“We all turn to our communities in darker times and making art feels healing and more important than ever.”: 7 Questions with Moon Palace

August 23, 2019 — Leave a comment

Shadowcast

Recently, I was given the opportunity to preview the latest album “Shadowcast” from Seattle indie rock band, Moon Palace. Twin sisters Cat and Carrie Biell alongside bandmates, Jude Miqueli, and Darcey Zoller create a psychedelia tinged, dusky, 41 minute kind of dream landscape that’s simply captivating.

The album was like the progression of a day in that songs at the beginning of the album like “Bold” and “Gamma Ray” were energetic, but eventually the album faded into this meditative reflection, culminating in more subdued songs like “Embers” which felt like gathering around a fire at night. If there was any other way I would describe “Shadowcast”, it felt like the soundtrack to a long drive outside of the city. Like I got in my car in the morning, watched my landscape change around me, and eventually, I’m night driving. I started kind of hyped for this drive, but eventually, it’s just me and my thoughts. That’s what this album does, it provides a space to reflect.

“Shadowcast” by Moon Palace will be released on August 23rd. In anticipation of the album’s release I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to ask the band a few questions. Here’s my short interview with Moon Palace.

1.) What was the inspiration for “Shadowcast”? Was there a particular vibe you were trying to create?
Jude: We made it over the course of a year. Each week we would open ourselves up to what sounds were coming through. I think the record evolved with the changing seasons. For much of the year, Seattle is dark and partly cloudy so that may be why there is a bit of an ominous presence. Once summer hit we wanted to make brighter songs and that’s when “Gamma Ray” emerged. On practice days I’d listen to music on the way to work while riding the bus at 6 AM when it was dark out and text the group what I was listening to. They would text tracks back throughout the workday. Later that night we’d get together, talk about the sounds we wanted to make and get creative. “Shadowcast” was Talking Heads influenced, “Stop When It Hurts” was Sonic Youth, “On the Level” was The Cure, “Bold” was influenced by The Gossip. In the end, I don’t think the songs sound like any of those bands because we weren’t trying to replicate what they were doing even though they were heavy influences. With each song, I want to grow as a drummer so I try new styles or techniques and one way of learning those is by listening to other drummers.

I read an interview in City Arts Magazine, that one of the main things that drew members of the group to Seattle was how queer-friendly the city was. A quote in the article said that you like how Seattle is a “sanctuary city” and that the band was making “sanctuary music”.
2. I like the idea of “sanctuary music”, but would you mind expanding on that? How would you define “sanctuary music”?
Jude: A sanctuary is a place of refuge or safety. It immediately brings up the idea of church which can be triggering for queers due to having been shamed by religion. But a bird sanctuary can also bring up ideas of a nature reserve and I think our band finds solace in nature. I came here in 2006 after researching where there was queer community on the internet. At that time Seattle had anti-discrimination laws protecting workers based on gender and sexual orientation and where I was from didn’t. I think sanctuary music can be anything that makes you feel safe in a space. Growing up as a teenager in the 90’s for me that was Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, Team Dresch, and Sleater-Kinney. Now when I listen to music at home I’m mostly playing jazz.

Carrie: Cat and I lived in more homogenous suburban area like 20 mins outside of Seattle. As out, queer teenagers, we would drive out to Seattle multiple times a week to be with the community we identified with and who supported us the most. Seattle did feel like a sanctuary in that way at the time. Nowadays it feels like making music in our band is a sanctuary from the current climate in America where hate crimes are on the rise and bigots feel more emboldened. We all turn to our communities in darker times and making art feels healing and more important than ever.

The music video for the song “Hunt and Gather” is amazing. Not only because the song is so good, but visually the video watches more like a high production short film with vibrant cuts and great use of light and shadow which really bring more attention to physical elements of the performers.
3. Was the concept for this video inspired by the song, or did you have this idea of what you wanted the visual to be like as this song was being created and then created a video to best reflect that visual?
Cat: The concept for the video was inspired by the song. An epic song deserved an epic video. The video reflects the process of creating peace with the wounded and unintegrated parts of ourselves. By integrating the ego, the wounded child, the wild one in all of us, we each move through our individual journey of reflection and transformation.

