There! I did it. Came up with another Useless Trivia (Wednesday) quiz while waiting for Kate Nash to call.

Anyway, if you read this blog very often, you know I love me some Portishead. My column on Friday is about their first album in 11 years. So let’s see who else is with me. Warning: This is the toughest trivia challenge yet. And if you know more than 70 percent of the answers, congratulations. You really are a pop music geek.

The Portishead quiz

1. The band is named after an English town. But the band is most associated with which British city’s music scene?

A. Liverpool’s
B. Bristol’s
C. Manchester’s
D. London’s

2. Which fellow electronic stars aren’t associated with that scene?

A. Massive Attack
B. Tricky
C. Roni Size
D. Sneaker Pimps

3. “Glory Box,” from the band’s 1994 debut “Dummy,” is constructed around a sample of what well-known soul singer?

A. Isaac Hayes
B. Curtis Mayfield
C. Marvin Gaye
D.Roberta Flack

4. Before the band’s debut album, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow co-wrote a proto-trip-hop number that appears on what ‘90s pop album?

A. Madonna’s “Erotica”
B. Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814”
C. Moby’s self-titled debut
D. Neneh Cherry’s “Homebrew”

5. Beth Gibbons made her kinda, sorta solo album “Out of Season” with Rustin Mann, an alias for …

A. … Talk Talk’s Paul Webb.
B. … Depeche Mode’s David Gahan.
C. … synth-pop trailblazer Gary Numan..
D. … ‘60s psych-pop singer Scott Walker.

6. Portishead collaborated with what Vegas legend on a remake of “Motherless Child?”

A. Wayne Newton
B. Tony Bennett
C. Celine Dione
D. Tom Jones

7. Finish the lyrics. “I’m so tired of playing, playing …”

A. “… at being happy.”
B. “… with this bow and arrow”
C. “… the part of the fool.”
D. “… playing with fate so recklessly.”

8. Who provide the scratches for Portishead’s most trip-hoppy songs?

A. Andy Smith
B. Tricky
C. Funkmaster Flex
D. Aphex Twin

9. The band’s highest charting album in the U.S., as of the writing of this quiz, is …

A. Third
B. PNYC
C. Portishead
D. Dummy

10. Clips of the band performing the lead track of the new album at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival have circulated on the Internet for months. Fans knew it as “Wicca,” but now it’s …

A. “Silence”
B. “Hunter”
C. “Machine Gun”
D. “Threads”

Had a killer migraine yesterday, and didn't get around to posting a new Useless Trivia Tuesday quiz. But let me see if I can come up with a fitting challenge for all my fellow pop music geeks out there later this afternoon -- you know, once I get a couple of interviews out of the way. Useless Trivia Wednesday, anyone?

I've had April 29 marked on my calendar for weeks, with a new Roots disc on the way, not to mention Portishead's first studio album in 11 years. Speaking of which ...

Album opener “Silence” and this, the last track, are the most evocative of Portishead’s sound in the ‘90s. But those two tracks bookend some serious departures. Some work better than others. Of the questionable variety are Beth Gibbons singing over ukulele and distorted doo-wop harmony, and sounding a bit like a wounded Tiny Tim, on “Deep Waters.” Not too crazy about that track, but that’s what the skip button is for. And the album is pretty solid all in all. Think I may have more to say about that in my column on Friday.

The band’s last album, “Game Theory,” was my favorite disc of 2006. Tuesday they return with “Rising Down,” a more traditional rap album with loads of cameos and some fat that could have been cut out. This is one of my favorite cuts so far.

Speaking of innovative rap acts, Minneapolis hip-hop group Atmosphere returned with a new album “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S--- Gold” last week. Here’s a clip from the pensive opening track. A recommend picking up the deluxe edition, which comes with a DVD and a cool story booklet.

I think this album was supposed to come out on Tuesday, too. So imagine when I stumbled across it in the bins at the Seattle Center Silver Platters before I checked out the Dalai Lama concert earlier this month. This is a clip from one of the songs they played during their recent opening slot for Ministry in Seattle.

Meshuggah's Jens Kidman: As growly as ever on new "Obzen" CD. He sounds almost, uh, meshuggah.
ERNEST A. JASMIN

Puyallup Fair organizers just announced additions to their lineup. The Black Crowes will play the Puyallup Fair & Events Center grandstand on Sept. 8, Kid Rock on Sept. 10 and Fergie on Sept. 16. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and you can find cost and other relevant details here.

And in other rock news, KISW-FM (99.9) just announced details for its Rock Girl Gala, which will feature performances by Candlebox, Chevelle and Another Black Day at the Tacoma Dome’s West End at 7 p.m. June 4. The event is also the finale of the two month search for hottie “brand ambassadors” for the Seattle radio station. (“Brand ambassadors.” That’s what the press release says, y’all.)Tickets for this one will go on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday. More details here.

Last night’s rap-rock show at Jazzbones featured appearances by headliner Outtasite (top), Sir Mix-A-Lot and opening act Farchild (vocalist Jane C pictured above during Outtasite’s set.) Outtasite’s sound has grown since his solo debut “Right Side Down” a few years back. Last night’s show was a CD release party for the follow up “Careful What You Wish For,” which features a more pronounced funk-rock vibe. And Mix had even revamped some of his classics, which included a death metal version of “Baby Got Back” and a funky rendition of “Posse on Broadway” that recalled David Bowie’s “Fame.” Tacoma native Tomeka Williams (visible sitting in the Mix-A-Lot photo) was also a big hit as she performed a song from her forthcoming CD during Outtsite's set. Sir Mix-A-Lot is producing her debut, which will be finished later this year.
ERNEST A. JASMIN

If you've read this blog for a while, you probably know I'm a big fan of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle's Mike Patton and his art-pop project Peeping Tom. Here's a performance from "The Henry Rollins Show" I stumbled onto on You Tube. Can't wait to see Crudo, his new group with Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, at next month's Sasquatch Festival.

If you hadn't noticed, it's Sir Mix-A-Lot week on the ol' Bring the Noise blog (the occasion being his appearance with Outtasite tomorrow night at Jazzbones.) And as promised, here are a few clips from my latest interview with the always fun and engaging Mix.

Clip 1: South Sound references in "My Hooptie"

Clip 2: Support acts Tomeka Williams and Farchild

Clip 3: His new (and possibly last) album

You can learn more about this guy this weekend. We hear he was good at playing guitar or something.
AP FILE PHOTO

Just a few hot tickets for the next few days ...

Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound opening day (Friday, EMP): EMP unveils its first major Hendrix exhibit in five years. And Friday’s fanfare includes a presentation by Jimi’s friend and band mate, Billy Cox and a showcase of songs inspired by the man, featuring Jeff Fielder (Sera Cahoone), Mike Musburger (The Posies, Fastbacks), Ty Bailie (Dept. of Energy), Andy Stohler (Tracy Chapman, Alicia Dara), and Ian Moore (local singer/guitarist). Find a more detailed schedule here.

Outtasite with Sir Mix-A-Lot (Friday, Jazzbones): Mike Singleton – aka Outtasite – is one of this area’s most talented rappers. And it’s always fun to see Sir Mix-A-Lot do his thing – with hard rock versions of “Baby Got Back” and “Posse on Broadway,” no less.

Ben Folds (Sunday, UPS Fieldhouse): The indie rock favorite – known for “Underground” and "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" and “Battle of Who Could Care Less,” among other favorites – drops in on UPS. Find ticket info here.

The Swiss’s 15th birthday party (Monday, Swiss Tavern): Has it really been a decade and a half for one of Tacoma’s favorite rock venues? The evening will include a performance by Handful of Lovin’.

Who: Outtasite is the stage name for Seattle-born, Federal Way-based rapper Mike Singleton

Style: Don’t call it “rap rock” or “nu metal.” Outtasite’s blend of agro riffs and street savvy rhymes is inspired by early Run DMC, not Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock. .

In his own words: Listen up here.

You may also know him from years of collaborating with Seattle rap legend Sir Mix-A-Lot and Seattle supergroup Subset (Mix-A-Lot and the Presidents of the United States of America). Plus, he's half of Seattle alt-pop outfit, the Feelings Hijackers, with the Presidents' Chris Ballew.

