Show Preview: Dylan Moran @ the Neptune, Fr. 6/28

Posted on 06/26/2013 by Dagmar

We’re lucky to have Irish comedian Dylan Moran here on Friday, June 28th. Moran has appeared worldwide, performing his biting stand-up in such countries as New Zealand, England, Russia and the States.

Dylan Moran – photo by Andy Hollingworth

Moran, who’s also an actor, with roles in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run, brings his show, Yeah Yeah to Seattle, a city that should sell out the Neptune Theatre – as have audiences in the UK and Australia. We love comedy here. Also, the French publication Le Monde called him “The greatest comedian, living or dead.” He’s had his own sitcom, Black Books, and is working on a book. The Irish County he’s from, Navan, has a population of only 28,158, and Pierce Brosnan grew up there. That’s some awesome production of talent.

Dylan Moran may be a natural talker, but in a 2013 interview with Interview Magazine he mentioned that, “When I was a teenager, you wouldn’t go to a bar and find lots of televisions everywhere. People were talking. Talk was the mental fire you would gather around in the evening. It occupied a big part of your existence.”

If you’re not familiar with Moran, check out his recent appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

For more details and tickets, follow this link. Show is all ages and begins at 8 PM.

Show Review: Imagine Dragons @ Amazon’s Post-Holiday Party

Posted on 06/26/2013 by BBS

Imagine Dragons – Amazon Post-Holiday Party at CenturyLink/WaMu Theater
January 19, 2013
by Chris Senn

Imagine Dragons – photo by Alexandra Sermon

What do a double-decker bus, the Eiffel Tower, Bollywood dancers, Japanese wall dancers, Chinese dragons, a makeshift Las Vegas and Imagine Dragons have in common? They were all part of the Amazon Post-Holiday party inside the CenturyLink Field Events Center on January 19th.

If you think that Imagine Dragons would feel at home in the middle of a party with dragons and a mini version of their hometown you would be right. They put on quite a show. It was quickly evident that most of the crowd was already somewhat familiar with the band, giving it their all on sing-alongs of the band’s current hit “Radioactive” and the more subdued “Demons.”

The whole band gave it everything they’ve got on stage but it’s very evident that Dan Reynolds is the front man. He takes the job of making sure the crowd has fun very seriously. He was running back and forth across the stage engaging the whole audience. He frequently made his way back to center stage where he beat the crap out of a gigantic bass drum with an equally gigantic mallet.

There wasn’t moshing per se, this was a company party after all, but those inclined to get their groove on did so during a high-energy version of the calypso-influenced “On Top of the World.” They closed out the hour-long set collaborating with the audience to power through “It’s Time.”

I feel very lucky working for a company that has bands such as Imagine Dragons play company parties. This is definitely a band worth seeing live.

(Editor’s note: the delay in posting this item is all my fault. Apologies.)

Show Review & Photos: Palma Violets @ Barboza

Posted on 06/25/2013 by Dagmar

Palma Violets @ Barboza
Show Review & Photos by Dagmar

Chilli Jesson & Samuel Fryer of Palma Violets

The exceptional British band Palma Violets played Seattle’s Barboza recently. With two vocalists of complementary sounds, guitarist Samuel Fryer and bassist Chilli Jesson (if that’s his real name!), the group’s able to portray these wondrous moods. . . and, really, I’m at a bit of a loss to describe this group. And that’s a problem in a review. There’s organs similar to the Doors’ music, plus at times Samuel Fryer’s voice works (note: not copies) a Jim Morrison thing. It’s very cool. It makes it so he can deliver these lyrics, You are my serpentine/but I’ll never look you in the eyes again, with a real pathos. And Chilli Jesson’s bass playing is a miracle. He’s fascinating, and his part is the punker side of the band. On the other hand, I always felt the Doors were quite punk.

Chilli Jesson of Palma Violets

Their merch guy, Harry Jones, was also the emcee for the evening. He entertained as well.

What didn’t entertain – and this is not Palma Violets’ fault – was the large (and physically large as in big tall men) contingent of moshers. I don’t know what they were doing there. This is great music. It’s high art actually. Mosh a little, but don’t take the crowd out with you. Somehow I withstood the onslaught, and am told this type of audience is rare for Palma Violets. Next time I hope the orcs stay home and let the real fans appreciate these poetic punks. Grab a copy of Palma Violets’ debut, 180, then listen in the sun, in the dark, drunk, sober, whatever you want to do. Just listen.

Palma Violets

More Photos of Palma Violets @ Barboza

Photos: Quadron @ Nectar Lounge

Posted on 06/24/2013 by Kirk

Fresh from an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman the night before, Quadron played to a packed house at the Nectar Lounge in Fremont last week. The Danish duo is touring the US in support of their outstanding new album, Avalanche. The opening set was from the high energy Nolie Durham Seattle Soul, a local band fronted by the soulful Nolie Durham.

Quadron

Nolie Durham

Show Review & Photos: Vans Warped Tour ’13 @ White River Ampitheatre

Posted on 06/23/2013 by BBS

Vans Warped Tour @ White River Ampitheatre, 6/15
Show Review & Photos by Heather Fitzpatrick

Gin Wigmore

Vans Warped Tour began its 19th year at Auburn’s White River Ampitheatre on June 15th, with 90+ bands performing on 9 stages throughout the grounds. Timeline for the day’s sets began at 11:20 AM and ran until 9 PM, with each band getting roughly 25-35 minutes to perform. For music festivals, each stage is normally occupied, making it impossible for fans to see every band. Some fans staked out their places early, and settled in for the day, while others ran from stage to stage – even if they were only able to see a song or two of their favorites. The weather held, and fans came out by the thousands. Whether they were there for an annual music experience to see their favorite band perform, or to see a band they’ve never heard of, there was a majority who also came out to show off their multicolored hair, various tattoos, and crowd surfing skills. Meet and greet lines were lengthy throughout the day, as that is always a perk of this festival. This year Warped Tour hits 40 cities, with tickets available for upcoming dates.

I definitely had my favorites, and was pleasantly surprised by others. This is one of my favorite local festivals to shoot. You can view my entire set of pics here.