Friday night Sept 2 brought another night of beautiful ska music at yet another Seattle club. This time it was Georgetown Orbits and Seattleites at The Royal Room in SE Seattle — a club I have never been to before. Of course if they keep booking ska bands I’m sure it won’t be the last time I attend a show there.
The Georgetown Orbits, now sans Bridgid Roney who left to have baby no. 2, are a hodgepodge of original members and some current members of Natalie Wouldn’t. They play a lot of lively ska and rock steady in impeccable style. Mike Ayer, the barefoot trombone player, bounces and dances all over the stage whether he’s blowing his horn or not. Often trombonist Adam Bruno joined him at his game. I love the Orbits and always have fun watching them, but this is a band that needs a front man (or woman) and I still say they need to bring Darryl Grandson, the band’s original singer/front man(iac) into the mix. The GT Orbits are now, Guitar | Cale Wilcox – Bass | Timmy Conroy – Keys/Vocals | Harald Bell – Drums | Sean Jensen – Saxophone | Adam Bruno – Trumpet | Mike Ayer – Trombone/Vocals.
Starting the evening was newcomers to the scene, The Seattleites. Word amongst the local ska crowd was that these guys were amazing. The word was spot on. The Seattleites were indeed amazing. They may be a new band, but they are comprised of seasoned and very accomplished musicians. They are an all instrumental band — no singer and use some subtle humor in their set (the trumpet player a couple times switched to playing a banana rattle and I’m not making that up). By mid set they had many up out of their seats and dancing away.
In a day and age when the corporations prescribe what “music” we’re allowed to hear on radio and that prescription is the mindless drivel of the likes of Katie Perry or Miley Cyrus, it’s a pleasure to go out and hear real music played by real musicians. Seattle has the best ska scene of any US city. Of that I’m sure. The Seattleites are, Bill Jones, trumpet, Shawn Brockman, alto sax (of Natalie Wouldn’t fame),Brian Bermudez, tenor sax, Roy Brown, trombone, Tristan Gianola, guitar, Jake Sele, keys, Joe Kaufman, bass, and Zach Barnhart, drums.
– Photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
Georgetown Orbits
Seattleites