Solo work: Outtasite's solo albums are “Right Side Down” and his new release “Careful What You Wish For.”

Listen up: The new album includes "Pass It Around," "Careful What You Wish For" and "Tequila Stepchild" (featuring Jane C).

See him live: Outtasite will headline his first show in support of the new album Friday at Jazzbones, with support from Sir Mix-A-Lot, Farchild, Tomeka Williams, the Rush Project and others.

Outtasite (left) will appear at Jazzbones on Friday with guitarist Joel Davila and others.
COURTESY OF OUTTASITE

Whatchoo know about Mix-A-Lot, sucka? Here are the answers to Tuesday's quiz. Avoid spoilers and take the original quiz here.

1. Sir Mix-A-Lot’s debut album is called …

A. Return of the Bumpasaurus
B. Seminar
C. Mack Daddy
D. Swass

2. Which of his songs is essentially about a night out in Pierce County, with reference to Hilltop and Ft. Lewis nightclub, NCO?

A. Posse on Broadway
B. My Hooptie
C. Bremalo
D. Beepers

3. Who dropped the pickles on Mix’s rug in that song?

A. Maharaji
B. Kid Sensation
C. Some Bremalo
D. Flavor Flav

4. Where is “the place where the cool hang out” according to early Mix-A-Lot hit “Posse on Broadway”?

A. Frisko Freeze
B. Taco Bell
C. McDonald’s
D. Dick’s

5. Complete the quote: Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big. She looks like …”
A. “… Rosie O’Donnell at the Red Lobster buffet.”
B. “… a good candidate for liposuction.”
C. “… one of those rap guys' girlfriends.”
D. “… Jennifer Lopez on steroids.”

6. Judging by “Baby Got Back,” Mix-A-Lot’s aesthetic of beauty combines “… face with … booty.”

A. Bourgeois, ghetto
B. LA, Oakland
C. Model’s, double-dutch
D. Janet Jackson's, Flojo's

7. According to a country-rap song on his debut album, Kentucky Fried Chicken makes what just right?

A. Cole slaw
B. Wings
C. Mashed taters
D. Biscuits (of the buttermilk variety ... yuck yuh!)

8. It doesn’t say Mix-A-Lot on his birth certificate. It says …

A. William Drayton
B. Calvin Broadus
C. Anthony Ray
D. Tracy Marrow

9. What popular Washington band did Mix team up with to form the supergroup Subset?

A. Mudhoney
B. The Presidents of the United States of America
C. Dave Matthews Band
D. Alice in Chains

10. With what popular Washington band did he record the song “Freak Momma” for the “Judgment Night” soundtrack?

A. Mudhoney
B. The Presidents of the United States of America
C. Dave Matthews Band
D. Alice in Chains

11. What “don’t get old” according to a song from Mix’s album, “Daddy’s Home?”

A. … booty
B. … cash
C. … pimpin’
D. … game.

12. To which late ‘80s baller accessory has Mix-A-Lot dedicated an entire song?

A. “Beepers”
B. “Kangols”
C. “Starter Jackets”
D. “Rope Chains”

Just in case you missed Trent Reznor's just-mastered-yesterday single "Discipline," which suddenly popped up on radio today. There have also been hints over at NIN.com that another surprise album may be on the way; this just weeks after the instrumental album "Ghosts I-IV" showed up online with little fanfare. Weird. Cool!

But if you really want to be freaked out, check out this old news clip of Trent in his old band, Exotic Birds. Who knew that guy would turn out so angry in the years to come. And viva la You Tube!

Sir Mix-A-Lot hasn't cleared out his voicemail in something like seven years. No kidding. So it's sometimes hit or miss catching up with the guy for a story. But I've persevered, my faithful Bring the Noise readers, and he actually picked up his cell this afternoon. And while we mostly talked about the Outtasite show he'll appear at on Friday at Jazzbones, he did also share this story about "My Hooptie," a track that's basically about kickin' it in the South Sound.

“That car (in the video) looked exactly like the one I owned. I had a six-nine Buick, deuce and a quarter. I was just like pretty much any teenager when they first start out. I’d wash the s--- out of that car. It was, you know, s--- green with a big dent. And I’d wax the dent. I’d clean everything. And it literally had two Vogue’s on the left and two Uniroyal tires on the right. We came up with the term way back in the early ‘80s. … Me, Maharaji, Attitude Adjuster and all of us would get in the car and literally go down to Seward Park and basically believe with a dookie-green ’69 Buick that we could pull girls. [He laughs.] Of course, as the day went on our standards dropped. By the end of the day we were with a 240-pound girl.

“I don’t like lyin’ in records. So many rappers say things on records, and then when you meet ‘em it’s like, ‘OK, where’s that Lamborghini you were talkin’ about?’The hooptie, it was an old ’69 bucket my dad bought me for 300 bucks. Every morning you had to put a gallon of water, a gallon of antifreeze in it, you know; park it over a sewer drain. I had that car in [thinks] 1982? About ’81, ’82, somewhere in there.””

Check in later this week and I'll have some clips from my interviews with both Mix and Outtasite.

Sir Mix-A-Lot will make an appearance with protégé Outtasite Friday night at Jazzbones. So it’s time to see what y'all know about Auburn’s most famous resident. And like Chris Rock said during his recent two-night stand at the Paramount, “’Baby Got Back’s’ for amateurs.”

1. Sir Mix-A-Lot’s debut album is called …

A. Return of the Bumpasaurus
B. Seminar
C. Mack Daddy
D. Swass

2. Which of his songs is essentially about a night out in Pierce County, with reference to Hilltop and Ft. Lewis nightclub, NCO?

A. Posse on Broadway
B. My Hooptie
C. Bremalo
D. Beepers

3. Who dropped the pickles on Mix’s rug in that song?

A. Maharaji
B. Kid Sensation
C. Some Bremalo
D. Flavor Flav

4. Where is “the place where the cool hang out” according to early Mix-A-Lot hit “Posse on Broadway”?

A. Frisko Freeze
B. Taco Bell
C. McDonald’s
D. Dick’s

5. Complete the quote: Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big. She looks like …”
A. “… Rosie O’Donnell at the Red Lobster buffet.”
B. “… a good candidate for liposuction.”
C. “… one of those rap guys' girlfriends.”
D. “… Jennifer Lopez on steroids.”

6. Judging by “Baby Got Back,” Mix-A-Lot’s aesthetic of beauty combines “… face with … booty.”

A. Bourgeois, ghetto
B. LA, Oakland
C. Model’s, double-dutch
D. Janet Jackson's, Flojo's

7. According to a country-rap song on his debut album, Kentucky Fried Chicken makes what just right?

A. Cole slaw
B. Wings
C. Mashed taters
D. Biscuits

8. It doesn’t say Mix-A-Lot on his birth certificate. It says …

A. William Drayton
B. Calvin Broadus
C. Anthony Ray
D. Tracy Marrow

9. What popular Washington band did Mix team up with to form the supergroup Subset?

A. Mudhoney
B. The Presidents of the United States of America
C. Dave Matthews Band
D. Alice in Chains

10. With what popular Washington band did he record the song “Freak Momma” for the “Judgment Night” soundtrack?

A. Mudhoney
B. The Presidents of the United States of America
C. Dave Matthews Band
D. Alice in Chains

11. What “don’t get old” according to a song from Mix’s album, “Daddy’s Home?”

A. … booty
B. … cash
C. … pimpin’
D. … game.

12. To which late ‘80s baller accessory has Mix-A-Lot dedicated an entire song?

A. “Beepers”
B. “Kangols”
C. “Starter Jackets”
D. “Rope Chains”

I open my e-mail this morning, and what do I see? Why, the Chateau's full summer lineup. Sadly, Stevie Wonder isn't coming back.

