Author Archive
Rebirth of The Cool
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New Orleans has my heart. Every time I go, I am even more perplexed as to how that city nurtures SO MANY AMAZING acts. With acts like Kermit Ruffins, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Morning 44 Federation, the slide guitar majesty of Domenic Fusca or the odd dance organ frenzy of Quintron, Nola’s only limitation is the miles and financing between show to show and the fact that none of these bands recordings will EVER do justice to the intensity of their live shows!
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I had the pleasure of seeing Rebirth Brass Band on Frenchman Street during Mardi Gras two years ago. Impossible to move through the sardine crowd, walls dripping sweat, horns blaring, drinks spilling, the unstoppable energy of these players literally had children dancing outside the venue… at 3am! But, that’s Nola and this is the power of the Rebirth Brass Band.
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Even if you are not a fan of Jazz, New Orleans or Modern Big Body Brass Bands, this show can still be a lesson on how a live show should be. That what all Nola bands bring… they don’t care if it rains or the weather is boiling … the people of the parishes just wanna have a good time.
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Do whatcha wanna! (the usual audience refrain is ‘ smoke marijuana’.. just so you know)
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a side note… Rebirth Brass Band has had a residency at the legendary Maple Leaf Bar in Uptown near Tulane for some time… if you go to NOLA, visit it and Squeal BBQ down the street… its the best BBQ EVER!!!!
Hell has frozen over!
http://www.soundgardenworld.com/
12 years! Twelve Years!
The Safe Passage Clause TONIGHT
The Safe Passage Clause will be playing a last minute opening slot at The Central this evening. Come see this rare appearance by Seattle SubSonic alcoholic, Me, with my band of merry makers.
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Seriously, you should go… why? Cause we are Awesome. Yes, I said it, We are fantastic. The show begins at 9pm. We chose the early slot so we could get OUT of Pioneer Square before the late night crowd destroys anything close to a good time. So, its early and you all can now see why I am totally rad… and… modest. (Outside my ego, I would really like for all of you to see the show. It would be cool to show everyone what we do)
9pm tonight
Central Saloon
If you don’t go… at least send flowers.
Best Reggae Party in Seattle!!!!
If you haven’t heard of Pams Kitchen (5000 university ave) you live under a rock. This unassuming little Caribbean joint hosts one of the most prized menus in Seattle. They are so good, in fact, that even the food network has recently come to honor them for their work. But this ain’t about good food… although the food is amazing, this is about Last Saturday. On the Last Saturday of every month, Pam’s Jam, takes over the restaurant, and it is packed! With Music consisting from Reggae to Dance hall, the walls drip with sweat. Seriously, one of the best parties in town.
The Music began around 11 and didn’t stop till… three am? You couldn’t move in there it was so packed. Its become a melting pot for both hip hoppers and rock brats to dance like idiots and not feel pressured to look cool… like on the hill.
refreshing…
All of this centering around a Run Punch drink that is so good, it defies logic.
Stop by Pams to get a flier…
Hell, Stop in for a ROTI.
See you next Pam Jam.
Even Chris Cornell can get a bit of redemption.
Everyone asks me if I hate Chris Cornell? I don’t. In fact, I still think he is on of the best best vocalists in the world. I am actually a huge fan. I just think that, recently, Chris makes dumb choices.
Personally, I think that Chris should go to Chicago for two weeks with a limited 10 thousand dollar budget and have Steve Albini redraft this new crap record into something organic… with life and ability and compassion.
But, that would be in a perfect world…
It can be done… listen to this fantastic acoustic version of his latest ‘atrocity’, Scream.
The song still isn’t Great… but it’s much better then the DJ remix…
In the Beginning, there was the Central.
Saying it’s name will always spur conversation. Whether it be admiration or total disdain, The Central Saloon is a fixture in the Seattle Music Scene. It has been the spawning ground of some of the biggest bands while still being a dirty hole in the wall. Bands like Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Alice in chains, Nirvana… even Jane’s Addiction have dropped sweat in that dusty musky room. It is fondly admired by artists all over the world who make pilgrimages to it whenever in town playing concerts.
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The best part of the Central – it knows its a dive bar. It has a cheap ass sound system, it’s stubbornly positioned among the entrails of the Pioneer Square nightclub scene, the doormen look like they just finished shooting a revival ‘Hell’s Angel’ movie but the drinks are cold, the staff is really cool and… Its NOT on Capital Hill! Recently, I have become very jaded to the Capital Hill venues. This ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude from the door staff and the bartenders gets very old and, as many of you have been reiterating in conversations, Capital Hill is becoming a parody of itself… which is sad. While in the Comet last week, I watched three guys dressed in sport coats slapping ‘high fives’ and saying, “Coming here makes me feel so… Capital Hilly”.
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After I saw that horrible display of post frat bravado… I literally ran out of the bar to rinse my soul out with strong whiskey at some bar that wasn’t part of the Hill. The Cab driver recommended the Central and I was like, “Oh, the Central, old friend. The Central won’t judge me”.
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I missed the Central.
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Which is more then I could say for it’s ‘knock off’, King Cobra!
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The rest of the night was simple… I got drunk and watched a few good rock bands… and finally staggered to the gyros place next door.
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I still have a hangover.
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I missed you Central.
Earth Day
Oh earth Day
Go celebrate this lovely day by going to the Comet and poisoning your liver with
| EASTERN GRIP, THE UNIVERSAL, SPANISH FOR 100,VELVET DRIVE | 8pm |
Too little TOO LATE!
Last week, Kevin gave me a copy of the new Chris Cornell record, Scream, and in fairness, I gave it another listen.
