We’re at about the halfway point for the 38th annual Bumbershoot festival. And here are a few highlights from day two so far.

There’s always eye-catching spectacle to be found on Seattle Center’s International Fountain Lawn during Bumbershoot. This year there are the pro skaters and BMX riders doing their thing on the Rockstar Vert Ramp and today’s coolest discovery, Strange Fruit. Trust me, you’ll want to stop and stare if you’re passing through, like I did en route to Bumbershoot's rock poster exhibit, Flatstock. The Melbourne, Australia troupe does a hypnotic and graceful synchronized swaying routine, all of the colorfully clad performers perched atop flexible, 15-foot poles. Their last performance today will be over by 6:45 p.m., but you’ll be able to catch them again at 2:45 p.m., 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. on Monday.
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Seattle buzz the Blakes were a hit for the second year in a row over at the Exhibition Hall. The band consists of brothers Snow and Garnett Keim on bass and guitar respectively (that’s Snow in the pic), and Bob Husak on drums. It was my first time catching the power trio, which plays high-energy power-pop. A couple the songs I heard reminded me of the rauchier side of the the Posies, though I'll have to spin the copy of their self-titled Light in the Attic release that I bought to get a better handle on their sound.
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The natives were restless earlier Sunday at Memorial Stadium, their boos getting increasingly loud as Grammy nominated R&B singer Keyshia Cole remained M.I.A. half an hour past her scheduled start time. I had flashbacks of rapper Lil Wayne’s plane touching down during Summer Jam, the show he was scheduled to headline, earlier this summer at the White River Amphitheatre. But the wait wasn’t to be that long, with Cole taking the hint, getting in gear and proving worth the wait. Her booming vocals powered disgruntled women’s anthems “I Should’ve Cheated” and “I Changed My Mind.” And she dedicated a cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” to her mother, their relationship and her mom’s struggles with drug addition having been chronicled by BET reality show “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is.”
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I’m headed back in now, but will have more later, including highlights of Stone Temple Pilots’ headlining show tonight at Memorial Stadium. If you're still on your way up, you can find complete ticket and scheduling details at here.

Once again, I’ve got the caffeine I.V. drip going and working wifi. So I can share a few sights and sounds from the 38th annual Bumbershoot festival. The bad news, though, is that festival organizers are only allowing Seattle and national media access for main stage photography this year, which is pretty disappointing considering how many South Sounders make the drive up I-5 to support Bumbershoot. Still, we’ll see if we can’t get a little closer for some shots of T.I. and Stone Temple Pilots today. Or, you know, some kind reader could donate one of those fancy telescopic lenses that would allow me to shoot from the back of Memorial Stadium. Hmmm? No? Eh, Worth a try.

Our own Vicci Martinez played her second Bumbershoot, this time making a splash on the more prominent Mural Amphitheatheatre. I caught up with her after she got done signing autographs. And you can click here to listen to some of what she had to say. And having built a pretty big fan base around these parts, Vicci tells me she’s starting to map out her first national tour.
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Actor, poet and pop star Saul Williams brought his punk-hop sound to the Fisher Green stage. And dressed as the character from his new “The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust” album, he and his band get best outfit award, hands down. Williams dedicated the performance to Chief Seattle, and his early set included “Grippo,” Tr(n)gger” and “Black Stacey.”
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New this year is the Rockstar Vert Ramp, featuring pro skaters and stunt BMX riders a couple of times a day.
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Also new is Project X, a series of interactive time capsules placed around Seattle Center where patrons are asked to write and record short stories, leave odds and ends to be frozen and commemorate events they remembered happening in their lifetimes. That’s where I met Liz Hayden (second pic) and polished up my backwards writing skills as we communicated through a clear, plastic wall.
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And just so we don’t leave out our other local rising stars, Mono in VCF was also a hit over at the Experience Music Project on Saturday. (Singer Kim Miller shown.) This is one of Tacoma’s most promising and unique bands. I’m pretty impressed with how the sound has evolved, going, from the trendy Smiths/Joy Division-inspired post-punk they started out with when singer Charles Perales was with them to a sweeping cinematic sound with roots in ‘60s psych-pop that would make them an ideal opening act for Portishead. (Sigh! If only they’d ever play Seattle again.) Ellensberg singer-songwriter Mark Pickerel joined the band to perform a song by guitarist/keyboard player Hunter Lea’s main influence, the late Lee Hazelwood. And later that night I spotted most of these guys trying to get backstage to kick it with Beck. I’ll have to ask if they made it next time I see ‘em.
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I'd hoped to have more photos, notes and audio posted from Bumbershoot's first day at this point, but had some serious wifi issues up at Seattle Center. but the good news is that now that I'm back in T-town, I can sort through and post some of the stuff I got up there. Plus, I took down Beck's set list.

And while I love just about everything the Beckster does, this was definitely my least favorite Beck show. It was decent, but the sound was muddy, the performance was disappointingly straightforward with few of those weird live Beckisms that fans have come to expect. And what’s up with neglecting all of “Mutations"? Dude! I love that album! But it was cool to see Beck perform his existential, epic new track "Chemtrails." That song is so haunting, and the drums are just killer.

Anyway, enough of my jibba jabba. Here’s what the man played.

Beck set list
Bumbershoot, Memorial Stadium
Aug. 30, 2008

Loser
Girl
Nausea
Timebomb
Minus
Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat (Bob Dylan)
Que Onda Guero
Nicotine & Gravy
Mixed Bizness
Soul of a Man
Modern Guilt
Gamma Ray
Hell Yes (Pause for band huddle and gear change. Beck: “I wanted to get a headset microphone like N’ Sync. ... We’re gonna press some 808 buttons.” Start goofy drum machine set)
Black Tambourine (end goofy drum machine set)
Devil’s Haircut
Think I’m In Love
Youthless
Sunday Sun
Golden Age
Lost Cause
Chemtrails

Encore:
Where It’s At
E-Pro

This thing is apparently making a stop at Bumbershoot this weekend. Weird. And I plan to hit most of the festival, so stay tuned for photos, notes and maybe a couple of interviews depending on who I run into. Out.

Pop and reality TV star Jessica Simpson has been tapped to kick off the live entertainment at Snoqualmie Casino, organizers just announced. Simpson will perform when the 170,000-square-foot venue is unveiled on Nov. 6 at at 37500 SE North Bend Way in Snoqualmie, off exit 27 of I-90 East.

But I'm wondering if Tacoma Rainiers owner and "Newlyweds" co-star Nick Lachey might be in the crowd when his ex comes to this neck of the woods.

Simpson at the 2006 People's Choice Awards. Um, the reason you'd split up with this gal is what again?
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/AP

Seats are being added to the Puyallup Fair & Event Center grandstand for Carrie Underwood's Sept. 19 appearance. And organizers at the Fair just announced that an additional 300 tickets are being released at 10 a.m. Friday. So be standing at a Ticketmaster outlet or have this page open if you haven't scored tix to see the "American Idol" grad yet.

And you can find more info about the Puyallup Fair, including a complete schedule of grandstand acts, here.

Rolling Stone is reporting that the FBI nabbed that guy that leaked Axl Rose's "new" tracks. Sucks to be him.

Hopefully, he'll recover from laryngitis in time for his show at KeyArena on Sept. 24. You know, so we can hear some Sweet Caroliiiiine, bah bah bah!

I already knew Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla was a political nut (kind of like me, when I'm not talkin' rock.) But I just noticed the guys is covering the Democratic National Convention for Rolling Stone. Take that, Tom Morello!

Overdue rent hastened the demise of once thriving downtown nightclub, the Loft at 21 Commerce, based on a judgment handed down by Pierce County Superior Court this month.

A Pierce County Superior Court judge ordered club owners Jeff and Kathy Corbin to vacate the building, located at 2106 Pacific Ave., that has housed the downtown dance club since 2000. And the couple and others named in the suit may be on the hook to pay Horizon Holdings, the company that owns the building, nearly $60,000 in overdue rent, plus other fees, court documents indicate.

