Another Saturday night in Seattle and I have the esteemed privilege of seeing our very own Hollowpoints play the new Funhouse location with some phenomenal supporting acts to boot. The band just preceding The Hollowpoints were so wild I almost saw sparks fly off the stage. Besides being really adorable, this punk rock quartet churned …
Over the last couple of weeks several Washington state school districts have conducted one day rolling strikes to protest the state inadequate funding of public education. Today, May 19, 2015, the biggest district in the state, Seattle, walked off the job and were joined by Mercer Island and Issaquah districts in solidarity. Washington ranks 47th …
On Thursday night, May 7, I ventured out to what is now the new Fun House location. The venue which used to be known as the Lounge at El Corazon is now the new Funhouse. The five piece all women pop punk band from Minneapolis was playing. I’d seen Sick Of Sarah a couple years …
It’s a Tuesday night, but Seattle’s Crocodile Cafe is packed pretty tight to see super group Dead Men Walking. When I say super group, I mean Captain Sensible (The Damned), Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats), Mike Peters (The Alarm) and my personal favorite, Chris Cheney of the Living End. This was not a show to …
SEATTLE – Obafemi Martins may not wear a cape, but he is most certainly a superhero for the Seattle Sounders FC. The Nigerian striker can snare long passes on his feet and juke defenders into submission. Bringing peace to his troubled homeland might be a stretch, but Oba racks up goals and assists that astound. …
Last January, the Port of Seattle irresponsibly gave Shell the go-ahead to use Seattle as home base for its Arctic drilling operations. They ignored Shell’s terrible safety record, the very high risk of a major Arctic oil spill, and devastating impacts to our climate. The Port Commissioners hoped the deal would go unnoticed. The non-profit …
Another Saturday night and another wild Seattle punk show. This time it was the legendary Dead Milkmen at the infamous Crocodile Cafe. Front man Rodney Anonymous burst onto the stage, announcing that this was the anti-Coachella Tour, then with a giant leap into the air, the first song rang forth. From that point on it …
Friday night April 10 marked the 12th annual Seattle Ska Fest, once again hosted by the cozy and friendly Highline Tavern. This fest was so chock full of bands that it had a start time of five p.m. Sadly for me, I missed the opener, It Gets Worse (had to charge my cell phone), but …
Embers from Norman Tumolva on Vimeo. These Seattle kids do an excellent job on this tune and this video, which was filmed on beautiful Orcas Island… March To May’s Darren Guyaz (guitar, vocals, keyboard) and Beth Wesche (Celtic harp, vocals) first met in December 2012. By March 2013, the folk/indie/Americana duo had co-written their first …
The soundtrack of Run Free, a documentary based on the true story of Caballo Blanco, is now available. The beautiful collection consists of thirteen original tracks from accomplished Seattle producer, Graig Markel. Markel is a songwriter, producer and sound designer credited with creating the genre ‘Broken Soul,’ a mixture of downtempo rock, and R&B that …
Saturday morning, March 21, 2015, I attended one of seven gatherings around Washington state to address K through eight funding. The event I attended was standing room only at Nathan Hale HS in north Seattle. There had to be at least four thousand educators and parents in attendance who are fed up with lack of …
Wintergrass is described as a family-friendly Bluegrass music festival, with concerts and dances at 4 different stages. There are also music education programs for kids and adults, workshops, impromptu jams, and a chance to see and hear some great music. One of my favorite folk/bluegrass artists, Sarah Jarosz, was playing several sets, but I was …
Saturday night February 21 Reagan Youth headlined an all out punk show at Seattle’s foremost punk venue El Corazon. I head south the 12 miles from my home only to realize I’d left the house without my ID and had to drive all the way back to retrieve it. DOH! So unfortunately I missed the …
With the glow still fresh from the San Francisco Giants’ recent championship, there was no question that I would attend their Fan Fest last weekend. I took both of my daughters with me, and I looked forward to seeing its attractions and avoiding the autograph lines, having spent the previous two Fan Fests standing on …