(These next 3 questions were provided by my last interview, the band “Tangerine”.)
4. What’s the last book you read?
Jude: Currently Reading Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown
Carrie: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

5. What was the most stressed you have been on tour and why?
Jude: When I went on a summer tour with a band called Scarves we were in an overheating van driving down I5 while California was burning. None of us had any mechanic skills which is why it was stressful. After a long drive and a mediocre show, we slept on a concrete floor in some dude’s apartment. In the end, we made it down the coast and back, had fun at the beach, and played better shows so it ended up being a good time!

Carrie: I did a west coast tour with my solo project joined by my backing band. We had great shows throughout the tour, but our show in Eugene ended up being really strange. The venue didn’t provide a PA that night and there was very little sound equipment ready even though there were four bands on this bill. One of the local bands ended up running around piecing together a sound system, which I was grateful for. After the show, some of the band members from the other bands invited all of us to some big mansion to party at because somebody was house sitting there. We wanted to take them up on the offer at first because it was a free spot to crash for the night. I felt somewhat reluctant because I was the only woman on the whole lineup of musicians that night and I didn’t see many other women around. We were about to go to the mansion, but then it turned out to be a bunch of drunk dudes all wanting us to get in a hot tub with them. Luckily the guys in my band always looked out for me and we all ended up sort of sneaking away and getting a hotel room for the night instead. I’m grateful to be playing music with more women and genderqueer folks these days 🙂

6. What were some rejected band names you almost had?
Carrie:
Desert Hearts
Wild Embers
Twin Shadow (Already Taken)
Carpet Ride (Too punk rock LOL)

7.) As a final question, I read that each of you are from other parts of the country and have performed in other groups, do you have any advice for other transplants trying to enter the Seattle music scene?
Carrie: I always think it’s a good idea to attend lots of shows and get a feel for the kind of bands and venues that our out here. Try to make friends with other bands and musicians and build a network of supportive fellow musicians who either want to play with you or book shows together. Bookers at venues don’t do as much building of bills anymore so it helps to approach some of the venues with a complete lineup or at least one other band that will bring out people. There are so many musicians and bands here so it can feel daunting to try and get out here, but if you have a few other bands or artists in your corner it really helps.

I also think it’s a great idea to make a professional recording and press them in a professional way so you have a better chance of getting on radio stations like KEXP. KEXP is awesome at supporting local bands and their reach is far and wide. It can be hard to get on their airways since they get tons of submissions, but showing up to the station or mailing an actual professional hard copy of the songs with a radio one-sheet really helps the chances of getting airplay.

I have to thank Moon Palace for providing such great answers. Check out “Shadowcast” available August 23rd, and catch Moon Palace at Clock-Out Lounge on Friday, September 20th.

“Have you Ever Heard of that Place?”: A Review of ‘Phonic Seattle’

August 23, 2019 — Leave a comment

When searching for films about the Seattle music and arts scene, you’ll be hard pressed to find any. On one hand, Seattle is a footnote in many bands’ histories. Documentaries about Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Ray Charles, and a number of other performers usually have a feature about Seattle. You might also find 30 to 45 minute specials which provide short profiles of the Seattle music scene. However, when it comes to full length documentaries solely about Seattle music culture only two major ones come to mind, the grunge focused “Hype”, and the jazz focused “Wheedle’s Groove”. Both documentaries feature a snapshot of Seattle music culture and have been released nationwide to a mostly positive critical response. Last Friday I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of a new documentary about the Seattle music scene, “Phonic Seattle”.

Art by Izzi Vasquez on display during the premiere

The film’s director Alaia D’Alessandro looks to introduce musical spaces and performers you never knew of, by following three local musicians, Carlarans, Julie-C, and Reese Tanimura, to their favorite underground music spots and events around Seattle. The film’s decision to follow three musicians representing different backgrounds is brilliant as the documentary spotlights a diverse range of venues and events around the city. The documentary’s approach to introducing this premise is unique in that it hits the ground running. The documentary lays out the premise almost immediately and goes right into the first of the three musicians. This quick paced approach of interview, segment about the venue, coupled with clips of a live performance carries through the entire documentary, and creates a feeling kind of like a DJ mixing at a night club. It’s an ebb and flow approach where the music being mixed, are the video segments and the great camera angles. At first it feels a little manic, but the more you watch it, the more it doesn’t feel like a simple compilation of interviews. Rather it feels more like a visual mixtape of our community.

