Lozen headlined the New Frontier Lounge last night. And here's some of what you missed.

And I was in a hurry when I posted the first two and didn't have "Earth People" ready. But here it is now. Enjoy!

The bad news: I showed up to the New Frontier too late to bootleg Tacoma's Cannon Canyon, my original plan for Thursday night. The good news, though, is that I've got a new band crush. Sugar Sugar Sugar is from my old stomping grounds, Bellingham, and they rocked. Judge for yourself. And check back in a bit. I got some pretty sweet clips of last night's headliner, Lozen, too.

Mike Krushka from Tacoma's the Legend of Bigfoot - a band featuring former members of Sons of Ivan - e-mailed me a copy of a new cut, called "Humanoids," to share on the ol' South Sound Mix Tape. Click and give it a listen. Then mark your calendar for the group's next gig, which is a sweet opening spot for the mighty, mighty Jucifer on Aug. 29 at Hell's Kitchen.

They may be Canadian and all, eh. But we can at least adopt 3 Inches of Blood as honorary Tacomans. After all, our favorite Dungeons & Dragons obsessed thrash-metal band lived here for a spell while worked on their "Fire Up the Blades," which came out in '07.

And now details have emerged on their follow up, "Here Waits Thy Doom," which is scheduled to hit stores on Sept. 8, according the band's publicist. (Yes, their post-Ozzfest reality includes having a bonafide publicist.)

And pull those plastic swords and viking helmets from the back of your closet, 'cause 3IB will kick off its North American tour the day before that on Sept. 7 at Bumbershoot. And I haven't heard anything, but I'm wonderin' if you might see them show up for a South Sound warm-up. Hmmmm? Say at Hell's Kitchen?

It's trendy these days for iconic rockers to take one of their classic albums and perform it in its entirety in concert. Motley Crue just did it with "Dr. Feelgood" last night at Auburn's White River Amphitheatre. Roger Waters gave Pink Floy'ds "Dark Side of the Moon" a similar treatment a while back. And now one of alt-rock's pioneering acts is getting into the act, too.

The Pixies are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their "Doolittle" album by taking it out on the road, with back-to-back stops scheduled for Nov. 11 and 12 at Seattle's Paramount Theatre. According to today's announcement, the band will play all the tracks from "Doolittle" - college radio classics like "Wave of Mutilation" and "Monkey Goes to Heaven" - and related b-sides.

Tickets are set at $58 and they go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 1).

In April, Pixies singer-guitarist Black Francis brought his new project, Grand Duchy, to Jazzbones. Click here to revisit our interview with Francis and his wife, Violet Clark. Grand Duchy will headline Seattle's Triple Door on Sunday (Aug. 2).

Alice in Chains will headline the Moore Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, Seattle Theatre Group announced. Tickets are set at $25, and they go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday (July 31), according to this afternoon's announcement.

Alice in Chains recently gave away "A Looking in View," the first single from the forthcoming "Black Gives Way to Blue" album, for free. It's the first studio recording we've heard from Alice since the group re-formed with lead singer William DuVall. You can listen to a clip I previously posted here or find out more about the album and tour on Alice's fan site.

New Alice in Chains singer William DuVall at Seattle's Moore Theatre in 2006.
ERNEST JASMIN

While I was gone, Barsuk Records also sent me details regarding a not so secret house show that Seattle singer-songwriter Rocky Votolato is playing in Tacoma on Thursday (July 30). Well, they sent me the date, that is, and mentioned that he's road testing some new songs. But the address is hush-hush secret; you know, until you buy tickets here and it's e-mailed to you.

You can find clips from my last interview with Rock here, by the way.

Thousands of e-mails were waiting for me when I got back in the office today after a few days off. No, really. Thousands. Oy! And this one from last Thursday appealed to my inner geek.

July 23, 2009 – Star Wars™: In Concert, a unique multi-media event featuring music from all six of John Williams’ epic Star Wars scores, continues its worldwide arena tour on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in KeyArena at Seattle Center.

Tickets for the KeyArena concert go on sale Saturday, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. in-person at the KeyArena Box Office, West Plaza of KeyArena, and Ticketmaster, by phone at (800) 745.3000, and online at ticketmaster.com.

I've been off this week, spending a little time on the Peninsula. So I haven't checked in as much as usual. But I had to belatedly post this Beastie Boys clip for the fans that still haven't heard the heavy Adam Yauch news. The Beasties headlined the first concert I ever attended, and I'll always have a soft spot for those guys - still one of the most ridiculously fun acts in pop music after all these years. Get well, MCA!