Mars Unlimited, Inc., and the previous tenant, Emerging Market Development, were also named in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Horizon Holdings by Seattle law firm Williams, Kastner & Gibbs. Emerging Market Development opened the Loft in 2000 and upstairs lounge area, 21 Commerce, in 2003, but sold both to the Corbins in 2006. However, the company had not been released from the lease, according Matthew D. Green, an attorney representing Horizon Holdings.

The nightclub was not open last weekend, and the doors were chained shut. Yesterday, I called Jeff Corbin, who then confirmed that his club was “shut down,” though he declined to elaborate on why. Today, I haven’t had much luck reaching him to talk about how this might impact he and his wife’s other nightclub, Maggie O’Toole’s in Lakewood.

The Loft was once one of Tacoma’s biggest and most consistently packed dance clubs. But crowds had been hit or miss in recent months, a trend not helped by a couple of legal snags last spring. Tacoma police served owners with a chronic nuisance violation after receiving more than 35 calls regarding fights and large crowds at the club between January and April. Then the club went dark for a few days in June when its liquor license was suspended for serving alcohol to an under-age patron.

This isn't the only local nightclub that recently shut its doors, by the way. Short-lived rock club Club Vertigo was also dark last time I dropped in on the South Tacoma Way bar strip. The club's liquor license was discontinued last week, according to a report posted by the Washington Liquor Control Board. And a message on the club's web site reads, "Thanks to everyone that supported us."

I got a tip that the Loft at 21 Commerce wasn't open over the weekend. Then I went down there to snoop around this afternoon and saw that the doors were chained from the inside. So I gave owner Jeff Corbin a call to see what's up.

"It's shut down," he said, declining to comment further on what has apparently shuttered the downtown dance club for good. The venue -- which previous owner Jon Tartaglia opened in 2000, and which Corbin, also the owner of Lakewood's Maggie O'Toole's, bought in 2006 -- had already been shut down temporarily in June for serving alcohol to an under-age patron.

And News Tribune crime and breaking news reporter Stacey Mulick tells me that Tacoma police served the nightclub with a chronic nuisance violation after receiving more than 35 calls regarding fights and large crowds at the club between January and April. However, police and the State Liquor Control board representatives said no action had been taken over the weekend to shut the club down.

Leave more tips on what went down if you got 'em.

Thankfully, Entercom has gotten over last year's habit of having its Seattle stations throw their summer rock galas in uncomfortable, trash strewn parking lots. (Click here and here to freshen your memory.) So there was actually grass at KISW-FM's Pain in the Grass show Saturday at Auburn's White River Amphitheatre -- you know, if you were up in the cheap seats on the lawn. Seether, Shinedown, Sevendust, Drowning Pool, Earshot and Jet Black Stare all made appearances. But the whole thing was headlined by local prog-metal heroes, Queensryche. And here’s some of what you may have missed.

You had to figure Queensryche would do something dramatic and unusual after the extravagant, theatrical sets the band delivered for its last “Operation: Mindcrime” a couple of years ago (as seen on the DVD “Mindcrime at the Moore.”).And this time the band had support from the Empire Orchestra and Blue Thunder, the Seattle Seahawks’ drumline – shown here behind guitarist Michael Wilton..
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Former Tacoma boy and current Bellevue resident Geoff Tate served as flamboyant master of ceremonies, as he wailed his way through fan favorites, which of course included, "Silent Lucidity.” "I've heard of people getting married to this song," Tate said, introducing his band's signature song. "I've heard of people getting buried to this song. I've heard of children being born to this song, and I've heard of children being made to this song."
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And here's the dynamic duo of Wilton and Mike Stone shredding in tandem during the early set.
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And here are a few bootleg fan clips I've seen posted ...

I missed Duff McKagan’s Loaded the last couple of times the band swung through town. But last night I finally caught the outfit, which also includes local boys Jeff Rouse and Geoff Reading. (Didn’t catch whether guitarist Mike Squires was from Pierce County, but he sure had some sweet looking guitars. But I digress.) And now I think I actually like Loaded better than McKagan’s bread and butter, Velvet Revolver. For starters, Duff is charismatic and way funnier than Scott Weiland (though my editors would prefer I not post his funniest and raunchiest jokes. See me at Hank’s or the Parkway and I’ll tell ya.) And I also like that the band skews more towards the punky/alt-rock end of the spectrum, reflecting Duff’s roots in Seattle. (Little known fact: He was the Fastbacks’ drummer briefly before he got famous with Guns N’ Roses.) Songs the band played from its forthcoming album and EP were solid, including lead single “No More,” the Tom Waitsey ballad “Wasted Heart” and a bluesy rocker called “Dust and Bones.” And Loaded’s choice of covers was impeccable, with the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and, after the crowd begged for one more, the Misfits’ “Attitude.” That’s not to mention the Guns song he treated us to. “Hope you f----- dug it," McKagan declared as the set was winding down. "Here’s a little present for you.” Then his band took a bow with Guns’ “It’s So Easy,” tied with “My Michelle” for my favorite track on “Appetite for Destruction.” Thanks, Duff! But, dude. I just noticed that all your bands' names invoke firearms. What’s up with that? And by the way, not only was Loaded pretty killer …
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… but it turned out that yesterday’s rumors about “The Cupcakes” were true. Peeps at the Kitchen were treated to a surprise performance by reunited cult rock band Sweet Water, which was billed under that fake name. The Seattle outfit played a few songs from a new album that will apparently be out in a couple of months. And by the way, if you missed the action Friday, you can catch up with the band next Saturday (Aug. 30) at Bumbershoot.
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So, I finally found a few minutes to post the rest of my Duff McKagan sound bites. Tonight, his band Duff McKagan’s Loaded will headline Hell’s Kitchen. But in these he’s talking about Velvet Revolver stuff.

Pt. 1: Realizing things weren’t working out with Scott Weiland

Pt. 2: No, Lenny Kravitz won’t be the new VR singer (but “that would be killer”)

Hmmm. I see a band called the Cupcakes is opening for Duff McKagan's Loaded tonight at Hell's Kitchen. Now what was that rumor a reader passed along about "the Cupcakes?" Oh, yeah. That they're actually Sweet Water.

At least, the band's fans received this e-mail which, along with the band's previous surprise show at the Kitchen, has lead to some speculation.

A message to all members of sweet water What up original gangsters? Here is what be new for the crew. Which is me and you.

New video for an old song at You Tube.http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetwaterrocks Sweet Water will be playing BumbershootSaturday August 30th, Bumbershoot, Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 3pm-4pmhttp://www.bumbershoot.org/lineup/sweet-water

Also ex members of the parc boys will be playing in a new band called the Cup Cakes in Tacoma with DUFF McKAGAN'S LOADED.Friday, Aug 22, 2008 9:00 PM PDT at Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma The record is done. We are figuring out how to release it and a bunch of other stuff.

Werd and thanks for your support. Visit sweet water at: http://sweetwater.ning.com

I’m a fan of NWA and Ice Cube from back in the day, though my interest waned a bit in the '90s. And it’s been fun, if sometimes weird, watching Cube grow into a lovable Hollywood icon. So in the days leading up to his Thursday night concert at Showbox at the Market, I wondered why I’d never seen the guy perform live? And would it be lame watching a nearly 40-year-old star of family flicks trying to cling onto a gangsta shtick? But a couple of songs into a set that Cube kicked off with “Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It,” a track from his new “Raw Footage” album, and “Natural Born Killers,” with his hype man filling in for Dr. Dre's part, I realized the man still has it. His show was a blast. But I didn’t exactly take down the most accurate set list for you guys this time, between shakin' my money maker, my notebook getting doused by a stray beer and having to dodge flying bodies on the edge of a melee that broke out towards the end. But among the crowd pleasing tracks I remember Cube serving up were “It Was a Good Day,” “Check Yo Self,” “We Be Clubbin’” and “Bow Down.” But as much as I enjoyed the snippets of NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” and “Gangsta Gangsta,” in honor of his old group’s 20th anniversary, I could have used more old school joints. What? No? “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted”? Hook a brother up, Cube. Speaking of NWA, you can click here to go back to hear what Cube had to say about the possibility of the group getting back together last time I interviewed him.
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As you might have read in a previous post, ex-Guns N’ Roses and current Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan will bring his other band, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, to Hell’s Kitchen tomorrow. And recently I called the guy at his home in Seattle to catch up. Duff’s a pretty laid back, candid guy, and I got lots of good clips about all three of his bands, including his account of what went wrong between former VR singer Scott Weiland and the rest of the guys.

