Attention-Nabbing Posies Featured At Moore Concert

After Queensryche and, of course, Heart, the Seattle band that's gotten the most international attention the past year has been the Posies. The melodic quartet, originally from Bellingham, got a lot of radio airplay for its debut album on DGC Records, ``Dear 23,'' highlighted by the lilting single, ``Golden Blunders.'' The video of the Hollies/

Beatles-like tune even got played on MTV. And the group was hailed in a number of publications, including Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times. The latter, reviewing a Posies performance, observed, ``the grunge-guitar wash of sound that emanates from the four players on stage bears little resemblance to the finely textured tunes found on the group's album.''

Find out for yourself tonight at the Moore Theatre where the Posies are headlining a show starting at 8 p.m. The self-assured, thoroughly professional group, headed by singer-songwriter-guitarists Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow, puts on a tight, entertaining show with great music and lots of archly funny quips, mostly from Auer.

Although the group is closely associated with Seattle, Stringfellow told the L.A. Times that the connection doesn't much matter. ``It's not like we feel we're part of this big movement that's breaking new ground or anything,'' he's quoted as saying. ``The scene stuff was all attached after the fact. We would have done - and would be doing - the same thing if we were from Cleveland.''

Never underestimate the power of MTV. After it started playing the video of Queensryche's new single, ``Silent Lucidity,'' the album the song came from, ``Empire,'' shot up the charts, rocketing from No. 50 to No. 25 last week, and from No. 25 to No. 19 this week. According to the daily ``Dial MTV'' program, the video, which emphasizes the influence parents have on their children, is now the No. 1 video on MTV. Meanwhile, the band is preparing for its first arena tour as headliners. The first leg opens April 15 in Amarillo, Texas, and continues through June, after which the band heads to Europe for festival dates with AC/DC and Metallica. Then the group returns to this country for the second leg of its tour. No word yet on a hometown date, but it's likely to be a Tacoma Dome show in late summer.

Tad is having to redo the cover of his latest Sub Pop album, ``8-Way Santa,'' after the couple depicted on it - taken from a photograph Tad reportedly found at a yard sale - saw it in a record store and flipped. They're threatening to sue. All existing copies of the album cover at Sub Pop's headquarters are being destroyed, although a lot of copies have already been sold around the country. Now the label is looking for another couple to grace the new cover. Submit a photo ``depicting your idea of the Everyman and Everywoman'' to Sub Pop by April 15 and you might win ``a bunch of rare and collectible Sub Pop goodies.'' The address: 1932 First Ave., Suite 1103, Seattle, WA 98101. For information, call Sub Pop at 441-8441.

Local singer-songwriter-heartthrob Michael Tomlinson has signed with Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings of Burbank, Calif. Mesa Records will release his next album, ``Living Things,'' April 2. According to a press release, ``Michael's songs reflect his love of nature and a positive outlook toward life.'' The album, which was recorded here, features a number of Northwest musicians, including Dan Dean, Nancy Rumbel, Kelly Harland and Tom Collier. Tomlinson has some good company on his new label, including Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, David Friesen, Taj Mahal, Freddie Hubbard, Tim Weisberg and Michel Petrucciani.

Like Rain, the local folk-rock duo made up of guitarist Mark Adler and violinist Mike Chang, celebrates the release of its first compact disc/cassette recording, ``Lightning Waltz,'' on its own Other Rider label, with a show tomorrow night at the Sports Bar & Grill. The duo will be backed by Lisa King on bass and Terri Moeller on drums. Also on the bill are the Wild West Show and Buckets. Earlier tomorrow evening, at 7 p.m., Like Rain will be guests on KCMU's ``Audioasis'' with host Joey Kline. Like Rain earlier released a homemade cassette called ``Razorblade Shoes'' that was well-received locally, and even got some national attention. It earned the band three nominations for NAMA Music Awards, as well as the honor of being finalists in Musician magazine's prestigious ``Best Unsigned Bands'' contest.