Shorts packages for Saturday, September 5:

12-1pm: Films4Families: Part of “youngershoot”, all shorts shown are appropriate for the young’uns and have English subtitles.

1-3pm: Rock Prophecies: This engaging documentary focuses on rock photographer Robert Knight, who’s shot some of the biggest names in music history for over 40 years.  His shots are stunning and iconic, but the real beauty here is that Knight has a knack for finding – and helping – the next big thing on their way to super stardom. More than just a story about a guy who takes pictures, this is a true love letter to rock and roll, and specifically to guitar players.  This screening will include a Q+A with Robert Knight and Director John Chester.

more...

I have long thought that Robb Benson has one of the best singing voices in Seattle…which is why I used to stalk Dear John Letters by showing up at every one of their shows by myself (before I moved back to the city from the 'burbs and met lots of great friends – one of whom coincidentally ended up being the co-writer for DJL’s awesome lyrics, Michelle Auer).

Despite my tears over that band’s demise, I still got to hear Robb's fantastic crooning on a few solo endeavors, and eventually ended up really loving his next band, Dept. of Energy. DoE consists of Robb, drummer Cassody Laton, Keyboardist Ty Bailie Hammond – and occasionally, guitarist Jeff Fielder, who’ll be joining them for the Bumbershoot show.

Dept. of Energy creates the same, dreamy feeling for me as DJL did with just a slightly harder edge. I’d be lying if I didn’t hear a bit of Doors-y influence in there (and indeed, I’ve been at a show or two where they’ve ripped out a cover during an encore), but for most part they have their own unique sound - IMO, mostly due to Benson's vocals - and they rock damn HARD, sneaking a slower ballad in every once in awhile.

Most importantly, they put on a hell of a show. If you haven’t seen them, you’re missing out.

{Dept. of Energy plays at Bumbershoot on Monday, September 7 from 12:15-1:15pm at EMP|SFM’s Sky Church. Photo by SJ Corbett.}

Just when I was thinkin’ that Pirates and Zombies have gotten enough love lately, this literary panel about Vampires and Robots at Bumbershoot caught my interest.

Kevin Emerson, drummer & vocalist for Central Services, is the creator of Oliver Nocturne: a series of kids books about a vampire boy who lives in Seattle (that I already find 100x more interesting than Twilight).

Daniel Wilson has written tons of great stuff including How to Survive a Robot Uprising and The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame – pretty much everything you’d need to survive an apocalypse.

Come listen to their creative genius and ask them everything you always wanted to know about bloodsuckers and metal menaces.

{The Vampires and Robots panel takes place at Bumbershoot on Monday, September 7 from 12pm-1:15pm at the Leo K Theater}

The short story collection Seattle Noir begins and ends with the same crime: poisoning.

The crimes and stories here cut through numerous socioeconomic classes and eras, but people being dragged, willingly or not, into crime is a running theme through this compelling book. Each writer has a particular neighborhood their stories are set in but the Seattle locale is one of the few common threads that appears in each story.

The collection was published by Akashic Books, who have made Noir a series, with editions also published of Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco and Washington DC.

Although the stories are of varying theme, era, crime and quality, it still feels remarkably consistent, with editor Curt Colbert choosing a great collection of stories that are sometimes funny or tense, but flow into one another.

At Bumbershoot Colbert and three other writers with stories in Seattle Noir read from the book. The other authors are Bharti Kirchner, Skye Moody and Simon Wood.

Colbert's story is one of the better ones and it takes place in my neighborhood (Belltown). It involves a married couple who each hire the same private investigator. It probably fits the noir ideal with hard-drinking PIs, gorgeous women, betrayal and murder.

more...

 

 

Common Market, comprised of producer and member of Blue Scholars Sabzi and MC RA Scion will be dropping rhymes and truth bombs on the Bumbershoot Fisher Green Stage on September 6^th. Since 2005, Sabzi and Scion have continued to push the envelope with their brand of homegrown hip-hop, using elements of blues, R&B, and authentic, original beats and sounds. RA Scion rhymes are thought provoking and message-driven, exploring concepts like the death of hip-hop, inequality, poverty, and what must be done to overcome them. Scion manages to do this in an intelligent, aggressive, unapologetic fashion without sounding pompous or preachy, which is an impressive feat. His messages are neatly cradled in Sabzi’s beats, rich in instrumentation with hints of D-I-Y floating throughout. Together, their creations feels similar to that of something found on the San Francisco bay area’s AntiCon label, both in message and sound.