But I thought I’d post these things in a couple of installments just to break it up. Today, I’ll post the clips where he’s mostly talking about Loaded, with passing reference to his bigger bands. And if all goes according to plan (that is, if I’m recovered from the Ice Cube show bright and early) in the morning you should be able to check back and listen to what Duff said about VR's search for a new singer. (Maybe you've already caught the gist of what he said here.)

Part 1: Forming Loaded in college

Part 2: His motivations, Guns, Velvet Revolver and Duff McKagan's Loaded rated as creative outlets

Part 3: New songs we'll hear at Hell's Kitchen, before the new Loaded album and EP

Radiohead (guitarist Ed O’Brien, singer, guitarist and keyboard player Thom Yorke and bassist Colin Greenwood shown above) headlined one of the summer’s most hotly anticipated concerts Wednesday night -- a sold out affair at Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre, where England's alt-rock heroes last headlined in 2003. The band’s two-hour set was befitting of one of the World’s most critically acclaimed rock bands. It was heavier than you'd expect on the new material (unless you'd been taking sneak peaks at set lists posted on sites like AtEaseWeb.com) with the band performing most of last year’s “In Rainbows” CD. A few fan favorites were notably, signature numbers like “Paranoid Android.” But many of the new tracks were welcome additions to Radiohead's live arsenal, with ballad "Nude" and rockin' selections "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and "Bodysnatchers" making especially big impressions. It was great to hear "Kid A" single “Optimistic,” a an excellent number I don't remember hearing the band play during the last couple of Washington stops. Click here for the entire set list.
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Yorke is never big on the yakkety-shmakkety between songs. But his chattiest moment during the beginning of the second encore Wednesday night. “Seattle is known for a lot of things,” he said, specifically citing Jet City protests against the World Trade Organization and “what a corrupt, malignant organization it is.” The singer “You and Whose Army,” from 2001’s “Amnesiac” album, to anyone in the crowd who had protested WTO. And as on previous tours, Yorke comically mugged for a camera that provided goofy piano-view close-ups on the big screen behind him during that song. His second noteworthy bit of crowd interaction came during “Faust Arp,” which Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed sans band mates. And how much do fans love Yorke? They cheer even louder when he had a brain fart. The guy forgot the lyrics to the song twice, playfully waving it off the second time. "Aw, f---- it,” he declared before spinning back around to the mike and tearing into the wordy number anew. This elicited the loudest cheers of the evening to that point, with fans encouraging him as he finally conquered the blasted thing. But mostly Yorke let the music do the talking, occasionally breaking into that endearingly weird running monkey dance he does during numbers like "Idioteque."
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Resident genius Jonny Greenwood again showed his mastery of several instruments, at points even tinkering around with a little boom box that was hooked up to some sort of sampler or reverb to add echoey, dystopian-sounding vocal snippets to “The National Anthem" and other numbers.
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As you might have noticed from these pics, the set was enhanced by a brilliant light show, with LED tubes arranged all around the band to add intense reds and icy blues to several numbers. The effect was especially dramatic as the brilliant, solar bursts of orange underscored the dramatic chorus of "OK Computer" era track -- “Lucky,” my favorite track of the evening, for the record. And in a completely unrelated personnel note, producer Nigel Godrich – practically the band’s sixth member, since he’s manned the boards for most of Radiohead’s best recordings – showed up to bang some tambourine during the encores.
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British noise-rockers, Liars, opened the show -- a band I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around since a bunch of critics that are obviously hipper than I flipped over the outfit’s 2006 album, “Drum’s Not Dead.” No sir, I don’t get it, though front man Angus Andrew was pretty fun in a goofy Karen O kind of way – singing and mumbling with the mike halfway in his mouth at times, and adding entertainment value with absurdly dramatic stage stage moves. Occasionally, the band hit a nice groove, as on “Plaster Casts of Everything,” one of the band’s few songs that, Andrew acknowledged, fit into Seattle’s grungy image. (Well, the grungy image Seattle had a decade ago.)
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Just read an update on the Dave Matthews Band's site about a LeRoi Moore memorial fund being set up to benefit charities the band's recently deceased sax player was passionate about. Click on the link for details.

Moore died Tuesday from injuries sustained in an ATV accident, in case you missed the news. DMB's tour, which will make its usual three-day stand at the Gorge on Labor Day weekend, is going on with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin, according to a Rolling Stone report, which you can read here.

Just got back from Radiohead's amazing show at the White River Amphitheatre. Here's a set list for starters. And I'll have some photos and a few notes posted in the morning.

Radiohead set list
Aug. 20, 2008
White River Amphitheatre

15 Steps
Reckoner
Optimistic
There There
All I Need
Pyramid Song
Talk Show Host
The National Anthem
The Gloaming
Videotape
Lucky
Faust ARP (with a couple of false starts)
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Climbing Up the Walls
Dollars & Cents
Nude
Bodysnatchers

First encore:
How to Disappear Completely
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Idioteque
In Limbo
Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Second encore:
You and Whose Army? (Dedicated to WTO protesters.)
No Surprises
Everything In Its Right Place

Opening act: Liars

You know the routine. Avoid spoilers here, or check your answers below. See you at the show tonight.

Radiohead trivia challenge

1. The band’s lineup is Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien and …

B. Phil Selway

2. The band’s name comes from a song by …

D. Talking Heads

3. The band’s creative breakthrough, and it’s most acclaimed album, is this 1997 disc, which includes “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police” and “Lucky.”

B. “OK Computer”

4. This 1998 documentary chronicled the band’s angst-ridden tour in support of that album.

A. “Meeting People Is Easy”

5. The band hails from what English city?

C. Oxford

6. This guy produced the band’s most critically acclaimed recordings.

B. Nigel Godrich

7. This song is an outtake from the “In Rainbows” sessions, available as a bonus track on limited edition copies of the album.

D. “Bangers and Mash” (mmmmm, bangers n' mash)

8. This 2000 album represented a departure from melodic, guitar-driven rock towards glitchy electronic textures.

B. “Kid A”

9. The alternate title of Radiohead’s 2003 album “Hail to the Theif” is …

A. “The Gloaming”

10. On the side, multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood has written music for the films “Bodysong” and …

B. “There Will Be Blood”

11. Finish the lyric: “Kicking squealing …”

C. “… Gucci little piggy.”

12. Finish the lyric: “I’m an animal …”

D. “… trapped in your hot car.”

13. This EP includes “OK Computer” outtakes “Polyethylene” and “Palo Alto.”

D. “Airbag/How Am I Driving?”

14. The song “This Mess We’re In” is a duet featuring Thom Yorke and …

A. PJ Harvey (and it's on this album.)

15. Yorke’s solo album is called …

B. “The Eraser”

16. Radiohead’s first No. 1 album in the States was …

C. “Kid A”

Note the update to my previous blog post on the Neil Young show.

Stoked for the Radiohead show yet? Well, let’s see how much you know about Wednesday night’s main attraction at the White River Amphitheatre.

Radiohead trivia challenge

1. The band’s lineup is Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien and …

A. Liam Gallagher
B. Phil Selway
C. Damon Albarn
D. Pete Doherty

2. The band’s name comes from a song by …

A. Public Image Limited
B. The Sex Pistols
C. The Cure
D. Talking Heads

3. The band’s creative breakthrough, and it’s most acclaimed album, is this 1997 disc, which includes “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police” and “Lucky.”

