[ART ROCK] + SAT, MAY 25

As a musical presence in the Tacoma scene, Peter Tietjen's projects have always stood out as fiercely, almost stubbornly individualistic. Throughout his various incarnations as Umber Sleeping and I Like Science, not to mention the lineup changes that those bands underwent, the vision of Tietjen's projects was always unmistakably his. This sort of puzzling sci-fi art-rock with overtones of trash TV culture became Tietjen's vision and mission statement. As drummer and frontman, he would compose spaced-out, repetitive jams in a similar mode as bands like Stereolab and Can. With the release of his solo debut, Tietjen's performance will be accompanied by a cavalcade of local fixtures - presumably acting as the titular Balloon Power Challenge - including Rowhouse's Alex Tapia and Gary Kawamura, People Under the Sun's James Jenkins and Taxi Driver's Nate Dybevik.

PETER TIETJEN & THE BALLOON POWER CHALLENGE, w/ Milk, Patrick Doherty, guests, 9 p.m., The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, $5, 253.572.4020