Rush: FOR ALL OF Rush's technical brilliance, it's still easy for Rush haters to make their case against the prog-est of all prog bands—all it really takes is an unflattering imitation of Geddy Lee's nasally whine, and maybe a falsetto imitation of any number of cheesy synthesizer riffs to sink even the most passionate and technically literate pro-Rush argument. But for true believers who know that Lee is a god on the bass and Neil Peart is the greatest drummer ever existing in the space-time continuum (besides John Bonham), the argument was over before it even began. Alex Lifeson also performs—after all, he is Rush's guitarist. (Mike Connor) Rush performs on Wednesday (Aug 1) at 7:30pm at Shoreline Amphitheatre, 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy., Mountain View. Tickets are $32.50-$42.50.

Daryl Hall and John Oates: EGO TRIP rarely gets it wrong but on the issue of who deserves a ghetto pass—Hall & Oates or Phil Collins?—come on, this should be a no-brainer. Collins may have worked with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Earth Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey, but H&O worked with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks and have soul for days. Party DJs spin "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" and "Say It Ain't So" without irony and "Out of Touch" drove B-boys crazy. Collins declining stock can be summed up in two words: Tarzan soundtrack. Collins stacks chips from Disney but Hall & Oates stacks hits like pancakes: "Sara Smile," "Rich Girl," "Private Eyes," "Kiss on My List," "Maneater," "Family Man," "Method of Modern Love," etc. It's time to recognize Hall & Oates for what they are: damn good blue-eyed pop soul men. (Todd Inoue) Hall & Oates perform on Friday (Aug. 3) at Mountain Winery, 14381 Pierce Road, Saratoga. Tickets are $45-$75. (408.998.TIXS)

Sounds of the Underground: IN CASE you've never heard of the heavy metal freak-circus known as Gwar, here's a quick rundown in four words: blood, puke, insanity and blood (yes, I know I used blood twice, but only to emphasize my point). The Sounds of the Underground headliners began where Kiss left off, taking the stage show to a whole new level of grotesque debauchery. A normal concert leaves the audience drenched in blood, piss and vomit (all fake of course) while vile acts of sex and violence are committed onstage. Meanwhile, power-chords and distorted guitars provide the soundtrack to the heavy metal mayhem, and though you might write them off, these guys can actually play. The evening features a host of underground metal acts including Shadows Fall, Chimaira, Every Time I Die, and SoCal's new rock sensation, 2 Cents. (Garrett Wheeler) Sounds of the Underground happens on Friday (Aug. 3) at San Jose State Event Center, 290 S. Seventh St., San Jose. Tickets are $28-$32. (408.998.TIXS)

Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Charlie Hunter Trio: HIS BEHAVIOR may be erratic, his dress ridiculous, but if there's one thing that can be said about Scratch that is absolutely certain, it's that reggae music would pretty much suck without him. Think about it—the guy not only wrote groundbreaking hits of his own, he also produced some of the most important acts in reggae's early history, one of them being Bob freakin' Marley. Let's just say the prophetic rastaman and his wailin' Wailers probably wouldn't have been able to jam it wit you the way they did without the help of Scratch on the mixing board. Marley or not, Scratch, along with King Tubby, practically invented the smooth sounds of dub, transforming roots reggae into a more pop-inclined brand of tripped out dancehall. Though Scratch celebrated his 70th birthday last year, the reggae icon continues to skank his way around the world, touring with the same audacity that first brought out the masses in Jamaica so long ago. (Garrett Wheeler) Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Charlie Hunter Trio perform on Thursday (Aug. 2) at 7:30pm at Montalvo's Garden Theatre, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga. Tickets are $20-$50. (408.998.TIXS)

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