Crosby, Stills and Nash (7 p.m. June 6, sold out)
Dr. John and the Neville Brothers (7 p.m. June 13, $39.50 to $69.50)
Earth Wind & Fire (7 p.m. June 28, $52.50 to $99.50)
Mark Knopfler (7 p.m. July 2, sold out)
B.B. King (7 p.m. July 3, $49.50 to $89.50)
Hippiefest featuring Jack Bruce of Cream, Eric Burdon and the Animals, the Turtles, Badfinger and Janis Ian (6:30 p.m. July 12, $48.50 to $68.50)
Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band ($55 to $99.50)
James Taylor (7 p.m. July 21, 22, sold out)
Chris Isaak (7 p.m. July 24, $45 to $69.50)
Lyle Lovette (7 p.m. July 25, 26, $46 to $78.50)
Steely Dan (7 p.m. July 30, 31, $59.50 to $135)
Smokey Robinson (7 p.m. Aug. 1, $49.50 to $89.50)
KWJZ Music Festival (2 p.m. Aug. 2, 3, $45 to $79.50)
Gipsy Kings (7 p.m. Aug. 22, $49.50 to $89.50)
Chicago (7 p.m. Aug. 23, 24, $49.50 to $79.50)
Michael McDonald (7 p.m. Aug. 29, $39.50 to $59.50)

Learn more here.

I finally dropped in on Juno, the new club that opened at 733 Market Street, formerly the location of the South Sound Garage. Bump Kitchen was onstage delivering their funktastic sound -- and definite plus. Though it was kind of a downer that the cavernouse, 9,000-square-foot club was nearly empty.

The ambiance wasn't dynamically different from the Garage days (last year.) The stage looked different somehow (maybe a bit bigger?) though there's still a column partly impeding the view. (Not sure why the Garage folks constructed the stage in that corner in the first place.) Now there are TV monitors located around the room, with Wii sports available on one located in a curtained off VIP section. But one thing looked especially familiar, something that might have explained the slow trickle of patrons. That's the $10 cover charge. I've lost count of how many owners of new nightclubs have shot themselves in the foot since I've worked this beat; folks who apparently think they'll recoup all the money they spent opening the blasted place in the first few months with their cover charge. Why not let people in for free in the beginning and generate a buzz for being the new hot spot. You can make more money on booze and eats if, I don't know, people don't do an about face at the door. But what do I know? I'm just a rock writer, not a club owner.

“So y’all are probably used to this kind of weather,” said rising country star Ashton Shepherd, performing outside at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center on a chilly Friday evening. She hails from the much warmer climes of Alabama and spoke with a southern fried drawl. And some of the few hundred fans assembled to see her first Washington performance let her known that this frigid spell wasn't representative of a typical April here. “So I just brought it with me, I guess,” Shepherd joked. So there you have it. Blame Ashton Shepherd as you shiver yourself to sleep tonight. But three's no blaming her performance, which was fairly impressive during a 40-minute set that included “I Ain’t Dead Yet,” “Pickin’ Shed” and “Regular Joe” among other songs from her debut album, “Sounds So Good.” She has a big, booming voice that reminded me of Dolly Parton at moments. My favorite song was actually “Lost In You,” a rolling ballad she said she’d written years before meeting her husband, but one that “sure applies to us now.” But the song that really got fans on their feet was, of course, “Takin’ Off This Pain,” the hit many her perform on the CMT Music Awards Monday night. Before the song Shepherd’s guitarist leaned toward her, suggesting a new name for the five-piece band. “Curtis just said they might wanna be called the Painkillers,” Shepherd said. Works for me. But don’t be surprised if you start getting offers to appear at Ozzfest if you go that route, Ashton. .
ERNEST A. JASMIN

Up-and-coming, 21-year-old country star Ashton Shepherd will be the main attraction during KMPS-FM's showcase Friday evening at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center. And Tuesday I caught up with her for a phoner, the day after she made her first appearance on the CMT Music Awards. Here are a few clips:

Clip 1: Behind the scenes at the CMT Awards

Clip 2: What were you doing at 8 years old? Ashton Shepherd was practicing writing hits

Clip 3: "Takin' Off This Pain" and how it relates to all those angry chicks you hear on country radio this year

Ashton Shepherd will perform "Takin' Off This Pain," "Sound So Good" and other numbers from her debut album (also called "Sounds So Good") beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center.
RCA NASHVILLE

Here’s some cool stuff to keep you busy for a few days:

Ashton Shepherd (7:30 p.m. Friday, Puyallup Fair & Events Center): Check out one of country’s rising stars. And the best part is that it’s free, free, free! And check back in between now and Friday morning and I should have some interview clips posted.

Bump Kitchen (8 p.m. Friday, Club Juno): Catch one of the South Sound’s most fun blues and funk bands -- at Tacoma’s newest live music venue, no less.

Rilo Kiley (8 p.m. Sunday, Showbox SoDo): The band, fronted by Postal Service collaborated Jenny Lewis, is out in support of its latest disc, “Under the Blacklight.” This is an all-ages show, y’all.

MGMT (8 p.m. Monday, Chop Suey): The good news: Here’s your chance to catch one of pop's trendiest groups in an intimate setting – you know, before they get all big and move to bigger venues. The bad news: It’s sold out. Hope you’ve got a hook up or money for a scalper. Also open to all ages.

The Pink Floyd Experience (7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Pantages Theater): Well, seein’ as Pink Floyd ain’t gettin’ back together any time soon …

Atlanta bluesman Sean Costello died Tuesday on the eve of his 29th birthday. He had, of course, just recently played Jazzbones in February, and you can listen to an interview I did with him before that show here. He seemed like a nice guy. Condolences to friends and family. Check out how one of his hometown's TV stations reported his death by clicking here.

I’ve done my share of Kanye West bashing. Sure, the guy makes nice beats, but he’s a mediocre rapper on a good day. And he’s a downright jerk at those awards shows. But I’ll be the first to give the guy credit for one thing. He’s got plenty of vision. And as one of the biggest names in pop at the moment, he’s got plenty of cash to pull that vision off. (I guess that’s two things. Whatever.) So leave it up to the audacious Mr. West to deliver his new Glow in the Dark tour – which kicked off just hours ago, Wednesday night at KeyArena – as an awesomely overwrought, sci-fi themed hip-hopera. This is the biggest, slickest rap show to hit the road since Eminem, one chock full of fun, crowd pleasing spectacle and moments of bizarre kitsch.

The house remained dark as the headlining set began with snippets of hit “Stronger” and West talking to a computerized female voice about his months of scouring the universe for “a new source of inspiration.” (Yeah, it only got sillier after that.) LED flashes and rumbling sound effects simulated a meteor shower and crash that explained West being stranded on some far off planet. And when the lights came on, we saw our hero sprawled across a tilted platform placed in the middle of an astral landscape that roadies had assembled after Rihanna (with some visible difficulty.) West climbed to his feet and got the party properly started with “Good Morning,” the intro to his third hit album, “Graduation.”

It took a few moments to realize there was a full band was playing in the pit below West as he delivered early numbers “I Wonder,” “Heard ‘Em Say” and “Through the Wire,” spitting his rhymes with sweaty, infectious gusto. Between songs, he’d further the pretentious storyline as he talked to a video screen that represented his spaceship’s A.I. computer, Jane. (Yep, basically Hal from “2001” with a sex change. And the ability to produce a couple of scantily clad, gold-painted bimbos during smash hit "Gold Digger.")

Geysers of steam and pink flame simulated the planet's atmosphere, as faux fog wafted into the crowd and psychedelic clouds rolled behind the rapper. And as mentioned, there were some delightfully bizarre moments, like West having a conversation with a naked, female mannequin in a blue wig (an “alien” visiting his crashed ship) and the inexplicable injection of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” into the set. That revived oldie was sung by a backup singer as West sat onstage bobbing his head. Ridiculous? Yes. Pandering to the karaoke crowd? Sure. But as far as I’m concerned, that and other kitschy moments made the show even more worth the money.

The show was a case study in all the things that make Kanye West both interesting and occasionally insufferable. He's a risk taker. He obviously loves the fans and works hard to deliver a memorable concert experience. But man! The hubris required to even something as gaudy as this show! And speaking of Kanye's ego, he even alluded to his penchant for throwing hissy fits at awards shows, promising God that he'd “stop spazzing out at awards shows” during the self-deprecating intro to his religiously themed smash, “Jesus Walks.”

Lupe Fiasco opened with a more conventional hip-hop set, performing “Hello/Goodbye (Uncool),” “Go Go Gadget Flow,” breakthrough hit “Kick Push” and other tracks with the help of a DJ, hype man and backup singers.

