The night’s event was part of Seattle’s Westender Scooter Club’s Fifth annual Tour di Mari Rally, so outside the club stood many scooters including Lambrettas from different eras. I didn’t see any GS Scooters like the ones used in Quadrophenia, though.
Easy Big Fella more than met my expectations. Many of the members had also played in the previous two bands of the night, so it was a bit of an incestuous scene. I think I’d seen Easy Big Fella once before at the Bumbershoot festival, but it was years ago. Easy Big Fella plays music that runs the gamut of musical genres. Their music is ska, but with some swing thrown in, then they’ll abruptly switch gears and play something with more rock in it, then something more poppy. Easy Big Fella consists of a sax player, trombone and trumpet along with bass, guitar and drums and a keyboard player (Eric Ellsworth who played for all three bands on the bill. The band gets kudos for having a female bass player. She’s the 15 year old daughter of saxophonist Shawn Brockman and definitely gave the entire band a strong cute factor. She could also hold her own as well as any more seasoned musician. The entire band oozed charisma. They were all smiles and had so much fun on stage, the dance floor filled within two or three songs into their set.
Easy Big Fella are also a band that sucks you in from the get-go with their aforementioned charisma and musicianship. The highlight of the show had to be their cover of Devo’s “Uncontrollable Urge.” I will give you readers a moment to absorb Uncontrollable Urge done as a ska song. Can’t imagine it? Then I guess you’ll have to check out Easy Big Fella. I can only hope they’ll be playing around more in the future. Ska seems to be making a comeback in Seattle and that’s a good thing.
The Sentiments play more of a swing style than traditional ska, but this in no way diminishes their music. I actually heard a heavy dose of fifties to early sixties popular music and they even looked the part. Singer Erin had her hair and dress styled in ways that made her look like she traveled back in Professor Peabody’s Wayback Machine. She looked and sounded great with her rich and soulful voice that resonated beautifully throughout the tiny club. Said tiny club also had a tiny stage, which made squeezing eight and nine-piece bands onto it a challenge. They were crammed onto the stage like proverbial sardines. Somehow all three bands managed to move about as if the stage were twice as big, keeping the entire evening upbeat. I hope The Sentiments play Seattle again. They are a must-see for any ska fan.
Natalie Wouldn’t opened the entire evening and warmed everyone up but good. I used to see Natalie Wouldn’t play at Studio Seven a lot as openers for other ska bands back when ska was plentiful in Seattle. I’m glad they’re back in action. It’s been two to three years since I’ve seen them play. They were everything I remembered them to be. Natalie Wouldn’t is composed of two sax players, a trumpet and trombone plus guitar, drum, bass and the aforementioned keyboard player who only played one song but also looked uncannily like Elton John. They play a very upbeat and energetic form of pure, unadulterated ska that often includes five-part harmony.
Besides getting dripped on throughout the night from what I could only assume was a leaky roof, this was a fun-filled night. The club as small and packed, reaffirming my belief that ska is not dead in Seattle. My life is richer for having seen this show.
All photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
