music

Recess Monkey appearing at Skillet Diner

shaneh — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 00:15:26 +0000

shaneh Fri, 11/15/2013 - 4:15pm

Recess Monkey will perform in the restaurant .

Photo by Shane Harms

In honor of opening their new location in Ballard, Skillet Diner is hosting a free concert featuring Recess Monkey, Tuesday Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m.

The show is free and open to all ages, however space is limited. Skillet will be featuring free Mac and cheese for kids every Tuesday night starting the night of the concert.

Lesa Lester, public relations representative for Skillet, said that the Ballard community has been very welcoming during their opening and the concert is a way to get further acquainted.

“We wanted to treat the families in this neighborhood to a great show by having Recess Monkey perform. It’s our way of saying thanks for having us Ballard,” said Linster.

Skillet Diner is located at 2034 NW 56th St. For more information visit http://skilletstreetfood.com/restaurants/skillet-diner-ballard/
Let me know if you have changes.

Guide to Noise for the Needy Festival in Ballard, June 20-23

Guest — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:11:25 +0000

Guest (not verified) Wed, 06/19/2013 - 1:11pm

Music festival taking place in Ballard will benefit Ballard Food Bank

Noise for the Needy, the music festival for a cause, is coming to Ballard to benefit the Ballard Food Bank, because where else would you rather have it and what better nonprofit would you rather benefit? Whereas in previous years the festival has taken place all throughout the city, this year will be a special Ballard-only event with acts playing at Hattie's Hat, Conor Byrne, Sunset tavern and the Tractor Tavern.

But this isn't just your run-of-the-mill no-name band music festival. Some great names and up-and-coming talents will be present. Among them are the Maldives, Hot Bodies in Motion, Horse Feathers and the headliner Polyrhythmics. And many, many many more.

All-festival wristbands are already sold out, but tickets are still available for individual shows.

Below is the lineup. For more info, visit http://www.noisefortheneedy.org.

Thursday, June 20

Conor Byrne, 9:00 p.m., Lures, Santee, Manplus, Goodbye Heart

Sunset Tavern, 9:00 p.m., Peeping Tomboys, Cabana, Prism Tats, and Yeah Girl

Tractor Tavern, 9:00 PM, Said The Whale, Brite Lines, Ghost Town Riot

Friday, June 21

Sunset Tavern, 9:00 PM, Battleme, River Giant, Smokey Brights, The Brambles

Tractor Tavern, 9:00 PM, Polyrhythmics, Orgone

Conor Byrne Pub, 9:00 PM, The Local Strangers, Big Sur, Alice In The River, James Apollo

Saturday, June 22

Hattie’s Lot Party, 2:00 PM, "The Rolling Stones", The Maldives, The Blakes, Sassparilla, The Chasers, Ole Tinder

Tractor Tavern, 9:00 PM, Horse Feathers, Case Studies, Pretty Broken Things

Conor Byrne Pub, 9:00 PM, Julia Massey and The Five Finger Discount, The Great UM, The Jesus Rehab, Tangerine

Sunset Tavern, 9:00 PM, Princess, Gladiators Eat Fire, Tacos, Skies Below

Sunday, June 23

Hattie’s Lot Party, 1:00 PM, Kris Orlowski, Hot Bodies in Motion, Cody Beebe and The Crooks, Tango Alpha Tango, Vaudeville Etiquette

Tractor Tavern, 8:00 PM, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown, Cracker Factory, Special Guests

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Ballard Weekend: Ballard bike block party; Ballard High presents "Songs for a New World;" SketchFest storms Ballard Underground

Guest — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:41:58 +0000

Guest (not verified) Fri, 05/31/2013 - 11:41am

Friday, May 31

Ballard Bike Street Party

What: Celebrate the Bike Month finale with hundreds of other bicyclists at the annual Ballard Street Party. Cascade Bicycle Club transforms the heart of Ballard into a bike block party, and you're invited!

Where: Bergen Place Park

When: Friday, May 31, 4-7 p.m.

More info: http://www.cbcef.org/btw/btw_afterparty.html

Ballard High School presents “Songs for a New World”

What: Ballard High School Playmakers present Jason Robert Brown’s musical revue, which transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue to meet a startling array of characters. Purchase tickets at https://www.showtix4u.com

Where: Ballard High School, Earl Kelly Performing Arts Center (1418 N.W. 65th St.)

