over. DH

The newest project from Minus the Bear’s Alex Rose, NGHTBLND is about as far away from that popular band as you can get; Rose trades his keyboard for meaty beats, sharp synths, and husky vocal delivery. The result is exciting in the same way STRFKR is: fuzzy, inspiring, and unexpectedly vibey. With Slow Bird, Piano Piano. Crocodile. 8 p.m. $15 adv. All ages/bar with ID. KP

Sir Mix-a-Lot In the past year, Macklemore and the Seahawks have brought about another Seattle moment in America—just as, a generation earlier, Sir Mix-a-Lot (plus a few other local luminaries) helped put Seattle on the map with his now-classic ode to voluptuous women. While he hasn’t been nearly as active on the national scene, the 50-year-old hip-hop legend has kept up his local profile: He opened for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at KeyArena in December, produced Ayron Jones and the Way’s debut album, and performed the Washington State Lottery’s holiday jingle. Sir Mix-a-Lot’s sold-out Tacoma show goes down the night before the Seahawks play in the SuperBowl. He told The Denver Post that since he stopped watching the games live and started recording them to watch later, the Seahawks have been on a winning streak. It’s only weird if it doesn’t work, right? With the Staxx Brothers, MC S.A.V., and Mr. Von. Jazzbones. 8 p.m. $15 SOLD OUT. 21 and over. MFB

Mary Lambert is the definition of a triple threat. A talented writer, last year she released a book of poetry, 500 Tips for Fat Girls, which she describes as “a collection of poetry surrounding body image, rape, and relationships.” An accomplished spoken-word artist, she won Seattle’s Grand Slam Poetry Competition in 2011. But perhaps most notable, the Cornish grad is a musician. Her soulful voice is instantly recognizable thanks to her contribution to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love,” and the emotion with which she sings her incredibly honest lyrics often brings audiences to tears. After signing with Capitol Records, the chanteuse released her second EP, Welcome to the Age of My Body, in December, featuring songs “Sarasvati” and “She Keeps Me Warm” (an extension of the hook on “Same Love”) plus two spoken-word pieces. That month Lambert also revealed that her debut album is scheduled for a spring release; and in early January, she performed on The Tonight Show. Mack and Ryan may have ruled 2013, but 2014 could be Lambert’s year. With Lemolo, Pollens. The Showbox. 9 p.m. $15 adv./$18 DOS. All ages. AP

After leaving Sepultura in 1996, singer/guitarist/songwriter Max Cavalera formed Soulfly, releasing a debut album in the spring of 1998, and continuing the direction his former band had displayed on its wildly influential Roots. Several lineup changes have taken place over the years, but this project has always centered on Cavalera. The band’s ninth and latest record, Savages, is easily one of its finest. With Asema, UnHailoed, Avoid the Void, Minimum Age. Studio Seven. 7 p.m. $20 adv./$23 DOS. All ages/bar with I.D. JAMES BALLINGER

Alice Stuart is an aberration. In the ’60s and ’70s, when guitar heroes were supposed to be men, she was out front playing with Zappa and touring on a bill with Van the Man and Mississippi John Hurt. The great forgotten female trailblazer of rock ’n’ roll, she paved the way for other women guitarists, including Nancy Wilson and Bonnie Raitt, to make their own mark. The Triple Door. 8 p.m. $20. CR

Sunday, Feb. 2

Presidents of the United States of America frontman Chris Ballew formed Caspar Babypants in 2009 as a vehicle to make music for kids and parents. While the project is obviously focused on silly sing-along songs for kids, Ballew’s songs are just catchy enough that parents won’t daydream about smashing the CDs out of repeat-listen-fueled rage. The Neptune. 11 a.m. $10 adv./kids under 1 free. JB