Here's one more clip from my interview with the Jesus Lizard's David Yow. Friday's gig at the Capitol Hill Block Party will be his band's first Seattle performance since getting banned back in the late '90s. Click here for the back story.

Here's another clip from my interview with David Yow of the phenomenal Jesus Lizard, coming Friday to the Capitol Hill Block Party. Click this link to hear him talk about the band's growing cult, how the comeback shows have saved his a#@ and, speaking of which, his penchant for occasionally baring all onstage.

The Jesus Lizard is one of those strange rock phenomena that have become more and more common in the YouTube age. The Chicago-bred noise-rock outfit is one of those bands - like Slint or, most notably, the Pixies – that seemingly out of nowhere started to generate loads of buzz several years past its pre-breakup heyday.

Hence, several high-profile gigs this year, including last week’s Pitchfork Festival in Chicago and a headlining slot at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday. And having caught the Lizard a couple of times I wholeheartedly recommend that you not miss one of the most insane and underrated live bands of the 1990s.

From “Puss” to “Monkey Trick,” Jesus Lizard’s sound was like a grimy underbelly to the grunge movement the band and its earlier ‘80s incarnation, Scratch Acid, helped inspire. And it’ll be interesting to see if vocalist David Yow is, at 48, the same unhinged, crowd surfing, trou-dropping madman that his fans know and love.

Speaking of which, I got the guy on the phone last week before he headed to Chicago. And I’ll post these interview clips in installments, starting with these two:

Clip 1: Yow on why his band broke up

Clip 2: "I didn't really miss being in a band at all to be honest."

I had my video handy camera last night at Hell's Kitchen for the Minus 5 (a show that brought out members of Girl Trouble and Buck Ormsby of the Fabulous Wailers.) And I checked with Scott McCaughey who said it was OK to share some clips with the slackers who missed out. So here ya go. A cut from a few years ago and a couple from the new "Killingsworth" album. And too bad my battery died in the middle of the Sonics cover. It was pretty killer.

Sadly, I was only one of about seven people who witnessed the hilarious spectacle of Brian Kenny Fresno Thursday night at Hell's Kitchen. Forget packin' nightclubs; this guy should have his own show on HBO.

Here's a medley of his "hits" for those who missed it. (Sadly, "Porno Dan," one of his funniest songs, was a bit more than the bosses would want me to include.)

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cold War Kids, the Helio Sequence and more have been added to the final lineup for Bumbershoot 2009. Single day tickets go on sale on Tuesday (July 21.) Find out more here.

This week's hottest ticket is for the No Doubt's show Sunday at White River Amphitheatre, the band's first local tour stop in half a decade.

So last week I got on the phone with drummer Adrian Young, and in the clip below he talks about the butterflies that preceded this tour, fanatical fans and how hittin' the road is different now verses back in the '90s.

Click here

No Doubt perform at the tour launch in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
DONALD KRAVITZ/GETTY IMAGES

If you appreciate bizarre spectacle as much as I do, you'll get your rump over to Hell's Kitchen tonight for Brian Kenny Fresno. His label is Bong Hit Records, if that tells you anything. But after seeing the guy in concert a few times, last at Bob's Java Jive as I recall, I'm still at a loss for words to sum up just how freaky and absolutely heeeeeee-larious this guy is.

Let's see. He's kind of like Flight of the Conchords off their meds and after a few months spent ingesting copious amounts of hash at some desert hippie commune. But there's just, like, one of him, and he plays this weird thing called a Warr guitar.

Nope, still doesn't quite cut it. Eh, just click the videos, y'all.

If you follow this blog, you know when and where Pearl Jam is playing in Seattle this fall. (If not, click here, slacker.) And Live Nation just released ticket details.

Prices are set at $68, and they go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday (July 18.) Of course, there's a special pre-sale for members PJ's Ten Club, which started on Monday. Check the band's fan site for info on signing up.

Thanks to some technical difficulties, I talked to Northwest rock journeyman Scott McCaughey not once but twice in the last few days. That would be Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows, the Minus 5, the Baseball Project and R.E.M. fame (and probably about 10 other bands I’m forgetting or don’t even know about.) And, OK, it was more like user error than "technical difficulties." I yanked the phone jack out of my recorder and had to call the guy back for quotes. And I'm glad I did since I got these killer clips to share with you the second time around.

Clip 1: On why there’s so much pedal steel guitar on the Minus 5’s new “Killingsworth” album

Clip 2: For that matter, why there are so many Decemberists on the new album

And the occasion for this interview? McCaughey is bringing his latest Minus 5 lineup – which includes R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, ex-Decemberists drummer Ezra Holbrook, bassist John Ramberg, Portland singer-songwriter Little Sue and pedal steel player Tucker Jackson – to Hell’s Kitchen Friday night. Should be a fun night.