When: Friday, May 31, 7:30 p.m.

More info: http://www.ballardperformingarts.org/

SketchFest at Ballard Underground

What: The entire month of June is going to be chocked full of all of Seattle's best sketch comedy. Experience a huge chunk of the wonderful script/character focused comedians which Seattle has to offer. On Friday, SketchFest will host "Comedy Contest for a Cause: A World Beyond Oil" and "Princess."

Where: Ballard Underground (2220 NW Market Lower Level)

When: Friday, May 31, Comedy Contest for a cause starts at 7 p.m., Princess starts at 9 p.m.

More info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/374045

Saturday, June 1

Whittier Heights Annual Garage Sale

What: Neighbors all over Whittier Heights will be hosting garage sales.

When: Saturday, June 1

Where: Whittier Heights Neighborhood

More info: Brad Wakeman at Brad@LakeRE.com

Concerts at the Locks

Enjoy free music while you visit the Ballard Locks. On Saturday, the Boeing Employees Concert Band will be playing.

Where: Ballard Locks

When: Saturday, June 1, 2 p.m.

More info: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/LocksandDams/Chittend…

Relay for Life

What: It's too late to sign up, but you can still cheer on and support the teams who will be walking on the Whitman Middle School Track from 2 p.m. on Saturday to 8 a.m. on Sunday to support a cure for cancer.

Where: Whitman Middle School Track (9201 15th Ave NW)

Description: Relay For Life is a celebration of survivorship – an occasion to express hope and our shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track at all times throughout the night..Check out

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY13GW?fr_id=50502&p…

SNAP: Emergency and Natural Disaster Preparation

What: Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) is offered at various libraries throughout the City to help residents and neighborhoods become well prepared for disasters. This interactive and informative program teaches simple steps that don’t take a lot of time or money. You’ll learn that preparedness can be fun and empowering! more info at

Where: Ballard Library (5614 22nd Ave NW)

When: June 1, 6-7:30 p.m.

More info: http://www.spl.org/locations/ballard-branch/balevents-at-this-branch

Ballard High School presents “Songs for a New World”

Where: Ballard High School, Earl Kelly Performing Arts Center (1418 N.W. 65th St.)

When: Saturday, June 1, 7:30 p.m.

More info: http://www.ballardperformingarts.org/

SketchFest at Ballard Underground

What: The entire month of June is going to be chocked full of all of Seattle's best sketch comedy. Experience a huge chunk of the wonderful script/character focused comedians which Seattle has to offer. On Saturday, SketchFest will host "Ubiquitous They: Pass More Pleasently & Pork Filled Players" and "Jason 'n' SPike & Drop the Root Beer and Run."

Where: Ballard Underground (2220 NW Market Lower Level)

When: Saturday, June 1, Ubiquitous They starts at 7 p.m., Jason 'n' Spike starts at 8:30 p.m.

More info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/374045

Sunday, June 2

Ballard Farmers Market

What: Ballard Farmer's Market is open year-round and features fresh produce from local farmers, flowers, trinkets, street entertainment and more.

Where: Ballard Avenue NW, between Vernon Place NW and 22nd Avenue NW

When: Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

More info: http://ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com/

Concerts at the Locks

Enjoy free music while you visit the Ballard Locks. On Saturday, the Boeing Employees Concert Band will be playing.

Where: Ballard Locks

When: Sunday, June 2, 2 p.m.

More info: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/LocksandDams/Chittend…

Follow Ballard News-Tribune on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ballardnewstrib

And Twitter at http://twitter.com/ballardnewstrib

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Slideshow: Grynch and Budo invade Hilliard's

Guest — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:17:53 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 04/15/2013 - 11:17am

Hip-hop meets beer meets Ballard at Grynch (right) and Budo's (left) free concert at Hilliard's Beer last Saturday.

All photos by Zachariah Bryan

On Saturday, April 13, local brewery Hilliard's Beer was invaded by hip-hop as Grynch and Budo held a free concert for the release of their new single, "Treadin'," with Fin Records. (Click on the video above to hear it.)