It’s still garbage but…
If you forward to the last track… fast forward to the end of the song… there is a bit of dead air… Then…
Brilliance! The hidden track is possibility one of the most mature Chris Cornell songs written since Seasons was recorded for the Singles soundtrack!
It’s not worth buying the record to get too… So, if anyone wants to get ambitious and burn out an mp3… it would be appreciated.
Five Minutes of Bliss
The Apple War (Chop Suey April 16th 2009)
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The Apple War is hard to hammer into a hole, which may be why i recommend EVERYONE go see this refreshing display of delicate showmanship. Lead singer Luke Houghlum, commands and compromises as his haunting vocals seem to dance and play over a canvas of guitars, bass, drums, piano… even a mouth organ. All this Brit Pop sensibility collapsing into vocal only harmony that allow bandmates to switch instruments and reinvent into contrasting pianos. In the background, drummer and bassist dismantle select drums (floor tom, snare drum and crash cymbal) to place forefront on stage. Suddenly dueling sad pianos thunder in snare rolls (drummer/ bassist in unison) which pound over key and string, battling for limelight in a swaying stormy sea.
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Eventually, a massive crash ends all this violence of sound and the bassist reappears playing a Mouth Organ which sighs like some wartime trumpeter into the refreshing silence accented by their drummer who has now accosted the microphone with whispering song. Through all this, the band is actually smiling… Smiling into their set’s apocalyptic demise.
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One of the Best shows I have seen in Seattle in some time, The Apple War deserves your attention. Given more time to continue exploring their live manic pop experimentations, they could easily be one the brightest new stars in Seattle.
Shut your mouths and listen to the music, idiots!
“Dude, I heard the Fleet foxes keep it real!”
I had to laugh. In the past few months I have heard this comment, or some variety of it, muttered repeatedly around Seattle.
While attending the last triple S happy hour party, I had this very conversation with another friend and I was later told by a third party that they heard Fleet Foxes, “Rock the house.”
This isn’t the first time that has happened..
Before you talk about a band, know what they do?
I don’t like Fleet Foxes, I think they are boring… I always have. Its not a style of music that I ever liked, but all of you who keep maintaining this public image of ‘liking’ Fleet Foxes but haven’t even listened to them? Come one… educate yourselves you nitwits! That goes for any band!
We have all met the guys in Fleet Foxes, they are all great guys… but, if they ever asked me what i thought, I would politely say, “I don’t like it, it’s not my thing.” they can respect that… but imagine someone telling the fleet foxes… “I heard you guys shred!”
It least i have listened to them… I was talking to a girl the other day who thought they were a ‘dance act’.
Another said that they heard that Fleet Foxes “can totally throw down!”
If you are gonna comment on a band, at least know what you are talking about.
Don’t be afraid to just say, I don’t know!
At least have the courtesy of looking them up on Myspace!
Jesus Christ Pose(r)
Seattle Prodigal Son, Chris Cornell, prepares to release the much marketed new record with producer Timberland.
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When I first heard Justin Timberlake’s sophomore record, Future Sex /Love Sounds, I was really impressed by Timbalands production. Justine Timberlake is a pop star.
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Chris Cornell on the other hand…
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I spent a good portion of the evening making notes on how horribly wrong this record is. From Timbalands introduction of Cornell, MC style…to, well…
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Chris Cornell, you betrayed all that is rock and you have made a mockery of the city and people you historically entrusted to be your support. I lower my head for the city of Seattle. When the titans fall… can they really continue to land on the merits of their back catalogue and the ferocity of their egos?
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That’s actually my entire review.
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If you want to hear this train wreck derail yourself go to
www.myspace.com/chriscornell
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I almost pissed myself laughing.
Inside the Mouth of the Reptile
We need to take into consideration “who” owns the Crocodile. Marcus can call in whoever he wants for opening night… but the publicly named financiers are Susan Silver and Sean Kinney.It is quite possible, since they were there for such moments when REM, The Beastie Boys and that little band called ‘Nirvana’ graced the stage that they would be looking at the Croc to be landmark on a national level.
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There is a very public rumor going around that the CROC will ONLY be open for show nights, that bartenders from other venues will be scheduled in for show nights, that OFF nights will service as a pizza joint… Like I said, a lot of rumors. Will the rumors be substantiated? No, because a rumor ‘not clarified’ travels farther. Since the public relations are keeping very close to the belt on this… everyone is talking but no one is saying a thing. But we all know, ‘the CROC is reopening’.
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But lets be real, they just spent a butt load of cash putting this thing together… would they make more money playing three nights of Alice in Chains (Susan Manages them and Sean sits behind the drum set), Mudhoney or even Pearl Jam… or one night of the Fleet Foxes. In defense of the owners interests, they are used to making national splashes when they involve themselves in projects. I doubt the first few weeks will be more then just key spots and public perception. A destination point while visiting Seattle, like any bar, it’s all about the alcohol sales… we all know that.
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I may be wrong, but I worked with venues in Chicago for years and… well… the Croc’s marketing and ’super secret’ publicity is suspiciously familiar.
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I was talking to a friends of mine at Alternative Press the other day and he specifically questioned about the CROC reopening. I told his that it was gonna be an anamatronic theme venue, like chunky cheese pizza time theater. It will be a seattle legends robot show. All dead rock legends robotically perfected to JAM together for an hour and a half every night… narrated by Bill Gates and sponsored by Mircosoft Xbox Guitar hero. At the end of the show Jimi and Kurt will match guitar flames as white smoke representing ’speaker cabinet explosions’ burts into the air and confetti falls from the ceiling as the looming shadow of Courtney Love waits in the wings.
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He didn’t buy it…
So… to all you profiteers or war, you vultures waiting to pick bones and judge, you cast asides with your mullets and autographed Queensryche vinyl… we know no more today then yesterday… but the Croc is reopening next month.