Here's Slayer playing "War Ensemble" at White River last night.

Marilyn Manson, Slayer and company dropped in on Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre last night with Mayhem Festival, a satisfying replacement for Ozzfest, which quit coming around these parts a couple of years ago. Manson’s set kicked off with "We're From America," the best cut off his now "The High End of Low Disc," and included “Disposable Teens,” “Irresponsible Hate Anthem,” “Tourniquet,” “Beautiful People,” “Four Rusted Horses” and “Arma **** geddon.” But aside from performing “Irresponsible Hate Anthem” draped in an American flag and a few coy sex and drug references, there was surprisingly little shock and spectacle during Manson's set. What? No spider stilts, topless dancers or flaming Bibles? Chyuh! That guy's goin' soft. However, he did cop some guy’s cell phone, though, screaming the refrain of “Hate Anthem” at the guy on the other end of the line before tossing the handset out into the crowd. Ouch! Don’t think the warranty covers that.
ERNEST JASMIN

I’ve come to think of Slayer as the AC/DC of thrash metal. They’ve got a pretty specific thing they delivery – in their case, relentlessly morbid mosh anthems about Nazis, serial killers and stuff; and the only new song they played, “Psychopathy Red” (about a Russian serial killer, for the record), could have been an outtake from their mid-‘80s classic “Reign in Blood.” But like AC/DC, the fans still eat that stuff up two decades into their career. Check my interview clips with Dave Lombardo to hear what he had to say about consistency.
ERNEST JASMIN

Backstage God Forbid’s Byron Davis made a quick call before doing a few interview’s. Mayhem’s lineup Tuesday also included Killswitch Engage, Cannibal Corpse, Trivium, Behemoth and more, spread out on two stages. Ozzfest? We don’t need no steenking Ozzfest!
ERNEST JASMIN

Apologies, Slayer fans. I know you all are geeked about Slayer coming to Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre Tuesday with Mayhem Fest. And I got a little sidetracked and didn’t get to chopping up and posting clips from my interview with drummer Dave Lombardo as soon as planned. But I’m thinking these clips are worth the wait, especially if you’re planning on dropping a few ducats on the bands forthcoming “World Painted Blood” album later this year.

The first longer clip features Lombardo describing the feel of the new album, dropping a few song titles and explaining why you won’t hear his band playing power ballads anytime soon. Click here.

Lombardo mentions a couple of deep album cuts that will show up in Tuesday’s set list. Click here for that one.

I spent a healthy chunk of Sunday afternoon kickin' it at Sixth Avenue's Art on the Ave festival, mostly at the Jazzbones stage. And I had my video camera handy so I could share a few clips. Click on the links below for now until I can get these suckers embedded.

Here's the sensational Vicci Martinez Band jamming out with "Live So Happily," a cut off Vicci's latest album, "From the Outside In."

Here's Tacoma's talented Ben Union performing "Frank."

And here's local rock-hop band, Revengers, delivering their cut, "Stonehenge."

Tori Amos wrapped up the first date of new North American tour about an hour and a half ago in Seattle, and her fans are in for a serious treat. She, drummer Matt Chamberlain and multi-instrumentalist Jon Evans tried out some fresh, new arrangements on several of her ‘90s classics, most of them more synth focused than the acoustic originals. “Baker Baker,” the only song she played alone at her Bosendorfer, stood in stark, heart-rending contrast to numbers powered by Chamberlain and Evans’ galvanizing rhythm section. And “These Precious Things” washed over the crowd like a tsunami, with many women in the audience loosing their loudest wails for that cheeky line about "Jesus."

That powerful delivery alone was worth the price of admission, and stands as one of my favorite concert moments of recent years. I kind of wish Tori would have walked off with that one, actually, since it rendered the few numbers that followed a bit anticlimactic.

Anyway, I may have some more thoughts or pull some more details out of my notes in the morning. But here’s a set list till then.

Tori Amos Sinful Attraction tour launch set list
July 10, 2009
WaMu Theater, Seattle

Give
Siren
Welcome to England
Graveyard
Cornflake Girl
Icicle
Space Dog
Crucify
Sugar
Bells for Her
Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
Baker Baker (solo, acoustic)
China
Fast Horse
Curtain Call
Carbon
Bliss
Precious Things
Strong Black Vine

First encore:
Police Me
Digital Ghost

Second encore:
Big Wheel
Past the Mission

A second stage has been added to Crue Fest, which will drop in on Auburn's White River Amphitheatre on July 27, Motley Crue announced today via the festival site. Rev Theory, Cavo, Shram and 16 Second Stare will play the Monster Energy stage along with a local band chosen in each market.