N.E.R.D. followed with the night’s most rockin’ set. The band was lead by rapper/singer Pharrell Williams and included a hype man, three keyboard players (one of them Williams’ NEPTUNES production team partner, Chad Hugo), two drummers, a bassist, a guitarist and a couple of NFL-sized guys whose jobs consisted of bobbing their heads at either end of the stage. (Bodyguards? Or just friends who've landed a cake gig?) Williams’ rocked out with dynamic, ska-style kick dancing as the band played hits “Rockstar,” “Lap Dance” and “She Wants to Move.”

But the high point of the opening sets occurred during Rihanna’s performance. The 20-year-old singer started out in a short, skintight black and pink dress. (I cannot stress how lucky her rumored boyfriend, Chris Brown, is. You know, aside from also being a rich and talented.) Later, the pop diva switched to a black and yellow pants ensemble and sat on some steps when she introduced her biggest hit.

“This next song is very special to me,” she said. “The minute I heard it I knew it would be a smash. … So many people fought for it.”

It was, of course, her breakthrough hit single, “Umbrella,” one of the most infectious and inescapable pop songs of the past decade. Rihanna delivered the first part as a stripped down ballad before unleashing those buoyant synths and that addictive vocal hook on a full house. “Ella, ella, ella -- eh eh eh.” She was quite captivating, to say the least. And all the while I wondered how long it would be before pop's new princess headlined her own arena tour.

Music wasn't the only thing being celebrated last night, by the way. Fans in section 110 began cheering "let's go Sonics" before Kanye's set, one of them holding up one of the team's t-shirts. Looks like they'll be going, all right. All the way to Oklahoma City.

Kanye West set list
KeyArena, April 16, 2008

Good Morning
I Wonder
Heard ‘Em Say
Through the Wire
Champion
Get ‘Em High
Diamonds from Sierra Leone
Can’t Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
Spaceship
All Falls Down
Gold Digger
Good Life
Jesus Walks
Hey, Mama
Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey, sung by backup singer)
Stronger
Homecoming
Touch the Sky

Openers: Rihanna, N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco

As always, you can avoid spoilers and take the original quiz by clicking here.

Useless Trivia Tuesday (the Kanye quiz)

1. According to Kanye West, who doesn’t care about black people?

A. Don Imus
B. Michael Richards
C. George Dubya
D. Rush Limbaugh

2. Who is the chagrined movie star who was at Kanye’s side when he announced this on live television?

A. Dana Carvey
B. Eddie Murphy
C. Carrot Top
D. Mike Meyers

3. Which of the following is not a scholastically themed name for a Kanye West album?

A. Graduation
B. Detention
C. Late Registration
D. The College Dropout

4. Which electronic music duo did Kanye perform with on the 2008 Grammy’s?

A. Daft Punk
B. Justice
C. The Chemical Brothers
D. Chromeo

5. Kanye gained notoriety as a hot producer before he became a pop star himself. Which of the following tracks did he not produce?

A. Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”
B. Jay-Z’s "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
C. Ludacris’ “Stand Up”
D. Alicia Keys’ “You Don’t Know My Name”

6. Where does the guy hail from?

A. New York
B. Los Angeles
C. Atlanta
D. Chicago

7. What was his first hit single?

A. Through the Wire
B. Jesus Walks
C. All Falls Down
D. Gold Digger

8. The opening lyrics that Jamie Foxx sings on “Gold Digger” were appropriated and slightly modified from …

A. Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady”
B. Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman”
C. Funkadelic’s “Flashlight”
D. The Bee Gees “Jive Talkin’”

9. West, a notoriously bad sport, made a scene at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards after he didn’t win for best video. Do you remember who won?

A. Justice and Simian for “We Are Your Friends” (Granted, you have to have been living in Europe at the time or be a total pop trivia nerd to even know this. I know I had to look it up. Video's below, y'all.)
B. Brazilian Girls for “Lazy Lover”
C. Lily Allen for “Smile”
D. The Arctic Monkeys for “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor”

10. Not that he's always cranky at awards shows. West came to what pop star’s defense after an embarrassing episode at the 2007 MTV VMAs?

A. Tommy Lee
B. Kid Rock
C. Britney Spears
D. Chris Brown

Here's the new quiz, better late than never. This week's topic is Wednesday night's headliner at KeyArena.

Useless Trivia Tuesday (the Kanye quiz)

1. According to Kanye West, who doesn’t care about black people?

A. Don Imus
B. Michael Richards
C. George Dubya
D. Rush Limbaugh

2. Who is the chagrined movie star who was at Kanye’s side when he announced this on live television?

A. Dana Carvey
B. Eddie Murphy
C. Carrot Top
D. Mike Meyers

3. Which of the following is not a scholastically themed name for a Kanye West album?

Graduation
Detention
Late Registration
The College Dropout

4. Which electronic music duo did Kanye perform with on the 2008 Grammy’s?

A. Daft Punk
B. Justice
C. The Chemical Brothers
D. Chromeo

5. Kanye gained notoriety as a hot producer before he became a pop star himself. Which of the following tracks did he not produce?

A. Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”
B. Jay-Z’s "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
C. Ludacris’ “Stand Up”
D. Alicia Keys’ “You Don’t Know My Name”

6. Where does the guy hail from?

A. New York
B. Los Angeles
C. Atlanta
D. Chicago

7. What was his first hit single?

A. Through the Wire
B. Jesus Walks
C. All Falls Down
D. Gold Digger

8. The opening lyrics that Jamie Foxx sings on “Gold Digger” were appropriated and slightly modified from …

A. Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady”
B. Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman”
C. Funkadelic’s “Flashlight”
D. The Bee Gees “Jive Talkin’”

9. West, a notoriously bad sport, made a scene at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards after he didn’t win for best video. Do you remember who won?

A. Justice and Simian for “We Are Your Friends”
B. Brazilian Girls for “Lazy Lover”
C. Lily Allen for “Smile”
D. The Arctic Monkeys for “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor”

10. Not that he's always cranky at awards shows. West came to what pop star’s defense after an embarrassing episode at the 2007 MTV VMAs?

A. Tommy Lee
B. Kid Rock
C. Britney Spears
D. Chris Brown

Don't fret, hard rock fans. Sure, you've heard that rumor that Ozzfest might be shortened to a two-day festival in Dallas. But at least those Mötley Crüe boys will be there to fill the void.

Today in Los Angeles, the popular hard rock band (known for "Dr. Feelgood" and "Girls, Girls, Girls," among other hits) announced details for its Crüe Fest ‘08 tour, which will bring also bring Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Motley bassit Nikki Sixx's side project SIXX:AM and Trapt to Auburn's White River Amphitheatre on Aug. 8.

Today at a press conference in Los Angeles, Mötley Crüe also announced the upcoming release of "Saints of Los Angeles," their first new studio album with all the original band members in over a decade. It's due on 17. The title track and debut single includes backing vocals by Buck Cherry's Josh Todd, Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix, Sixx A.M.'s James Michael and Trapt's Chris Brown.

Crüe Fest ‘08 tour schedule

July 1 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
July 3 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
July 5 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
July 6 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
July 8 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
July 9 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
July 10 - Sarnia, ONT - Bayfest
July 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
July 13 - Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion
July 15 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 16 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
July 18 - Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
July 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater
July 20 - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
July 22 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 23 - San Antonio, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 24 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
July 26 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
July 27 - Denver, CO - Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
July 31 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
August 1 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center
August 2 - Los Angeles, CA - Glen Helen Pavilion
August 5 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
August 6 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
August 8 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
August 9 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden
August 11 - Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place
August 13 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
August 14 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
August 15 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
August 17 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
August 19 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Amphitheatre
August 20 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
August 22 - Boston, MA - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
August 23 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
August 24 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
August 28 - Toronto, ONT - Molson Amphitheatre
August 29 - Albany, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 30 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
August 31 - Pittsburgh, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion

And in case you missed it, you can access audio clips from my interview with Seattle boy Nikki Sixx by clicking here.

For a while I’ve been chasing down rumors about Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary gala. And after months of keeping things mum, Seattle’s influential indie record label just released details for SP20, the music and comedy festival it has planned for July 11 at Seattle's Moore Theatre and July 12 and 13 at Redmond’s Marymoor Park.

The July 11 show at the Moore is a comedy showcase that will feature Eugene Mirman, Patton Oswalt, Todd Barry and special guests.