A. “The Bends”
B. “OK Computer”
C. “Amnesiac”
D. “My Iron Lung”

4. This 1998 documentary chronicled the band’s angst-ridden tour in support of that album.

A. “Meeting People Is Easy”
B. “Creeps: Radiohead Live”
C. “Kicking Squealing Gucci Little Piggy”
D. “Most Gigantic Lying Mouth in the World”

5. The band hails from what English city?

A. Manchester
B. Liverpool
C. Oxford
D. Bristol

6. This guy produced the band’s most critically acclaimed recordings.

A. Rick Rubin
B. Nigel Godrich
C. Butch Vig
D. Steve Fisk

7. This song is an outtake from the “In Rainbows” sessions, available as a bonus track on limited edition copies of the album.

A. “Talk Show Host”
B. “Follow Me Around”
C. “Banana Co.”
D. “Bangers and Mash”

8. This 2000 album represented a departure from melodic, guitar-driven rock towards glitchy electronic textures.

A. “Amnesiac”
B. “Kid A”
C. “In Rainbows”
D. “Pablo Honey”

9. The alternate title of Radiohead’s 2003 album “Hail to the Theif” is …

A. “The Gloaming”
B. “The Sky Is Falling”
C. “As Dead As Leaves”
D. “Snakes & Ladders”

10. On the side, multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood has written music for the films “Bodysong” and …

A. “No Country for Old Men”
B. “There Will Be Blood”
C. “Children of Men”
D. “28 Days Later”

11. Finish the lyric: “Kicking squealing …”

A. “… alienated and creepy.”
B. “… but everything’s in it’s right place.”
C. “… Gucci little piggy.”
D. “… fighting against this.”

12. Finish the lyric: “I’m an animal …”

A. “… and I’ll hunt you down.”
B. “… filled with this desire.”
C. “… with his leg caught in a trap.”
D. “… trapped in your hot car.”

13. This EP includes “OK Computer” outtakes “Polyethylene” and “Palo Alto.”

A. “Itch”
B. “My Iron Lung”
C. “COM LAG”
D. “Airbag/How Am I Driving?”

14. The song “This Mess We’re In” is a duet featuring Thom Yorke and …

A. PJ Harvey
B. Beth Gibbons
C. Fiona Apple
D. Emiliana Torrini

15. Yorke’s solo album is called …

A. “The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time”
B. “The Eraser”
C. “Running From Demons”
D. “Pop Is Dead”

16. Radiohead’s first No. 1 album in the States was …

A. “The Bends”
B. “OK Computer”
C. “Kid A”
D. “In Rainbows”

Just when you thought the Puyallup Fair lineup was etched in stone, fair organizers made one final announcement this afternoon. Varsity Fanclub, Prima J, Jordan Pruitt and Clique Girlz will cater to the 'tween market when they invade the grandstand on Sept. 12.

Tickets are $10 to $20 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday (Aug. 23). Find more details on the Fair site.

Veteran rocker Neil Young's new North American tour will drop by Comcast Arena at Everett on Oct. 21. The show is set for a 7 p.m. start. But Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie will not open this show as reported in an earlier version of this post and a related show press release.

Ticket prices are set at $52 to $177, and they'll go on sale on Sept. 12, organizer with Comcast Arena and Live Nation announced today. Check out the venue's web site for updates.

Allow me to re-create an exchange I had this afternoon with lifestyle editor Sue Kidd. Topic: Ice Cube’s upcoming appearance at Showbox at the Market.

Sue: [Eyes light up] Oh, I saw him back in the ‘90s with Body Count!

Me: Uh, no you didn’t. That would be Ice T. We’re talking about Ice Cube.

Sue: [Confused] Whaaaat? He used to rap? [Laughs] Oh, I guess he did.

By now there’s a whole generation that knows Cube more for his roles in the “Barber Shop” and those “Are We There … ?” flicks than for grabbin’ his AK and actin’ a m@#%@%@ fool! (And that's not to mentioned Gen-X News Tribune editors who grew up in Auburn.) And while I wouldn’t dare suggest that the guy has lost all of his gangsta cred (heh, especially if you’re reading this, Mr. Cube) Cube definitely isn't as scary as he used to be.

And here's this week's related survey question. What made you finally realize that Cube's "gangstaism" is in decline? To weigh in, click this link.

Last week, I asked which acts you were most anxious to see on the main stage at Bumbershoot. And here's you're top 5.

Who you want to see most at Bumbershoot

1. Stone Temple Pilots
2. Beck
3. Neko Case
4. Death Cab for Cutie
5. Lucinda Williams

A new Weekly Weigh-In topic TK soon.

In today's column about Radiohead I mentioned "Bangers and Mash" as the rarity you're most likely to hear during the band's stop at White River Amphitheatre news Wednesday, that based on set lists I've seen posted on fan site AtEaseWeb.com. And that got me to thinking about my wish list. So here are a few of the non-album tracks I'm hoping might make an appearance, too.

Here's a clip of "Bangers," featuring Thom Yorke on drums and vocals.

The band played this one last time they were in town. I loved it, but forgot that I'd already heard it in this clip from the 1998 Radiohead doc, "Meeting People Is Easy."

I just learned recently that this next track, "Palo Alto," was originally called "OK Computer." It's an outtake from the sessions that spawned the band's most popular album.

Here's "Talk Show Host" from the Glastonbury Festival in 2003.

"Paper Bag Writer" was a "Hail to the Thief" era b-side before it wound up on the "Com Lag" compilation.

And lastly, you'll find this one on the "Airbag/How Am I Driving?" EP.

I’ve been trying to avoid downloading from iTunes when I can help it in protest of their stupid five computers only rule. But it took me forever to find a record store that could successfully order “The Greatest Gift,” a collection of this obscure noise rock band’s entire output. (Rocket Records eventually came through for me.) Scratch Acid is another one of Nirvana’s influences (though you can't really tell from this string-heavy track) and some of you may remember this song from the “About a Son” soundtrack.

Detroit’s Electric Six is kind of like Flight of the Conchords without the accents. And more ridiculous, I think. I first fell in love with "Down at McDonalz" from their "I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master" album. But lately I've been digging this track.

The new album, “New York City,” snuck up on me this month, but as a big fan of this New York outfit I was quick to run out and invest. This clip is from one of the spacier tracks. But elsewhere the vibe veers toward the dance-rock stylings of bands like C.S.S., a group that actually has Brazilian girls in its lineup. Hey! I think I found their perfect tour mates.

This week's Weekly Weigh-In survey is about who you're most excited to see at Bumbershoot (assuming you're going to Bumbershoot.) I'll post results on Monday. Meanwhile, add you're two cents by clicking this link.

Recently got word of a Degrees reunion show set for next weekend. The Degrees have been out of commission since '06, but the Tacoma band is getting back together for a benefit show Aug. 23 at Bob's Java Jive, according to an e-mail press release I just received. The band is raising money for drummer Andy Coffey, who suffers from diabetes and whose vision is consequently impaired.

"Any proceeds beyond the cost of a pair of glasses will go towards a new PA system for Bob's Java Jive," reads the show announcement.

That night's bill will also include Rayblazer, Bandolier, Carparty, Darrren Selector and Kyong Kim of Post Stardom Depression. Drop The Degrees' Reylan Fernandez a line at sonsofivan@gmail.com for more details.

Local jazz and blues station KPLU-FM (88.5) announced a couple of big management changes this week.

Jennifer Strachan was named the station's director of public media earlier this week, a position she'll take over on Sept. 4. And today, long-time KPLU program host, producer, and former music director Nick Morrison was announced as the station's new production director, a post he'll fill beginning Sept. 2.

Strachan, a Gig Harbor resident, most recently served as the director of programming and production at Tacoma's KBTC-TV. She was also the executive director of KBTC's local documentary series, "Full Focus."

In her newly created position, she will lead initiatives to pinpoint new technologies for enhancing the station including expanding the station's online news distribution capacity, and cultivating online communities locally, nationally, and internationally, according to KPLU.

Morrison, who started at KPLU in 1987, will oversee and contribute to KPLU's talent pool of producers, writers and disc jockeys and create content for the terrestrial broadcast and the station's all-jazz webstream, Jazz24. He'll take over his new position on Sept. 2, according to a station press release.

I spoke to Duff McKagan today for a story I’m working on about his band Duff McKagan’s Loaded coming to Hell’s Kitchen for two shows on Aug. 22. But in the course of the interview we also veered into Velvet Revolver territory. Specifically, McKagan, who I called at his home in Seattle, dispelled the recent rumors that Lenny Kravitz would take over for departed singer Scott Weiland.

