Thursday, October 16th is a FREE show at Neumos with The Saturday Knights, The Cops, and Mono In VCF.
And all you need to do is RSVP here: promo@neumos.com
NOTE: subject line must read: RSVP TO THE SATURDAY KNIGHTS
Hope to see you there!!!
Saturday, October 4, Ballard was overtaken by Seattle Weekly’s Reverbfest. Venues all over town were hosting 65 different bands of various genres and the turnout was amazing! Of course in an event like this it’s impossible to see everyone, so I could only pick a few of the ones I wanted to see but stayed for their entire performances.
First off, at Salmon Bay Eagles (all ages), C-Leb and A-Bro, started things off with very stirring techno-rock/pop - entertaining as hell. Caleb has an awesome voice and really plays a mean harmonica, but Connie’s voice really blew me away. And, they are part of the line up for a Halloween show at the King Kat in case you still need a place to go on Halloween.
Over at Conor Byrne, Hazelwood Motel*, had a totally laid-back, sweet set for the 21+ crowd. This trio has fused their sounds into a cohesive, yummy amalgam of near-countrified pop - earnest without being one-bit cloying. The intensely private lyrics and haunting melodies stick with you long after the performance is over.
Then Hattie’s Hat hosted back-to-back acoustic sets of Herman Jolly*, who totally brought it with fabulous music and tantalizing lyrics sincere and straight from the heart and Ian Moore*, who’s rocking set included a 12-string and delicious words and melodies reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, made us happy we were there.
Back at Eagles, Mono in VCF, delivered a soulful performance & even though there were sound issues frustrating them - they gave us a great show as they always do, even including a quite a few new numbers.
Then over to Mr. Spot’s Chai House (aka “Mr. Chai’s Spot House”), Man Plus, totally rocked their indie electro-rock/pop all over the bloody floor. There was only a riser for the drummer and no stage so Jared kept jumping into the crowd and wrapping the mic cord around his neck. Nearly face-melting, but waaaay too much fun for that.
At the Sunset Tavern, Grayskul* got the folks all riled up and dancing with their groundbreaking hip hop verse & beats. Energy plus cutting edge bravado = kick ass shit. I danced at this show and I don’t even dance. Imagine that!
And lastly, also at the Sunset, The Moondoggies, played their witches brew of easy going, good times - which after many, many drinks reminded me of bands that were popular when I was in friggin’ high school. Damn, they even LOOK like bands did when I was in high school. Made me feel happy and sad at the same time.
Reverbfest was better than I thought it could be - thanks Seattle Weekly. Good job.
* CD reviews to come in the near future.
Folks - Las Vegas is such an interesting place. I just got back after a short trip and my, oh, my I was amazed by how it’s changed since the last time I was there in 2000. A lot can happen to a town like that in eight years. It is still glittery & glitzy, to be sure, but it is trying to be upscale and a family destination location that doesn’t bat their collective eyelashes at the sexy and seedy side of what goes on there. It wants so much to be loved and boy we do love it for what we can do there that no one will know about (unless of course there are photos)…
Anyway, I just want to say that I had a great time there, saw a show & even a preseason hockey game, ate, drank and was quite merry, gambled, sunbathed and walked the strip just like everyone else who goes there, and did I mention that I drank (a lot) with no hangovers? YAY! But, it’s always nice to come home and relive the little vacay in one of my new favorite places. Now it’s back to the real world, bills, work, music, life in general.
Ladies and gentlemen - Elvis has left the building.
Well here’s an interesting bit of news - your very own JanKeira is now a staff writer for LPMVoice and apparently it is a sister publication to Song Vault. And what’s cool is LPMVoice is totally FREE. My piece on Mono in VCF is on pp 40-41.
Love to hear your comments on this fairly new music e-zine.
REPRINT FROM EMAIL FROM BETH HESTER:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Contact: Beth Hester (206)684-3493
A new season of shows – Art Zone In Studio, CityStream, and City Inside/Out – will keep you informed, entertained and enriched.