The musical will take place at Marymoor Park. And acts will include seminal grunge band Green River which, as most of you should know, included guys who went on to form Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. Of course Mudhoney will play, too. And also on the bill (in alphabetical order) are Beachwood Sparks, Comets on Fire, Fleet Foxes, Flight of the Conchords, The Fluid, Foals, Grand Archives, The Helio Sequence, Iron & Wine, Kinski, Low, No Age, Pissed Jeans, Red Red Meat, The Ruby Suns, Seaweed and Wolf Parade, with more announcements on the way.

But, hey! Seaweed should do a good job of representin' for Tacoma. But where's Girl Trouble, the group that recorded the label's first full-length album, "Hit It Or Quit It"? What's up with that? And I wonder if the label's money makers du jour, the Shins, or comedian David Cross could be among the yet to be announced surprise guests. Not that I've heard anything.

Anyway, tickets will go on sale at noon on April 26 and be available through SubPop.com and Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets will go for $30 per day, $50 for both days through May 10, and then for $35 and $65 after that.

Tacoma's Seaweed is playing Sub Pop's 20th anniversary festival. And perhaps we'll hear some of those new songs that guitarist Wade Neal (foreground) and drummer Jesse Fox (next to him) are listening to with Mike Corvin in this pic.
LIU KIT WONG

I last wrote about this topic in February, after I interviewed Saul Williams about releasing music directly to fans. As the Rolling Stone article I've linked to mentions, established rock stars that have managed to retain control of their brand and publishing don't really need no steen-king record label. So is the major label as we know it in its final throes? Discuss.

Restaurant critic Ed Murietta and I have been monitoring developments over at 933 Market Street, the former location of the ill-fated South Sound Garage, since January, when Ed learned that a new nightclub, called Juno, would open in that space. But owners have kept plans surprisingly hush hush. When the News Tribune called to check in, they essentially blew us off saying there was nothing to talk about. That's a funny way of generating buzz, considering how risky and buzz-dependent the nightclub biz is. But it's actually not a rare thing in these parts.

Then Juno had its soft opening last Friday. But I've been busy with Chris Rock, the Dalai Llama and the Gray Sky Blues Fest and the Parkway Tavern's Barley Wine Festival among other stops these past few days. So I likely won't pay my first proper visit until this weekend. So I was wondering if any of you have a take on the place? Will Juno catch on any better than the Garage? Have owners made serious improvements over the Garage's plain decor and view-impaired stage? Do you plan to go back? Discuss.

The inaugural Gray Sky Blues festival took place Saturday at the Swiss Pub, the Harmon Brewery and other downtown Tacoma venues. Needless to say I had to check it out, and even thought to grab my camera out of the trunk before we got to the Harmon. Above you'll see headlining blues guitarist Teddy Lee Hooker (top); local blues favorites Bump Kitchen (middle) and Bump Kitchen keyboardist Mark Bittler ripping off a crazy solo (bottom), all shots taken at the Pacific Avenue brewpub. I'm a relative newcomer to Bump Kitchen and didn't realize that Minneapolis-style funk was such a big part of their repertoire. I'll have to check them out more often.
E. JASMIN

Tibet’s exiled religious leader, the Dalai Lama, was in Seattle preaching a message of compassion today, and some of the biggest names in rock royalty showed up for support.

The sold out crowd already knew that Dave Matthews and long-time collaborator Tim Reynolds would headline tonight’s benefit concert for Seeds of Compassion. And there had been mention of special guests, which turned out to be fellow local superstars Death Cab for Cutie.

But before that surprise addition was announced, the evening began with a Q & A session with Matthews and ”Dateline NBC” host Ann Curry interviewing the Dalai Lama onstage. The religious leader had a translator at his side, but language barriers still sometimes made the discussion difficult to follow. But the audience responded positively as the Dalai Lama spoke of the transcendent powers of art, the role media plays in fostering compassion and women leaders, among other topics.

The media plays an important role in either fostering positive change or worsening hostility, the Dalai Lama said at one point. “Intelligence and knowledge must combine with a sense of responsibility and a sense of morality,” he said. “Media is very important (to) the promotion of these values.”

His underlying theme was that individuals could change society by fostering forgiveness and compassion within first. “We can change our attitude (with) compassion through training,” he said. “If you have an enemy, if you treat (him or her) with compassion, there is a chance that one day that enemy will be your best friend.”

Later he said, “Forgiveness does not mean forget what happens. Remember what they have done (but) if you keep negative thoughts of them, that is the opposite of forgiveness.”

The crowd may have cheered loudest as the Dalai Lama discussed what he considered to be women’s greater aptitude for “compassion work,” adding that it was time for more women to assume leadership roles.

Matthews – one of the most unassuming and likeable superstars in rock -- copped to feeling a bit awkward later on during his acoustic performance with Reynolds.

“Earlier on, I hope you couldn’t tell, but I was a little bit nervous,” he said, in characteristic mumbly drawl. “Everyone was telling me to be myself, but myself was nervous.”

He also told a (possibly apocryphal) story of finding out he’d even be involved in the Q & A after fans who had read about it approached him at a co-op grocery and asked him if he was excited to talk to the holy leader. “I guess it was good that it was too late to back out of it,” he said, spawning laugher.

The set itself was pretty inspired. I’ve seen Matthews several times in solo acoustic mode; and Reynolds – with whom he has recorded two concert album’s, 1999’s “Live at Luther College” and last year’s “Live at Radio City” – significantly raised the ante. Reynolds reeled off intricate, crowd pleasing licks, occasionally punctuating them by banging on his guitar to add rhythm or by adding trippy pedal effects to the mix (most notably when he played the number “Betrayal” alone.)

Fans especially responded to a stretch of songs toward the end of the set, beginning with the poignant “Sister” (with Matthews remarking that his sister was actually somewhere in the arena) followed by the southern fried stomp of “Cornbread” and the melancholy blues of “Some Devil.” By the time the duo delivered the brassy, optimistic “Everyday,” clusters of fans were on their feet clapping and singing along.

I was actually more enamored with Death Cab for Cutie’s set, which was disappointingly short at about half an hour. The band played semi-unplugged (bassist and Puyallup native Nick Harmer was still electrified.) And an unplugged album is hopefully in their near future. Fan favorites, which included “405,” “Photobooth” and “Title and Registration” (see the full list below) lent themselves to acoustic treatment, with leader Ben Gibbard’s vocals sounding all the more crisp and cherubic.

Their set also included “Talking Bird,” a promising new song from their forthcoming album “Narrow Stairs,” which is due in May. Local fans will next get to see them Monday at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton, Ben Gibbard’s hometown.

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds set list
Seattle, KeyArena
April 11, 2008

Bartender
Old Dirt Hill
So Damn Lucky
Stay or Leave
Save Me
Cry Freedom
Gravedigger
Betrayal (Reynolds solo)
The Maker
Sister
Cornbread
Some Devil
Everyday
Where Are You Going?
Eh Hee
Dancing Nancies

Encore:
Lie in Our Graves

Death Cab for Cutie set list:

405
Your Heart is an Empty Room
Photobooth
Talking Bird
Title and Registration
Brothers on a Hotel Bed

While I was up in Seattle yesterday, I got word that the Roots and Erykah Badu have teamed up for what's sure to be one of the hottest tours of the summer. They'll stop by Redmond's Marymoor Park on June 5.

But I really wish I could catch the Roots two days later in their hometown, Philly. That's when they're playing a big gala with Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Santogold, Deerhoof, J*Davey, Diplo, Esperanza and The Cool Kids. (Hmmm. How much would air fare be this far in advance?)

Surprise, surprise! Chris Rock was hilarious last night at the Paramount Theatre, the first half of a sold-out, two-night stand there. He did lots of political material, as you might expect in an election year. And I went with pop culture writer Bill Hutchens who observed that Rock had maybe mellowed a bit with age; he never reached the shrill outrage of the "who ate daddy's big piece of chicken?" routine from a few years back. But the guy has still got it. My only regret was that I read that blasted April 3 Rolling Stone cover story on the guy, which basically gave away 60 percent of last night's punch lines.