"We're definitely in a brewery, surrounded by things I would not imagine while playing rap music," Budo joked. "A basketball hoop, a pool table, something that looks like it's from Jules Verne ..."

Throughout the concert, Grynch made sure to give shout-outs to Hilliard's. "I wake up every day thankful for Hilliard's Beer, because it's very, very tasty," he said at the beginning of a song.

For those who don't know, Grynch is a Ballard native, having graduated from Ballard High School and attended Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland. Some call him the "King of Ballard," and he represents the neighborhood with a humble, down-to-earth kind of charm. In addition to "Treadin'," he and Budo went through some of Grynch's more classic songs, such as "Volvo."

Budo was able to add more depth to Grynch's songs, playing guitar, keyboard and, perhaps most notably, the trumpet, which added a very Pacific Northwest flavor.

Budo was also not above heckling a rather bland, standoffish Seattle crowd into scooting up to the stage.

Let's talk more about the crowd. While Grynch and Budo delivered a quality show (the sound could have been better and louder), the crowd simply didn't show up. Apparently, the one bad thing about holding a concert at a brewery is everyone is too busy holding a beer to dance.

(Note: the Ballard News-Tribune does not claim to have any rhythm whatsoever ... but come on.)

COME ON.

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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Old songs, new Bazan

Guest — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:04:17 +0000

Guest (not verified) Fri, 11/16/2012 - 12:04am

David Bazan, (front), practices with bandmates and Andy Fitts (left) and Alex Westcoat (right).

Photo by Dusty Henry

By Dusty Henry

In a dimly lit underground practice space off of Leary Way in Ballard, David Bazan and his band mates Alex Westcoat and Andy Fitts stand in a triangle formation with their instruments and a six-pack of beer in between them.

The room has a lot of history to it; they have practiced and recorded in it for over five years. Vinyl copies of Bazan’s latest solo record, “Strange Negotiations,” can be found sitting on shelves and in corners. Various instruments hang on all the walls.

Bazan and Westcoat discuss how they might want to tackle a drum part on one of their tracks.

“Don’t think twice, it’s alright,” Bazan says with a smirk, quoting Bob Dylan.

The band then starts playing “Magazine,” the sixth track off of Pedro the Lion’s 2002 album Control. The drum-centric track keeps a methodical and industrial-inspired rhythm as Bazan swirls vocal melodies.

“Oh look, you earned your wings,” Bazan sings. “Are you an angel now, or a vulture?”

Pedro the Lion ended in 2005 with a farewell show at The Crocodile. But now, under the solo ‘David Bazan’ moniker, Bazan, Westcoat, and Fitts will play Control straight through on a national tour, with a stop in Seattle at The Neptune on Dec. 15. It also happens to be around the same time Pedro the Lion’s discography is being reissued and re-mastered on vinyl.

There is a complicated history to Pedro the Lion. The group was incorrectly over the years labeled as a Christian group -- a hard stigma to wear off because of Bazan’s once devoted faith. The band’s first EP, “Whole,” was even released on local Christian rock label Tooth and Nail. The band featured religious imagery on most of their releases but never in the orthodox Hillsong United way. Whether it was the doubting lyrics of “Secret of the Easy Yoke” on It’s Hard to Find a Friend or the comparison of an orgasm to Christ’s resurrection in the infidelity-tinged “Rapture” on Control, Pedro was far from conventional. In 2010, however, Bazan declared his agnosticism with his first full-length solo album, Curse Your Branches.

Fewer Moving Parts Means Fewer Broken Pieces

Two hours prior to this rehearsal, Bazan sat down with the Ballard News-Tribune to discuss Pedro the Lion’s career over biscuits and gravy at The Dish on Leary Way. To understand Bazan’s career, it works best to work from the end of Pedro the Lion.

“I needed distance from the machine,” he said. “The rehearsing machine, the touring machine that we’d become. The drinking machine that we had become.”

Bazan started to see the toll the band’s and his own mentality was taking on his relationships -- particularly with the people he played with.

“How are my friends getting chewed up and spit out? That’s not what I want, yet it keeps happening over and over again,” Bazan said. “That’s what I needed to get away from.”

