SFO3 1996

9/11 p.m. -- Swingin' Doors sound like if the Velvet Underground had played honky-tonk instead of blowing up plastic in Warhol's studio, only better; the Doors mingle cynicism with sentiment for a San Francisco-flavored sweetness

10:15 p.m. -- Naked Barbies are among the best of the fresh country-infused pop rockers; their new album, Tarnished, is a beautiful blend of vocals, accordion, harmonica, and electric guitar

Midnight -- The Brilliantines are a two-guitar, alternative rock band with classic songwriting and lush harmonies

Elbo Room
647 Valencia, 552-7788
11 p.m. -- Toledo presents smoky, jazz-washed soundscapes in which cigarettes and fishnets play a starring role; he appeared in Devil in a Blue Dress and his live shows, which incorporate elements of theater and dance, have been critically acclaimed

Eleven
374 11th St., 431-3337
7 p.m. -- Marshall Arts Trio is part of the critically acclaimed quartet; this trio is aggressive and original, mixing bebop traditions and free improvisations with a warmth and spirit rare among "experimental groups"

10 p.m. -- Birdman of Alcatraz is an adventurous Berkeley-based group that performs dance-jazz with a Latin flair; they fashion themselves after the likes of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers

Fillmore
1805 Geary, 346-6000
9 p.m. -- Ira Marlowe is a singer/songwriter whose singular wit and vocal warmth has earned him a large following; he won the "Best of the Bay" song contest and enjoyed a successful theatrical run in New York with his absurd musical comedy The Bad Author

10 p.m. -- Big Blue Hearts bring together a collective sound influenced by the golden age of rock and traditional country music

11:15 p.m. -- Box Set sold out the Fillmore in April with its contemporary blend of well-penned lyrics, superb vocal harmonies, catchy guitar work, and a Hammond B-3; the band was named group of the year by the National Academy of Songwriters in 1995 and Billboard named it one of the best unsigned bands in the country

Heartbreak
1821 Haight, 666-0800
8 p.m. -- Pink Noise Test's cacophony combines reeling feedback, cheap sampling machines, and a keen sense of British-flavored pop in equal parts

9 p.m. -- Spackle performs happy prog-pop noise
10 p.m. -- Peppercorn performs pop punk with an unusual emphasis on songwriting

11 p.m. -- Stuntman
Midnight -- Overwhelming Colorfast is the king of post-hardcore psychedelic noise pop

Hotel Utah
500 Fourth St., 421-8308
9:30 p.m. -- Carmaig de Forest, according to SF Weekly, brings a "non-smarmy brand of smart-ass sincerity" to his one-man show, which then combines with an electric guitar, an acoustic ukulele, and razor-sharp lyrics; says producer Ben Vaughn, "His songs are like Raymond Carver stories."

10 p.m. -- Ed's Redeeming Qualities performs folk music for bad people; their use of violin, ukulele, banjo, and rice-in-a-can makes their sound very distinctive while their sense of humor threatens to steal the show; the violinist has recorded with the Breeders, who actually covered one of ERQ's songs

10:45 p.m. -- Slim Cessna's Auto Club is an alterna-country band that channels the influences of the Carter Family and Hank Williams Sr.

11:45 p.m. -- Buckets are a WAMMIE-nominated cowpunk jug band that was at the forefront of San Francisco's neo-country rock upsurge

Il Pirata
2007 16th St., 626-2626
10 p.m. -- Opiate Void
11 p.m. -- Speed Sleep is a hazy convergence of mind, body, and soul

Midnight -- Slish performs a metal-heavy brand of psychedelica; the band features former members of Bomb and Helios Creed

Infusion
555 Second St., 543-2282
9:30 p.m. -- House of Hoi-Polloi blends ska, funk, reggae, and rock over four-part harmony power pop

Kilowatt
3160 16th St., 861-2595
9 p.m. -- Vinaigrettes are a female-led country punk outfit from Canada; if Kitty Wells got drunk on Wild Turkey and took to totin' a 12-gauge or if Patsy Cline went out of her mind on mescaline, she might come close to this

10:30 p.m. -- Dieselhed presents delicate rhymes and short vignettes that are never hokey or cow-pokey; they are the last honest pizza

Last Day Saloon
406 Clement, 387-6343
8:30 p.m. -- Smart Brown Handbag exudes pure warmth

9:30 p.m. -- Hangman's Daughter is headed by a powerful female vocalist; this rock band will stir your emotions and cause you to have multiple orgasms

10:30 p.m. -- The Chuck Day Band performs high-energy R&B blended with sweet melodies, hard-driving rhythms, and fantastic arpeggios; the band is led by a phenomenal southpaw guitarist and baritone bluesman from Chicago's South Side

11:30 p.m. -- Itchy McGirk serves up hippie groove soup

Mad Dog in the Fog
530 Haight, 626-7279
10 p.m. -- Trousers

11 p.m. -- Hairdressers blend the most infectious Britpop sensibility with intelligent songwriting

Mick's Lounge
2513 Van Ness, 928-0404
8 p.m. -- Steve Packenham is a guy just like any other guy, but when he picks up a guitar in a crowded room and starts to sing ... you can hardly hear him

9 p.m. -- Iguana Jive breaks the walls of monotony with a unique writing style that integrates fury and hypnotic groove

10 p.m. -- See Jane Run
11 p.m. -- Munkafust is a danceable funk-rock band that recently toured with the Gin Blossoms, Samples, and Soul Asylum