"I don’t know where people get all this s---,” he said, finding humor in Internet reports he’d read about the Kravitz thing. But he admitted “I think that would be killer. That guy’s a true musician. I’ve known that guy for 20 years; that would be great. But I’m not sure if Lenny knows about it. We didn’t know about it. We’ll find a guy.”

McKagan said he and band mates Slash, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner have been writing new Velvet Revolver material, and that they hope to find a new singer as soon as possible. He said they had listened to demos from a few aspiring VR singers, naming Royston Langdon from British rock band Spacehog as a guy who was briefly in the running.

“We’re a pretty loud band,” he said. “The songs are pretty big, huge, monster riff songs. And whoever sings in front of that has to be a big guy, you know what I mean? Like, a big presence and have amazing range and vocal ability. Not saying Royston didn’t have all those things. There was just one thing you can’t really put a finger on that he didn’t have. We’re just hopin’ that one of these days comin’ up pretty quick, the right guy is just gonna walk through the door, and that’s it.”

McKagan said Weiland -- who will perform with his old band, Stone Temple Pilots at Bumbershoot -- was fired because of issues related to his well-known struggles with substance abuse.

“Ultimately the drama that VR went through together this last year did a lot for us,” he said. “It brought the band guys a lot closer together, and we were writing some amazing material because of the drama. But it’s really hard on you. And I think we’re all probably looking for the guy (to bring) as little drama as possible.”

Of course, I'll have some audio clips posted before next week's show about the band's forthcoming "Wasted Hearts" EP and next full lengh album, due in September and 2009, respectively. (Hear a new track called "No More" on Loaded's MySpace.com page.) And expect a mention or two of McKagan's old band, Guns N' Roses, too. Stay tuned.

Duff McKagan -- shown here performing with Velvet Revolver -- will bring his other band, Duff McKagan's Loaded, to Hell's Kitchen next week. Regarding Velvet Revolvers rumored plans to recruit Lenny Kravitz? Nuh uh.
JOE HALE/GETTY IMAGES

Here are the answers to yesterday's Isaac Hayes quiz. Avoid spoilers here.

The Isaac Hayes quiz

1. We’ll start with an easy one. If you don’t get this one, you should just quit and never be allowed to listen to Isaac Hayes’ music. The guy’s best known for the theme music for what ‘70s cult classic?

B. “Shaft”

2. He also scored the soundtrack for (and starred in) …

A. “Truck Turner”

3. His early career is associated with what influential label?

A. Stax

4. With songwriting partner David Porter, Hayes penned hits “Soul Man” and Hold On, I’m Comin’” for what legendary soul act?

D. Sam & Dave

5. This 1969 breakthrough album featured on of Hayes’ most popular songs, “Walk On By.”

B. “Hot Buttered Soul”

6. He was once part owner of what ABA franchise?

D. Memphis Tams

7. A testament to his lasting relevance, which “trip-hop” act built a track from its debut album around a sample of Hayes’ “Ike’s Rap IV” in the ‘90s?

B. Portishead (the song is "Glory Box." Tricky used the same sample for "Hell Is Around the Corner" from his debut, too.)

8. In what comedy did Ike become annoyed when Chris Rock asked him “How much for one rib?”

B. “I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka”

9. Younger fans knew Hayes as the voice of Chef from “South Park.” Why did he leave that popular show?

D. He was angered that it made fun of his religion.

10. Not only did Hayes and Bernie Mac die on the same weekend. They also recently made a film together called …

A. “Soul Men”

No real Soundgarden news to report. Sorry to get your hopes up. But this Onion story is hilarious.

But think about it, though. Aside from a few hard feelings and Matt Cameron's duties with Pearl Jam, what is there to prevent some reunion shows? Chris Cornell's freed himself from Audioslavery. I've seen Ben Shepherd around Seattle a few times in the past couple of years. And a buddy of mine says he saw Kim Thayil at the Sub Pop 20 shows recently. So ya never know, right?

Don't forget to cast your vote in the Weekly Weigh-In survey. This week we're asking which main stage act you're most excited to see at Bumbershoot. Check it out here.

We lost one of the greats last weekend when Isaac Hayes passed away. So today’s trivia challenge isn’t so much “useless” as it is a tribute to the man and his work. See how well ya do.

The Isaac Hayes quiz

1. We’ll start with an easy one. If you don’t get this one, you should just quit and never be allowed to listen to Isaac Hayes’ music. The guy’s best known for the theme music for what ‘70s cult classic?

A. “Foxy Brown”
B. “Shaft”
C. “Enter the Dragon”
D. “Dirty Harry”

2. He also scored the soundtrack for (and starred in) …

A. “Truck Turner”
B. “Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Revenge”
C. “Uptown Saturday Night”
D. “Cooley High”

3. His early career is associated with what influential label?

A. Stax
B. Sun
C. Domino
D. Epic

4. With songwriting partner David Porter, Hayes penned hits “Soul Man” and Hold On, I’m Comin’” for what legendary soul act?

A. Al Green
B. The Temptations
C. The O’Jays
D. Sam & Dave

5. This 1969 breakthrough album featured on of Hayes’ most popular songs, “Walk On By.”

A. “Songs in the Key of Life”
B. “Hot Buttered Soul”
C. “Chocolate City”
D. “Black Moses”

6. He was once part owner of what ABA franchise?

A. Kentucky Colonels
B. San Antonio Spurs
C. Indiana Pacers
D. Memphis Tams

7. A testament to his lasting relevance, which “trip-hop” act built a track from its debut album around a sample of Hayes’ “Ike’s Rap IV” in the ‘90s?

A. Massive Attack
B. Portishead
C. Sneaker Pimps
D. Morcheeba

8. In what comedy did Ike become annoyed when Chris Rock asked him “How much for one rib?”

A. “Hollywood Shuffle”
B. “I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka”
C. “CB-4”
D. “New Jack City”

9. Younger fans knew Hayes as the voice of Chef from “South Park.” Why did he leave that popular show?

A. He felt it had become too vulgar.
B. He felt its creators weren’t paying him enough.
C. He got in a fight with Matt Stone during a taping of the show.
D. He was angered that it made fun of his religion.

10. Not only did Hayes and Bernie Mac die on the same weekend. They also recently made a film together called …

A. “Soul Men”
B. “Shaft Returns”
C. “Walk On By: The Isaac Hayes Story”
D. “Funkytown”

You'll be able to hear programming from KIRO-AM (710) on 97.3 FM starting 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, station owners Bonneville International announced today.

“News Talk 710 KIRO will now broadcast on the strongest FM signal in the market,” KIRO/KTTH program director Rod Arquette said in a press statement released earlier today. “Puget Sound residents will immediately notice a better, cleaner sound on FM.”

Turns out that rumor I heard about Bad Religion was true. KNDD-FM (The End, 107.7) made the official announcement about the station's annual rock gala, Endfest. And Bad Religion tops a lineup that also includes the Presidents of the United States of America, Atreyu, The Faint, Everlast, the Ting Tings, the Airborne Toxic Event and Sirens Sister.

The event is scheduled for Sept. 13 at Redmond's Marymoor Park. Tickets will go for $39.50, and Ticketmaster will start sellin' 'em at 10 a.m. Saturday (Aug. 16).

Just got this in an e-mail from Pearl Jam's publicist:

SEATTLE - Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready will take part in two benefit concerts this month to raise funding and awareness for stand out local non-profit organizations – Soulumination and All-Access After-School.

McCready joins Dave Dederer (Presidents of the United States of America), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) and members of the Dusty 45’s - performing together as “Bison” in Skiffle - a fundraiser for All-Access After-School at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Thursday, August 21st. Doors are at 6PM. Concert begins at 7PM. $25 suggested donation at the door. Also performing that evening will be the Boogilistics, Camille Bloom & Recovery, Scribes and artists from All Access partner organizations – Arts Corps, Rock School and the Service Board. Earlier that day, eight teams comprised of community leaders, local artists and the performing bands will create a work of art of blank canvases – including guitars and basses. These masterpieces will be auctioned off during the concert.