Hey, y'all. In my GO column today I accidentally listed the wrong date for local band Midnight Salvage Co.'s special acoustic show at Shakabrah Java, so I thought I'd correct that here. That show's actually going to be held Saturday (July 11). Check out their MySpace page here for samples of what they sound like.

Anyone else notice that Seaweed is headlining the newly revamped Crocodile Cafe on Aug. 7? Well, that's not the only good news for fans. Sound engineer extraordinaire Mike Corvin tells me the Weedsters will soon head back to Tacoma's Sound West Audio to work on the comeback album they've been plotting since 2007. Maybe they can knock the rest of that thing out with singer Aaron Stauffer in town for a couple of months.

Don't call it a comeback! Seaweed's Wade Neal (foreground) and Jesse Fox with sound engineer Mike Corvin, working on their first album in years back in '07. Since this shot was taken, the band has played several well-received comeback shows, including big sets at Bumbershoot, Sub Pop's 20th anniversary festival and Tacoma's Hell's Kitchen.
LIU KIT WONG

Pearl Jam will kick off their world tour with a two-night stand at Seattle's KeyArena on Sept. 21 and 22, the band announced today. Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 have been tapped for support.

Tickets for the Seattle shows will go on sale on July 18.

The tour will begin a day after the scheduled release of Pearl Jam's forthcoming album, "Backspacer." In an arrangement that echoes similar deals inked by AC/DC and Guns N' Roses, the new disc will be retailed exclusively through Target, according to today's press release.

Find more info on the band's fan site.

Pearl Jam is Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Eddie Vedder and Matt Cameron. (Hey, where's Boom Gaspar?)
DANNY CLINCH

Tori Amos will kick off a new tour in support of her latest album "Abnormally Attracted to Sin" Friday night at Seattle's WaMu Theatre. I've written a related story set to run in Friday's GO section. But until that comes out, I thought fans would get a kick out of a couple of clips from my interview.

Clip 1: Tori talks about the new production, tinkering with song arrangements and dusting off deep album cuts

Clip 2: Tori on the "upheaval events" and synth experimentation that went into the "Attracted to Sin" album

Well, the cell phones and cameras were out again last night at the T-Dome. Here are some decent clips I found of last night's American Idols Live show.

Here's Adam Lambert singing Muse's "Starlight"

... and Tears for Fears' "Mad World."

=> Read more!

The South Sound Mix Tape is working pretty smoothly again, so I've been uploading songs like crazy this afternoon. Here's what's new with links to the bands and CDs for those of you who wanna learn more:

"Something About A Heart" by Kusikia (from EMP/SFM's "Live From Sound Off" compilation)

"Earth People" by Lozen (from that New Frontier set I recorded a while back)

"Bring on the Dancing Girls (live)" by Girl Trouble

"Seatac" by the Coloffs

Originally, I'd heard the Aug. 15 rock festival that's headed to Wright Park would be called Riot in the Park. But apparently the folks behind it are going with the less catchy (but easier to sell to the people with the permits) Music and Art in the Park.

Organizer John Thurmon e-mailed me a killer lineup, chock full of local favorites, yesterday: Zeke, Guns & Rosetti, Girl Trouble, Broken Oars, C.F.A., The Coloffs, Neutral Boy, Mico De Noche, The Plastards, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Pain Killers and Tallest Tree.

The festival MySpace page is here. And I just added a couple of cuts from Girl Trouble and the Coloffs to the South Sound Mix Tape, in case you hadn't noticed.

Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, a.k.a. American Idols No. 1 and 2, Tuesday night at the Tacoma Dome.
ERNEST JASMIN

A point of disclosure: I’m not the biggest “American Idol” fan. Just don’t get it, actually. It’s kind of like televised karaoke, minus the sloppy drunks singing hideously off-key versions of Crue tunes before hitting the parking lot for a quick chunder. (For the record: Always entertaining.) So over the course of eight seasons, I’ve tuned in only about as much as my nine to five required; that is to say, I mainly just followed local boys Sanjaya, Blake Lewis and A.J. Gil (remember him? Season one?) and ignored most of the rest.

But I must confess that, as jaded as I am, I may have caught just a smidge of Lambert mania Tuesday night.

=> Read more!

Here's who sang what on the second night of the American Idols Live tour, which wound down a couple of hours ago at the Tacoma Dome. Check back, 'cause I've got more pics and a little commentary on the way.

"Put all the cell phones and all that b------- away," singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong instructed fans a few songs into Green Day's set last night at KeyArena. "Just the camera thing. If you aren't here now (forget) 'em! This is our moment."

