Seattle Subsonic

Wine, Women, and Song at The Neptune July 9

June 18th, 2011

Who: Wine, Women, and Song featuring Star Anna, Barbara Ireland, Carla Torgerson of The Walkabouts, Kim Virant, Victoria Wimer Contreras & friends backed by the house band which includes locals Justin Davis, Chris Friel, Leif Andersen, Robert Mitchell, Travis Yost, William Stover and Miles Ward.
Where: The Neptune
When: Saturday July 9 7:00
Tickets: $25.00 21+ buy online
Wine, Women, and Song

What’s not to like about all three?

The Wine: There will be a wine tasting prior to the women and the song with the wines coming from such regional (and female) winemakers/owners as Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, Baer Winery, Bergevin Lane Vineyards, Guardian Cellars, Hightower Cellars, Sleight of Hands Cellars, and possibly more. I’m more typically a beer guy myself, but I appreciate a nice glass of red now and again … and again, and tasting wines that are probably well out of my price range is always a good thing.

UPDATE: I had the opportunity last week to meet with Hillary Sjolund owner/winemaker of Sonoris Wines. She was kind enough to come to my little apartment with a bottle of red and a bottle of white. The red was a Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Burney’s Blend after her grandfather, and is the debut wine for Sonoris. We spent about two hours together, and in between talk of starting a new company (Sonoris is brand spanking new), age and aging and breathing (humans and wine), winemaking and writing as comparative art forms, and wine itself as a medicinal thing, we drank Burney’s Blend. It’s a little woody at first, just a little, and the longer it sits, the more of the fruit elements will come out. It’s smooth and yummy and everything a wine that will retail for about $40.00 should be, and it has a touch of what Sjolund described the “peanut butter effect”. It will stay in the mouth and make you want to lick your chops. As for me, it just made me want to drink more. And I did. Try this wine for sure on the 9th.

The Women: In addition to the female winemakers/owners, there will be female singer/songwriters, and this is where the evening starts to really get interesting with such Northwest talents as Star Anna, Kim Virant (of Lazy Susan), Barbara Ireland and others on hand and performing “their favorite songs by women artists that have Inspired and Influenced them.” Virant, Anna, and Ireland were all on last year’s Wine, Women, and Song bill. Ireland did an interesting version of “White Rabbit” (always a favorite cover of mine to play) which has me a little eager to see what she’ll arrange or rearrange for the show this year.

 

Star Anna is a name I’ve only recently come across, but everything I hear is great. She was even kind enough to send me a copy of her second CD, and I must say her voice captures. That’s the simplest way to put it, and that voice is the reason for me this show is a must see. Last year, she did “Wish I was the Moon” and to hear her sing “I’m so lonely, and I wish I was the moon tonight” tingles the spine, raises hairs on the arms, and that’s even without any wine in me at the moment. Perhaps, it’s time for a bottle of red.

 

The Song: Missing from this year’s list of artists is one of my local favorites, Kristen Ward, but she did this gem last year which is a good indication that with all the wine to be drunk …uh, I mean “tasted” … and all the singing and playing women on hand, there will be more such gems this year.

 

In the moment though, I’ll pop the cork on a bottle of Wild Horse 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (the bottle of Burney’s Blend is unfortunately empty) and keep hitting replay on that Star Anna video. “I wish I was the moon tonight.”

Indeed.

Dave