The documentary aimed to introduce new venues and performers, but I believe the real takeaway is how so many diverse music experiences exist almost independently from one another within the same city space. It’s incredible to think you could experience nearly every musical genre on any given night in the city. The documentary demonstrates Seattle isn’t solely a grunge city or a jazz town anymore. This documentary shows how the changes in our communities and the economic flow are helping dictate the direction of the music and arts scene, and in some cases causing others to be more steadfast in their response to that change. It felt like the response to the changes was just more creativity. Creativity in what a space can offer. Creativity in what defines the audience. Creativity in marketing campaigns. It seems like for the community to survive the influx, the performers and the spaces adapted their definition of self to the influx, and this feeling of adaptation is on display in the documentary.

As a person who was born and raised in Seattle, I felt like this was a great representation of our city and definitely fulfills on it’s tagline of “introducing musical space and performance you never knew of”. I attended the screening with my cousins and on more than one occasion we found ourselves leaning in and asking one another, “Have you ever heard of that place?” or “What was the name of that artist?”. If you have people who are engaged in the local arts and music community, who grew up in the city, asking one another if they recognized something, then you really have accomplished your tagline. When it comes to the question of welcoming “outsiders” into the music community, I felt like the best response to this question came from both Carlarans (who hosts “The Beat”) and also the owner of Clock-Out Lounge. Carlarans explained that it’s okay for “outsiders” to come into these new experiences as long as they do so under the understanding that they’re guests. The owner of Clock-Out Lounge, reiterated the same message and added “Also, just don’t be an a**hole.” I feel like this is the perfect reflection of Seattle and for me the biggest takeaway from the documentary. Everyone is welcome, be cognizant of the people who established the longstanding community structures, and above all else, just don’t be an a**hole. (haha)

From a born and raised Seattle person, I recommend checking out Phonic Seattle.

“What the Punk are you listening to?” Playlist 8/20/19

August 22, 2019 — Leave a comment

For this playlist I felt like last week’s was a little too light and I wanted something with more edge, so I checked my iPod for the last 10 Punk songs I listened to. I arranged them in a way I felt was appropriate and here they are.

“What the Punk are you listening to?” Playlist
1.) “I Remember” – Bully
2.) “Monsoon Rock” – Amyl and the Sniffers
3.) “Wasted Nun” – Cherry Glazerr
4.) “Pills” – Beverly Crusher
5.) “Vicky Crown” – Murphy’s Law
6.) “Bet My Brains” – Starcrawler
7.) “Savage 512” – BBQT
8.) “Big Sin” – MONSTERWATCH
9.) “Got you” – Amyl and the Sniffers
10.) “Whatever – Live” – The Frights

Capitol Hill Block Party 2019: “So you want to avoid the main stage?”

July 14, 2019 — Leave a comment

Capitol Hill Block Party 2019 is next weekend. What I love about Capitol Hill Block Party is that it’s an opportunity to discover some great talents in the local music scene. If I were to describe the ratio of local acts to main stage acts I would say it’s a little over 4 to 1. That would mean for every one main stage act, there’s probably four other great acts performing around the same time at a different stage. This year’s line up features some of the Seattle’s best performers.

If you want to avoid the crowded craziness of the main stage but have no idea who any of these non main stage performers are, the following are some of the bands I suggest checking out at Capitol Hill Block Party 2019:

Danny Brown, Capitol Hill Block Party 2017, Main Stage

Friday

MirrorGloss – Neumos Stage, 5:45 to 6:30p – Dance pop meets hip hop duo, MirrorGloss are ready to captivate and get the party started.
Actionesse – Cha Cha Stage, 7:45 to 8:15p
Little Wins – Barboza Stage, 8:30 to 9:00p – One half of Sisters Andrew Vait’s solo project, Little Wins, is worth checking out.
Wimps – Cha Cha Stage, 8:45 to 9:15p
Bearaxe – Neumos Stage, 9:30 to 10:15p
Black Tones – Neumos Stage, 10:45 to 11:30p – the must see Blues-Punk trio that are always a highlight of festival lineups.