While the Pedro the Lion name ended in 2005, Bazan clarifies that there is not a drastic split in his career between the Pedro the Lion catalogue and his solo material. He’s continued to play Pedro the Lion songs through his solo career and during the band’s ten-year lifespan, Bazan remained the only consistent band member with upwards of 25 different people coming and going as touring members. He likens the breakup to more of a simple name change.

The closest thing to a full-time member the group has had other than Bazan is T.W. Walsh, who was immortalized in the Pedro the Lion song, “Bands With Managers,” which had the climactic line, “I trust T. William Walsh, and I’m not afraid to die.” Walsh also headed up the vinyl re-mastering project and has produced Bazan’s last two solo records.

“Initially (the breakup) was rough because I needed to make a living,” Walsh said in a phone call from Boston. But he said things are good now between the two and their collaborations have gone smoothly.

It’s Good to Have Options

Bazan and his new lineup thought it would be a good idea to promote the vinyl reissues by playing one of the Pedro the Lion albums straight through. Bazan said he felt there was really only one option: Control.

“It’s the only record that I could play every song, that I could stomach playing every song on it,” Bazan said. He would clarify that while It’s Hard to Find A Friend may be his favorite album after going through the re-mastering process, he said half of the songs he can’t play anymore in both topic and instrumentation.

With a catalogue full of reflections on spirituality and religion which do not necessarily align with his current worldview, Bazan said he does sometimes change lyrics so they will be “true now.” For example, in the song “The Fleecing,” he changed the line from “I could tell you why I doubted and why I still believe” to “why I don’t believe.”

Control in itself is a concept record, detailing the story of a man who gets caught up in the corruption of big business, leading to a moral collapse of infidelity, instilling crooked values in his children, prioritizing profits over everything else -- all leading to his eventual murder by his wife. Bazan’s latest solo record Strange Negotiations also deals heavily with the issues of capitalism.

“It’s too bad that we lament the very same things ten years later,” Bazan said.

I Trust T. William Walsh, And I’m Not Afraid to Die

Bazan doesn’t claim to be a staunch audiophile, but he is honest in knowing what he likes and what he thinks sounds good. He carried over this mentality into the re-mastering process.

“I don’t necessarily have the best ears in the business, but I care a lot about (the sound),” Bazan said.

Walsh said that initially the pair tried working on the albums through email and phone calls. After some difficulties trying to understand Bazan’s vision for the project, Bazan opted to fly over to Boston for two days to work with Walsh on the project in person. The two were then able to sit together side-by-side and Bazan could give his input more personally. Walsh said this was much more effective.

“I wanted to do the purist route and change as little as possible,” Walsh said. The original masters had a lot of work done to them with effects so it was difficult to make any radical changes, Walsh said.

Walsh found the project difficult in comparison to his other projects.

“It was kind of challenging, honestly,” he said. “It was hard to be impartial and getting past familiarity.”

Of all the reissues, Bazan said he is pleased with his first album, It’s Hard to Find a Friend, the most. He said he was less self-conscious about what others would think and just followed his impulses.

“The only voices I was listening to were the internal voices,” Bazan said. Hearing feedback from people on later records said it made it harder for him to focus. “Don’t worry about the bullshit,” he recalled telling himself. “Try to make something that you like.”

The only thing he did not like about It’s Hard to Find a Friend is the ending track, “Promise.” The song focuses on God’s promise, with the chorus “is there any reason to be scared when a promise is a promise I know?”

“It’s in a lot of ways a call to deny data; to choose dogma over data which I clearly don’t believe that.”

Walsh felt Achilles’ Heel benefitted most from the re-mastering treatment. Originally the band sent the album to a mastering house but was unhappy with the results. Due to a time crunch, Walsh recalls mastering the whole album within something like an hour, he said.

Walsh and Bazan differ on their feelings about the production on Control. Walsh said it was too distorted for his taste, while Bazan wanted the fuzzy, overblown sound on the record. Walsh said he remembers during the recording of the album, when the engineer would go to the bathroom, Bazan would turn all of the knobs on the board to max levels to get the “pushed to the limit” sound.

The only major Pedro the Lion release to not make the cut in the reissues was the Whole EP. Bazan thinks of the release as “Pre-Pedro” and not in the same category of the other releases. The band has not played songs from the album on the tours in years and didn’t contact the label about masters.

