Postal Service Tour: Portland and Vancouver Dates Announced!

I can hardly contain my excitement!

Postal Service Tour Dates in the PNW (for those of us who didn't get Sasquatch! tickets):

Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena, July 16th (Tuesday) - Presale 4/3, general public 4/5

Portland, OR, Rose Garden, July 17th (Wednesday) - Presale 2/20 at 10am, general public 2/22

Go to their website and register for Crowd Surge so that you can buy tickets during the presale. Who knows, they may even sell out during the presale...eep! Best believe I'll be driving down to Portland JUST to see Postal Service. I hear they're touring with Jenny Lewis, too. Swoon!

BARE 4: another Fremont Abbey gem

As I have said before, the Fremont Abbey puts on some really special, unique events. Their "Bare" concert series is an annual shindig that I first attended in 2012. I adored it. Picture the upper floor of a converted chapel, with high ceilings and wood floors. Folding chairs are set up facing the stage, which isn't much to speak of. The event is intimate by nature. Without the clamor of the usual musical accompaniment (and as I recall, no actual amplification or microphones at this event, either), the singers have to project with a power that they rarely get to exhibit. The audience is transfixed. You are all trying to be extra quiet, given the set-up for the evening, and somehow the singers seem extra raw without guitars and mics to hide behind. Perhaps this is another connotation of the title "Bare".

This line-up is also pretty stellar. Some Abbey usuals like The Cellar Door (who are a lot of fun), and some up and coming stars of the local music scene like Kendra Cox of Lemolo and Pepper Proud. You really should not miss it!

*Updated 2/17* Upcoming Seattle Shows

Hope all is well! Newly added shows this week include national acts like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Yo La Tengo, The Appleseed Cast, and Bleached, as well as local artists like Blooper (above), Chastity Belt, Secret Colors, TacocaT and USF. My personal favorites for shows in the upcoming week: Iceage or R. Stevie Moore on the 21st, The Pony Time record release show on the 22, and either Secret Colors or the Narx on the 23. Have a good week!

February 2013

17 The Helio Sequence at Neptune

17 The Presidents of the United States of America at Showbox at the Market

21 R Stevie Moore at the Crocodile

21 Iceage at Barboza

21 Chastity Belt, Blooper, Marvelous Good Fortune, and Neighbors at Columbia City Theater

22 Spencer Moody, Ben Von Wildenhaus & Cody J Brewer at Cairo Seattle

22 Pony Time (record release), ONONOS, Haunted Horses, and Chastity Belt at Black Lodge

23 The Neighbourhood at the Crocodile

23 The Narx, Feel Young, So Pitted and Pleasure Beauties at Cairo Seattle

23 Secret Colors, the Hive Dwellers and Richie Dagger’s Crime at Heartland

23 Lou-lou Hernadez and Golden Gardens at The Josephine

27 Toro Y Moi at Crocodile

27 Rangda ft. The Holy Pagan Union of Sir Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls) + Chris (Bjork)

+ Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) + Master Musicians of Bukkake at Barboza

28 TacocaT, Pacific Pride and Matilda at Heartland

March 2013

1 WHY? With Dream Tiger at Neumos

1 Reverend Horton Heat with Jello Biafra at El Corazon

1 Alessandra Rose with the Dearhearts, Nouela, and Ali Marcus at Columbia City Theater
1 BARE 4: an entirely a'capella evening with Daniel Blue (Motopony), Kendra Cox (Lemolo), Goldfinch, The Cellar Door, Pepper Proud, and more at the Fremont Abbey

2 XXYYXX at RE-BAR

2 Blues Control at The Comet

2 USF, Etbonz, Acidfarm and Temples at Cairo Seattle

3 Boat CD release with Aqueduct at Barboza

4 Psychic Ills at Crocodile

5 The Hush Sound at El Corazon

5 The Pharmacy, Pony Time, and Stickers at Chop Suey

6 Morrissey at Moore…maybe

7 Thao and the Get Down Stay Down at Neumos

8 Autre Ne Veut with Majical Cloudz at Barboza

10 Trust with ERAAS at Barboza

15 Pretty Lights at WaMu Theater

21 Veronica Falls, Brilliant Colors, Golden Grrrrls at Tractor

22 White Lung with Monogamy Party at Chop Suey

26 Grave Babies at Chop Suey

26 Doldrums with Blue Hawaii and Sean Nicholas Savage at Barboza

26 Fuzz (Ty Segall), Night Beats, Unnatural Helpers, Wimps at Black Lodge

27 Widowspeak at Chop Suey

29 Phoenix at Paramount

30 Merchandise with Wet Hair + Naomi Punk at Barboza

April 2013

5 Johnny Marr at Neumos

6 Alt-J at Neptune

6 Sky Ferreira with How to Dress Well at Barboza

7 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Paramount Theater

8 Spiritualized at Neptune

15 Bad Religion at Showbox at SODO

16 Bat for Lashes at the Showbox at the Market

18 The Revival Tour 2013 with Rocky Votolato, Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) and more at Showbox at The Market

20 The Men and Dude York at Vera Project

23 James Blake at The Neptune 

May

1 Bleached, EX-COPS and Guests at Chop Suey
3,4,5: Debacle Fest 2013! at Various Venues

2 Marina and the Diamonds with Charli XCX at Showbox at the Market

4 Metz at Neumos

12 The Appleseed Cast, Hospital Ships and Guests at Chop Suey

17 Yo La Tengo at Showbox at the Market

19 Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death at El Corazon

June 2013

6 They Might Be Giants at Showbox at SODO

Debacle Fest 2013! A Full Weekend of Experimental Music

 

 

“In a sense, [they] were creating the performance simply by gathering around it, identifying it as something that was worth paying attention to. Just by being there, and paying for a ticket, they were taking a stance in regards to the various shapes that music can take, and the kind of music that is most deserving of one’s time and concentration and money”.

-Emilie Friedlander, 2012. From her introduction to Ad Hoc Fm magazine; 1(pp. 2-3)

I think it’s sad when people use words like avant garde, or experimental in a derogatory manner in reference to music. Surely, if it’s a sin to only like something because it’s obscure, then rejecting it for the same reason must be at least as bad, right? However, I think that what really keeps most people away from these shows is a feeling of being uninitiated; that somehow they aren’t welcome, which is of course not true. In reality, the thrill of seeing this type of music is that you never really know what’s gonna happen (yes, even if you’ve listened to the artist at home), and in that respect, everyone is uninitiated and every person is integral to the experience.

This May 4, 5, and 6 (correction: May 3, 4, and 5) marks a special time in Seattle’s independent music community, and a great time to get your feet wet in droning electronics: the 6^th Annual Debacle Fest!

For those that don’t know, Debacle Records is a local imprint run by the ridiculously awesome Samuel Melancon that specializes in releasing local and national music produced by nascent experimental and noise artists. Since 2004 they have released more than 40 such records (most of which can be sampled for free here), and their bi-monthy floating showcase, MOTOR has become a fixture in the city.

So, now you know why I'm so excited for this May, when Debacle is hosting not just one night, but a three night festival filled with gobs and gobs of everything they do so well. So far, a limited line up has been announced which includes Expo '70, Golden Retriever, Total Life, MTNs, and Brain Fruit to name just a few, but more has been promised to be revealed on March 1st. In true Debacle fashion, the events are scheduled to happen at multiple venues (FRED Wildlife Refuge, Highline, and Lo-fi), and local internet station Hollow Earth Radio will not only help, but also benefit from the event. Tickets are on sale now through Brown Paper Tickets. See you there!

March 1:
The lineup has been announced!