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EXTEND BAR SERVICE HOURS POLL!!
The Mayor has released his new Nightlife initiative. He is getting feedback on it via an online poll. Please make sure you voice is heard!
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Take it HERE! It takes 5 minutes. If you want extended service hours, tell them here!
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Filling out this survery WILL really make a difference. PLEASE do this. And pass it on to other supporters of nightlife you know.
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It takes 5 minutes. If you want extended service hours, tell them here!
Black Happy IS BACK!!
Seattle music goers you are in for a fucking treat! For the first time in 15 years one of the most underrated and unknown superstar NW bands Black Happy is reuniting for five shows in August, three of which are already sold out. August 6-7 at the Knitting Factory in Spokane, and August 20-22 at the Crocodile right here in Seattle. The 7th in Spokane and 22nd in Seattle still have tickets available, but there is a reason they sold out the first three shows in 15 years and why extra nights were added. The impact they made on the NW before they split in 1995 was huge, and deserving of every bit of hype about their reunion.
First let me just say in the early 90’s there weren’t (for the average kid) music blogs, cell phones, myspace, facebook, twitter or any of that bullshit. The only way anybody knew anything about good bands was word of mouth, going to shows, or picking up a copy of The Rocket. In 93 NW people were already eager to move onto (and support) the next big band that wasn’t grunge or 80’s glam rock. Black Happy emerged as a salty toothed giant from Idaho with way more potential and local feel than anything else going down at the time. Sure grunge was in full swing but Ten, Badmotorfinger and Nevermind were all 91, so the release of Peghead in 1993 gave the NW music lovers what they had been waiting for, another band to support with a new sound. Full horn-section-backed heavy metal that that brought an eight-piece band onslaught laying waste to a culture of kids that couldn’t get enough of it. Big crowds filled rooms and like a human whirlpool of rhythm flowed to the heavy riffs and droning horns and it wasn’t ska. The huge live sound brought a level of badass that was more than just a four piece with amps turned up. And in 1995 on the verge of blowing up with huge NW support, they were “living the dream.” So … why did they split?
Let me just put it like this, I’m sure the real internal breakdown and final demise of Black Happy is personal and intensive. But have you ever grown up with, lived with, or even been around 8 people for an extended period of time? Its hard, and even harder in a band, and in 1995 the group emerged as the four piece Shoveljerk … it was not the same, people didn’t understand, and that ended Black Happy.
One of the reasons I play (and write about) music today is influenced by this band. Not because I was young and impressionable, I’ve met plenty of hacks. But Black Happy was (and are) not that. They are probably one of my top-ten favorite bands of all time. They impacted a ridiculous amount of musicians and music goers and are worth check before they take another 15 year break. Here is a sample of their sound … and this was in 1993 … the sound was way ahead of itself … This is not a show to be missed.
Black Happy – Peghead – Bullmonkey
For Those About to Rock, Hells Belles March 27th at Neumos…
I’m a HUGE AC/DC fan, have been every since I was a kid and saw “Its a Long Way to the Top” video. The Australian band played a huge part in how rock music could be delivered like a hot steak at a strip club and still does. And crazy enough if you haven’t seen the local tribute band Hells Belles knock you down and take your lunch money you absolutely need to. The group hasn’t played a local show since last year and like roller-derby with guitars their getting ready to rough up Neumos to an already sold-out crowd.
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These girls absolutely kill it, and it seems thier feminine bad-ass only delivers a new level of respect from the audience that a male-driven group would get washed up on. Running a three month tour around the NW and western states the Belle’s fans are dying to get more of the what the dynamic quintet can deliver. 99.9 KISW has partnered with Neumos to deliver the night along with Black Houses and Vultures 2010. I’d tell you to pick up tickets at etix (which you can still double check) but I’m pretty sure there are none left. Which should speak monuments to any sceptics of watching a tribute band. EVERY SHOW is an absolute blast and you can’t help but get into any group cleaning a house with “Its a Long Way to the Top” … and you know you wanna Rock-n-Roll!
