Texas born country music revivalist Charley Crockett and his tight as a drum 5 piece backing band did their best to transform Seattle’s typically genteel and refined (and absolutely gorgeous) 5th Avenue Theatre into a lively honky tonk last night. The Grammy winning Crockett is touring in advance of his next release, ‘Age of the Ram’, slated to drop in April. A second sold out show goes off this evening at 8pm.
Crockett’s demeaner and stage show is a pleasing combination of glitzy production and stagecraft mixed with straight down the middle of the highway, old school C&W (looks like Vegas, sounds like Merle!). He spends precious little time gabbing with the audience, instead preferring to knock out a crowd and ear pleasing blend of traditional country sounds mixed with traces of blues and soul. As lovely as the 5th Avenue is, this show was positively crying out for a Texas sized dance floor. There were plenty of brand new hat & boot bedecked urban cowboys and cowgirls two stepping in their seats and a few intrepid souls dancing in the aisles and alcoves of the theater. I find it heartening that an artist so true to the origins of Nashville style C&W circa the heyday of George & Tammy can command two well attended shows at a Seattle theater the size of the 5th.
Thursday’s show opened with a well-received set by Seattle’s Brudi Brothers. The three-piece sibling act plays a winning brand of what I think of as ‘cowboy movie C&W’. Their performance brought to mind the comforting and intentionally corny music of performers such as Gene Autry and Tex Ritter. The Brudi’s singing, whistling, and yodeling met with much approval from the audience, who rewarded the brothers with a standing ovation at the conclusion of their short but satisfying set.
Ghost’s SKELETOUR World Tour Ignites Seattle: Papa V Perpetua Unleashes Arena Ritual at Climate Pledge Arena
SEATTLE (February 15, 2026) – For a band that built its early Northwest following in clubs like El Corazon, Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena felt like both a coronation and a communion. Ghost brought its SKELETOUR WORLD TOUR to a sold-out arena, transforming the sleek Seattle venue into a towering cathedral of smoke, light and sacrament.
Over the years, the Swedish theatrical rock outfit has steadily climbed the local venue ladder, from intimate theaters to amphitheaters, but this production marked their most ambitious Seattle staging yet and a return to the Climate Pledge Arena. Fans who’ve traveled abroad for the band’s massive European festival sets finally got a comparable spectacle at home.
The stage design was monumental and meticulously layered. Multiple risers gave the Nameless Ghouls commanding perches, while enormous backdrops shifted throughout the night, stark black one moment, an ornate stained-glass cathedral the next. Dominating it all was an illuminated inverted cross lighting rig suspended overhead, tilting and descending at dramatic angles. Bathed in white, blue and blood-red hues, it cast an almost liturgical glow over the 17,000 + faithful below.
Strategic CO₂ plumes erupted in rhythmic bursts, punctuating riffs and choruses like exclamation points in a sermon. The effect wasn’t just theatrical, it reinforced what Ghost has always framed its concerts as: ritual.
The congregation understood the assignment. Robed “clergy” members roamed the concourse. Faces were painted in skeletal homage to past Papas. Others donned variations of papal miters, glittering jackets or full-on ghoul regalia. In a rare and increasingly refreshing move, the sea of glowing cell phone screens was absent. This was a device-free show; phones were sealed in Yondr pouches, forcing full immersion. The result was palpable, eye contact instead of Instagram, communal singing instead of recording. The energy felt focused and unified.
Notably, there was no opening act. No warm-up sermon. Just Ghost.
The 22-song set traversed the band’s catalog, balancing newer material from Skeletá with cornerstone anthems that helped elevate them from cult curiosity to arena headliners. Longtime devotees were rewarded alongside newer converts, the pacing carefully designed to ebb and surge.
At the center stood Tobias Forge in his latest incarnation, Papa V Perpetua. Where previous personas often leaned heavily into exaggerated theatricality, from the imperious early Papas to the mischievous charm of Cardinal Copia, Papa V presents a more restrained, controlled presence. The half-mask design allows greater vocal freedom, and Forge’s singing reflected that: clearer highs, more sustained phrasing, and a confidence that prioritized musicianship over caricature.