Eye On The Finish Line

Back at the practice space, Bazan stands with his back to Westcoat and Fitts with his eyes closed and striking his Fender Telecaster with every chord. After they finish “Magazine” they immediately play it again. Fitts and Westcoat focus their eyes on Bazan, concentrating on every beat and moving with the groove of the song. Once they finish again, Bazan simply says, “Cool,” with a laugh.

The band communicates with nods as they play through the rest of the album. Bazan at one point suggests Alex play with “slow-core restraint” on the final track “Rejoice.”

“Wouldn’t it be so wonderful if everything were meaningless?” Bazan sings on the song, crooning over chunky reverb-tinged chords. The band finishes and opts for another beer run before they go through the album again.

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Shonen Knife cuts through the Tractor Tavern with punk rock charm

Guest — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 22:42:10 +0000

Guest (not verified) Fri, 08/10/2012 - 3:42pm

After 31 years of playing, Shonen Knife can still get people on their feet and dancing.

Photo by KateMonkey (Flicker/cc)

With beaming smiles, charisma and matching pink dresses, the three cheerful women of Shonen Knife threw up the Sign of the Horns at The Tractor Tavern on Wednesday night. Shortly after, they would be thanking the audience and head-banging again.

“When I listen to the music, I get power!” the three sang during their song “Pop Tune.”

Shonen Knife, a punk band from Osaka, Japan, has had a cult following since their American breakthrough Let’s Knife was released on Olympia’s K Records in 1992. It also didn’t hurt that Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain near-evangelized the group to friends and reporters. (In a 1993 interview with MTV, Cobain reminisced about touring with them, saying, “I was an emotional sap the whole time; I cried every night.”)

Watching the group perform, it’s easy to see what Cobain fell in love with. Everything about their attitude and showmanship seems so earnest and endearing that, if it's all just an act, they should still get kudos for pulling it off so well. What might be typically written off as a novelty -- an all-female Japanese punk group singing songs in broken English with themed costumes -- may actually be one of the most honest punk outfits still performing. Their latest record, Pop Tune, remarkably sounds like it could have come out months before or after Let’s Knife.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Naoko Yamono plays with a force and volume comparable to newer indie punk acts like Japandroids or Cloud Nothings, and despite now being in her 40s, she still holds up the bar for these young groups. Her guitar playing may not be revolutionary, but her steady guitar tone plays perfectly into the group’s exceptionally catchy melodic lines.

Bassist Ritsuko Taneda shares vocal duties but also serves as an unofficial “hype man” for the Knife. During most of the songs, Taneda would throw her long black hair back and forth while throwing up the Sign of the Horns between bass grooves. Every now and then she would walk to the edge of the stage, give a smile to the crowd, and then throw herself back into her punk rock momentum.

The lyrics to the songs are just as bizarre as their stage presence. Subject matter included an ode to barbecues and all of the delicious food you can grill (“BBQ Party”), the multi-purposes of rubber bands (“Rubber Bands”) and the sexiness and intelligence of Mattel’s most famous icon (“Twist Barbie”), among other equally strange ideas. Generally the songs were more uplifting and optimistic, opting for the lighter side of things rather than angst and destruction.

Shonen Knife clearly prescribes to The Ramones mentality of punk rather than the Sex Pistols or The Stooges approach, using simple four chord patterns and 4/4 rock beats. They even covered a couple Ramones songs during their set. The songs are so infectious that they stay stuck in your head. That is, until they start playing their next song, which will inevitably replace it as your new earworm.

To combat the Knife’s insatiable cheer, San Francisco band The Mallard played right before with a Sonic Youth attitude and sound that oozed 90s angst, but with a modern and psychedelic approach. Lead singer and guitarist Greer McGettrick was equal parts fury, charisma and voraciousness. The Mallard attacked their instruments rather than played them, and in contrast to Shonen Knife, they were brooding skeptics who were ready to devour the audience. A great companion for the evening, with potential to part the waves of indie rock and come across the other side victorious.

Yamano would share bizarre quips between songs that, told by anyone else, would be boring anecdotes, yet with her delivery they became well-received jokes. At one point, she described going to an arcade in Seattle.

“I traded my tokens … for a bottle of water!” Yamano exclaimed, to applause and cheers.