SEATTLE – The Seattle Channel will spice up your fall with a brand new season of exciting local arts programming, engaging magazine shows, and informative and provocative public affairs programs. So adjust your schedules, set your DVRs, or visit seattlechannel.org and get ready to be informed, entertained and enriched.
Art Zone In Studio – premieres Thurs. Sept. 11 at 8pm
Art Zone In Studio is back with a brand new season of local arts programming that’s gonna knock your socks off! Here’s what your favorite arts maven Nancy Guppy has got going on in episode numero uno: You’ll meet Coyote Central’s Marybeth Satterlee, one of the awesome 2008 Mayor’s Arts Awards recipients; Brangien Davis, Seattle Magazine’s Arts and Culture editor, gives us the not-to-be-missed fall art calendar lowdown, all while flying around in dangerous rigging; The incredibly charming and talented accordionist, Amy Denio, fills our studio with fun and groovy music; And, of course, our favorite film guy, Robert Horton, talks all things cinematic.
CityStream – premieres Thurs. Sept 11 at 7pm
Come visit the war-torn former Soviet Republic of Georgia with correspondent Penny LeGate and find out how Seattle dollars are offering hope to the war-torn former Soviet Republic. Then take a wild ride on Lake Union as daredevil sailors take on the weekly “Duck Dodge.” And “calling Dr. Doo!” Cameron Wong gets the smelly scoop on Seattle’s poopiest job!
City Inside/Out with C.R. Douglas – premieres Fri. Sept. 12 at 7pm
It has been one year since new Seattle Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson tool over Seattle’s troubled school district. How is she doing? This week Seattle Channel’s C.R. Douglas has an in-depth interview with Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson and explains her 5-year plan to improve the district. We also follow the superintendent around on the first day of school as well as hear from parents about their expectations. Studio guests include Seattle Board Member Harium Martin Morris, PTSA president Sharon Rodgers, Alliance for Education executive director Patrick D’Amelio and Seattle Times editorial writer Lynne Varner.
For more information contact:
Beth Hester
Station Manager
The Seattle Channel
www.seattlechannel.org
206-684-3493
beth.hester@seattle.gov
I was pleased to be invited to see indie pop-rockers, The Bedouin Jacks, when they played the High Dive in Fremont on July 21st and August 19th at The Sunset Tavern in Ballard. The Bedouin Jacks are Nick (keys) and Peter (lead guitar) and some friends (often it’s Jay - drums/producer and Will - bass) who help them play during either recording or on stage.
At the High Dive, they played to a large, boisterous audience who were eager to hear them play and the band handled one of their earliest major performances with aplomb. Then at the Sunset Tavern, a very intimate crowd was on hand (due to a downpour!) and later in the set thanks to a broken guitar string they switched up to acoustic and squeeze box without any fuss. They even had the audience come in up close and personal to have a sing-along.
Nick and Peter are incredibly talented singer-songwriters who give emotionally-charged performances of music that connect with their audience on many levels. TBJs are definitely influenced by The Beatles, but their lyrics and mood are often Paul Simon-esque in their depth. There is a future in rock ‘n’ roll for The Bedouin Jacks - they don’t give up and they don’t give in - they’re all about the music and satisfying their adoring public. Because their lyrics are off-hand and cover surprising themes they can be deeper than your average band and resonate with the literate. Put together with their original, stirring and complex melodies containing elements of pop, rock and classical styles - their music is definitely a winning combination. As an added bonus, they are both rock-star good looking - so it’s a total win-win sitch.
Their self-released EP “To: Alice” is often handed out for free at their concerts and can also be heard on MySpace.com/thebedouinjacks. Check them out. You must.