Saturday

Wild Powwers – Vera Stage, 4:00 to 4:30p – local Grunge band Wild Powwers, have been described as: “made you feel like you might want to smash some bottles down by the train tracks with your juvenile delinquent friends while skipping 5th period”.
OK SWEETHEART – Neumos Stage, 4:00 to 4:30p – Folk pop and soul come together in the music of singer song writer Erin Austin’s band OK SWEETHEART.
Reader – Barboza Stage, 4:45 to 5:15p
Tres Leches – Neumos Stage, 6:30 to 7:15p
Dyed – Cha Cha Stage, 6:45 to 7:15p
Scarlet Parke with Jake Crocker – Neumos Stage, 7:45 to 8:30p
A Tribe Called Red – Vera Stage, 11:00 to 12:00a – Canadian Dance music collective A Tribe Called Red, blends indigenous cultural influences with modern hip hop and electronic music production styles.

Sunday

Left at London – Wildrose Stage, 4:30 to 5:00p
Whitney Monge’ – Wildrose Stage, 6:45 to 7:15p – “Alternative Soul” artist Whitney Monge’ blew me away with her performance at Volunteer Park Pride Fest, and I am looking forward to seeing her perform again.
Nick Weaver – Neumos Stage, 6:30 to 7:15p – One of my favorite Seattle based hip hop artists who’s lyric style has to be seen to be believed.
Marshall Law Band – Barboza Stage, 8:45 to 9:15p
Razorclam – Cha Cha Stage, 8:45 to 9:30p – if you like New Wave and 80’s synth pop, femme glam rock band Razorclam is the band for you.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2018, Main Stage

When I go to Capitol Hill Block Party, some years I’ve camped out at the main stage the whole day and watched every main stage act, while other years I’ve avoided the main stage entirely and just hung out at the side stages. I’ll try to take time to catch performers I’ve either never heard of, or have heard of but have never seen perform live.

My biggest piece of advice when going to any music festival is to be open to checking out music you’ve never heard of, and know that if you’re not enjoying what you’re hearing/seeing, there’s probably 4 other acts performing at the same time also worth checking out.

2 Coffee Show Review: Richie Dagger’s Crime, Eastern Souvenirs, and Katie Kuffel at Barboza (1/17/19)

January 22, 2019 — Leave a comment

A new feature for this blog will be what I call a “2 Coffee Show Review”. A “2 Coffee Show” is a show whose ticket costs as much as the cost of two coffees or specialty drinks at Starbucks. Usually this means the price of a single ticket cost me less than $10. This is no way is an indicator of the quality of the show. I’ve been to a lot of incredible “2 Coffee Shows”. It usually means the bands are young or still trying to gain a foothold in the local market. Characteristically the crowds are normally small and it’s a great opportunity to meet and hang out with the talents before or after their sets. For these reviews, I’ll provide an introduction, at least a paragraph on each performer, and a conclusion about whether or not the show was worth more than the two coffees I gave up by going to the show.

Last week I attended a show at Barboza which featured Katie Kuffel, Eastern Souvenirs, and Richie Dagger’s Crime. I decided to attend this show kind of spur of the moment. I was looking for a show in the area that was reasonably priced but featured acts that I knew would deliver, and then I saw the lineup for this show and was a little taken aback that these performers were all on the same $8 lineup. I happily paid my fee and made my way to Barboza. In terms of crowd size, I would say it never got past 20 people at one time. Still I was excited for what I was going to see. (Photos and videos below)

Katie Kuffel
I’ve seen Katie Kuffel perform a number of times. She has one of the most unique powerful voices in the current Seattle music scene, and when you see her perform, she seems very nonchalant, like what she’s doing just comes naturally. Having recently released an album, I was excited to see her perform some of these songs live. There wasn’t much of an audience when she began, but by the end, everyone in the room was standing in attention. She tried out a new song at the end of her set, that if I’m honest needs more ironing out (all I remember was she said the word “swallow” a lot in the early portion of the song). Otherwise, a fantastic opener, and I’ll personally never get tired of hearing the song “Fault Lines” performed live.