Such moments really capture the charm of Shonen Knife. Their sincerity says that they’re not trying too hard, but their live shows presents them as well rehearsed and thoughtful musicians. At the Tractor, 31 years after the band's formation, Shonen Knife showed that they still have the ability to keep audiences jumping and dancing with enthusiasm.

REVERB music festival to take over Ballard this Saturday

amrook — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:28:45 +0000

amrook Wed, 10/05/2011 - 7:28am

Saturday, October 8: 70 bands and musicians will play on 7 venues throughout downtown Ballard.

Courtesy of the Seattle Weekly

Seattle Weekly's fifth annual REVERB Local Music Festival will take over downtown Ballard this Saturday, October 8.

Seven stages will host 70 of Seattle’s premiere bands and musicians and eight musicians for over 10 hours of entertainment.

For the fifth consecutive year, REVERB will showcase local talent in a variety of genres, reflecting Seattle’s deep love of music and its passionate musical history at an unbeatable price.

Advance sale tickets are only $10 advance for 21 and up, $10 for all ages. These tickets will go up $5 if purchased at the door.

There will be two all-ages venues: Salmon Bay Eagles upstairs and NY Fashion Academy.

The 21 and over stages include The Tractor Tavern, Volterra Drawing Room, the Sunset Tavern, Conor Byrne’s and the 2 Bit Saloon.

Benefiting from this year's REVERB is Seattle Music Partners. SMP is responsible for free after-school music programs geared toward elementary and middle school students in Seattle’s Central District. They have been doing so for 11 years by recruiting high school and college students from the community to teach and guide students. Students perform recitals to showcase their musical abilities.

Musical Artists:

Atomic Bride/Big Wheel Stunt Show/Cali Giraffes/Cataldo/Charles Leo Gebhardt IV/Cobirds Unite/The Cops/Corespondents/Curtains for You/Davidson Hart Kingsbery/Dennis (SMP)/DJ Fucking In The Streets/Don’t Talk To The Cops/Dude York/Fly Moon Royalty/Furniture Girls/Ghosts I’ve Met/Gold Leaves/Golden Blondes/Grand Hallway/Groggy Bikini/Grynch/Gun Outfit/Hotels/James Coates/Joseph Giant/Katie Kate/Kaylee Cole/Kelli Schaefer/Khingz/Land of Pines/Less Than Equals/Lurrell Low/Manigua/Mark Pickerel/Mash Hall/McTuff/Metal Chocolates/Mutiny Fires/Neighbors/Nightrain/Noddy/Partman Parthorse/The Pharmacy/Pipsisewah/Pony Time/Rebecca Ann Johnston/ Sandrider/Seapenny/Shaprece/Side Pony/Sons of Warren Oates/Spinning Whips/Spurm /Stephanie/Suffering Fuckheads/Summer Babes/Thaddillac/Three Ninjas & Tangentbot/Tom Price Desert Classic/Tomten/Virgin Islands/Witch Gardens/Witchburn/Yarn Owl/You.May.Die.In.The Desert

Poster Artists:
Clone Press/Pork Chop Screenprinting/Patent Pending Industries/Artillery Design/Crash America/Art Chantry Design/Powerslide Design/Weapons of Mass Design/Luxe Riot/Choke Print Shop & Shirt Company/Zebra Print/Gorilla Screenprinting/Blue Rhino Graphics/Angry Squid Ink/Good Times Screen
Printing/This That Silk Screen Printing & Design/ Voodoo Screen Printing/Pike Street Press

Tickets available now through October 6 at www.seattleweekly.com/reverbfestival
and onsite at Seattle Weekly’s Merch Booth and each venue entrance.

New Orleans band coming to Ballard to get people dancing

amrook — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:06:16 +0000

amrook Wed, 07/20/2011 - 2:06pm

Trombone powerhouse, Big Sam, refuses to let people sit still at his concerts.

Courtesy of the band

Big Sam's Funky Nation is appearing at Ballard's Tractor Tavern at the end of the month with a promise to get people dancing.

Led by trombone powerhouse, Big Sam Williams, Big Sam's Funky Nation is a New Orleans band that transcends musical classifications by merging influences of jazz, rock, hip-hop and funk together into an energetic and bold sound.