Shadow 86' Jimi Hendrix Tribute featuring Mike McCready and special guests will also headline an early show benefit for Soulumination at Seattle's Tractor Tavern on Wednesday, August 27th. Performance begins at 6pm. Tickets can be purchased at www.tractortavern.com and Sonic Boom Records. $12 in advance ($15 at the door).

Pearl Jam? Flight to Mars? Shadow '86? And now Bison? Say, how many bands is m'man Mike in, anwyay?

Over the weekend a friend of mine was asking me who I was most excited to see at Bumbershoot 2008. First I thought, “@#%@! It’s less than three weeks away.” And then I answered Beck. The new album is amazing, and he always comes up with some fun gimmicks for the live show. Were those puppets at Sasquatch a couple of years ago a hoot or what?

Anyway, enough of what I think. Who are you excited about seeing on the main stage this year? Weigh in here.

P.S. You can see who's playing all the stages here.

Here are the results of last week's Weekly Weigh-In survey, regarding who has the better "I Kissed a Girl" song:

43% said, "Jill Sobule's version rules all over Katy Perry's."

29% said, "@#%@% that! Katy Perry's version rules all over Jill Sobule's."

%14 percent said, "Eh, I like 'em about the same."

%14 percent said, "Are you kidding? I hate both songs."

And no one was confused by the fact that the lusty Katy Perry started out as a wholesome Christian pop star. Maybe that's because she didn't record under the same name. But get in where you fit in, I guess.

Now, let's see. What should this week's weigh-in topic be.

I capped a busy concert weekend with a trip to the ol' Emerald Queen tonight to catch country legend Randy Travis. I knew the guy has been one of the biggest names in country for more than two decades, and that the country star turned gospel singer was back on the road in support of “Around the Bend,” his first set of secular songs in eight years. But I’d never seen the guy had no idea how funny and charming he was, “Everything I Own (Had Got a Dent)” – one of two songs from the new album he sang – being case in point. Elsewhere, his selections were more poignant, with fan favorites like “Heroes and Friends,” “He Walked on Water” and “Three Wooden Crosses” sung in a rich, nasal baritone (except for when he dipped down deep for a few flamboyant, crowd pleasing low notes.) As an added bonus, Travis threw in a killer sing-along take on Roger Miller’s pop classic “King of the Road.” Anyway, check out the set list below. And maybe I’ll post one of those jokes he told in the comment section if you wanna hear ‘em.
ERNEST JASMIN

What a sad weekend! First Bernie Mack, now soul legend Isaac Hayes has died. I'll have to see if I can find the tape of the last interview I did with him and hopefully post something later this week as a tribute.

It was a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll Saturday night when ZZ Top, Brooks & Dunn and Rodney Atkins dropped in on Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre. I posted the latter two’s set lists a little while ago. And now here is some more of what you might have missed.

”Yes, it’s the same three guys right here,” guitar god Billy Gibbons (right) declared a few songs into ZZ Top’s set Saturday night. “Same three guys, same three chords.” Yep, one of America’s sickest blues-rock acts has been around for nearly four decades with the same lineup, a miraculous achievement in and of itself. And at White River the Texas trio – also bassist Dusty Hill (left) and drummer Frank Beard – showed their skills to be not in the least diminished, as they brought some much needed heat to a blustery night in Auburn. (Their “Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell” would have been an entirely fitting addition to their set list.) Of course, ‘80s hits “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” got some of the night’s most animated response. But my tastes leaned towards the funky, bluesy end of the ZZ spectrum, represented by “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago” early in the 90-minute set. Gibbons staked his claim as one of America's greatest living blues guitarists, wowing the crowd with a series of one-handed solos, picking the fretboard with his fingertips and covering his eyes with his right forearm just to show off. And ZZ came out scorchin’ for the encore with "La Grange,” featuring that amped up Lightnin' Hopkins sound, one of rock's signature riffs. Then Brooks & Dunn re-emerged to help out with some “Tube Snake Boogie.”
ERNEST JASMIN

Brooks & Dunn’s crowd pleasing set featured many of the familiar hallmarks of live shows past: Ronnie Dunn (right) bringing down the house as he sang lead on signature, gospel-flavored ballad “Believe”; Kix Brooks revving fans up with fiery harmonica solos, and firing off the t-shirt gun; local troops making a cameo and red, white and blue streamers adding an exclamation point to “Only in America.”
ERNEST JASMIN

Up-and-coming country start Rodney Atkins (left) tested a funny new song that may be included on a forthcoming album during his opening set. Chorus: “I gave up smokin’, women and drinkin’ last night/ and it was the worst 15 minutes of my life.” Then he closed with one of his biggest hits “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows).”
ERNEST JASMIN

ZZ Top and Brooks & Dunn just wrapped up a couple of hours ago at Auburn's White River Amphitheatre. So I thought I'd toss a couple of sets lists up here until I finish editing my photos. Think a got a couple of good ones of Billy and Dusty, too. Stay tuned.

ZZ Top set list
Aug. 9, 2008
White River Amphitheatre

Got Me Under Pressure
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Waitin' for the Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
I Need You Tonight
Goin' Down to Mexico
Just Got Paid
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs

Encore:
La Grange
Tush
Tube Snake Boogie (with Brooks & Dunn)
Jailhouse Rock

Brooks & Dunn set list

Cowboy Town
You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl
Hillbilly Deluxe
Neon Moon
Put a Girl in It
She Likes to Get Out of Town
Believe
Red Dirt Road
Mama Don't Get Dressed Up For Nothing
Ain't Nothin' 'Bout You
Only in America
Play Somethin' Country
My Maria

Encore:
Brand New Man
Boot Scootin' Boogie

Opener: Rodney Atkins

So on a scale of one to 10, how shocked were you all when you found out that Bernie Mack died today? He'll be missed. And life is short, y'all. Do what you gotta do while you're still here.

I heard a rumor this weekend about Bad Religion headlining Endfest. Nothing up on their web site yet. And that hasn't been confirmed with KNDD-FM (The End, 107.7). We'll see if it's true when the Seattle station makes it's big announcement in the days ahead.

Are you ready to roooooooooooooock? A fan salutes Buckcherry during Crue Fest Friday at Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre.
ERNEST JASMIN

Wha-wha-whaaaaaat? Mick Mars goes to bed at 10? Tommy Lee is an eco-friendly vegetarian? And Nikki Sixx is a fan of – gulp -- Madonna? Sweet sassy molassy! What is this world coming to, people?

I gleaned all of the above from a recent Motley Crue article in Blender. And, needless to say, my world view was all shaken like a Polariod picture before Friday’s Crue Fest show. I mean, those guys I read about weren’t the ridiculous, sleazy kings of glam-metal. They were some disappointingly mature and middle-aged facsimiles, more like Milquetoast Crue. I mean, I’m no diehard fan or anything, but there are certain things you come to count on in this world. Taxes will always be due on April 15, and Motley Crue will forever act like a group of overgrown, tattooed frat boys, right?

Well, leave it to drummer Tommy Lee to restore my faith in the grand scheme of things. He did this during the portion of the show dedicated to aiming a video camera at voluptuous chicas spotted in the crowd, their cue to free their ya-yas for everyone to see on the big screen. And there’s never, ever a shortage of willing flashers at Crue show. That and the copious amounts of girl-on-girl porn spliced into the band’s video feed (even during kinda politically themed moments, strangely enough) went a long way towards re-orienting my bearings. Yep, these were the same debauched knuckleheads I remembered from back in the day. I could sleep well Friday night. Or I would have been able to I didn’t suspect I needed a syphilis check just for being in the audience.

But really, what else can I say about a Motley Crue show that you wouldn’t already guess happened? The Crue packed enough shock and awe pyro into 90 minutes of RAWK to vanquish the Taliban. They delivered enough party hearty anthems – “Shout at the Devil,” “Wild Side,” a little “Live Wire” – to keep a full house raising their "devil horns" and partying like it was 1988. (But what? No “Piece of Your Action?” Duuude. The set list can be found here, by the way.) And singer Vince Neil – he of surgical VH1 makeover fame – hit many a high-pitched crescendo, '80s metal crescendo, even if his pipes ain't quite what they used to be. And is it just me, or has his voice gotten super nasally, sounding a bit like comedian Jim Breuer doing an impression in some spots?

