Now I’m looking back at July 11th, 2012, when Side Pony released their album, That Plus Weird, at Barboza. Side Pony, the duo of Kristin B. and Dalisha P., brought vocalist Adra Boo with them – Boo sings on That Plus Weird track “BOP!.” Opening the evening was Clutch Douglass, who dressed in sassy uniforms. Their next show is on Friday, January 18th at Columbia City Theater.
Side Pony
Clutch Douglass
More Photos of Side Pony @ Barboza
More Photos of Clutch Douglass @ Barboza
Reverb Fest 2012 included so many fantastic local acts, and we got Rod Tipton in the festival to take some pretty pictures. Our final photos of Wheelies and Spoonshine make us even more eager for next year’s Reverb Fest!
The Wheelies
Spoonshine
Saturday night, Paula Boggs of the Paula Boggs Band invited me to join her at the Skylark Cafe in West Seattle. My wife and I had a great time and the band made us feel very welcome.
The Paula Boggs Band is a local Jazz/Blues band that’s beginning to make a splash on the national Jazz scene. Paula shared with us how she gets inspired by real people and real situations when she writes her heartfelt lyrics.
Paula spoke emotionally about “Edith’s Coming Home” and how “Edith” was a legal pioneer, becoming one of New York State’s first African American judges. In later life, Edith struggled with dementia and lost that precious something that helped her overcome obstacles and achieve such lofty goals.
Do yourself a favor and see Paula and her band at your local jazz club.
Photographer: John Rudolph
alt-J & Wildcat! Wildcat! @ the Crocodile, 12/17
Show Review & Photos by Dagmar
alt-J‘s Joe Newman
Britain’s – and this year’s winner of that country’s Mercury Prize – alt-J had their first headlining show in Seattle on December 17th, bringing with them Wildcat! Wildcat!. A quartet, alt-J is an unusual band and one I’d say is unique in music’s climate at the moment. Their debut LP, An Awesome Wave, often reminds me of a-ha’s later work – I’m talking about way past what you might know a-ha for. As an a-ha aficionado (I mean that) there’s not much higher a compliment I can give a band. They possess similar gentle, sweeping sounds with elegant guitars and singer/guitarist Joe Newman’s vocals at times recall a-ha vocalist Morten Harket’s strongest moments. The band includes various gorgeous sounds: sometimes the music will sound a bit Irish, sometimes it will sound Spanish, or Indian, and while watching alt-J I was struck by singer/guitarist Joe Newman’s and guitarist/bassist Gwil Sainsbury’s guitar playing. They plucked their guitars with their fingers, using a pizzicato style I have never seen in a “pop” band. It was a beautiful thing to hear and see. The way Newman and keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton combined their vocals, as in “Fitzpleasure,” was also really lovely. And I need to mention that drummer Thom Green is a mighty great drummer. The set list was familiar to and loved by the audience, and included “Something Good,” “Breezeblocks,” “Dissolve Me,” “Matilda,” “Taro” (my top alt-J song) and “Tessellate,” with the lyrics triangles are my favorite shape. Tessellation is an actual thing, by the way: Tessellation is the process of creating a two-dimensional plane using the repetition of a geometric shape with no overlaps and no gaps (thank you Wikipedia). They also covered Kylie Minogue’s mash up with Dr. Dre, “Slow Dre” in a sexily alternate way that took me midway through the song before I recognized it. And, a bonus: Newman wore a T-shirt from the nearby Mama’s Mexican Kitchen, one of my favorite restaurants.
alt-J
Wildcat! Wildcat!, a great trio from Los Angeles, opened the evening. I would be well- disposed towards any band with this name, but they actually have some sweet tunes, so even better! Their vocals were also strong, and their songs were alluring pieces for sure. I want to see them headline here for a longer set. I recommend you head over to the band’s music page, where you can download – for free – a couple Wildcat! Wildcat! tracks, “Mr. Quiche” and “The Chief.”
Wildcat! Wildcat!
alt-J
Wildcat! Wildcat!
More Photos of alt-J @ the Crocodile
More Photos of Wildcat! Wildcat! @ the Crocodile
Toronto songstress, now living in Nashville, Lindi Ortega recently headlined at the Q Café. She was wrapping up her nationwide tour in support of her latest record, Cigarettes & Truckstops, which was named by Spin magazine as one of the best country albums of 2012. Sincerely, Val (Seattle) and Samsel and the Skirt (Portland) opened.
Lindi Ortega
Sincerely, Val
Samsel and the Skirt