Preview: Capitol Hill Block Party – Day 1, Fri. 7/22

Posted on 07/15/2016 by Dagmar

Capitol Hill Block Party starts its annual takeover of Capitol Hill on Friday, July 22nd. Before I get into day one’s highlights, I need to point out that STRKFR will do a DJ set at Neumos on Thursday evening to kick off the festivities. The following days, five stages will have numerous acts, displaying many of Seattle’s best bands – plus cool touring artists. Block Party produces shows during the entire year, so rest assured it knows what’s what. Right, now on with five groups you must catch on Friday.

6:00-6:30 @ the Vera Stage

Iska Dhaaf

Seattle lost Iska Dhaaf to Brooklyn a couple years ago, but luckily for us, the duo returns to the area with some frequency (for, example, especially deserved headlining gigs). Description? ’60s rock? Melodic goodness? Iska Dhaaf’s songs, written by band members Nathan Quiroga (guitar, voice) and Benjamin Verdoes (drums, voice), don’t really fit any genre. And that’s all the better.

Iska Dhaaf– photo by Jordan Strong

7:45-8:45 @ the Main Stage

MØ

Coming from Odense, Denmark (also the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen!), MØ’s shared her vocals on tracks with Iggy Azalea, DJ Snake and. . . Justin Bieber. Her debut album, No Mythologies to Follow, brought her loads of international attention as a solo artist. While her second album is in development, she told DIY Magazine: “Writing is my therapy.” Do I sound like a jerk if I want her to stay in therapy?

MØ

8:15-9:00 @ the Vera Stage

Dilly Dally

Grunge lives on awesomely in Toronto, Canada’s Dilly Dally. I saw this band open for Fat White Family in Seattle this year, and they sure were vigorous. I don’t know what they were singing about. I could barely make out one instrument from the other. Somehow this quartet made it all sound excellent.

Dilly Dally – photo by Rcstills

8:45-9:15 @ the Cha Cha Stage

DONZIS

Down on the Cha Cha Stage (basement of Bimbo’s), you’ll find DONZIS. Capitalized – rightly so. This is rock music like you just don’t always hear these days. I keep waiting for Seattle to embrace THE ROCK N ROLL again; perhaps DONZIS can help with that.

DONZIS

9:20-10:15 @ the Vera Stage

Head Wound City

Supergroup Head Wound City might just be uncontainable. Block Party knows this, and have accordingly put them on an outdoor stage. Made up of members from the Blood Brothers, the Locust and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Head Wound City bring their second album in 11 years, New Wave of Violence (wow), to Seattle. It’s hardcore verging on metal. In other words, hot stuff.

Head Wound City

Video: Calvin Harris’ “This is What You Came For”

Posted on 07/13/2016 by Dagmar

Artist: Calvin Harris (featuring Rihanna)
Song/Video: “This is What You Came For”
Why You Want to Listen/Watch: I can’t get enough of this Calvin Harris song. The EDM track features Rihanna, and the video showcases her as well. Wearing a sexy onesie, Rihanna sings and dances in an electronic cube with a variety of visuals projected on it. And there are lasers. Naturally.

Photos: Birdy @ Neumos

Posted on 07/11/2016 by Kirk

English singer-songwriter Birdy headlined at Neumos on June 29th. The sold-out show was the last on the North American leg of her Beautiful Lies Tour. Birdy and her five-member band thoroughly entertained the audience during their 90-minute show. They ended the main set with “Wings,” played a three-song encore, and wrapped up the evening with “Skinny Love.” Lawrence Taylor opened.

1 ND5_0930-a

2 ND5_0955-a

3 ND5_0964-a

4 ND5_0771-a

5 ND5_0986-a

6 ND5_0982-a

7 ND5_1076-a

8 ND5_0551-a

9 ND5_0660-a

10 ND5_0925-a

11 ND5_0898-a

12 ND5_0537-a

13 ND5_0748-a

14 ND5_0789-a

15 ND5_1011-a

16 ND5_1039-a

17 ND5_1092-a

18 ND5_0884-a

19 ND5_0919-a

20 ND5_0863-a

21 ND5_0778-a

22 ND5_0631-a

23 ND5_0961-a

24 ND5_0732-a

25 ND5_1078-a

26 ND5_1121-a
Birdy

27 ND5_0528-a

28 ND5_0519-a
Lawrence Taylor

Show Review & Photos: Steven Tyler @ McCaw Hall

Posted on 07/10/2016 by BBS

Steven Tyler @ McCaw Hall, 7/8/16
Show Review & Photos by John Rudolph

untitled shoot-6982

On his 19-city “Out On a Limb” tour, Steven Tyler is dipping his toe into the country music world. Tyler’s new song “Red, White, and You” has a country sound, however do country fans take him seriously? For this show at least, the audience ate it up while dancing enthusiastically and waving homemade American flags.

Tyler’s stage set had a very distinctive ‘70s theme with a somewhat psychedelic back screen. Yes, there was some country flair but it was mostly vintage Tyler.

untitled shoot-7037

untitled shoot-7053

Working in Nashville with Jaren Johnston from the Cadillac Three, Steven Tyler produced his new album, We’re All Somebody from Somewhere. I have to admit, hearing the singer who brought the world “Toys in The Attic,” it took some getting used to. In saying that, this seems to be the path for many classic rockers to follow.

As the night progressed, we got a variety of songs from various influential artists. I liked Tyler’s mix of songs from the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Erma Franklin (Franklin’s “Piece of My Heart” was sung famously by Janis Joplin).

untitled shoot-7057

untitled shoot-6387

Steven Tyler peppered his older selections with his newer ones. His longtime fans seemed to be fine with his new journey. To accommodate his new sound, Tyler slowed the tempo of his older songs to match his new-found country flair.

An element of the show many classic musicians are doing now is reminiscing about the past. I find the storytelling-drive down memory lane interesting. We all have moments in time that influence our lives and Steven shared moments that helped start his 45-year musical career. One moment that seemed particularly poignant was when he talked about hearing “Rattlesnake Shake” by Fleetwood Mac. It became the catalyst for the foundation of Aerosmith. Tyler said, “Without that song Aerosmith would not have been founded.”

untitled shoot-6470

untitled shoot-6473

So is Tyler a country singer? As a longtime fan of Aerosmith, hearing “y’all” fall from his lips was unexpected. Time will tell if country fans believe his sincerity. At the end of the day, music is about art and stretching one’s boundaries, and it will be interesting to see where Tyler’s new path takes him.

untitled shoot-6492

untitled shoot-6298

untitled shoot-6303

untitled shoot-6316

untitled shoot-6354

untitled shoot-6378

untitled shoot-6384

untitled shoot-6631
Steven Tyler

Photos: The Game @ Showbox SoDo

Posted on 07/09/2016 by BBS

The Game @ Showbox SoDo, April 2016
Photos by Casey Brevig

The Game

Compton, California’s The Game (real name Jayceon Terrell Taylor) headlined Showbox SoDo in April. The rapper, who’s worked with an amazing variety of producers, including Travis Barker and Kanye West, offered his approach to mortality in an interview with Billboard in 2015 (he was shot in 2001): “It doesn’t matter if someone shoots me today or I live to be 90. I’m going to die, and so is everyone. Fear nothing. Why would you fear anything on earth?” All photos by Casey Brevig – and thank you, The Game, for letting Brevig photograph the entire show!

Continue reading →

Page 214 of 567« First ‹ Previous 210 211 212 213214215 216 217 218 Next ›Last »