Eastern Souvenirs
I’ve never seen Eastern Souvenirs perform live but in research for this show I found out they were set to headline a show the following week at Chop Suey. This felt like a warm up for that set. I found the trio entertaining. The vocals performed over synths and fast paced drums motivated the audience that was present to dance. In a room of less than 20 people, if you could get folks to dance and move without embarrassment, that’s a great sign of talent, or at least good songs. From what I saw, I wouldn’t mind seeing Eastern Souvenirs perform again.

Richie Dagger’s Crime
This was my first time seeing Richie Dagger’s Crime perform. I had heard the album “Sea of Dysfunction” and was curious how these songs would be performed, because it featured multiple layered instrumentation and when I was there, the band consisted of just three people. It was either the set was quick paced or it felt short, but he did perform the songs I was hoping to hear,” Absence” (Part 1 and 2) and “I Bleed the Future Seeds”. Other than the feeling that the set was short, I thought it was a good show. I thought the band were fun performers, and it was interesting seeing those songs performed live.

Overall for a 2 Coffee show I felt the price was justified, if not undervalued. None of the performers were bad, two of the performers put out albums recently that drew positive reception, and one of the performers are set to headline a show in the upcoming week. For $8, this was a great show.

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10 Photos That Remind me How Cool 2018 Was.

January 1, 2019 — Leave a comment

In 2018, I attended 80+ shows and events. I saw well over 300 different acts and got to spend a lot of time meeting and mingling with dozens of people in the local music scene.

When looking back on the year as a whole and reviewing photos I took throughout, I kept having moments of revelation. I saw so many interesting acts this year that as I see some of these images, it hits me, “Oh yeah! You were there for that.” Below are 10 photos that remind me how cool my 2018 was:

View from the Beer Garden – Sub Pop 30th Anniversary – Alki – 8/11/18
As much as I thought Sub Pop 30 was a cool event and definitely an anniversary party fitting a record company that had such a positive impact on the community, at a certain point in the afternoon it just got crowded. A combination of recognizable names, no admission fee, and the sun coming out, really caused the crowd to balloon. I took this picture on the way to see Shabazz Palaces. The sky just looked so cool.

Kailee Morgue – Neumos – 11/30/18
This photo is a personal favorite of mine. It’s just a great visual representation of how it feels to go to a smaller live concert “today”. It also features one of my favorite out of town performers. I first saw Kailee Morgue live at Bumbershoot, and I instantly fell in love with her sound. Of the young acts I saw this year, I believe Kailee will be one to keep an eye on in the years to come.

A Tribe Called Red – Neumos – 3/14/18
This picture is just visually amazing. The lighting kind of cast a purple light on the room, but the amount of colors coming off of the Native costume worn by this dancer during this set was incredible. A Tribe Called Red put on a show that was as visually pleasing as it was to hear.

Monsterwatch – Mercer + Summit Block Party – the corner of Mercer and Summit – 8/18/18
If I had to pick a favorite top to bottom event, I would have to say this year’s “Mercer and Summit Block Party” was something special. Other festivals like Upstream, Bumbershoot, and Linda’s Fest had great things to offer and had moments that were memorable, but from beginning to end, I felt like every act at this year’s “Mercer and Summit Block Party” really brought it and the crowd seemed to really accentuate a good vibe throughout the day. I snapped this photo at the end of Monsterwatch’s set. Of all the acts, I felt like Monsterwatch really had a breakout performance at this festival.

The Regrettes – Bumbershoot: KEXP Stage – Seattle Center – 9/1/18
Bumbershoot for me is a “reset”. Everyone has to have something, that brings you back to “earth” and makes you feel like you’re ready to approach the world after letting out some steam. An act that stood out at this year’s Bumbershoot mainly because of how absurd their set was, were The Regrettes. Their set this year was at KEXP and they (in short) motivated the crowd to mosh, crowd surf, and even have a wall of death in the KEXP public space. (haha!) I love this shot because all the members are featured. They’re the most prominent focal points of this photo.