So, if you're going tonight, or plan to see him when he comes back in August, skip the spoilers below:

On Seattle: "I love Seattle 'cause it's the home of Starbucks (pause) and the home of Sir Mix-A-Lot. ... 'Baby Got Back' is for amateurs. 'Posse on Broadway' is the cut."

On voting: "If they wanted you to vote, they wouldn't have the election on Tuesday. ... It's easier to vote for 'Dancin' with the Stars' than it is to vote for president."

On the ego it takes to run for President: "You know how much Puff Daddy juice you gotta ingest, how many Kanye injections you gotta take?"

On John McCain's age: "Who's gonna be his runnin' mate? A nurse? He used to own Sidney Poitier! ... How are you gonna make decisions about the future when you aren't gonna be here?"

On Hillary Clinton's experience: "I've been with my wife for over 10 years, and if she got on stage you wouldn't laugh at all."

On Barack Obama: "That's the blackest name I heard in my life. That's right next to Dikembe Mutumbo. ... You expect to see a brother from the Commodores. Not Lionel Ritchie, one of those greasy n---- behind him."

On the Rev. Wright controversy: "A 75-year-old black man who hates white people. Is there another type of 75-year-old black man? Do you realize his whole third grade class was lynched?"

Sexism vs. racism: "I don't remember no 'no white women' signs."

On the devalued U.S. dollar: "The (Canadian) homeless wouldn't take a dollar. 'could you change that over, please?'"

On hatred for Barry Bonds: "It was like there were little dead baby seals in the balls he was hittin'."

Here are the answers to this week's Useless Trivia Tuesday quiz. Click here to avoid spoilers.

1. If you aren't properly insured, what home remedy might Rock recommend for whatever ails ya?

A. Munch some Flintstones
B. Pop about 13 Tylenol
C. Douse it with Theraflu
D. Rub some ‘Tussin on it

2. Chris Rock bought one rib in what cult comedy from the ‘80s.

A. Hollywood Shuffle
B. I’m Gonna Git You Sucka
C. Harlem Nights
D. Coming To America

3. What comedic actor played Pootie Tang, a recurring character from “The Chris Rock Show”?

A. Lance Crouther
B. Marlon Wayans
C. Tracy Morgan
D. Tim Meadows

4. What was Pootie Tang’s weapon in the motion picture that he starred in?

A. Blinding bling
B. His pimp hand
C. A shoe he’d throw like a boomerang
D. A belt that he'd use to whack bad guys silly

5. During his HBO special “Never Scared,” what did Rock say about Monticore, the tiger that mauled Roy of Sigfried & Roy?

A. “Tony the Tiger woulda been proud o’ his a--!”
B. “That tiger didn’t go crazy. That tiger went tiger.”
C. “He must’ve been cravin’ some Roy McNuggets.”
D. “He was kinda askin’ for it, if ya ask me. Pokin’ that poor tiger with a stick.”

6. What superstar comedian is credited with discovering Chris Rock?

A. Eddie Murphy
B. Richard Pryor
C. Dave Chappelle
D. Martin Lawrence

7. In what classic hip-hop crime thriller did Rock play a junkie informant named Pookie?

A. Menace to Society
B. Boyz in the Hood
C. Dead Presidents
D. New Jack City

8. In the opening minutes of “Bigger & Blacker,” Chris Rock joked about being scared of “young white boys” because of what headline grabbing phenomenon?

A. Soccer hooliganism
B. Marilyn Manson concerts
C. School shootings
D. The crystal meth epidemic

9. Why should you leave your girlfriend at home when she’s angry at you, according to the classic “how not to get you a—kicked by the police” skit from “The Chris Rock Show”?

A. “A mad woman will say anything.”
B. “A mad woman will flag down the police.”
C. “A mad woman will plant weed on you and call 9-11.”
D. “A mad woman will help the police beat you up.”

10. What was the name of the militant, 15-minute talk show host Rock played on "Saturday Night Live?"

A. Malcolm King
B. Nat X
C. Farrakahn Jones
D. Flavor Dave

11. Joking about the Marion Berry scandal during his breakthrough special “Bring the Pain,” Rock joked that a crack smoker could get his job back as mayor but not at this fast food chain.

A. Hardees
B. Taco Bell
C. Jack in the Box
D. McDonald’s

12. In the same special, what solution did Rock give to the problem of drive-by shootings?

A. Setting up a guns for knives exchange program
B. Making all bullets cost $5,000, eliminating the problem of innocent bystanders
C. Giving every U.S. citizen a bullet proof vest and their own Tech 9
D. Making all guns pink so thugs will be too embarassed to carry them.

Live Nation announced two more local Chris Rock dates at the Paramount. If you didn't score tickets to Thurday and Friday's shows at the Paramount (or if you just can't get enough), he'll be back at the Seattle venue on Aug. 27 and 28.

Tickets for those dates will be $45.50 to $75.50, and they'll go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday (April 14). You'll be able to find more info here.

The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian is on the road in support of his new “best of” collection, "Cheese and Crackers: The Greatest Bits."

Rolling Stone's Rock Daily blog has the details.

Chris Rock will headline the Paramount in Seattle on Thursday and Friday, clearly one of this week’s hottest tickets. So let’s see how many of you are true fans.

1. If you aren't properly insured, what home remedy might Rock recommend for whatever ails ya?

A. Munch some Flintstones
B. Pop about 13 Tylenol
C. Douse it with Theraflu
D. Rub some ‘Tussin on it

2. Chris Rock bought one rib in what cult comedy from the ‘80s.

A. Hollywood Shuffle
B. I’m Gonna Git You Sucka
C. Harlem Nights
D. Coming To America

3. What comedic actor played Pootie Tang, a recurring character from “The Chris Rock Show”?

A. Lance Crouther
B. Marlon Wayans
C. Tracy Morgan
D. Tim Meadows

4. What was Pootie Tang’s weapon in the motion picture that he starred in?

A. Blinding bling
B. His pimp hand
C. A shoe he’d throw like a boomerang
D. A belt that he'd use to whack bad guys silly

5. During his HBO special “Never Scared,” what did Rock say about Monticore, the tiger that mauled Roy of Sigfried & Roy?

A. “Tony the Tiger woulda been proud o’ his a--!”
B. “That tiger didn’t go crazy. That tiger went tiger.”
C. “He must’ve been cravin’ some Roy McNuggets.”
D. “He was kinda askin’ for it, if ya ask me. Pokin’ that poor tiger with a stick.”

6. What superstar comedian is credited with discovering Chris Rock?

A. Eddie Murphy
B. Richard Pryor
C. Dave Chappelle
D. Martin Lawrence

7. In what classic hip-hop crime thriller did Rock play a junkie informant named Pookie?

A. Menace to Society
B. Boyz in the Hood
C. Dead Presidents
D. New Jack City

8. In the opening minutes of “Bigger & Blacker,” Chris Rock joked about being scared of “young white boys” because of what headline grabbing phenomenon?

A. Soccer hooliganism
B. Marilyn Manson concerts
C. School shootings
D. The crystal meth epidemic

9. Why should you leave your girlfriend at home when she’s angry at you, according to the classic “how not to get you a—kicked by the police” skit from “The Chris Rock Show”?

A. “A mad woman will say anything.”
B. “A mad woman will flag down the police.”
C. “A mad woman will plant weed on you and call 9-11.”
D. “A mad woman will help the police beat you up.”

10. What was the name of the militant, 15-minute talk show host Rock played on "Saturday Night Live?"

A. Malcolm King
B. Nat X
C. Farrakahn Jones
D. Flavor Dave

11. Joking about the Marion Berry scandal during his breakthrough special “Bring the Pain,” Rock joked that a crack smoker could get his job back as mayor but not at this fast food chain.

A. Hardees
B. Taco Bell
C. Jack in the Box
D. McDonald’s

12. In the same special, what solution did Rock give to the problem of drive-by shootings?

A. Setting up a guns for knives exchange program
B. Making all bullets cost $5,000, eliminating the problem of innocent bystanders
C. Giving every U.S. citizen a bullet proof vest and their own Tech 9
D. Making all guns pink so thugs will be too embarassed to carry them.

Sweet sassy molassy! This is one of those summers that remind me of why I love, love, love this job! After that last Radiohead post, I dug deeper into my inbox and spied the Friday evening announcement regarding the Nine Inch Nails tour. The first U.S. date is a July 26 stop at KeyArena.