On Friday night February 6 everyone and anyone who’s punk headed to El Corazon for a wild evening headlined by legendary So. Cal punkers The Dickies. This was my third time seeing the Dickies and I think they get wilder each time. The very second The Dickies hit the stage, the packed crowd was ignited …
A mid week show is often a pain to attend after a full day’s work, but last Wednesday, January 28, was the Mad Caddies at the Nectar Lounge and that was not to be missed. After a nearly eight-year absence, the Mad Caddies have performed concerts in the Seattle-Tacoma area three times in the last …
Yes, the bandwagon is groaning under the weight of fair-weather fans and long-time Hawks supporters, all clad in their “12” jerseys, caps and T-shirts. I personally am conflicted about wearing a jersey. I have rooted for the Seahawks practically since I moved to Washington state in 1989, but I hate to be a conformist. Can …
On the warm spring evening of January 24, I had the utmost pleasure of seeing the legendary Motels starring Martha Davis. The Motels hit the charts in 1982 with songs like “Only the Lonely” and “Suddenly Last Summer,” but although those songs are exquisite, they proved this night that they have more than just two …
Powerpacked, feedback-overloaded, garage-born Seattle blues rock dynamo, My Goodness, has released a new video for the tunes “Bottle” and “Say You’re Gone,” which you can see below. The video features a mature man who looks a little like East Portland Davey. The old coot strips down to his boxers and takes a bath in a …
On Tuesday night, January 13 I joined hundreds of others outside Seattle’s Federal Building to join hands and surround the building in protest of the Keystone Pipeline that was recently passed by the new republican controlled congress. President Obama has said he will veto the bill, but this protest was enacted to make sure he …
Friday night in Seattle, less than a week before Christmas, and all through the house (called El Corazon )it is packed to the gills where X and the Blasters played a double bill. Seattle’s own Girl Trouble opened. All three bands are perfectly blended. The Blasters are traditional roots rock while X have their roots …
Friday night December 12, I once again made the long drive south to Tacoma, Washington to see yet another great show at Jazzbones. This time it was Nekromantix with Angie & the Car Wrecks opening. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen Nekromantix, but this was the most fun show I’ve seen them do. …
Unless someone comes out with an excellent Christmas album in the next couple weeks, here’s my top ten of 2014: St. Paul and the Broken Bones Half the City The Budos Band Burnt Offering Lee Fields and the Expressions Emma Jean Benjamin Booker Violent Shiver Prince Art Official Age Jack White Lazaretto Sharon Jones and …
On Black Friday, braving freezing temperatures and rain, about twenty-five teachers and supporters rallied over a 520 overpass just a block from the Microsoft campus. The rally was to draw attention to the fact that Microsoft is one of many corporations that makes billions in profits but due to loopholes in the taxation system, pays …
October 26, 2014 marked my seventh concert this month and third time seeing The Slackers. The Slackers are a six-piece ska band from NYC. Singer/trombonist Glen Pine came out dressed very dapper with a dark jacket over a cantaloupe colored ruffled shirt and full of fun energy. The Slackers are a band with essentially two …
My but October is a big month for great bands coming through the Northwest. Tuesday the 21st brought Chicago’s Celt punkers to El Corazon. I’ve been waiting a long, long time to see them again. It’s been nearly eight years since they played here and for the last two to three years I’ve badgered them …
It’s a Thursday night and Seattle’s Studio Seven is sparsely populated for the Chop Tops show. Those who didn’t come missed some great bands. The Chop Tops, hailing from Santa Cruz, are a psycho/rockabilly trio who pack a powerful punch stronger than bands twice as big. Led by stand up drummer, Sinner, and rounded out …
On Wednesday October 15 I made the one-hour trek down to Tacoma’s Jazzbones to see The Mad Caddies. After not playing here for nearly eight years, they played here twice this year. Tres bliss! The Caddies were in top form, this time sporting a new trumpet player (Bobby Vesnave). No word on what happened to …
Monday night the Showbox Sodo was where the hip people were hanging out. After three plus years Boston’s legendary Celtic punks The Dropkick Murphys finally returned to Seattle. This crowd was ready for them and proved that the Murphys were not forgotten. After two decent openers, the crowd grew restless and started singing, “Hey Ho, …