The Pink Slips – Bumbershoot: Main Stage – Seattle Center – 9/2/18
The main stage at Bumbershoot is huge. I feel like it would be hard for groups to make use of the whole stage unless they were highly seasoned or had elaborate set pieces and visuals. The Pink Slips made great use of the stage, and created opportunities for photographers to snag some great shots of their set. I like this shot because of the activity in it. The bass player’s hair and the lead singer’s facial expression are just small examples of how this photo captured the activity of this set.

Tres Leches – Upstream Music Festival and Summit – Pioneer Square – 6/3/18
Tres Leches had a pretty big year this year. I saw their name on multiple lists, they released an album, and I feel like I saw them perform at multiple events and concerts. This photo is interesting to me because you can’t see any of their eyes. I think it was just timing and position, but it makes a fascinating photo. This photo is also special for me because it was the first time my oldest cousin came with me to the front of a crowd for a local show.

The Requisite – Chop Suey – 12/8/18
I first saw The Requisite at this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party. When I saw them take the stage I thought, “Oh cool. I have no idea what this act is, but they look like a bunch of metalheads.” When I heard them perform, it wasn’t metal, but I was impressed by the punk rock that I heard. They had a great sense of humor about themselves, and they were an act I wanted to see again. I took this photo at a show they headlined at Chop Suey.

Taylor Swift – Reputation Tour – Century Link Field – 5/21/18
Taylor Swift’s Seattle stop of her Reputation Tour was the only stadium sized concert I attended this year. Being at a show this massive was impressive. I was in a crowd where everyone seemed to know the lyrics and had the urge to dance. It’s just humbling seeing the size and scope of this event.

My desk at my day job – 10/25/18
The last photo in this set is one of my desk, at my day job. I decorated at first for Halloween, but I kept it up and just kept adding to it. I made the doorway a glam rock explosion with lanterns and streamers weaved overhead. It was just so much fun having that stuff up.

2018 for me was fun, but I look forward to what 2019 has in store. I think I’ll take this blogging thing a little more seriously (haha). Have fun everyone!

Sure Sure has an “Infectious Live Show”

November 9, 2018 — Leave a comment

Tuesday night. Mid Term election night in America. After a rocky two years, hearing the news that the Republicans will maintain control of the Senate and the Democrats will now control the House, I felt like I could breathe a sigh of relief. This mid-term really had brought things down to the wire, and it felt like it was time to celebrate a little. If not, relax a bit. Which brought me to Sure Sure and Wilderado at Chop Suey.

I’ve heard Sure Sure prior to this show and was very interested how they would play live. Their show description said they had an “infectious live show” which has “quickly solidified them as one of the most exciting up and coming bands out of LA”. Based on their albums they did sound like a fun experimental pop band, but I wasn’t entirely sure how it would translate to a live experience. On the other hand, I had no idea who Wilderado was going into this show. Rather than research, I wanted to be surprised.

When I got to the show, the first thing that jumped out was majority of the crowd seemed to skew to the 23 and younger range and were very enthusiastic. More than a few were sporting Sure Sure t-shirts.

Wilderado took the stage around 9pm. I’ve been to a few shows at Chop Suey, and Wilderado is the only band I’ve seen not enter through the stage door, but rather weave through the crowd and climb onto the stage from the front.

I had never heard Wilderado prior to this show, and if I were to describe their set in one word, it would be “impressive”. Granted it, it felt like they weren’t as seasoned as some other bands, but the way they played at this show it felt like these guys could be something to keep an eye out for in the future. In terms of genre, I couldn’t nail it down. One minute they were playing a rock song, then a country song, which would be followed by a hard rock song. I asked the lead guitarist after their set if he could define their genre, and he just said “We play what feels good, so I can’t nail down our genre either.” Can’t dispute that answer, their sound felt good. Also, props to them for agreeing that Seattle is the most respectful crowd they’ve played in front of (haha). As they wrapped their set, they exited the way they came in, by jumping off the stage single file, right into the crowd.

Sure Sure had one of the most unique sets I’ve seen at Chop Suey. The young crowd was very into the music which really set the tone for the rest of the show. There was a lot of dancing and jumping to music I didn’t think would garner such an involved reaction. I expected there to be audience participation with songs like “Hands Up Head Down”, but hearing songs like “Freinds”, “New Biome”, and “This Must Be the Place”, I expected more of a head bobbing reaction, but the crowd was pretty active. The crowd would only get more active when the band introduced an award for “The Best Crowd Member”, which would be presented at the end of the show. Once the prospect of being awarded “The Best Crowd Member” became a possibility, all the audience members who had already been pretty actively engaging the band, just grew way more energetic. Smart move on the band’s part. This kept the audience involvement going throughout the show.