You just have to check out the reissue from Light In The Attic - Rodriguez’s Cold Fact. Rodriguez was a psych-folk singer in the late-60s, who attempted to “blend the sounds of Dylan with the intensity of the Motown sound.” Rodriguez is sage - a voice of our age even though he may be an echo of the recent past. Indeed, his music is timeless, interesting, and moving. The lyrics are sarcastic, witty, bitter and passionate. This album covers the gamut of the human experience - pain, work, love, sex, greed, doubt, and desire. This record can be played as background music to a dinner party, something to listen to while making love, or as a sing-along in the car! Variety truly is the spice of life.
Rodriguez never really caught on the first time around, but nearly 30 years later, LITA has reissued this fabulous album with timeless themes and sounds that have been lost to the digital age. As usual, this will most likely be a limited release, so don’t wait or it will be sold out.
The write-ups in UNCUT, MOJO, and The Guardian heap ample praise, information and insight, so if you didn’t know about Rodriguez or hear this the first time around (which I didn’t either), you should totally get it now. I love, love, LOVE this album.
Once again, the highly anticipated Capitol Hill Block Party’s line up had the same fantastic quality from years past. Perhaps it even slightly surpasses last year a bit. Hard to say. What I can say is that everyone I talked with was diggin’ the music. This all-ages event with four fab stages - including one specifically for the underage crowd, the Vera Project - a beer garden, a smoking lounge (where interestingly absolutely no smoking was allowed), art, political and community booths, food, and much more, began Friday, July 25 and ended on Saturday, July 26. For the complete line-up of events and music go to www.thestranger.com/blockparty
The up side of this type of music festival is that there are so many fabulous acts to choose from but that is the down side as well. Deciding who I absolutely had to see to cover for the blog was tough and then choosing who I wanted to check out and then who would just be fun to hear was not quite as difficult. It was sad to miss out on so many quality bands since each and every act seemed like they had potential for being my next favorite. It is like a marathon of music! I didn’t get to spend much time in any one place, but what I did get to hear was awesome. (Due to time constraints, I didn’t write much or load many photos, but there will be more commentary when I have a chance to upload more.) For more information on these bands, check them out on MySpace.
First up (for me) was Head Like A Kite playing the Neumo’s stage. HLAK is Dave Einmo and “live” (as opposed to dead, mind you) drummer, Trent Moorman. It is a patchwork of “found sound”, electronica and prog-pop. Einmo’s kinetic energy and enthusiasm had the crowd moving and grooving as he dripped with sweat, writhed and screamed.
Out on the Main Stage, U.S.E. had the crowd jumping, dancing, screaming, singing along. I only got to see them for a few minutes but it was easy to see this talented group had infectious pop styling combined with killer stage presence. The audience ate it up. Yum~o
Menomena hit the Main Stage full force with their musical equivalent to E. The crowd really ate it up and jumped and danced along to their catchy set.
The Dodos seem to have a fantastic fan base almost cultish in their fervor as do Truckasaurus, who over at King Cobra were in blackout conditions so the audience could see the video behind them. Very interesting stuff, that.
My favorite of the evening over at the King Cobra stage was Airborne Toxic Event. I totally expected Vampire Weekend to fit that space, but no - ATE won hands-down, because they put on an awesome show. The crowd totally was into them - singing along, dancing, captivated. This group is hot - fun, dancy, catchy, and I actually liked their songs - lyrics & music. This band was having a great time while they worked hard and it showed.
Dita Vox of Thee Emergency on the Neumo’s Stage was working the crowd and brother she knows how. The band was doing interesting things (”I am going to lie on the floor and if you don’t shout I’m going to die”) since that is their style - quirky and sparkling. They have an energy that transcends and brings a crowd together like no other band.
What has 25 people on stage who are not part of the act? Girl Talk! They were goofy & fun, a “mix-tape” style with sing-along renditions that wowed the crowd. I only could get shots of the audience the band pulled on stage - I did not get even ONE shot of the actual act~
Les Savy Fav started out slowly but turned it up several notches warming up the crowd until they were in a frenzy. The lead singer did a few, um, interesting things on stage with a hot pink vibrator and a guitar….a picture really is worth 1000 words.