 

Tobacco Road, their second album released in September of ’08 is polished without being slick, which appears to be an important aspect of what Common Market is trying to achieve as a hip-hop act. Lyrically, they have matured and have become more focused in their message; musically, their beats have become more complex and continue to embrace and canvass many genres to create innovative tracks that move your spirit and your body.

more...

I believe that one reason Seattle and the Northwest in general puts out a crap-load of great music is the constant incest between bands. Whereas incest usually creates mutant babies, Grand Hallway is a band where it gives birth to a unique (but not in that “special” way) and lovely sound that encompasses the octet’s orchestral swells on songs like “Blessed Be, Honey Bee,” and the delicate finger picking of “Usagi No Uta” off their newest release, Promenade, out this September.

The band is mainly Tomo Nakayama, formerly of Asahi and Jen Wood Trio. The rest of the lineup includes members from the Maldives, Sleepy Eyes of Death, Widower, and Voyager One. More than this, on their newest album they also had help from Heatwarmer (a band whose songs are such a mash-up of different styles that I continue to see them live just to figure out exactly what the hell I think of it, and have decided, I love it), Cory Gray, and Goh Nakamura.

Grand Hallway’s songs are melancholy, melodically Beatlesque simultaneously Japanese and European, at times sparse and at others dense, but they always hit home in a direct and charming way that brings a listener into the folds of what the Northwest music scene has to offer. Don’t miss them at 3:15 on the Northwest court, Monday of Bumbershoot.

more...

I’ve seen Macklemore perform exactly one time, and I loved it so much that I want to see him again and again. This Seattle (now living in Olympia) rapper is more than just a Hip Hop artist – in fact, his MySpace lists him as Hip Hop | Western Swing | 2-Step , which made me giggle quite a bit. He’s a political satirist, entertaining blogger, and pop culture junkie.

In addition to turning out some killer tunes, Macklemore has been known to don a stars and stripes hat, acid-washed jean jacket and mullet wig on stage to poke fun at stereotypical Americans (reminiscent of Trey Parker’s "America, Fuck Yeah" song in Team America: World Police). And honestly, that’s when I find him most entertaining.

Listen to "The Bush Song" for more parody - but be warned, if you're a Bush fan (???) you're not gonna like it:

more...

I’ve probably raved enough about Charlyne Yi, but here I go again: in addition to crafting one of my favorite movies of the year, she’s also an adorable performance artist. Her shows reportedly mix music, magic and personable jokes – but since they mostly take place in and around LA – I’ve never been able to see them. Fortunately for me (and everyone else!), she’s performing at Bumbershoot this year.

As promised on her YouTube page:

"There will be music, joke-telling, story-telling, tatty-telling, scary stories, stories that you can pass on to your children's children... and more!"

So…I don’t really know what to expect, but I hope it’s something like this:

She’s paired up with Patton Oswalt – who, since I’m a novice when it comes to stand up, I totally knew NOTHING about until Ratatouille (he voiced Remy). After we watched it, my boyfriend said “You don’t know who he is???” and proceeded to download every video he could find and play them for me. And I admit, the dude’s pretty funny, even outside his adorable rat persona. He was on Dollhouse too, and hey, if you appear on a Joss Whedon show, chances are I’m gonna like ya’ (HI fellow WHEDONVERSE fans!).

more...

"The truth is that we need everybody. We need the ideas of the grass roots. We need the resources of the corporate world. We need the cooperation of the government. And we need the intelligence of everyday people with their street wisdom. We need everybody, so that’s who I play music for- everybody." - Michael Franti

The best way to describe the music of Michael Franti and Spearhead is organic. They have a sound that feels like it comes from the ground and courses its way through your legs to compel you to dance. They make music meant to be heard outside, under the stars, and amongst an eclectic mix of people. Bumbershoot will be a perfect venue to see them at their very best.

more...

at Doe Bay Music Festival 2009

The Second Annual Doe Bay Festival was a magical experience up on Orcas Island. A music festival like no other, and likely the closest thing to the free-loving style of the 60's that I'm likely to experience.

the Long Winters

more...