"It's rock and funk with a lot of heart," said Big Sam in a phone interview. "Audience should get ready to do a lot of shaking. This is not a sitting party."

Formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam began playing with the Dirty Dozen at 19 before venturing out on his own as a soloist and creating the Funky Nation. He has toured with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint and played with artists like Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Dave Matthews, Ozomatli, and Widespread Panic. He has shared the stage with U2 and Green Day for the re-opening of the Superdome.

"When Katrina happened, it shifted things a lot," Big Sam said, adding that
it made him want to be close to people and reach more people with his music.

"I learned that you don't take things for granted. You're promised nothing. I'm not promised to play music forever," he said.

Since hurricane Katrina, Big Sam has been an innovator of urban-jazz and NOLA music flowing from a revitalized New Orleans.

"After Katrina my downloads went up like crazy," said Big Sam. "I just want to keep that New Orleans pride going."

Big Sam said he enjoys playing in Seattle and visited Seattle three times in the last year.

"Seattle is a great musical place," he said. "And it's a cool town, too. I love jamming with local bands."

Big Sam said he'll bringing more energy on July 28th as well as new material that people haven't heard yet. In return he expects people to bring their dancing shoes and be ready to 'shake yo' tail-feather' like they do it New Orleans.

Big Sam's Funky Nation is comprised of Andrew Baham on Trumpet/Vocals/Keys, Takeshi Shimmura on Guitar, Chocolate MILK on Drums, and Eric Vogel on Bass in addition to Big Sam on Trombone/Vocals.

They're performing at the Tractor Tavern on July 28 at 9 p.m.Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at TicketWeb.

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Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Twelve-year-old bassist from Ballard to release indie record

amrook — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:26:10 +0000

amrook Tue, 05/03/2011 - 12:26pm

Verlee for Ransom is (from left to right) Kaye Gill (bass), Nathan Keiffer (drums), Kyle Morrison (guitar & cello), Keira Verlee (singer), and Rio Chanae (keyboard). Ballardite Kaye Gill is just 12 years old and has played on just about every stage in Seattle.

Courtesy of the band

At 12 years old, Kaye Gill has more “music cred” than most musicians twice her age. In the three years since she started to play bass, Gill has played on just about every stage in Seattle including The Crocodile, Chop Suey, The Showbox, The Triple Door and Bumbershoot.

As the bass player for the fast rising Seattle indie alt-pop band, Verlee for Ransom, she is getting ready to release her debut CD on May 20th at Q Cafe along with The Oh Wells and The Warm Hardies.

A product of The School of Rock, Gill was still an elementary school student when she auditioned for the band.

After she impressed the band during the audition they asked which school she attended. "They were very surprised thatt she was still in elementary school," said Aaron Gill, Kaye Gill's father.

The band's oldest member is 20 year-old keyboard player Rio Chanae and the band is led by singer songwriter Keira Verlee, 17. Together, the band produces songs well beyond their age.

"It's been really fun playing with them," said Kaye Gill, a sixth grader at Whitman Middle School. "The maturity levels range but we fit really well together."

Titled "Happy like monkey that climb". the record was recorded by Glenn Lorbecki and Gwen Jones.

"We've put so much work into it and we just want people to like it," Gill said.

Building from the standard electric guitar/bass/drums formula, the five members of Verlee for Ransom incorporate acoustic guitar and cello as well as piano, horns, organ, strings and synthesizers to create a sound categorized as indie alt-pop.

The band writes all their own songs. Singer Keira Verlee writes the songs and lyrics and the other members put their ideas into the songs.

Inspired by a wide range of music, from Tegan and Sara to Paul McCartney, Gill writes all her own bass lines.

Verlee for Ransom is currently number 9 on the ReverbNation Alternative Music Chart for Seattle www.reverbnation.com/verlee4ransom and Skope Magazine praised the band as "Julliard-bound wunderlings".

Gill said her goal for the band is "to play lots of festivals."

"Seattle has some great festivals that showcase different styles of music," she said. "There are tons of younger musicians and these festivals give us a chance to show what we've got."

Aaron Gill said his daughter has always interacted with older people. "She never was a toy kind. She always liked hanging out with people of other age groups," he said.

