Wednesday, May 28

Pete Yorn has gained most notoriety recently for his partnerships—including Break Up, his overrated 2009 album with Scarlett Johannsen, and last year’s underrated album with fellow L.A. songwriter J.D. King, as the Olms. This tour, though, sees the veteran songwriter alone with a couple of acoustic guitars, reprising his You & Me series of acoustic shows in record stores back in 2006. What songs he’ll play is anyone’s guess. Yorn hasn’t released a solo album since 2010, and though he’s said he’s been boning up on his back catalog, he also has no idea what will come out once he hits the stage. It’s a little frightening, but definitely intriguing for those who recall the breakout release of “Life on a Chain” in 2001 and Yorn’s subsequent emergence as a more camera-friendly Jay Farrar. This is the perfect setting to revisit the songwriter, and perhaps an great setting for him to revisit his deeper talents. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $35 adv. MARK BAUMGARTEN

“What does dj set mean?” wonders the sole commenter, Alex Rodriguez, on the Animal Collective DJ Set event page at Neumos.com. It’s a good question—what does a DJ set look like by a group better known for its singular brand of experimental psych rock and explosive, freak-out vocals? For such a band, perhaps it’s better to ponder the mystery; in fact, we might all get used to the idea. In the past month alone, Lil Jon, Purity Ring, and Beat Connection have all rolled through town pimping DJ sets of their own, and tonight kicks not one but two nights behind the turntables for AC—that’s Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin, and Geologist. But if you must know, Alex, we’ve learned that three-fourths of the band will be on hand (minus Panda Bear, who’s currently on a solo tour) and that they will indeed be spinning records. With Veins + DJ Explorateur. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $10. Through Thurs. (8 p.m., SOLD OUT) GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT

Love or hate her, it’s hard to deny that Lady Gaga is captivating. Since releasing The Fame in 2008, she’s held the world’s attention with meat dresses, questionable collaborations, controversial keynotes, and even a male alter ego. With a seemingly endless supply of creativity—or is that don’t-give-a-fuck ’tude?—Gaga’s most unconventional concepts are surely still ahead of her. Key Arena, 305 Harrison St., 684-7200, keyarena.com. 7:30 p.m. $42 and up. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY

Thursday, May 29

Chastity Belt (not to be confused with emo band The Promise Ring) offers the perfect blend of dreaminess, moodiness, and humor. The band adopts a youthful, punk, devil-may-care attitude with its intentionally misspelled debut, No Regerts. For example: songs like “Nip Slip,” “Giant (Vagina),” and “Pussy Weed Beer.” With S, Jon Atkins. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $8 adv. 21 and over. DIANA M. LE

Though they’ll be best remembered for 1985’s nonsensical college-radio hit “Take the Skinheads Bowling,” Camper Van Beethoven was influential in the era’s burgeoning college-rock scene, a smart-alecky antidote to R.E.M., U2, and the Smiths. “All our peers were writing songs that were full of meaning,” singer David Lowery wrote of the band’s signature song on his blog. “It was our way of rebelling.” After a handful of critically acclaimed albums, the band imploded, and Lowery found some commercial success fronting Cracker in the ’90s. Fast-forward 20 years and both bands are active, with CVB busier than ever. Last year’s La Costa Perdida, a concept album about Northern California, will be followed by June’s El Camino Real, focused instead on Southern California. “On La Costa Perdida, the ocean is calm, benevolent and feminine,” Lowery said recently. “On El Camino Real, the sea is filled with darkness, secrets and chemicals.” With Miller and Sasser. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 7 p.m. $18 adv./$20 DOS. 21 and over. DAVE LAKE

You’ve got to give it to Seattle quartet San Juan; the band knows how to package its music. With a name derived—it seems—from the nearby island chain and a debut release called Horizons with rippling waters on the cover, you expect mellow island music. That’s pretty much what the band delivers: six luminous songs that rarely outpace a mid-tempo stroll and largely showcase the pleasant harmonizing duet of Kyle R. Andrews and Amie Rippeteau. Like the ripples on the water, though, there is subtle agitation here, from brief, bluesy electric-guitar solos on “Braves” (a song about the baseball team) and “Out There” (which also includes a rare bit of blues shouting from the duo) to the darker Elliott Smith–like instrumentals that open “Six of Us” and closer “Obstacles.” A longer album might feel somewhat adrift—like a Jack Johnson affair—but these six songs serve as a nice introduction, showing a band capable of more, if it is willing to venture into darker waters. With The Bluebird, Smoke Perkins and the Filthy Falcons. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 722-3009, columbiacitytheater.com. 8 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. MARK BAUMGARTEN

