Seattle Subsonic - February, 2009
The Whore Moans, New Faces @ Holy Mountain
| Friday, February 13, 2009 | ||
| 10:00 pm |
It Was a Murder City Riot
Tonight I headed down to the Showbox at the Market to see one of my favorite bands, the Murder City Devils, perform the first show on their reunion tour. I actually had an extra ticket in my pocket, and texted about 15 or 20 people to see if they wanted a ticket to the sold out show, but alas, no one could make it down. While I generally prefer to see MCDs in smaller venues, like back in the day when I saw them at RKCNDY with Tricky Woo, I was nonetheless super excited to see them. After sitting through two openers, I finally got to run into the pit and rock out to Spencer Moody and friends…
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It was the first time in several years that I had been in the pit (luckily fueled by a belly full of whiskey), and my concerns of the last few times I had been in a pit were confirmed, as the kids today have no mosh pit etiquette like we did back in the day. That being said, although it was an all ages show, I ran into many fellow 21+ folks in the pit (including at least 5 or 6 friends that I had yet to see at the show), and I got to stagger around and scream at the top of my lungs to Press Gang, Broken Glass, Rum to Whiskey, and all my other favorite MCDs songs. It was a great time!
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Although the traditional classic organ had been switch for a Casio, which sounded more tinny and not as full, the band itself was full of life and pretty much brought the ceiling down with song after song of unbridled energy. In short, if you missed it, you truly missed out on an amazing experience, and I hope to see you at the SOLD OUT 21+ show tomorrow at the Showbox at the Market, or at the all ages show on Saturday in Portland. And in case you don’t feel like driving all the way down to P-Town…watch this video and you will get revved up and be there! See you at the bar!
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Hell Hath No Fury
… like a newly-unemployed, broke-ass student who is sick and tired of Ticketrapist.
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So I just completed my transaction with Ticketf**ker so’s I can go see the much-publicized and currently-discounted Gutter Twins show, and some little pop-up evaded my Safari settings and offered me a chance to provide feedback on my experience with the BowelMaster website.
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Heh heh. I couldn’t help myself. The words flowed like tequila into my mom’s orange juice glass….
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“Your “convenience” fees are a cockslap to the face of music lovers. I bet being an employee of Ticketmaster is a little like being a meter maid: you can’t tell anyone what you do because you’re universally despised.
Thanks for operating a monopoly. Charging 30-40+% surcharge on shows is a shame[ful atrocity, recession or not]. Do you have any idea how many shows I *don’t* go to simply because I don’t want my bank account to be violated by your obscene taxes? I’m just one person, I know, but I’m not alone in buying scalped tickets. Your business model is as out of touch or irrelevant as most of the shows/artists you promote: Fall Out Boy, Elton John, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Britney Spears, Ronnie Milsap, and Queensryche.
I wish you’d go away.
I want to see a show [Raphael Saadiq. -ed.] in Portland but you want NINE DOLLARS per ticket for “handling” or some such horseshit. For me and my girlfriend to attend the show, we basically pay a 45% tax on the price of the two tickets. And for what? All of your shit is handled through the goddamned interwebs. So I am basically paying for another person to go. Rad. Howsabout you send one of your flunkies down to the show with us, make it worth my while? I don’t care who it is, but s/he is going to carry my jacket, open my beers and politely laugh at all of my fucking jokes.
There. You wanted feedback through BizRate? You got it.
cc: seattlesubsonic.com”
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Damn, I am pretty wound up. I gotta go chill out.
Clam Hammer a New Force is Dirt Bag Rock
Coming out of the underbelly of Ballard this three piece is definitely a band to watch out for in the future. Their brand of grungy punk is nothing new on paper but where they stand out is in their execution live. Drunken, hard-hitting, and relentless they are an irresistible force meeting an immovable object (h/t Gorilla Monsoon). They just posted a few demo recordings on their myspace and one major thing that stands out when listening, they have an unhealthy love of intros and outros. If they can tighten up their sound and cut out some of the musicianship fluff for their debut record (tentatively titled “Womb Temperature”) they should be able to firmly solidify themselves as an “It” band in the local rock scene. They are performing Friday 13th at Merchants in Pioneer Square for anyone wishing to check out these up-and-comers before they are playing the bigger rooms.
