The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • W0

10 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 70 8 0 9 0 16 ID A LY 2 2 0 0 4 us ic A ID A LY 1 6 2 0 0 4 16 It takes a great deal of nerve to lead off your first album with a song nine minutes long. So hats off to Secret Machines for the guts to challenge the attention span-impaired and for pulling it off, too. Wave kicks off Here Is (Reprise Records) with a wallop both pulverizing and at- mospheric. It leads into an album that ought to please fans of Grandaddy and Flaming Lips, and possibly the more open- minded followers of Pink Floyd. Se- cret Machines plays tonight at the Lincoln Theatre, with Helio Sequence opening.

New-ish Triangle resident John Darn ie a mesmer iz ing who performs under the name Mountain Goats, plays a Piedmont Wildlife Center benefit Saturday at Cradle. Also on the bill: Taz Halloween, ex-Flat Duo Jet Dexter Romwe- ber, Squirrel Nut Zipper alumnus Katherine Whalen and Two Dol- lar Pistols main man John Howie. Well, those Patty Hurst Shifter breakup reports turned out to be premature. The rest of the band is continuing under the same name after the departure of bassist Johny Williams, with Ron Bartholomew filling in. Gearing up for a new album, the Shifter plays Wednesday at Local 506.

The group will also open for Eric Ambel the Roscoe Trio at on July 23, followed by a headlining slot at the Pour House on July 24. Tonight: A choice double-bill at the Pour House with Countdown Quartet and Urban Sophisti- cates; old-school hip-hop with Arrested Development at the Cradle; promising writer Dean Fields at Cafe Driade; and old-meets-new country-type band the Avett Brothers at Local 506 with Just About To Burn, a tandem that moves over to Kings on Saturday. Saturday: Kenny Chesney opens a two-night stand at Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek (see page 4); highly emotional Honorary Title hits Go Studios; Vaughan Penn does it up at Martin Street Music Hall; the fabulous k.d. lang holds forth in a Summerfest show at Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Re- gency Park with the N.C. Sym- phony; and Steep Canyon Rangers dig in at the Pour House.

Furthermore: The reunited Urge Overkill plays the Cradle on Sun- day; fabulous garage- pop Waxwings land at Go on Mon- day; soundtrack star Dirk Powell plays the Cra- dle on Thursday, the same night Marvelous 3 alumnus Butch Walker is at the Lincoln Theatre. CONCERTS SUNDAY IN THE PARK CONCERT SERIES Simplified, Sunday. The Raleigh Concert Band, July 25. Mojones, Aug. 1.

440th Na- tional Army Guard Band, Aug. 8. Con- certs at 6 p.m. Fletcher Park, Washing- ton Raleigh. Free.

831-6854. ALIVE AFTER FIVE Let It Be (Beatles Trib- ute), July 29. The Embers, Aug. 12. Break- fast Club, Aug.

26. Liquid Pleasure, Sept. 16. General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board, Sept. 30.

All concerts at 6 p.m. Fayetteville Street Mall Plaza, Out- side the convention center, Raleigh. Free. Six-pack size coolers allowed. www.raleigh- convention.com/aaf.html.

CLAY AIKEN Tonight, 8 p.m. Greensboro Coliseum. $35, $45. (888) 397-3100. www.tickets.com.

NICK CANNON Monday, 8 p.m., BTI Center, Raleigh. $25. 834-4000. www.ticketmaster.com MODERN TROUBADOURS IN THE ROUND Featuring Abra Moore, Jeffrey Gaines, Ben Arthur and Vienna Teng, July 24, 8 p.m., ArtsCenter, 300-G E. Main Car- rboro.

$15. 929-2787. N.E.R.D. July 25, Disco Rodeo (formerly the Ritz), Raleigh. CANCELLED.

Ticketmaster, 834-4000. SARAH MCLACHLAN July 30, 8 p.m., RBC Center, Raleigh. $45, $55, $65. Ticket mas- ter, 834-4000. AUSTIN LOUNGE LIZARDS July 31, 8 p.m., ArtsCenter, 300-G E.

Main Carrboro. $18. 929-2787. MERGE RECORDS ANNIVERSARY CONCERT Featuring Lambchop, Clientele and David Kilgour, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m., Carolina The- atre, Durham.

$19. 560-3030. USHER Featuring Kanye West, Aug. 7, 8 p.m. RBC Center, Raleigh.

834-4000. NORAH JONES With the Houston Broth- ers. Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m. BTI Center, Raleigh.

$58, $28. 834-4000. www.ticketmaster.com. AMERICAN IDOLS TOUR Featuring top 10 finalists including Fantasia Barrino, Aug. 21, 7 p.m., Joel Coliseum, Winston-Salem.

$46, $36. 834-4000, (336) 725-5635. BULL DURHAM BLUES FESTIVAL Featuring Solomon Burke, Isaac Hayes, Otis Clay, Magic Slim and the Teardrops and more, Sept. 9-11, Durham Athletic Park, down- town. Advance: $25, $30, Fri.

and Sat. Day of: $30, $35 Fri. and Sat. 683-1709, www.hayti.org. CHER Sept.

15, Laurence Joel Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem. 834-4000. www.ticketmaster.com. NIGHTCLUBS AURA DJ. 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Available for private parties. 407 Glenwood Raleigh. 831-1111. BAHAMA BREEZE Music most nights with either Isaac Epps or Mickey. No cover.

3309 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh. 872-6330. BERKELEY CAFE Tonight: Sold, Last Model. Influx UK. Divine Ruler, Easy DnB.

