Tonight's Show Suggestions

Magic Bullets

Onry Ozzborn & The Gigantics, Chk Minus, Sonny Bonoho and Lookbook, Xntrik and Darwin at High Dive, 9 p.m., $8

As if the presence of Onry Ozzborn and his five alter-egos--who form like Voltron to become The Gigantics--weren't enough to permit this word-poor writer to label tonight's show "eclectic," there's the matter of the other folks on the bill. Included is the growling post-punk of Chk Minus, the ambient electro of Minneapolis' Lookbook, and local MC Sonny Bonoho, whose Dr. Zhivago hat portends tongue-in-cheek on-stage antics of the Ol' Dirty Bastard variety to come. It's a well-rounded show--with an edge. Back to Ozzborn: His role as ring-leader of The Gigantics required that he wrangle 53 MCs (!) to spit over his simple yet seductive production for the Die Already disc. It placed local spitters alongside the likes of Aesop Rock and other underground champs. So after you leave the show, cop that. Photo courtesy Upheaval Design. KEVIN CAPP

The Neil And the Damage Done at Sunset Tavern, 9 p.m., $7

Of all the tribute nights put on at clubs in this city, I'm surprised no one has done this one before. Because when you get right down to it, Neil Young is one of the most commonly shared inspirations among musicians. Ask any band for their influences and ol' Neil's name will probably be dropped somewhere. You can hear him in any musician that plays crunchy mountain rock, wears plaid and denim, doesn't comb their hair, sings in a high-pitched whinny, or plays grass-stained acoustic music with harmonica and stomps their boot heels onstage. Then again, I am (borderline?) obsessed with Neil Young, so my opinion of the guy is more than a little corrupt. So, here we have a most fitting tribute night put on by some of Seattle's rootsiest rockers, playing multiple Neil jams each. Here's a sampler: At the Spine will do "My My Hey Hey," Herman Jolly will do "Tell Me Why" (which will likely be a highlight of the night), and the Harvest Moons will be doing the entire Harvest Moon LP (please include "Natural Beauty"!). Being the Neil geek I am, I will show up to hear the less famous tunes, such as Spanish for 100's take on "Albuquerque" and "Walk On," and Joe Gould's Secret doing "Piece of Crap" and "Thrasher." Of course, all of this could add up to a big disappointment, since covering Neil Young can be like trying to wrestle a mountain lion. But whether the bands rage or not, I'll probably still go home after the show, get high, and fall asleep to Side 2 of On the Beach. BRIAN J. BARR


Tera Melos, Astronautilis, Every Body at Vera Project, 7:30 p.m., $9, all ages

"Hey Sandy" by Polaris, best known as the theme song to The Adventures of Pete and Pete, has generated a great deal of Internet discussion regarding its indecipherable words. Tera Melos' cover version doesn't clarify the mysterious third line - actually, it further obscures the vocals - but it does surgically reattach the haunting refrain from the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" to the otherwise perky tune's midsection. "Hey Sandy" appears on the trio's free downloadable EP Idioms Vol. 1, which also includes prog/jazzy revamps of Rivers Cuomo, Clash, Pixies and Beach Boys tracks. These familiar melodies might provide a foothold for the uninitiated as they attempt to process Tera Melos' math-rock computations. But even people who find Tera Melos' recordings as inscrutable as "Hey Sandy" lyrics should be able to appreciate the virtuosity on display during its shows, which are all about two-hand tapping guitar solos and power-rolling rhythms. ANDREW MILLER

Slow Skate, Magic Bullets, Erik Blood, Stencil at Comet Tavern, 9 p.m., $6

Known for their breezy, buoyant sound -- think Joy Division on a perpetual spring break, -- Bay Area band Magic Bullets' introspective lyricism and rollicking musicianship have singled out the orchestral pop band amidst the crowded nu-pop scene of San Francisco. Joining them will be local loves Slow Skate, who are revving up both for an extended West Coast tour as well as the release of their second full-length album, Past the Whole Parade, (due out this spring.) Also present will be former producer and member of The Turn Ons, Erik Blood, who has stepped out on his own to enchant audiences with breathless observations of love and beauty set atop well-crafted riffs and a (surprisingly dominant) lead guitar courtesy of Corey Gutch. Stencil, the duo consisting of singer/guitarist Jared Fiechtner and drummer Joseph Schultz round out the ticket with their contribution of obligatory mopey-ness, but the tunes they pout to are so catchy that you'll hardly notice. RAECHEL SIMS