Luckily for those of you who missed the show, or who just want to relive it, many weren't listening. I saw a lot of little, glowing screens floating around in the darkness. And here's a few YouTube clips I found on the ol' YouTube this afternoon. Check 'em out before they get taken down.

Here's the start of Green Day's set.

Here's where that guy slips Billie Joe some tongue.

And here's footage from "King for a Day/Shout."

Keep it up and your face is gonna get stuck like that, Mike Dirnt.
ERNEST JASMIN

So how is it that Green Day, of all the alt-rock hit makers of the 1990s, is still packing arenas like few bands this side of U2?

And what's the deal with "21st Century Breakdown," yet another high falutin' concept album about American mores? Didn’t these guys used to write three-chord punk anthems about masturbation? On albums called “Dookie?” And are they just trying to make up for paving the way for New Found Glory and Good Charlotte at this point?

So many questions in the days leading up to the band's tour launch at Seattle's KeyArena. And at least that question about the band's longevity was soundly addressed by last night's performance.

The band may have been somewhat two-dimensional back in the day, but songs like "Brain Stew" and "Longview" are still undeniably catchy. And the increasingly diverse new songs benefit from apparent study of the best of arena rockers past and present, with riffs that recall everyone from the Kinks (a la "Horseshoes and Handgrenades") to Marilyn Manson (that first part of "East Jesus Nowhere" is effective "Antichrist Superstar" lite.)

But nearly four years had passed since the “American Idiot” tour dropped in on the Tacoma Dome, so I'd almost forgotten how much singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool look like they're having every time they play, and what a special bond they have with their fans, which always wind up on stage in some capacity. Here are a few scenes from the early set.

The band’s unofficial mascot, an afflicted looking pink rabbit with a nasty drinking problem, was back from the “American Idiot” tour. He staggered up and down the catwalk, chugging brews, dry humping the stage and otherwise getting fans hyped for the main attraction. But seriously, it’s time for an intervention, Bugs.
ERNEST JASMIN

Green Day kicked off their set with the title track, “Know Your Enemy” and “East Jesus Nowhere” from the new album. Put the band's pop-punk label aside, and the newer sounds – which hint at a whole slew of classic rockers, from the Kinks to AC/DC – are a natural progression from what Green Day does best; namely deliver arena rock anthems that stick in your head long after the last power chord has faded.
ERNEST JASMIN

“Alright, who wants to hear some old s---?” Armstrong inquired before his band dusted off fan favorite, “Geek Stink Breath.” The middle part of the set was dedicated to radio hits like "Brain Stew," "Longview" and "Basket Case," with pyrotechnic blasts, cascading sparks and towering flames punctuating the music. “King For a Day” was a set highlight, as on previous tours, with the band donning funky hats and Armstrong incorporating bits of the Isley Brothers’ classic “Shout” and Ben E. King’s “Lean on Me” into the lyrical mix.
ERNEST JASMIN

And there was the expected crowd participation, part of what makes every Green Day set special. The band didn't recruit an entire replacement band from the audience, as on previous tours. But Armstrong did pluck a couple of fans from the audience to sing verses on “Longview.” He probably got more than he bargained for when the second one, a dude, gave him an awkward, lingering kiss before singing his lines. Is it just me, or did Billie Joe edge away just a little bit as the fan declared, “Who wants to (make love to) him?” Armstrong seemed to think it was pretty funny, though, and called the guy back onstage to take the customary stage dive back into the crowd. Later, during Green Day's encore, another kid held his own, playing lead guitar for “Jesus of Suburbia.” Hey, maybe hours of Guitar Hero does pay off?
ERNEST JASMIN

There were ribcage rattling explosions, fan cameos during songs and an inebriated, pink rabbit. Plus, some guy Frenched Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong during "Longview." Now that’s a tour kickoff! Here’s the set list for now with more photos and observations on the way.
ERNEST JASMIN

Green Day tour kickoff set list
July 3, 2009
KeyArena
Seattle

21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Holiday
Static Age
Before the Lobotomy
Are We Waiting
Geek Stink Breath
Hitchin’ a Ride
Brain Stew
Jaded
Longview
Basket Case
She
King For A Day/Shout
21 Guns
American Eulogy

Encore:
American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Minority
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Watch out, Chopstix! You've got competition.

Or you will have competition starting July 11, that is, when the Varsity Grill unveils its new dueling pianos theme nights during the venue's three-year anniversary celebration. The format is coming to Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, according to an e-mail from owner Jon Tartaglia. The dueling piano show will be free with music kicking off at 8 p.m.