Marco Collins, former on-air personality at 107.7 The End, introduced Washington’s illustrious Gov. Christine Gregoire, who introduced the the darlings of the East Coast College Crowd headliner of the evening, Vampire Weekend. Wow - Gregoire rocks the Governor’s Mansion with post-punkish modern rock - who knew?
There was an ocean of folks waiting for Vampire Weekend to come on stage. It was a larger and more raucous crowd than for any other Block Party headliner in recent memory. VW put on a fun, entertaining show, but they basically played their album to which the rowdy crowd sang along and that was just fine with them. It was nothing fancy, no mind-blowing excitement, but a good, solid show. For the kind of music they make, it was fairly mellow for such a revved up, drunk crowd. But in the end, everyone seemed satisfied that they got to see the band so it’s all good.
Lastly, due to the nature of the Block Party, many people do get drunk. In fact, one man got so drunk he punched my camera and the bastard broke my beloved Nikon. Son of a Bitch.
June 21st, Neumos was host to veterans rockers The Purrs, nearly newcomers Ivan & Alyosha and headliners Mono in VCF. Quite the lineup!
The Purrs (Jima - Bass, Lead Vocals, Craig Keller - Drums, Jason Milne - Guitars, Backup Vocals, Dr. Robert - Guitars, Backup Vocals) delivered nothing if not satisfying straight up indie/psych rock ‘n’ roll just like it should be with just ever so slight a hint of jaded sarcasm (especially when they asked that we buy their CD so they’d have gas money…). In November last year, they released their second album The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together as a follow up to their 2005 debut, The Dreams our Stuff is Made of. My favorite of the night was She’s Got Chemicals. Catchy little tune that.
They’ve been at this a while now (eight years!) and totally know what they’re doing, but it was easy to see that it is becoming a bit more work than the fun they want it to be. Still, they handled the audience with aplomb and gratitude. Nice work boys. For more info check them at: www.thepurrs.com and http://www.myspace.com/thepurrs.
Ivan & Alyosha is Tim Wilson & Ryan Carbarya, who together with four bandmates are a six-piece band onstage. Their band name is clearly taken from Dostoevky’s The Grand Inquisitor (The Brothers Karamazov). Sadly, I did not get to ask them why they chose this name because that might have been an interesting tidbit to know. Next time.
I&A debuted their Brit pop flavored rock/pop EP, The Verse, The Chorus, that evening and did a fine job of presenting the material and then some. Their music was at once deep and charming if that’s possible. They are fun to watch because they are so enthusiastic and incredibly happy to be onstage. They beamed. Proud though they were, it wasn’t without merit - no, in fact, they deserve kudos because the record is excellent. For more info check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/ivanandalyosha.
Last up was Mono in VCF - also debuting their newly released full-length, self-titled CD. When they contacted me about covering the show, they said they wanted it to be an ethereal set. It was indeed ethereal and nearly mystic. Gracing the stage were Kim Miller (vocals), Hunter Lea (guitar, synths, organs, vocals), Jordan Luckman (bass, vocals), and Jason Falk (drums) (and my apologies, but I think that was Scott Clarke on Moog.) The person missing from the stage this time was the beloved Martin Feveyear, Superman of the Soundboard and sometime member (usually on keyboards/Moog).
If you’ve ever witnessed MIVCF in concert you can see that they practice together for hours and hours and have that innate talent for timing without much cuing. Timing is everything (they say). In addition to delving into the deep mysteries of the album, they added a new tune, Gift Horse, to their rapidly expanding list of songs. Ever awash in haunting emotion, Kim Miller can also belt out a tune, namely The Poppy Family (Terry Jacks) cover, No Blood in Bone. Simply fabulous. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. You NEED this album, not just so you have another CD in your collection, but there are times when nothing else will do. Check out this band at: www.monoinvcf.com and www.myspace.com/monoinvcf.