Frankly, the only thing that could have topped this orgy of “butt rock” goodness was a surprise cameo from Dr. Rockso the Rock ‘n’ Roll Clown. “I do cocaaaaaaaaaine!” It was fun for a spell. But thank Crom that grunge came along to shake America out of its Aqua Net-fueled stupor.

Speaking of unfortunate hard rock trends, I was surprised that Papa Roach, one of the evenings openers, still inspired such rowdy devotion long after rap-rock became taboo. This was especially true when singer Jacoby Shaddix jumped into the G.A. pit and weaved his way up to the sound pit midway through his band’s set. And part of the band’s longevity can, no doubt, be attributed to a savvy savvy makeover. Shaddix now sports an emo ‘do. He upgraded his stage moves from that stomping “running man” dance he used to always do in concert; and he kept the rapping to a minimum. At least as long as possible.

“Do we have any old school Papa Roach fans in the house?” he screeched toward the end of Papa Roach's set.

Many screamed back their approval. And then we were back in the band's Anger Management Tour days with “Broken Home” and inevitable set closer “Last Resort.”

But Buckcherry was by far the most entertaining opening act, and also the one most obviously descended from the Crue itself. Like last year at Pain in the Grass, the L.A. glam-metal outfit delivered crowd-pleasing anthems like “Everything” and milked “Crazy Bitch” for 10 super raunchy minutes, even slipping snippets of Billy Squier’s “The Stroke” and Prince’s “Sexy M.F.” into the mix for good measure. The band also played a new funk-rock number called “Too Drunk” from forthcoming album “Black Butterfly,” which is due in stores on Sept. 16.

"I'm gettin' drunk all, night, I'm gettin' drunk all day," sang charismatic frontman Josh Todd in this anthem about -- how shall we say? -- binge drinking's impact on sexual performance. I'd expect it to be a big hit on KISW and Funky Monkey this fall.

I've got a java I.V. goin', so I should have a few notes and maybe a photo posted from last night's Crue Fest show pretty soon (even if they made us shoot from way back in the @#%@%@ photo pit last night. And me without one of those fancy, schmancy lenses that "professional photographers" use -- you know, the ones that cost as much as a '93 Honda Accord that can take high-res close-ups of the surface of the moon.) While I get that sorted out, here's Motley Crue's set list.

Motley Crue set list
Aug. 8, 2008
White River Amphitheatre

Kickstart My Heart
Wild Side
Shout at the Devil
Saints of Los Angeles (with Buckcherry's Josh Todd, Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix, TRAPT's Chris Taylor Brown and SIXX: A.M.'s James Michael)
Mick Mars solo/Voodoo Chile
Live Wire
Sick Love Song
MF of the Year
Don’t Go Away Mad, Just Go Away
Same Old Situation
Primal Scream
Looks that Kill
Girls Girls Girls
Dr. Feelgood

Encore:
Home Sweet Home

Openers: Trapt, Sixx: A.M., Papa Roach and Buckcherry

Time to start poundin' the Rockstar, y'all, 'cause I've got a busy weekend ahead of me. As you read this, I should be at White River Amphitheatre, gettin' ready to "Shout at the Devil" with Motley Crue. Then I'll be back in Auburn for Z.Z. Top and Brooks & Dunn. And if I've got anything left in the tank, I'll check out Randy Travis Sunday at the Emerald Queen. And of course, I'll help you relive those events or show you what you missed if you didn't make it. Assuming all goes according to plan, I should have some notes and photos posted by tomorrow afternoon.

This week I watched “The Future is Unwritten,” an insightful and sometimes moving documentary on the late Joe Strummer. And as a result, it’s been all Clash all the time for me this week. Here are three songs that you should download now if they’re not already in your collection.

From back when the Clash was more of a conventional punk band, this anthem has really been stuck in my head this week.

“The Future is Unwritten” features a cool scene with Topper Headon describing the day he came up with the piano riff for one of the great pop tracks of our time – you know, right before his band mates kicked him to the curb.

This is a lesser known Clash gem. But some of you young'uns may still recognize this as source material for M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” (which you can hear on my "essential 2007 mix tape" here.)

Hey, don't forget to throw your two cents into the Weekly Weigh-In debate. Check out this week's topic and take the survey here. The polls close Sunday, and all.

If you're looking for a good musical road trip, you can check out the second annual Lounge Acts benefit concert, which will start at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Seventh Street Theatre in Hoquiam, according to a press release organizers sent out this week. Popular Seattle bands Harvey Danger and Schoolyard Heroes will headline this second annual benefit to memorialize the late, great Kurt Cobain in his hometown, Aberdeen.

In 2005, organizers erected a sign at the entrance to town that reads "Welcome to Aberdeen: Come As You Are." And last year, they kicked off the Lounge Acts benefits.

Opening acts for this year's event are Black Top Demon and Gebular, chosen from a dozen entries at a "battle of the bands" competition in June. Find out more at the Kurt Cobain memorial site.

This announcement came in from Seattle Center this afternoon.

Seattle Center and KEXP-FM (90.3) have teamed up to present KEXP Concerts at the Mural, tailored to the culturally curious who seek to discover the best of the area’s independent music scene. This series of FREE, all ages, evening concerts offers some of KEXP’s favorite artists on the outdoor Mural Amphitheatre stage, Aug. 15, 16, 22 and 23, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Concert headliners include: Maldives & Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Aug. 15; Rocky Votolato & TBA, Aug. 16; KEXP Volume 4 CD Release Party with Carter Tanton (of Tulsa) & Pela, Aug. 22; Ms. Led & TBA, Aug. 23.

And really, they had me at Jesse Sykes.

It’s been a minute since I've stuck head in at Jazzbones. So I was shocked to hear a rumor that their weekend format was changing, and that a friend of mine had been surprised on a recent weekend when she showed up and a hip-hop DJ was the main attraction.

Huh? What are they goin' for over there? Rapbones? Did this have anything to do with ex-Fabulous Firwood GM Hyon Kil signing on at the new operations manager? But Jazzbones assistant GM Sue Hong cleared things up when I called a little while ago, saying the DJ was a last-minute fill in for a band that had canceled.

But that doesn't mean there are no surprises to report over at Jazzbones. In a move that'll make "the Boneyard" seem just a bit more like the Swiss, Kry, the king of local cover bands, will take over Thursday nights beginning Sept. 4. And that may come as a shock if you show up and are expecting Randy Oxford's Blues Theatre. That moved to Wednesday as of last night, by the way.

It seems Wolfmother has split up. Strangely, they didn't break up in a way that dubiously recalls Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin.

I plucked this from a recent e-newsletter sent out by the Supersuckers' Eddie Spaghetti.

Take me out to the ball game...take me out to the crowd! You ever wonder how they decide on who gets to sing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" at the seventh inning stretch at Major League Baseball games? Well, me too! I still can't figure it out even after being asked to do exactly that at an upcoming Minnesota Twins game this August 13th. That's right, the good people in the Twins operation have deemed it appropriate that we, The Supersuckers, will get to partake in this time honored tradition when they take on the Darth Vader of baseball, the New York Yankees, in a day game this Wednesday, August 13th.

The first pitch will be at 12:10 pm Central Time and we'll be doing a little show before then somewhere in the stadium at 10:45. If you'd like to come to this glorious event we will be hooking a few people up with tickets but it's first come first served so get your email requests into chris@supersuckers.com right away for your chance to see The Greatest invade the American Pastime in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008. We will be rooting firmly for the Twins to kick the living crap outta those Damn Yankees so come on out and join us. It'll be lots of fun for sure!

I was this close to thinking the Jonas Brothers would headline Endfest 2008 after I saw this post. And technically, they are playing Endfest 2008. Just not the one at Marymoor Park. As far as we know, at least. Hmmmm.