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Sat, March 27
Doors at 8 pm :: $13 adv
21+
Bassnectar Cozza Frenzy Remix Pack v.1 Release
Bassnectar is sick. If you’ve never been to one of his shows your seriously missing out. Even if your not into the super electro-upbeat-tempo sounds, the live setting will floor what your pre-cognition would be. Hundreds of sweat-soaked, head-bobbing, body pulsing peeps sucking every last drop of aural bliss out of the tables and what is the entity known as Bassnectar. The super low house hitting bass will shake even the most timid Seattlite out of their rain soaked pail-skinned shell and into the sexual heat. This is no shit, the show is killer, and he definitely has a way of making a house move to every beat. Tomorrow night Saturday, February 6th he’s lighting up The Showbox Sodo and unveiling his latest cuts called Cozza Frenzy Remix Pack v.1.
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The release is great and features remixes of album tracks by RJD2, Stagga, Son of Kick, Robot Koch, J-Boogie, Amp Live and more. Some of the songs include several remixed versions of Teleport Massive, Boombox, and West Coast Lo Fi Rides Again on the bonus tracks. Go to the link, download the album, and pump your body into whatever headspace you need to get down with the get down. And seriously I’m not fucking around go to the show, the guy will light the place up like he dropped a match on it. C out!
The BS of BS…
I’m not a hater… I’m a lover for sure. And I’m extremely proud to live in a city is able to collaborate so many music and art festivals during the year like Cap Hill Block Party, Solstice Fest, Reverb Fest, Georgetown Music Fest, Hemp Fest and etc. with the front runner of all Seattle music and art festivals being the mammoth Bumbershoot. However this year, I noticed a few things different that I did not like. The first of being the $50 day-of price tag for the event. $50? $50?
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Yea, I know if you bought them in advance they were less, that’s not the point. It has NEVER been $50, and during the hardest time in our nations economy One Reel is gonna justify charging the average music loving last minute goer $50 to get in the door and Mariner beer prices in the garden… In the meantime folks have to stand in line for hours to see some of the shows, totally missing out on the lesser known bands they may have been interested in seeing had they not had to hold their place in line. That doesn’t even mention parking and food and that’s PER DAY! Were talking an easy $100 a day on getting lightly buzzed, marginally cultured, and worn the F out. Now times 3?… Thats BS BS!
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I won’t even get into the irony of busking in front of the EMP for several hours before security came and told us we had to move or stop. Wait, it is the largest music and arts fest in the city right? And that giant temple monstrosity sitting in Seattle Center is called the “Experience Music Project” right? Yea… irony at its best. Just shows how much music the EMP really wants you to experience.
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However, regardless of my personal feelings it does no good to bitch about something without offering valid solutions to the problem. And I can sum up my entire experience with one very solid answer… One Reel? Are you listening? Cuz I’m officially announcing first dibs on this idea, its called…
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The Busker Stage. That’s right, The Busker Stage! And it can be set up in the empty west entrance to Key Arena. One Reel can continue to justify charging $50 a ticket as long as they are offering at least one free stage for the poor to see AND play on. Starting that Bumbershoot Saturday buskers can line up to get a time slot on a first come first serve basis. Each busker gets 20 minutes to shine, and on to the next act. All free, all day. And of course you won’t see some of the more premier acts of the event, but you may see a few amazing acts you’d never have caught, and, who knows maybe one of the larger acts will catch wind of whats going on and come out to join the party.
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The point is this, we ALL feel the hit of the economy, One Reel included. That’s why ticket prices went up this year. Its getting harder and more expensive for these promotional companies to do this year after year, make any money, and improve the quality of the event. However, there are simple solutions to help gratify the overall consensus that the ticket prices were out of hand, no matter who was playing…
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Oh and BTW the pic is of a group of random models that were walking around getting their pics taken, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time… LOL.
As Posted on Craigslist at 7:33am…
Word to the wise… Don’t ever leave your music equipment at a pissed off ex girlfriends house… LOL
Les Paul Dies at 94…
Les Paul, probably the most influential guitarist and inventor rivaled only by Leo Fender himself, died Thursday in White Plains. He was 94.
The cause was complications of pneumonia, Gibson Guitar announced. Les Paul is truly an iconic figure in the guitar and music world. In the 1930s he began experimenting with guitar amplification, and by 1941 he had built what was probably the first solid-body electric guitar, although there are other claimants. With his electric guitar and the vocals of his wife, Mary Ford, he used overdubbing, multitrack recording and new electronic effects to create a string of hits in the 1950s. The man was truly ahead of his time and paved the way for modern music.