For anyone who grew up in the ’80s, the brooding piano in “Still Knocking at the Door” off Life Among the Savages, the lastest from Jason Quever, aka Papercuts, will instantly recall Tears for Fears’ iconic solo in “Head Over Heels.” Intentional or not, these things happen; just ask Louis C.K. about the jokes Dane Cook stole from him: “They just snuck in there.” But Quever, like Brian Wilson on morphine, can count his imitators too. Locals Tomtem, which opens tonight, recorded its latest, The Farewell Party—forthcoming this August on Versicolor—with the songwriter. Yet both groups have a slightly different edge: Tomtem leans more upbeat, a la Sufjan Stevens, while Papercuts is more mopey, like Midlake, Bill Callahan, or Cass McCombs. Baroque pop, they call it (and we all know who invented that genre). With EDJ of the Fruitbats. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave N.W., 789-3599. 8 p.m. $12. GE

Friday, May 30

Boy/girl alt-rock duo Blood Red Shoes play noisy guitar rock that oozes cool and was perfect for the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World soundtrack. The pair cites Sonic Youth as one of its main influences, which is perfect because they totally look like the offspring of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore. With Radkey, the Mad Caps. Barboza. 7 p.m. $10 adv. 21 and over. DML

Metalachi, a mariachi group that covers classic metal tracks, may sound like a gimmick at first. Hearing Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” performed with horns and melodramatic baritone vocals can seem like a stretch. But maybe there isn’t that big a difference between the genres: Metal doesn’t have the same cultural reverence, but is steeped in its own history and lore. Traditionally, mariachi is meant for dancing and playing at special occasions like weddings, baptisms, and funerals. While you likely won’t hear Metallica at someone’s wake, there’s still a celebratory and theatrical aesthetic to the music. Slayer’s pivotal 1986 record Reign in Blood is track after track of adrenaline-inducing riffs. When Metalachi takes on “Raining Blood,” the intensity remains, but the thematic lyric “Now I shall reign in blood” becomes a cause for partying instead of self-deprecation. Metalachi’s reinterpretation, intentional or not, sheds light on some of the subtleties in metal hidden behind all the distortion. With Stay Tuned, The Jilly Rizzo. El Corazon. 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094, elcorazonseattle.com. 8 p.m. $12 adv/$15 DOS. 
21 and over. DUSTY HENRY

Saturday, May 31

Sean Nelson On July 29, Harvey Danger’s Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? will get a massive vinyl reissue. Often on such occasions, bands and critics take the time to reflect on their legacy (and surely in this case, somewhere a thinkpiece on hit single “Flagpole Sitta” will emerge). But that would do a disservice to what frontman Sean Nelson has built since the band’s split. Last year the songwriter released Make Good Choices, his first solo record, which shows his evolution from pop-punk front man to bona fide pop songwriter. He hasn’t abandoned raucous guitars altogether (hear the album’s title track), but his quiet moments at the piano exemplify his knack for melody and poetry, and short vignettes like “Ski Lift Incident,” in which a Christian woman asks him when life begins, shine light on Nelson’s wit and charm. We saw glimpses of this on Merrymakers in tracks like “Wrecking Ball,” but the years spent perfecting his craft since then have been fruitful. With Anthonie Tonnon, The Colt Kraft Band. Columbia City Theater. 
8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. 21 and over. DH

Monday, June 2

Pigeon John came up in the Good Life scene, honing his skills among some of Los Angeles’ most experimental rappers. His sixth studio album, Encino Man, juxtaposes his typically positive, upbeat—some even say Christian—lyrics with a darker, more blues-influenced chronicle of his divorce. With Grayskul, Rafael Vigilantics, A.S.H.E.S. the Chosen, Larry Hawkins, Brutha. Chop Suey. 8 p.m. $12 adv./$14 DOS. MICHAEL F. BERRY

Tuesday, June 3

Forming in Illinois in 1990, guitar/drum duo Local H got its major break in 1996 when alternative-rock radio picked up the tracks “Bound for the Floor” and “Eddie Vedder” from the record As Good as Dead. While the band would never replicate that success, several lineup changes and releases—most recently 2012’s Hallelujah! I’m a Bum—have tried. With Bad Veins. 
El Corazon. 8 p.m. $13 adv./$15 DOS. 21 and over. JAMES BALLINGER

Victor Wooten’s day job is playing bass for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, but the five-time Grammy winner has made nearly as many records as a solo 
act. Though you couldn’t describe many bass players as “shredders,” Wooten is nothing short of that, without being short on soul as well. The Neptune, 
1303 N.E. 45th St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org. 8 p.m. $26.50 adv./$30 DOS. DL