This is from the press release that publicity firm Nasty Little Man sent out over the weekend:

Nine Inch Nails 2008 touring lineup has been completed. Returning member Robin Finck and new addition Rich Fownes will join Trent Reznor, Alessandro Cortini and Josh Freese for a world tour beginning July in North America.

Finck has served in numerous touring configurations of NIN, from tours supporting The Downward Spiral (1994-1997) to The Fragile (2000-2001). More recently, he played in Guns N Roses. Fownes has been performing with UNKLE, and has been a member of With Scissors and The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster.

Here are the actual tour dates:

Nine Inch Nails 2008 tour dates

July 25: Pemberton, BC (Pemberton Festival)
July 26: Seattle (KeyArena)
July 28: Edmonton, Alberta (Rexall Place)
July 29: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome)
July 31: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre)
Aug. 2: Minneapolis (Target Center)
Aug. 5: Toronto, Ontario (Air Canada Centre)
Aug. 7: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
Aug. 8: Worcester, Mass. (DCU Center)
Aug. 12: Knoxville, Tenn. (Knoxville Civic Coliseum)
Aug. 13: Duluth, Georgia (Gwinnett Arena)
Aug. 15: Oklahoma City (Ford Center)
Aug. 16: Houston (Toyota Center)
Aug. 18: Dallas (American Airlines Center)
Aug. 20: St. Louis (Scottrade Center)
Aug. 22: Cleveland (Quicken Loans Arena)
Aug. 23: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Aug. 27: East Rutherford, NJ (Izod Center)
Aug. 29: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Aug. 31: Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
Sept. 2: Morrison, Colo. (Red Rocks Amphitheater)
Sept. 3: Salt Lake City (The E Center of West Valley)
Sept. 5: Oakland, Calif. (Oracle Arena)
Sept. 6: Los Angeles (The Forum)

This is what it looked like last time I saw Nine Inch Nails, at the Gorge Amphitheatre's Sasquatch festival in 2006. I was a few rows back being crushed slowly to death. Funny thing is, it was worth it. You can at least expect air conditioning at KeyArena.
JANET JENSEN

Live Nation has made my day already by announcing that Radiohead will headline Auburn's White River Amphitheatre on Aug. 20. Tickets are set at $35 to $55 and will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday (April 12).

And here are other just confirmed dates that tour:

Radiohead 2008 U.S. and Canadian tour dates

Aug. 1: Lollapalooza (Chicago)
Aug. 3: Verizon Wireless Music Center (Indianapolis)
Aug. 4: Blossom Music Center (Cleveland)
Aug. 6: - Parc Jean Drapeau (Montreal)
Aug. 8, 9: All Points West Festival at Liberty State Park (Jersey City, NJ)
Aug. 12: Susquehanna Bank Center (Camden, NJ)
Aug. 13: Tweeter Center For the Performing Arts (Mansfield, Mass.)
Aug. 15: Molson Amphitheatre (Toronto)
Aug. 19: Thunderbird Stadium (Vancouver, BC)
Aug. 20: White River Amphitheatre (Auburn, WA)
Aug. 22: Outside Lands Festival at Golden Gate Park (San Francisco)
Aug. 24, 25: Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles)
Aug. 27: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Aug. 28: Santa Barbara Bowl (Santa Barbara, Calif.)

And country fans will be excited to hear that Brooks & Dunn are also returning to White River, with their stop scheduled for Aug. 9. (See pics from their last local stop here.) Significantly raising the ante on that bill will legendary bearded blues rockers ZZ Top. Tickets are $29.50 to $62.50 and will also go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. You'll be able to buy tickets for both shows and find more info here.

The Gray Sky Festival will invade local venues next Saturday. And I wrote a story on the local blues scene for the cover of today's SoundLife. So I thought I'd post a sampler of local artists to go with it.

This first clip is Randy Oxford (on trumpet)performing at Immanuel Presbyterian Church's Blues Vespers in September.

Here's Doug Skoog, whose band, Blues Alliance, will play next Saturday, also at Immanuel's Blues Vespers.

Here's local favorite, Junkyard Jane.

Here's Bump Kitchen at the Bite of Seattle:

RAAAAAAAARRRRRGH!! For the last time, this is Tacoma, not Seattle, people! Visiting country stars are usually among the best at sorting that distinction out. Many of them even take a crash course on how to pronounce Puyallup before they show up. And country chart toppers Rascal Flatts were doing pretty well during the early part of their headlining set Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. But then the train went off the tracks, and they committed the worst of the worst all local concert faux pas. Repeatedly. As in shouting out “SEEEEEEAAAAATTTTTTLLLLEEE!!!” after every other song.

In their defense, though, the mix-up occurred after they let their drummer, Seattle boy Jim Riley, sing a bit of the song “You,” first announcing that it was in honor of him being home. But as a PSA to future traveling big shots, Seattle is, like, 40 miles down the road. This is Tacoma. Grit City. Got it? Go it.

But the trio – Gary Levox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney – and its five piece supporting band otherwise kept the sold out crowd of nearly 17,000 pretty happy. Rascal Flatts’ two hour set was similar to what fans saw at the T-Dome a year ago. Bits of between-song chatter even triggered a sense of déjà vu. (Is it just me or had DeMarcus already kissed up with that bit about how the girls up here in “Seattle” were the prettiest in the world? At least until the band steps on stage in Fresno on Wednesday, right.)

But this time Rascal Flatts definitely traveled with more impressive toys. Sparkling geysers punctuated opening number "Me and My Gang." LED lights provided striking visuals to backdrops, risers and the stage itself. And a bridge dropped in and out throughout the set, allowing the band to wander between the main stage and a smaller platform set up in the middle of the arena floor. Pretty cool stuff.

Those frills enhanced two hours worth of Splenda-sweet power ballads and party hearty anthems, including fan favorites "My Wish,” “Feels Like Today” and my favorite Rascal Flatts song, their send-up of country cliches "Backwards." Covers are always a big part of the Flatts set, and this time around they delivered a bit of James Brown's “I Got You (I Feel Good)” early on, with DeMarcus singing but clearly not matching the Godfather of Soul’s fancy footwork. A seemingly impromptu riff on Wham’s “Careless Whisper” and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-GO” were pretty funny later on, too. And snippets of Zeppelin, AC/DC, Skynyrd and even Michael Jackson showed up during various solos.

Late set highlights also included a line of marines marching out to big cheers during “Leavin’ Kind.” “They aren’t the leavin’ kind either,” said Levox, as close as you’ll hear to any kind of political statement.

Earlier, it was hard to believe that opener Taylor Swift is only 18. The up-and-coming star was poised, polished and spunky during a brief set that included most of her self-titled debut album. However, the singer was rendered speechless for a moment during a let set ovation, standing there with hand to mouth and stomping excitedly.

“I love you,” she said afterward. “And I want you to know I’m a really nice person deep down. But if you break my heart or hurt my feelings – or mess with my friends from Tacoma, Washington – then I’m gonna write a song about you.”

This was the intro to her final song, “Picture to Burn,” one of those country girls' revenge songs that are so hot right now. Maybe she should hook up with Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood for the Country Payback tour. Just a thought. At any rate, I’d expect Swift to stick around a bit and maybe headline the Dome as soon as she has enough material under her belt.

Rascal Flatts is (from top) Jay DeMarcus, Gary Levox and Joe Don Rooney (playing guitar in third photo.) The talented and spunky teen star Taylor Swift (bottom) opened Saturday night’s show at the Tacoma Dome with a set that wound down with her biggest hits, “Tim McGraw” and “Picture to Burn.”
ERNEST A. JASMIN

Rascal Flatts set list
Tacoma Dome
April 5, 2008

Me and My Gang
Fast Cars and Freedom/ I Melt
Take Me There
I Feel Good (James Brown)
My Wish
These Days
Pieces
To Make Her Love Me
Yes I Do/ Winner at a Losing Game/ You
Joe Don Rooney Medley (American Woman, Back in Black, Sweet Home Alabama)
Stand
Feels Like Today
Fiddle solo (with snippets of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”)
Backwards
God Bless the Broken Road
No Reins/ Bob That Head
What Hurts the Most
Leavin’ Kind (with snippets of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”)

Encore:
Still Feels Good
Life Is a Highway (Todd Cochrane)

Taylor Swift’s set list

I’m Only Me When I’m With You
Our Song
Teardrops on My Guitar
Should’ve Said No
A Perfectly Good Heart
Tim McGraw
Picture to Burn

I'll have a few photos and the set list from last night's show at the Tacoma Dome posted shortly. Stay tuned.