Any musician who has played a Les Paul Gibson knows its probably one of the heaviest guitars built not only in tone, but actual weight itself… Its like packing a brick around on your shoulder, but the tone is what has helped craft some of the heaviest rock sounds ever produced…
R.I.P. Les… your legend may not have been as publicized as MJ’s, but your influence in the music world easily surpassed him… Long live Les Paul.
BEND got BURNED!
So I know I haven’t written in a while (writing music instead of about it) but I felt this is an urgent local musical matter. Remember the article I wrote a while back about the band BEND? Well front man Jay’s house burnt down with all of their gear and recording equipment inside…
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Please stop by their myspace and show them some love… this is a nightmare for any band, musician, person, place or thing… Nobody needs shit like that and I’m sure they’d appreciate the support… and pass it on to anybody else you think would care…
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Peace
C
BEND Is Your Friend
Every once and a while in Seattle a wave of artistic goodness saturates the community and envelopes everything we deem great about music in this city. We all have our faves. Some of us like hip-hop, some of us indie, singer/songwriter, alternative, etc… the list goes on and on. But one thing we all agree on is good music, and we strive to go out see, hear and support our local favorites in hopes that one day they’ll make it huge and we can say “I remember when I saw those guys play in the back-yard at a house party.” Well guess what, one of those unknown musical gems still exists and I watched them play in the back-yard at a house party last night. They are called BEND, and they are probably the best unknown local group I’ve seen in a long time.
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Never heard of them? Well neither had I until about 3 months ago when I was at a fund raiser at Fuel and saw them play. The sound guy had the vocals turned down but the songs shined through. I was really impressed by the writing and having never heard of them I tried to exchange information to do a write up but I lost the info. Little did I know 6 months later front man Jay would be the bartender at Shadowland next to my house and guitarist Ben is the co-owner (great happy hour by the way). Then I show up to a house party on a Monday night with a six-pack of high life tall cans in hand and watched BEND throw
the fuck down for about 2 hours. Here we are in a residential neighborhood, soccer vans and SUV’s with family’s all around, and nobody called the cops. And do you know why? Because they are that fucking good that’s why. Several of the neighbors came out onto their lawns to enjoy the show, it was a brilliant day.
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Describing them? Well that’s a little tough since pigeon holing a band like this won’t do them justice till you see them yourself. But imagine watching Mookie Blalok in the early 90’s and knowing your on the verge of something great. The band is simple, vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. And when you think you’ve seen every variation of that recipe a band like this comes along and reminds us, that’s all you need if its good and done right. Jay’s voice is strong and passionate with great range that embodies the power of the songs. No need for shticks, no need for antics, only really good writing with a group of guys literally gelling musically on stage right in front of you… Its a great thing to see.
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Special shout outs to Sara Starr, Monica, Simon, and Emily for throwing a great house party on an epic sunny Seattle day… fantastic!
Rye Rye, Champagne Champagne & Tigerbeat @ Neumos June 2nd
If your familiar with M.I.A. then you already know who Rye Rye is. Rye Rye is the first artist signed to M.I.A.’s record label N.E.E.T. Her debut album was set to come out in March 2009, but has not been released yet. Rye Rye collaborated with several artists on the LP which is set to feature artwork by M.I.A. With DJ Diplo, she worked on a song called “Wassup Wassup”. “Hardcore Girls” with The Count and Sinden, and “Reasons”. “Hardcore Girls” appears on the Hardcore Girls EP by The Count and Sinden via Domino Records. She has described her sound as “unique, hard-hitting,” saying “anything thrown I can handle it.”
Along with local hero’s Tigerbeat and Champagne Champagne? Oh this is gonna be good.
Double Tee and Neumos Present: Rye Rye, Champagne Champagne, Tigerbeat :: Doors at 8pm :: $12 adv :: Advance tickets on sale now at: www.ticketswest.com, Rudy’s Barbershops, Moe Bar, select QFCs, [Buy Tickets Online] :: 21+ :: MIA’S PROTEGE
Fischerspooner Lights Up The Showbox
You ever hear so much hype about a show that there is no way that it can live up to the expectation preceding it? Well guess what? That was Fischerspooner last night.