The band themselves looked very intent in their performance. I’ve never seen a bass player so involved in crowd participation. The lead guitarist at times was rocking harder than the song seemed to warrant. While the rest of the band would be kind of grooving he would be jumping around, jamming as if the song was a harder rock song than what was being performed. This isn’t a negative as it’s always great seeing a musician enjoying his art form.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing both Sure Sure and Wilderado. I feel like Sure Sure surpassed my expectation of how they would perform live. With the recordings I’ve heard, I wasn’t expecting the audience to be as active as they were and I didn’t expect the band to kind of egg them on. Wilderado on the other hand, since it was my first time seeing/hearing them, I was thoroughly impressed. I wouldn’t mind seeing them again if they came through town.

Both bands did great and I would classify Sure Sure as a band who’s live show experience is different from how they sound in recordings. I would agree with their show description. Sure Sure definitely has an “Infectious Live Show”.

I saw Hop Along perform songs from “Bark Your Head Off Dog” with a dog in the crowd.

August 16, 2018 — Leave a comment

On Sunday night I got to see Philadelphia band Hop Along play Neumos. The band’s third studio album, “Bark Your Head Off Dog” has received a number of favorable reviews. Personally I enjoy the album.

I grew up in the 90’s and the songs made me feel like I was hearing someone from that mid 90’s transitioning to the 00’s era. Performers in the same vein as early Sheryl Crow or Jewel, but with the passion laden vocal style that kind of reminded me of Kurt Cobain. Lead singer songwriter Francis Quinlan is truly a unique performer in today’s music scene, performing songs that are both easy to listen to but you could tell are meaningful.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this show. Would the same emotion Francis is able to express on the album come through in a live performance?

I got to the venue. It was a sold out show. An hour before showtime and the line was already wrapping around the corner (those familiar with Neumos, it went past Bait, and was already a little past the coffee shop). As we made our way in I think it’s worth noting, this was the first indoor event where I saw someone bring a dog into the venue and stand within 3 people of the stage (haha). It’s within 45 mintues of showtime and the crowd was already filling into the room.

The opener was another Philadelphia based band called Thin Lips. Having never heard of Thin Lips prior to this set, I was impressed and found them a decent opener. The lyrics I felt were really where this band shined. Songs like “Sex is Complicated” and “Gaslight Anthem” were especially memorable. I believe it was before “Sex is Complicated” that the lead singer told a story about the first time they played Seattle, they had played the Comet Tavern. After the set, the lead singer went to dance party and every girl at the party looked like “Marcie”. As a person born and raised in Seattle, that sounds about right (haha). Overall, I enjoyed Thin Lips and it was a fun surprise during this set to see Francis Quinlan provide backing vocals for one of their songs.

As the openers wrapped their set, anticipation for Hop Along grew. A person at the front of the crowd was able to snag a photo of the set list and five or so people leaned in just to get a look. Needless to say the crowd was brimming with excitement as Hop Along took the stage. As they began to play, the crowd was all smiles. Everyone sang along to each song and danced as well they could in the packed audience. Francis’ voice sounded great in person. The emotion in the album could be felt at the live performance. Not only was Francis impressive, but I found the other members of Hop Along intriguing as well, in particular the guitarist on the left side of the stage. You can tell the band was great at playing based off of feel, which was pretty cool to see in person. Songs that really stood out to me were “Fox in Motion”, “What the Writer Meant”, “Prior Things”, and “Well Pressed”. Hearing these songs live especially the closing jam at the end of “Prior Things” was something that was really cool in person.

Going into this show I wasn’t sure how the performance on the album would translate to a live show. Having now seen it, I have to say I was impressed. The show was enjoyable, Francis Quinlan has to be heard live, and this would be a band I wouldn’t mind seeing again if they came back to town.

CakeInTheRain206

Having Fun in the Seattle Music Scene

indie rock