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www.myspace.com/mybandcankickyourbandsass
C-Leb, Mad Rad, Champagne Champagne @ Lake St (Kirkland)
| Friday, February 27, 2009 | ||
| 8:00 pm |
I never thought I’d be so excited for a show on the East Side (that’s a little West Side snobbery for ya), but this lineup at the Lake Street Bar & Grill (over near the water between Peter Kirk Park and the “awesome” Shark Club) has me, well, excited.
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Electro-beat swooner turned Seattle Subsonic blogger C-Leb (that’s called ‘full disclosure’) has teamed up with his pal A-Bro in crafting Broke Downtown, a dj-inspired, mid-tempo dance record with slick beats, funky jabs, sly vocals, and soaring back-up pipes (courtesy of local singer/songwriter Bee Simonds, also on this bill). Add in some new-wave synth, house bass and scratchy guitar, and it might just latch on to your spongey little brain. Think of a happier Depeche Mode or a funkier Pet Shop Boys joining forces with contemporary spacegazers Starfucker and the Postal Service. Listen to the entire album (complete with C-Leb’s own cathartic take) here.
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You know what Mad Rad is all about (Spank Rock yo-yo rap, tech-hop, white-boy dance sleaze, and inane club violence) and Champagne Champagne you can Get To Know here.
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No word yet on why the second ‘Champagne’ was misspelled.
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21+ / $6
Bad MAD RAD?
So I know MAD RAD has been getting some negative press (is there such thing?) lately about an incident involving the cops which subsequently got them banned from two of the bigger venues in Seattle… But lemme just say I was at the No Majesty (I say no because they cancelled) show last Monday and regardless of all the comments posted on Line Out about how bad they suck those boys threw down. Say what you will about them, they brought a full house on a Monday night with a cancelled headliner and killed it. And for all the comments about them they are obviously provoking a reaction from people good or bad, which is exactly what musicians and artists are supposed to do (makes me wonder if I’m doing my job right)… There a unlimited supply of “OK” and “purdy good” bands in Seattle to lull us into complacency, its nice to see one that kinda pisses a few people off…
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Onry Ozzborn opened up and threw down as well but he seemed a little less energetic than I’ve seen him in the past… Probably because the guy is all over the place, he must be rapping like 5 days a week I swear (maybe not but it seems like it).
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And subsequently I heard through the grapevine that the reason Yo Majesty initially cancelled was because they got pissed when the venue wasn’t gonna cough up the full guarantee with only half an act. Apparently they had no intention of telling the venue they only had one rapper. lol
THEY LIVE! tonight @ Neumos!
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If ya haven’t heard the newness…They Live! is a Local hiphop supergroup formed by Gatsby of Cancer Rising and djblesOne of Seattle’s world famous Massive Monkees b-boy crew and Mash Hall. They released their ‘debut’ the Dro Bots Saga last year, which in my opinion is one of the most innovative and bump-worthy local hip hop releases in a minute, and have been getting heavy rotation on KEXP. They throw a wicked good show and the supporting line up is more than worth price of admission.
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Download a free copy of the Dro Bots Saga HERE…and prepare to get project blowed away.
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Rudy and the Rhetoric just released their debut ‘Gutterbrook’ last December and it has garnered many spins in my cd playing device. Thee Satisfaction, Helladope!, and LeRoy round out this bill and each of these acts bring something new to the table. Helladope is going to be making some serious moves in 09 and is looking to be one of the more promising local groups to watch out for.
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RUDY & THE RHETORIC
HELLADOPE (FEAT. TAY SEAN AND JERM OF ALPHA P)
THEE SATISFACTION,
LE ROY (FEAT. WAYSTYLES AND OC NOTES)
Neumos
8PM Doors
$7 At the door
21+
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Continue below to read what the Stranger has to say about this show…(THEY LOVE IT)
Lanegan & Dulli tix for $10 10am-10pm today only
The dynamic duo of Dulli & Lanegan (AKA The Gutter Twins) are playing Showbox at the Market this Sunday 2/15. Happy Chichester and the ever amazing Shawn Smith open. Tix are $10 + $3.65 ripoff fee today when you order thru Ticketmaster and use the offer code “monqui”. Don’t miss this cheap chance to see two of the most prolific and monolithic artists of our era, not to mention the singular song stylings of Monsieur Smith. I don’t know Happy Chichester, but this lineup and price more than justifies giving HC a listen.