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An obviously Memorial Day 3-day-weekend-hung-over Seattle crowd slowly crept into the Showbox market last night to watch the New York based electro-duo throw down dancing, beats, and a lighting show that was… how do you say?… Eh? Don’t get me wrong its actually not Fischerspooner’s fault at all, its everyone who told me how over-the-top awesome the show was going to be that left a pair of impossible shoes to fill. Regardless, the show was pretty spectacular with props, dancers, lights, mirrors, costumes (between every song) and video projected into the backdrop.
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First, before I get into Fischerspooner’s actual performance, let me make a few comments about how the sound person (I don’t know if they worked for the Showbox or Fischerspooner) managed to fuck-up a world class act for at least 2 or 3 songs. And if your wondering why I drop the F bomb so many times throughout its because that’s the only way I can accurately describe in words how shitty it sounded.
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Second song, SECOND SONG! The clipping that was cracking through the speakers was so bad that you could barely stand it. People who don’t understand what was going on were looking around at each other and trying to get into the music but couldn’t, because the extra distorted cracking that was coming out of the mains was almost un-fucking-barable. I kept looking back toward the board to see if there was a look of shear panicking “OMG I’m totally fucking this group out of their show” look on the face of the sound person… but no. The dude was just moving sliders, tweaking knobs, and basically hoping it would go away… which it did, and then came back sporadically throughout the rest of the show. I know its a hard job running sound, but I know for a fact they run 45 minute sound checks for every show hours prior, I dunno what happened, but it fucking sucked!
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Fischerspooner however, did not. Casey Spooner danced and sung around onstage through the entire performance, being catered to, and handed off multiple props and wardrobe changes by his fashionably equal dancers. Four giant mirrors (like if one broke someone is loosing a limb and 100 years bad luck) on wheels were spun into different positions all night as the choreographed show crooned from song to song. Several times Spooner stopped to talk to the crowd, asking if everyone was confused enough yet, and asking what city was he in… to which the crowd cheered and wailed as if nothing that came out of his mouth would ever be offensive enough to stop the glee.
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Soon it came time for the hit single “Emerge” to which he obviously has played so many times he’s over it, but instead of faking a show to the audience, he played up to it. Saying things like “you really want to hear this? This song is so cliche, so 2000, you really want to hear cliche?” Finally yelling “YOU REALLY WANT CLICHE!” and the crowd went nuts… and that was probably the best song of the night.
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Look, its no secret I like electronic music, but if you’ve heard Fischerspooner before and are expecting more than what you hear, your probably going to be disappointed. Some of the material is fairly ambient, so its not as hard hitting as whassay… good hip-hop, but harder than the cool down room at a rave. The lights and entertainment factor were huge for the show, but honestly, they needed a bigger venue. The Showbox stage just was not big enough to really cater to the magnitude of show they were trying to bring. All in all it was really entertaining, but nothing really went “POW” at the show, I kept waiting to be blown away, and I just wasn’t. I do however recommend you see them next time they come through as its definitely entertaining, just not get off your ass and shake it till the sun comes up entertaining.
Handsome Furs, Cinnamon Band and Feral Children June 5th @ Neumos
Next Friday night, at around 8pm, drop what your doing, put cloths on if you don’t have them on (or don’t), and go to Neumos. If you don’t know why? Well I’m about to educate you, Handsome Furs, Cinnamon Band, and Feral Children are going to team up to fight the evil powers of bad music with deliciously bonafide super powered indie rock-n-roll. Well maybe that’s stretching it, but not by much. The Handsome Furs Sub Pop signed duo made up of Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade and his wife Alexei Perry deliver some serious modernistic messages along with some fantastic songwriting in their latest album Face Control. You can read more about it from LB in our music calendar here. Along with our own local Feral Children, (who’s latest release on Sarathan can be found here!) and touring with HF is Cinnamon Band, this is gonna be a hell of a show.
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21+; $15 adv; Advance tickets on sale now at: Moe Bar, www.ticketswest.com, select QFCs, Rudy’s Barbershops
