Thursday | 9/2

NLS TRIO

The NLS Trio, comprised of Cabrillo College alumnus Paul Nagel on piano, Jason Lewis on drums and John Shifflett on bass, has been hailed as one of the Bay Area jazz's finest rhythm sections, a reputation that's earned them spots backing up Boz Scaggs and Kitty Margolis. Though the trio has lain low for the past decade—Nagel moved to the East Coast after the release of their debut, NLS Trio—they continue to play the occasional show, making this appearance a rare treat. While other jazz combos are content playing crowd-pleasing standards, the NLS Trio has always been more willful than that, focusing on original compositions that are unique in their breadth and fluidity. Kuumbwa; $12 adv/$15 door; 7pm. (Paul M. Davis)

Friday | 9/3

THE FIXX

Even though they've lately been consigned to the Boardwalk and county fair circuit, the Fixx are actually one of the most interesting New Wave acts of the '80s. Their sound—an assuredly melodic pop approach with off-kilter keyboards and syncopated vocals—laid the groundwork for much of the synth-happy pop-punk, emo and indie rock that have returned to vogue in the past decade. You probably only remember their top hit, "One Thing Leads to Another," but the Fixx's back catalog is deep and strong. It's heartening to see them getting their due and returning to a stage better suited to their ample talents. Catalyst; $19 adv/$24 door; 9pm. (PMD)

THE TUBES

Some may think it odd that a band that made its with mark with pornographic onstage imagery, 8-inch stiletto heels and songs like "White Punks on Dope" would be closing down the ever-wholesome Beach Boardwalk summer concert series. Then again, there are only so many '80s bands still touring. Led by sequin-studded frontman Fee Waybill, a.k.a. Quay Lewd, and featuring a rock ensemble with tendencies somewhere between Ratt, Poison and David Bowie, the Tubes are the perfect spectacle with which to sum up another summer of beachfront concerts featuring bands you swore had already gone to the other side. Beach Boardwalk; free; 6:30 and 8:30pm. (Curtis Cartier)

Saturday | 9/4

JESUS DIAZ Y z SU QBA

Keeping to one genre can only take an artist so far these days. Individuality sounded neat to Jesus Diaz, so he cooked up a funky blend of ramba, son and various Afro-Cuban beats to make his mark on the Bay Area music scene. His band QBA invokes a smoky American jazz club transplanted to the Caribbean and outfitted with a conga set. It's the inclusion of piano and a brass section that gives the act its genre-bending cred, and although roll call at an 11-person band practice might get a little complicated, Diaz and his orchestra deliver rhythms clear enough to see through. Moe's Alley; $12 adv/$15 door; 9pm. (Kate Jacobson)

Sunday | 9/5

THE EVANGENITALS

The Evangenital brand of sound grew up in a hippie commune that went to hoedowns on the weekends, and it's got a great sense of humor. The septet tends towards the rowdy, and spinning might be the most appropriate dance move. Well, spinning mixed with stomping. True, their songs can get a bit sentimental ("I'm Sad"), but for the most part the group is hillbilly madness made flesh. They're coming in on the extreme side of hybrid bands, and have listed their sound as a mix of everything from klezmer to punk-jazz. It looks a little schizophrenic on paper, but the Evangenital cocktail ends up packing a pretty cohesive punch. Don Quixote's; $10 adv/$10 door; 7pm. (KJ)

Monday | 9/6

COLD CAVE

Kids today may not have bands like Bauhaus or Joy Division to give them cause to don leather and mascara and sway drearily at basement goth concerts. But by God, they've still got the Cure, Depeche Mode and, lately, Philly foursome Cold Cave! Reveling in the same dark, depressingly introspective lyrics and somber industrial electronica that were thoroughly ravaged in the '80s, Cold Cave rehashes it without apology and to great effect, using a simple recipe of well planned, well executed songs. Also on the bill: S.F. folk psyche set Vetiver, Los Angeles trip-hop project LA Vampires and alt-punk thrashers Abe Vigoda. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur; $25; 4:20pm. (CC)

Tuesday | 9/7

THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS

Jamaican harmony trio the Mighty Diamonds are probably best known for their 1982 hit "Pass the Koutchie," later popularized by the pint-size Brit reggae act Musical Youth as "Pass the Dutchie." But the Mighty Diamonds are deserving of much more notoriety than that historical footnote would suggest—the band's Rastafarian roots-reggae is particularly influential, bringing a harmonic sophistication to a genre that often used vocals as a bullhorn more than a musical element. In a way, the band's sound shared much with the folk-rock of the '70s, with its spare instrumentation and focus on tight vocal harmonies. After four decades in the business, the Mighty Diamonds' sound is as striking as ever and a unique deviation from reggae's traditional arrangements. Catalyst; $10 adv/$15 door; 9pm. (PMD)

Wednesday | 9/8

VETIVER

It's easy to just sit back and watch Andy Cabic do his thing. As chief songwriter, vocalist and, on some album tracks, drummer, bassist and keyboardist for San Francisco psyche folk warblers Vetiver, he's a phenomenon unto himself. His band includes frequent collaborators like Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom, not to mention four full-time veteran musicians that could front their own acts. Having spent the last several years roving up and down the West Coast and beyond, Vetiver stops by Felton tonight to spread a little dark sunshine under the redwoods. Don Quixote's; $15; 8pm. (CC)

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