Aaron Gill, himself a Ukulele player, said she has long surpassed him in musical talent and said he doesn't mind driving her around for band practices to concerts.

"At least we [the parents] get to go to the Crocodile on a Saturday night instead of some sports field in the early morning," he said.

"It's my role to make sure that it's appropriate but it's been such a positive experience for her. It is certainly not something she'll regret when she's older."

For now, Gill said she likes to keep her school life and music life separate. At school she's the rather quiet kid who plays standup bass, yet on stage she's rocking a crowd that's easily twice her age.

"If I told [my classmates] that I'm rocking The Crocodile they wouldn't even know what that is," she said.

But at the rate that her star is rising it won't stay that way for long.

Join Kaye Gill, Keira Verlee (singer), Nathan Keiffer (drums), Kyle Morrison (guitar & cello), and Rio Chanae (keyboard) as they celebrate the release of their debut album at Q Cafe (3223 15th Avenue West) on Friday, May 20th at 7:30 p.m.

To learn more about Verlee for Ransom and listen to their tracks, please visit their website at www.verlee4ransom.com.

music

Ballard

Robinson Papers

Ex-Highline student chases dream

stevievanb — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:20:19 +0000

stevievanb Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:20am

Former Sylvester Middle and Highline High student Trevor Ras headed to California to pursue his musical dream but got a nightmare instead. He's back in the Northwest now.

Photo by Lisa Adams

Former Sylvester Middle and Highline High student Trevor Ras headed south to Huntington Beach, California to chase his dream-- a musical career.
That dream turned into a nightmare, but could have been worse. He dodged a bullet, well, his surfboard, on a tricky wave. Now he says his dreams are coming true back here in calmer West Seattle waters.

"I grew up in the Fauntleroy area and my parents still live by the ferry docks," Ras noted. "I went to Arbor Heights, and also bused to Van Asselt, then Sylvester Middle School and Highline High School."

His mother, Connie Rasmussen, is a retired health and PE teacher at Sylvester in Burien.

Ras recalls his accident.
"I was going surfing off Huntington Beach Pier with a couple of friends," said Ras, short for Rasmussen, who is 35 and moved back about four years ago. "I was messing around on this longboard I don't usually surf (on). A freak little wave came from behind and threw me off the board and I took a header right into the sand in shallow water.

"I waited a couple of days, then went to urgent care and they sent me to the emergency room as a precaution. As soon as I got there the neurosurgeon on call said, 'You are the luckiest man alive to be walking around. You could have severed your spinal cord.'

"Because I had broken my neck, I did feel very lucky.

"Over the last year I haven't had much pain and I exercise daily to regulate the pain. The accident itself was really devastating, but everything that happened after the accident was a godsend.

"Playing guitar and saxophone can be hard on your body," he continued. Ras is primarily a mellow-sounding alternative /acoustic rock / soul/R&B musician who plays solo, in a duo, trio, and with his full band, Boomerang Summer. Band members include Dave Milne, Michael Herrman, Ian McKamey, Ben Johnston, and John Studamire.

Milne, and record engineer Jeff Earle were buddies of Ras from his Burien school days.

In February, he released "Blue Sky," his first solo album in five years, commemorating his journey since his surfing accident. Milne helps with background vocals.

"On the one hand I have been a musician since college, and did a bunch of touring with different groups. The accident changed the course of my life. I decided that it wasn't my path to be a professional musician my whole life, and that the most important thing was my family. They came out of the woodwork. Out of anybody, those were the people who really cared about me, and were there for me.

"My sister moved back here, too. I got into the vortex of West Seattle. I started working here, and now own a house near the Alaska Junction. This is a great place to live."

Ras is engaged to Casey Hicks who owns a West Seattle skin care business. They will marry later this year.

"I don't know what happened on this record but it really goes back to the roots of who I am, where we started playing music around the campfire and our living rooms, and the songs speak to the changes going on in our 30's with love, life, death, all those things," he said. "It hit home for me. I'm really excited it all came together.

"James Taylor, Dylan, Chicago Transit Authority, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Beatles and Van Morrison really influenced me," he said. "We have Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Miles in our ears," Ras said of his band.

Sylvester Middle School

Highline High School class of 1994

surfing accident

musician

Burien White Center West Seattle

Robinson Papers