In case you were wondering how the first night of Eddie Vedder's solo tour went, Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll blog has a report:

On a stage set like a living room jam session, Vedder perched on a stool in a Butthole Surfers tee he’d brought out of “semi-retirement” for the gig (”I think I wore this shirt the first time the band played,” he mused). And with that, he proceeded to play songs from his rapidly expanding solo catalogue: “Guaranteed” from Into the Wild stirred the crowd, as did protest ballad “No More War,” which brought Vedder to tears. Covers were plentiful, including a brilliant reworking of Emmylou Harris’ version of James Taylor’s “Millworker,” which was nearly matched by a shot at Springsteen’s “Growin’ Up.”

You can read the full report here.

Mount Rainier Music Festival (Friday through Sunday, Mineral Lake Event Center): In its second year, Randy Oxford’s three-day festival in Mineral will showcase 25 bands and again benefit Mount Rainier National Park. Details here.

The Black Keys (Saturday, Showbox SoDo): These Akron, Ohio-bread blues-rock minimalists expand their arrangements on their new album “Attack & Release.”

Coco Montoya (Sunday, Jazzbones): The blues guitar great will deliver songs from his latest album, “Dirty Deal.”

Autechre (April 7, Neumo’s): These mavericks of electronic music can count Radiohead’s Thom Yorke among their biggest fans.

Chris Rock (April 10, 11, Paramount Theatre): The “funniest man in America” is back on the road. And that can only mean he's shaping up for another classic HBO special. Yes!

Take the quiz and avoid spoilers here.

1. Which of the following isn’t officially in the band?

A. Kristian Bush
B. Jay DeMarcus
C. Gary LeVox
D. Joe Don Rooney

2. Which one it the guy with nasally voice and spiky hair?

A. Kristian Bush
B. Jay DeMarcus
C. Gary LeVox
D. Joe Don Rooney

3. Which of the band’s albums had the highest opening week sales of 2006 with around 722,000?

A. “Melt”
B. “Feels Like Today”
C. “Me and My Gang”
D. “Still Feels Good”

4. What was the band’s first No. 1 single?

A. “Fast Cars and Freedom”
B. “Bless the Broken Road”
C. “Mayberry”
D. “These Days”

5. Which country superstar’s album did Rascal Flatts appear on in 2007?

A. Brad Paisley’s “Fifth Gear”
B. Toby Keith’s “Big Dog Daddy”
C. Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival”
D. Reba McEntire’s “Duets”

6. The band’s hit “Life Is a Highway” was a originally a hit for …

A. Bon Jovi
B. Don Henley
C. Tom Cochrane
D. Steve Earle

7. Their version of that song appeared on the soundtrack of what animated film?

A. “Ratatouille”
B. “Cars”
C. “A Bug’s Life”
D. “Toy Story”

8. What is the band’s record label?

A. Lyric Street Records
B. Universal Nashville
C. Show Dog Nashville
D. Island Def Jam

9. Which of the band’s hits was a hidden track before it was released as a single?

A. “Mayberry”
B. “My Wish”
C. “I Melt”
D. “Skin”

Which Rascal Flatts song is about a woman with Alzheimer’s disease?

A. “My Wish”
B. “Ellsworth”
C. “Help Me Remember”
D. “Waiting All My Life”

Can't wait for April 29!

As posted on Rolling Stone's Rock and Roll Daily report, singer Scott Weiland, who recently announced plans to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots, is dissing his former Velvet Revolver band mates. Can't we all just get along?

“I find it humorous that the so called four ‘founding members’ of Velvet Revolver would decide to move on without me after I had already claimed the group dead in the water on March 20 in Glasgow,” Weiland said.

[snip]

“Good hunting lads, I think Sebastian Bach would be a fantastic choice.”

By the way, could this silly turn of events pave the way for the other Velvet Revolver guys to get back together with that other flaky singer they used to roll with back in the day? You know, without all those pesky riots mucking things up? Just curious.

Country trio Rascal Flatts, one of the best-selling acts of the decade, is the main attraction at the Tacoma Dome on Saturday. So let’s see where their real fans are:

1. Which of the following isn’t officially in the band?

A. Kristian Bush
B. Jay DeMarcue
C. Gary LeVox
D. Joe Don Rooney

2. Which one it the guy with nasally voice and spiky hair?

A. Kristian Bush
B. Jay DeMarcue
C. Gary LeVox
D. Joe Don Rooney

3. Which of the band’s albums had the highest opening week sales of 2006 with around 722,000?

A. “Melt”
B. “Feels Like Today”
C. “Me and My Gang”
D. “Still Feels Good”

4. What was the band’s first No. 1 single?

A. “Fast Cars and Freedom”
B. “Bless the Broken Road”
C. “Mayberry”
D. “These Days”

5. Which country superstar’s album did Rascal Flatts appear on in 2007?

A. Brad Paisley’s “Fifth Gear”
B. Toby Keith’s “Big Dog Daddy”
C. Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival”
D. Reba McEntire’s “Duets”

6. The band’s hit “Life Is a Highway” was a originally a hit for …

A. Bon Jovi
B. Don Henley
C. Tom Cochrane
D. Steve Earle

7. Their version of that song appeared on the soundtrack of what animated film?

A. “Ratatouille”
B. “Cars”
C. “A Bug’s Life”
D. “Toy Story”

8. What is the band’s record label?

A. Lyric Street Records
B. Universal Nashville
C. Show Dog Nashville
D. Island Def Jam

9. Which of the band’s hits was a hidden track before it was released as a single?

A. “Mayberry”
B. “My Wish”
C. “I Melt”
D. “Skin”

Which Rascal Flatts song is about a woman with Alzheimer’s disease?

A. “My Wish”
B. “Ellsworth”
C. “Help Me Remember”
D. “Waiting All My Life”

Last night, I went back to see the X at Showbox at the Market for the second night in a row. And, frankly, I thought this time was even better. Maybe it was because I was standing on Billy Zoom’s side of the stage watching him flirt with all the girls up front, letting them tickle the fret board as he played. Or maybe the last encore put this show over the top. It started with Exene Cervenka and John Doe delivering a poignant, unplugged “See How We Are” (absent from the previous night’s set.) And then they hit it out of the park with “Beyond and Back,” my favorite X song at the moment. Then and there, this show topped my best concerts of 2008 list. For now, at least. And at one point, Doe even gave us another get out and vote PSA, followed by what I can only assume was a shout out to Eddie Vedder, who I'd been trying to spot all night since X and Pearl Jam are homies and all. (Doe even made a cameo last time I saw Pearl Jam on that very same stage.)

“You know who I’m voting for, and it’s not the crappy white guy,” Doe said. “This is for our friend Eddie who would have been here, but he’s sick.” The song he dedicated was "The New World."

And I don’t know what it was, but I enjoyed the Skybombers a lot more the second time around. Maybe it was just my mood, since their tour manager thought they were better the previous night. The Australian punk band, which has been on the road with X, plays raucous, no frills punk (think Against Me) delivered with infectious, over the top energy. Hugh (who is the singer, according to their My Space page) is quite the showman; though he did get booed by a few aging punkers after quipping “I wasn’t even born in 1984” in response to something or other. Later, I met guitarist Sam and drummer Scottie, who seemed like nice chaps. Bought their CD, too, which I like so far. Maybe a clip will wind up on Critic’s iPod.

X is (top photo, from far side of the stage) John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom and DJBonebrake (not picture); the flirtations Mr. Zoom; and a kinda sorta accurate set list. See encore description above.
ERNEST A. JASMIN

I did a little research on opening act the Skybombers (you know, I found their My Space page) and learned that the lineup is (from far side of stage) Sam, Hugh and Ravi, with Scottie (obscured) on drums. And why does it have to be so hard to get a decent drummer photo, anyway? Is it that they move so much? They're stuck back in the shadows? You be the judge.
ERNEST A. JASMIN