THURSDAY 8/21

OUT TO LUNCH WITH CABIN GAMES: STEVE FISK, HIGHTEK LOWLIVES, RICHIE DAGGER'S CRIME

Local experimental label Cabin Games takes over the City Hall lawn this Thursday for its part of the city-sanctioned "Out to Lunch" series, so brave the downtown button-down flurry just this once. Outer-space-based Cabin Games signees Hightek Lowlives will be unleashing interstellar grooves on downtown's staunchly stale core with their choice blend of sci-fi-infused, wonky blips and feel-good R&B/triphop soul. There will be even more trippy beats from Richie Dagger's Crime, but be sure to stick around for headliner Steve Fisk, whose awesome weirdness is immortalized in his cross-genre-ational work. Beginning in the '80s, the Northwest legend has released records as a member of Pell Mell and Pigeonhed, as well as solo records through independent labels such as K, Sub Pop, and SST. Fisk's music ranges from found-sound experiments to minimal weirdo-core, and he's collaborated with everyone from Girl Trouble to Ben Gibbard. On top of all this, Fisk has also worked as an engineer/producer for teeny-tiny bands like Nirvana, Low, and Beat Happening, as well as current local bands I've raved about in this column before—Special Explosion and SEACATS. City Hall Plaza, noon–1:30 pm, free.

SATURDAY 8/23

UBU ROI, SATAN WRIDERS, OVEN, THE BEACH BOY

Seattle foursome Ubu Roi cruise through riff-age and rock-age with a gritty force, making hot 'n' bothered punk full of pizza-fueled, pro-party vibes. Elsewhere on this ultimate summer-fun-time bill, Oakland natives Satan Wriders' hazy, weirdo garage rock sounds like something that would be supported by Brooklyn post-punk revivalist label Captured Tracks. Borrowing an unmistakably '80s, lo-fi jangle-punk sound and twice mutating it through a bedroom-dub lens, the Wriders create something seamlessly chillworthy. Hometown slackers the Beach Boy seem profoundly influenced by '90s-does-'60s' guitar rock, and that yields highly listenable Teenage Fanclub meets Weezer–kinda results. Beach Boy's sharp hooks and lazy melodies create unobtrusive and generally likable ghoul-pop nuggets to shotgun Slurpees to. With the virtually ungoogleable Oven, a Portland experimental rock band featuring members of Psychic Feline and Formica Man. Cairo, 8 pm, $7. recommended