Still, there was an intriguing tonal shift. The performance carried a weight that felt intentional. During “The Future Is a Foreign Land,” a contemplative hush settled over the arena before swelling into a unifying chorus. Whether reflecting broader global anxieties or simply the narrative arc of the current album cycle, the moment resonated. It was less wink-and-nod spectacle, more pointed meditation.
That gravity didn’t dampen the celebration. Crowd reactions to established favorites were thunderous, the arena cheering in unison. The encore sealed the evening with undeniable arena-ready triumph: “Mary on a Cross,” “Dance Macabre,” and the ever-commanding “Square Hammer” turned the ritual into a full-scale exorcism of energy. Thousands sang in unison, arms raised not in worship, perhaps, but in shared catharsis.
If earlier eras of Ghost reveled in camp and pageantry, SKELETOUR’s Seattle stop showcased a band comfortable in its scale and evolving identity. Bigger stage, sharper vocals, tighter thematic cohesion. The mystique remains, but it’s now backed by arena-level confidence.
For Seattle fans who’ve watched Ghost ascend through the city’s venues over the past decade, this performance wasn’t just another tour stop. It was proof of transformation, from cult favorite to commanding arena force, and a reminder that the ritual continues to grow louder with each new chapter.
What do you get when you combine former members of Sunny Day Real Estate, Wilco, the Mountain Goats, and Poi Dog Pondering with a Oscar nominated actor and set them loose on the catalog of one of our most revered and fondly remembered rock bands? The answer at the Neptune Theatre Friday night was ‘Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy, and Friend’s Play Life’s Rich Pageant’. This is the third REM album this crew has tackled and the second time they’ve brought one of their productions to the Neptune. This same group of players with founding REM member Peter Buck played to a mostly full house for last year’s ‘Fables of the Reconstruction’ tour. This year’s show has been sold out for months and could have easily filled one of the city’s larger venues.
Not unlike a lot of other avid live music appreciators, I have mixed feelings about consuming a band’s work via a ‘tribute band’. That said, there’s something about the marriage of REM’s catalog with this particular group of players that elevates the experience to a different level. I was trying to identify that ‘something’ while listening to the band tuck into ‘Pageant’ and finally reached the conclusion that it’s a combination of factors that lift the project beyond that of your run of the mill tribute band. First and foremost would be the skill level and experience of the band members. Actor Michael Shannon might seem like a curious choice to handle REM singer Michael Stipe’s enigmatic vocal stylings but he delivers in every respect. Shannon wisely avoids attempting a straight up Stipe imitation, instead adding his own personality and inflections to the mix. He clearly loves the material, throwing himself into his performance with unselfconscious gusto. Lead guitarist Jason Narducy seamlessly covers Peter Buck’s guitar parts while adding spot on vocal harmonies. Narducy has worked often over the years with drummer Jon Wurster, most recently in Bob Mould’s touring band. They fit together well, as do the supporting cast of guitarist Dag Juhlin, bass player John Stirratt, and keyboard player Vijay Tellis-Nayak. It’s worth noting that Michael Stipe, Pete Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry have all given Shannon and Narducy their tacit approval, joining the band onstage during last year’s ‘Fables’ tour.
Friday’s show was divided into two sections, the first half consisting of a beginning to end run through of REM’s third album, ‘Life’s Rich Pageant’. After a brief pause, the band played a second set consisting of some of REM’s more well-known compositions, interspersed with deeper cuts, such as ‘Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)’, dating all the way back to REM’s first ep, ‘Chronic Town’, released in 1982. Both sets were marked by stellar playing and good spirits by all involved. The interplay between Narducy and Wurster was as crisp and exciting as one would expect and Wilco’s John Stirratt is an exceptionally intuitive and creative player. REM’s catalog is full of distinctive and memorable bass lines. Any attempt to fete them without a great bass player in the mix would lend pallid results. The audience was on board all evening, seeming to lock in early during the ‘Life’s Rich Pageant’ portion of the program and becoming increasingly more responsive as the band picked up steam in the latter portion of the show.