A couple of big announcements came in yesterday while I was taking a bit of R&R before the big weekend coming up. The first, from Live Nation, is that Weezer will headline KeyArena on Oct. 11. The quirky power pop band -- known for hits "Buddy Holly," "Say It Ain't So" and "Beverly Hills" -- is on the road in support of its new, self-titled disc (the red one, to differentiate from their other self-titled album.) And they'll have support from Tokyo Police Club and Angels & Airwaves.

Tickets will go for $25 to $45 when they go on sale on Aug. 23. You'll be able to buy at the Ticketmaster site.

The second thing is that the End is getting close to releasing details for Endfest, which will take place on Sept. 13 at Marymoor Park this year. Pollstar says the Airborne Toxic Event will be there (which is a band and not a trap, in case that sounds a bit sinister.) But I'd expect to find full details here in the very near future.

Here are the answers to yesterday's Motley Crue quiz.

Useless Trivia Tuesday’s Motley Crue challenge

1. The guy in the band from Seattle is …

B. Nikki Sixx

2. Seattle boy’s birth certificate actually says …

A. Frank Ferrana

3. The band’s first hit to crack Billboard’s top 20 was 1985’s …

C. “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room”

(You are officially a Crue poser if you answered D, which is a Poison song. Ch-yuh!)

4. Everyone remembers the wife that Tommy Lee made the sex tape with. But the first famous hottie he got hitched to was …

D. Heather Locklear

5. Speaking of Tommy, who has he famously feuded with recently, leading to a much talked about smackdown at the MTV Video Music Awards?

D. Kid Rock

6. The band’s best-selling biography is being adapted for the big screen for 2009. That book, by Neil Strauss, is called …

A. “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band”

7. The band’s new album is called …

B. “Saints of Los Angeles”

(But I want a cut if any hair band uses my "Rehab, Rebel, Repeat" idea, dammit!)

8. Which band member got an extreme makeover on a VH1 reality show, including plastic surgery?

A. Vince Neil

9. Tommy Lee capitalized on the popularity of rap-rock with his side project …

C. Methods of Mayhem

10. After being annoyed by this interviewer’s line of questioning, Tommy Lee infamously fired back with, “What color panties are you wearing?”

B. Greta Van Susteren (um, fair question, I guess)

11. In the ‘80s, Neil was involved in an accident that claimed the life of what rocker?

B. Hanoi Rocks’ Nicholas Dingley

(And Ugly Kid Joe’s Whitfield Crane is still alive, as far as I know. See? He's even got a web page.)

12. Which band member chronicles being legally dead twice in his autobiography?

B. Nikki Sixx

Most debaucherous rocker ever? discuss.

Motley Crue will headline a sold out Crue Fest show at Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre on Friday (Aug. 8). So you know the routine by now. Let’s test your fanhood before the big event.

Useless Trivia Tuesday’s Motley Crue challenge

1. The guy in the band from Seattle is …

A. Vince Neil
B. Nikki Sixx
C. Tommy Lee
D. Mick Mars

2. Seattle boy’s birth certificate actually says …

A. Frank Ferrana
B. Nicholas Halberd
C. Albert Miller
D. Gino Allegnani

3. The band’s first hit to crack Billboard’s top 20 was 1985’s …

A. “Dr. Feelgood”
B. “Girls Girls Girls”
C. “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room”
D. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”

4. Everyone remembers the wife that Tommy Lee made the sex tape with. But the first famous hottie he got hitched to was …

A. Carmen Electra
B. “Downtown” Julie Brown
C. Molly Ringwald
D. Heather Locklear

5. Speaking of Tommy, who has he famously feuded with recently, leading to a much talked about smackdown at the MTV Video Music Awards?

A. Fred Durst
B. 50 Cent
C. Scott Stapp
D. Kid Rock

6. The band’s best-selling biography is being adapted for the big screen for 2009. That book, by Neil Strauss, is called …

A. “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band”
B. “Dr. Feelgood: On the Road with the Most Motley Crue in Rock”
C. “Decades of Decadence: Sex, Drugs and Motley Crue”
D. “Motley Crue: The Ultimate Bad Boys”

7. The band’s new album is called …

A. “I Do Cocaaaaaaaiiine”
B. “Saints of Los Angeles”
C. “Rehab, Rebel, Repeat”
D. “Guitar Heroes Never Die”

8. Which band member got an extreme makeover on a VH1 reality show, including plastic surgery?

A. Vince Neil
B. Nikki Sixx
C. Tommy Lee
D. Mick Mars

9. Tommy Lee capitalized on the popularity of rap-rock with his side project …

A. Nonpoint
B. Skull N’ Bones
C. Methods of Mayhem
D. Zebrahead

10. After being annoyed by this interviewer’s line of questioning, Tommy Lee infamously fired back with, “What color panties are you wearing?”

A. Barbara Walters
B. Greta Van Susteren
C. Ellen DeGeneres
D. Daisy Fuentes

11. In the ‘80s, Neil was involved in an accident that claimed the life of what rocker?

A. Metallica’s Cliff Burton
B. Hanoi Rocks’ Nicholas Dingley
C. Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhodes
D. Ugly Kid Joe’s Whitfield Crane

12. Which band member recalls being legally dead -- twice! -- in his autobiography?

A. Vince Neil
B. Nikki Sixx
C. Tommy Lee
D. Mick Mars

Lately, I've been getting calls about a free Gavin Rossdale concert, which will take place at 9:30 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 7) at Seattle's Showbox SoDo. The show is part of the Samsung AT&T Summer Krush series, which includes free shows by Mariah Carey, Smashing Pumpkins, Lee Ann Rimes and Nelly in other locales.

But you can’t just show up and expect to get in, bruh. One of two ways to score tix to see the ex-Bush singer -- the voice behind "Glycerine," "Everything Zen" and other hits – is by listening to Seattle radio stations Star 101.5 and The End and call in at the right time. Or you can get on the standby list compiled the sponsors, which you’ll find here.

Among today's big show announcements are Jason Mraz's Nov. 9 gig at the Paramount Theatre and rock veteran Jackson Browne's Sept. 29 stop at McCaw hall and an appearance of the recently reunited kings of stoner comedy, Cheech & Chong, Nov. 29 at the Paramount.

Tickets for Mraz and Browne go on 10 a.m. Friday (Aug. 8). Tickets for Cheech & Chong go on sale at 4:20 p.m. that same day, which you may remember if you aren't busy puffin' on the wacky tobaccy right around then. You will be able to find more details here.

I've posted plenty of surveys on Bring the Noise. But today, I'm launching a regular feature to let you weigh in on some of the most important issues in pop music. Like Katy Perry, who will perform her smash hit "I Kissed a Girl" this weekend when Warped Tour stops at the Gorge.

But, like, wait a minute. Didn't somebody already have a hit about the virtues of same-sex lip locks? Hmmm. Who was that? Oh yeah! Jill Sobule, way back in nineteen and ninety-five.

Call it deja smooch. And it's not like you can copyright song titles. But what I wanna know is whose take on the subject is more compelling? Click this link to weigh in.

Ha! Fooled ya. This post isn't about Heath Ledger (though I have seen his amazing and creepy performance in the new Batman flick three times already.) This one's about rock legend and sometime Friday Harbor resident Steve Miller, who will headline the Gorge on Saturday (Aug. 2). And that's the perfect excuse to revisit the interview I did with ol' Steve last summer. He talked about rock's most famous Tacoma reference, explained what the hell a "pompitious" was and stirred up a bit of controversy among Who fans. Click the link and check it out.

"The Rocker" is coming out this month (on Aug. 20, according to the folks at Fandango.) And while I haven't gotten much better at editing video in Final Cut Pro, I think its imminent release is as good a reason as any to, I don't know, finally post that Rainn Wilson interview footage I've been promising. This interview was done backstage at the Gorge during Sasquatch Festival. And while the clip is a bit longer than what I normally post, it has some funny payoff moments with Wilson talking about kissing Christina Applegate, growing up near Seattle and mastering the drumstick twirl.

I'm having trouble getting the durn thing to imbed. So for now follow this link to hear what our man Rainn had to say.