If U District's Your Oyster, There's New Pearl And More

A dark-eyed man with a bushy mustache is giving tarot readings. Dozens of vibrant, grotesque paintings stare down from the wall, most with a gently mocking look.

At the middle of this long, high-ceilinged cafe, Poppy Moody and Serena Tideman are cutting through the smoky air with mesmerizing notes. Learning that this is the first time the pianist and cellist have played together, the listener might muse about the first time Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced.

School is in, and it is Friday night at Pearl Cafe in Seattle's University District. Entering its sophomore year, this converted comic book store on University Way Northeast is a welcome addition to "The Ave" - littered, as it is, with low-brow sports bars and chain stores.

Directly next door to Pearl is another relative newcomer and fine addition to The Ave, a restaurant-bar called Rain Dancer. (Not to be confused with the Rainbow, also a fine U District live-music venue.)

Rain Dancer, which moved to University Way last year, is an attractive space; tiled floors, soft-tone walls and Native American furnishings give it an understated, Southwestern feel. On this Friday, the place is packed with what looks to be college upperclassmen and -women.

The entertainment is Seattle's Hillpeople, a jazzy rap group that seems to be influenced by the Jurassic 5. Unlike many raggedy hip-hop acts, the guitar player, drummer and three singer-rappers sound like they actually rehearse, and occasionally flash

philosophical lyrics.

"Who am I? Who are you? Sit back, relax/contemplate for a few. . ."

Poppy Moody, the young piano player next door, is also worthy of contemplation. This University of Washington undergraduate (studying Germanics and drama) is something of a club prodigy. She was playing regularly at the Speakeasy at 17, and soon may play at the Baltic Room.

Her improvisations with Tideman are clearly classically influenced, but not quite. Moody calls it "neo-classical jazz." She started studying classical piano in her native Germany at 5, often angering her teachers. "Quit klimperning around," they told her (using the German word for "tinker"). "Piano is to be taken seriously - absolutely no improvisation!"

She quit, of course, and has been improvising ever since. Moody and Tideman will be klimperning around again on Friday night at the Pearl (4215 University Way N.E., 206-547-3326), starting around 8. There is no admission charge, and the show ends when it's bedtime for Magdalena - Tideman's baby, who sometimes provides vocal accompaniment.

This weekend at Rain Dancer (4217 University Way N.E., 206-634-2433): Third World Country, a rock-jazz group, on Friday (9:30 p.m., $6); the folk-flavored rock of Kerosene Dream on Saturday (9:30 p.m., $6). Elsewhere around town

Richmond Fontaine, an outstanding band from Portland, plays the Crocodile Cafe tonight (9:30 p.m., $6). The group's new album, "Lost Son," is one of the most exciting and original releases to come out of the Northwest this year.

The music swings wildly from alt country to punk to folk - the guitar of Willy Vlautin is unusually diverse. Vlautin, who also sings, writes songs that sink deep into your spine. Example: "Cascade," a chilling song about a kid who inherits money from his mother, only to be taken for quite a ride by his stepbrother.

The winning Sir Mix-a-lot/Presidents of the United States of America project Subset jams at the Crocodile on Friday and Saturday. The shows benefit the Northwest Harvest and YMCA programs for families - there's no cover charge, but an item of fall or winter clothing (sweater, coat, flannel shirt, etc.) or blanket in good condition is required for admission.

Left Hand Smoke, a fast-rising Seattle rock band with a bluesy flavor, headlines the Showbox on Friday (9:30 p.m., $9 - $1 off with can of food for Northwest Harvest). Two strong opening acts: Fedora and Loni Rose.

Big week at RKCNDY, the all-ages club that goes under at the end of the month: Santa Cruz punkers Good Riddance on Friday (8 p.m., $8); Kansas City "emo-core" band (weird label, means they rock, but emotionally) The Get Up Kids on Saturday (8 p.m., $8); Boston Irish rockers Dropkick Murphys and Pittsburgh punkers Anti-Flag on Sunday (8 p.m., $10); and a big bill including Jawbox-spinoff Burning Airlines and local heroes Juno on Wednesday (8 p.m., $8).

Tom Scanlon can be reached at 206-464-3891 or tscanlon@seattletimes.com.