The show was opened by comedian and filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait. He made a solid connection with the Seattle audience, drawing recognition and amusement with observations and anecdotes, including a bit about his time touring with Nirvana in the 90’s. It would appear someone in the Shannon/Narducy contingent favors standup comedy. Last year’s REM tribute show was opened by comedian Dave Hill. I don’t know that I’d welcome a comedy lead in to every rock show I attend but I enjoyed both Goldthwait and Hill.
In her first headlining tour, English pop star and actress Freya Skye thrilled the adoring and screaming crowd at the Paramount Theater. This was the second stop on her Stars Align Tour, with all 19 shows already sold out! Backed by Donnie Laudicina (guitar), Anna Bettendorf (bass/keys), and David Cola (drums), Skye performed all the songs from her recently released Stardust EP plus several of her popular singles during the hour-long set. Mid-show, Skye brought two of the band members up front and the three of them sat down for a few acoustic songs. Skye had a real connection with the young audience and read many of their numerous outstretched signs out loud.
Alt rock progenitor and charming eccentric Robyn Hitchcock played a satisfying and memorable show to a full house at the Neptune Theater Friday night. Hitchcock has amassed a large and enthusiastic following during his 5 decades in music, a decent chunk of that time spent as a resident of the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife, Emma Swift (who opened the show) now live in Nashville, TN. Hitchcock is a revered figure among music nerds, record store employees, and other connoisseurs of jangly, psychedelic pop.
Hitchcock’s first band of note, The Soft Boys, were only active for a handful of years and released a scant two albums during their short lifespan. Their impact on bands that followed in their wake, however, was significant and long lasting. It’s hard to imagine artists such as REM and the Replacements enjoying their success had the Soft Boys not helped chart the course in advance of those younger band’s careers. It would be overstating the facts to say that the Soft Boys ‘created’ what has become known as alternative rock but they were absolutely on hand at its inception.
Hitchcock has gone on to a long and fruitful post-Soft Boy’s career, recording for years as ‘Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians’ and ‘Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3’, as well as a number of albums recorded under his name. He readily cites Dylan, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd as influences on his music and aesthetic.
Friday’s show opened with a solo version of one of Hitchcock’s most striking and well-known songs, ‘I Often Dream of Trains’, which was dedicated to a Seattle area friend who had recently passed. Hitchcock was then joined onstage by his current 3-piece band, who struck up the familiar intro to the Soft Boy’s ‘Kingdom of Love’. The first two songs set the pace and tone for the remainder of Hitchcock’s set, alternating between bouncy, up tempo jangle pop and more spacy and contemplative numbers. Hitchcock was joined toward the end of his set by Seattle area rocker Kurt Bloch (Young Fresh Fellows, Fastbacks). Bloch’s presence kicked Hitchcock and the band into another gear entirely, as the band fell into a heavier, more rocking groove. The audience called Hitchcock back for a 3 song encore, concluding with a lovely version of ‘Dear Prudence’. The band then took its bows and left the stage, to a sustained ovation from the audience. Then, most unexpectedly, Hitchcock, armed with only an unplugged acoustic guitar, made his way from the stage to the middle of the Neptune Theatre floor. He proceeded to lead the delighted crowd in a tremendously moving singalong of the Beatles ‘A Day in the Life’. Hearing the delicate strumming of Hitchcock’s unamplified guitar and his lone voice transition to a volunteer choir a thousand voices strong is something this fan will long remember.
The show was opened by a lovely set from Emma Swift. She focused primarily on songs from her most recent release, ‘The Resurrection Game’ and concluded her well received performance with a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Sweetheart Like You’. Swift also joined Hitchcock and his band during their set, providing vocal support.