We’re Shotty, and we care about you and all that good stuff
I like these guys, a lot. It takes a lot of guts to even attempt to cover Santana’s ‘Soul Sacrifice’, and to successfully pull it off demonstrates the talent inherent in this band. They put on a great 45-minute set last Sunday at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard, and they have a bunch of shows coming up in the Puget Sound area in the next two months. You should at least check one of them out, if only to make your own classification of their musical style, which I can’t do, and you don’t have to either, so check them out if only to groove!
In all seriousness, it’s hard for me to compare Shotty’s sound to any other band I’ve heard, which makes it all the more fun to review them because I can be as creative as I want! However, their performance style is influenced by the bubble-gum pop/rock bands of the 70’s. With the lead singer Pat’s Peter Frampton style hairdo, and their shiny, butterfly-collard button-down shirts and vests, this is a band that definitely took some style tips from the Osmonds. But hey, if that’s what it takes to give an entertaining performance with solid skills on their instruments, I’m all for it.
Sunday was the first time I’d seen (or even heard) Shotty, so I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs – I didn’t get a chance to check out their Myspace page beforehand. The songs are very beat driven, with simple lyrics to back them up that almost reminded me of The Kinks (hey, that’s a good comparison!). The songs gave each band member ample opportunity to showcase their talent on respective solos, and even to show off their dancing skills! Garrett, the keyboardist in particular had an interesting style of balancing himself on a bucket while he played. I didn’t really get how it influenced his playing, but it did get my attention.
The band move through their performance effortlessly, culminating with a solid cover of ‘Soul Sacrifice’, which being a favorite instrumental of mine was the perfect way to wrap up a good set. Check out their Myspace page for upcoming shows – one in particular is on March 8 at the Columbia City Theatre, where they will be opening for VerleeRose.
Olympian Swamp Rockers the Old Haunts Call It Quits
The Old Haunts, one of the more intriguing bands to come out of Olympia in recent years, have broken up. Not necessarily the most popular outfit around, their raw, swamp-rock punk-boogie garnered my attention a few years back, leading to an exciting show-viewing at the Tractor (or was it the Croc?), quickly followed by the climactic, all-immortalizing CD purchase transaction.
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I must say, I thought they had some momentum. After releasing three fairly successful albums on venerable Olympian label Kill Rock Stars, as well as recruiting venerable riot grrrl drummer Tobi Vail (Bikini Kill) in early 2008, I was sure there’d be at least a bit of a blowup. A local blowup if nothing else. I guess all good things must come to an end here in Music Town.
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If you want to tap your toes or shake your fist to their gritty, rockin’, rollin’, White Stripes-meets-the Animals blues punk, take a listen to some tracks off their 2005 album Fallow Field.
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Off With Their Heads Cancel Tonight!
For anyone that was looking forward to seeing OWTH tonight, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but word just came down from the guitar player Zack that they had to cancel. Ryan is in the hospital with the flu. But you can still go down and enjoy other local artists Success!, Neutralboy, and The Heat Rays.
Tuesday Feb 10th–21+
SUCCESS!
NEUTRALBOY
THE HEATRAYS
@ the Funhouse (206 5th Ave N)
$6 9:30 pm
Man Plus, PartMan PartHorse @ the Cha Cha
| Sunday, February 15, 2009 | ||
| 8:00 pm |
Here’s another one of those posters that speaks for itself. It’s an actual Centaur looking for its Man Plus playmate. Despite that reference, however, the bad-ass punks in PartMan PartHorse named themselves after a porn movie, and not the rippled, wanton, and licentious mythical Greek beast. Or wait, maybe they did…
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Download a handful of remixed songs from Man Plus’ excellent 2008 album, Hungarian Suicide Songbook here. Listen to four tracks from PMPH’s 2008 album, Year of the Jerk here.
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21+ / Cheap
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