Turner Open Mike Jam. After Letting Go, Infamous Brandy Alexander. 217 W. Martin Raleigh. 821-0777, www.berkeleycafe.com.

BICKETT GALLERY Tonight: Michael Nace, Leatherbag, Rancho Notorious. Ryan Pound, The Octobers. 209 Bickett Raleigh. 836-5358. BLACK TIE NIGHTLIFE Tonight: Fashion Fri- days.

Best of Both Worlds. Throwback Sundays. Open Mike. Wild on Wednesdays. Grown Folks Thursdays.

3201 New Bern Raleigh. 255-1314. www.clubblack- tie.com. BLUE BAYOU CLUB Tonight: Big Mama and the Cool. Countdown Quartet.

106 S. Churton Hillsborough. 732- 2555. Tonight: Lounge Lizards. Magic Pipers.

510 Glenwood Raleigh. 832-1122. BYNUM GENERAL STORE Tonight: Gigi Dover Band. 950 Bynum Road, Bynum. 542-1858.

CAFE PARIZADE Urban Hang Suite. 2200 W. Main Durham. 423-1663. CAFFE DRIADE Tonight: Dean Fields.

Nikki Meets tehe Hibachi. Chris Titchner. 1215A E. Franklin Chapel Hill. 942-2333.

CRADLE Tonight: Arrested Develop- ment, Spookie Daly Pride. Dexter Romweber, Katharine Whelan, John Howie, JR, Taz Halloween, The Mountain Goats. Urge Overkill, The Last Vegas. Dirk Powell. 9 p.m.

300 E. Main Carrboro. 967-9053; www.catscradle.com. CHINESE BISTRO 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.: Karaoke. 301 Glenwood Raleigh.

899-6428. FAT MARKET AND GRILL Tonight: Astors Cane. Collar. No cover. 6201 Glenwood Raleigh.

787-3773. THE FLIPSIDE Tonight: Joe Swank and Zen Pirates. Open Mike. Daniel Jacobs. 408 E.

Second Clayton. 550- 0174. Tonight: Bloodkin. DJ Big Ben. Outdoor Bash with Chair- men of the Board and the Embers.

521 Daniels Raleigh. 832-9815. GINO OYSTER BAR AND RESTAU- RANT Tonight: Flabbergasters. E.G. Peters.

The Best Jazz Tonight Band. Robert Dance Party. Soul Searchers. Most music at 9:30 p.m. 6204 Glenwood Raleigh.

420-0340. GO! ROOM 4 Tonight: Bats and Mice. Album Leaf, The Movies. Oldomi- mum. Maxwings.

David Grubbs, Pykrete. 100-F Brewer Lane, Car- rboro. 969-1400. HI5 DJ. Brad Benson.

510 Glenwood Raleigh. 834-4335. Tonight: Reality show casting call. 117 S. West Raleigh.

821-7887. JOE DOWNTOWN PUB Tonight: Cul- ture Crawl. 427 W. Main Durham. 688- 3322.

KINGS Tonight: Avett Brothers, Just About to Burn. Strange, The Nicky Band, Eames Era and Spader. Neu Ro- mance. Trivia Night. Movie Night.

Dirty South Improv. Red Sun, Tsavo, Stetson. 424 S. McDow- ell Raleigh. 831-1005, www.kingsbar- cade.com.

LA MARAKA DANCE CLUB Latin music, 3169 Hillsborough Road, Durham. 730-5287, www.lamaraka.com. LINCOLN THEATRETonight: The Secret Ma- chine, The Helio Sequence, The Talk. Stockholm Syndrome, Waylandsphere. Butch Walker and American Hi-Fi.

126 E. Cabarrus Raleigh. www.Lincol- nTheatre.com, 821-4111. LOCAL 506 Tonight: Ghost of Rock release party with Fake Swedish. Hotel Lights, The Strugglers, Just About to Burn.

The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers. Microphone Monday. Torch Marauders, Dom Casual, Manmaid. Fashion De- sign, Marat, Patty Hurst Shifter. Triple DJ Mothersbrothers.

506 W. Franklin Chapel Hill. 942-5506, www.lo- cal506.com. Tonight: House of Rhythm. 8111-111 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh.

846- 9846. MARTIN STREET MUSIC HALL Tonight: Gru- ReadEMixed, DJ Merlin, DJ Shade. Vaughan Penn, Josh Pepper, Jessica Bernard. Wide Sky open format jam. DJs Merlin, Shade and Phobia.

DJ Blake. 14 W. Martin Raleigh. 833-0004. MICHAEL Tonight: Crush.

Tread. 1705 Millbrook Road, Raleigh. 790- 9992. SPORTS AND MUSIC CLUB Tonight: Jacked Up. Karaoke.

karaoke. Open Jam. Brentwood Shopping Center, At- lantic Avenue and New Hope Church Road. 876-4302. RISTORANTETonight, 9-midnight: Barbour and Hinton.

Embassy Suites, 4700 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh. 645-1462. THE POUR HOUSETonight: Urban Sophisti- cates. Steep Canyon Rangers. Rufus Grove.

Scott Sawyer. Loop. Tamasha. Open Mike Jam hosted by Brent Robertson. 221 S.

Blount Raleigh. 821-1120. RUSH DJ. 407 Glenwood Raleigh. 831-1111.

TEMPLE BALL GALLERY Tonight: Loop, Mike Shape Shifters, None the Wiser. John Saylor. 307 E. Main Car- rboro. 929-1208.

BOURBON STREET OYSTER BAR Tonight: Time Machine. Mojo. Robert White Dance Party. Music 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. 107 Edinburgh South, Cary.

462-6226. Butch Walker picks david menconi on the best rock.