Soulful singer ZZ Ward recently stopped at the Crocodile Café during her Down and Dirty Shine Tour. ZZ is touring the US in support of her debut album, Til the Casket Drops. Local singer-songwriter Jael Johnson and Los Angeles-based Yellow Red Sparks opened.
ZZ Ward
Yellow Red Sparks
Jael Johnson
Ravenna Woods, Cody Beebe & the Crooks and Land Of Pines @ City Arts Fest, 10/19
Review by Chris Senn
Photos by Kirk Stauffer
City Arts Fest is the best local festival to come about in quite a while. While quite a few national and international acts are brought in, the core and heart of City Arts Fest lies in celebrating local music, art and venues. Friday October 19th at the Crocodile represented what this festival is all about: A home grown bill from top to bottom all four bands came to rock.
Unfortunately I showed up a little late and admit that I missed the opening set by the Swearengens. I really wanted to see the band named after Ian McShane’s Deadwood character, but no luck there. I promised to catch one of their shows soon.
Land Of Pines
I showed up shortly before Land Of Pines took the stage. Their music is in the same vein as the Lumineers and the Head and the Heart, albeit with a slightly heavier edge. During the intro to “Following,” the ghost of Nick Drake made an appearance. The structure and delivery of the lyrics exhibited a definite Drake influence.
Next up, Cody Beebe & the Crooks took the stage for their first Seattle show after successfully pulling off the first annual Chinook Fest a few weeks ago. Newly married drummer Chris Green is still celebrating. For this show Drew Fletcher filled in behind the kit after only two rehearsals. He didn’t miss a beat. Cody Beebe & the Crooks launched into their set like a force to be reckoned with and put on a straightforward rock show. “Waiting For You” and the breakdowns on “Change of Pace” were particularly strong. Eric Miller’s archival video editing provided an entertaining backdrop. The solos, as always, were amazing.
The Swearengens
The headliners, Ravenna Woods, performed an energetic, xylophone filled set to close out the night. Matt Badger made the most of his stripped-down drum kit, the sound filling the room. The manic energy and guitar of Chris Cunningham kept the crowd alive and rocking late into the night. Brantley Duke makes the most out of the xylophone, one of the most unlikely – but awesome – instruments you’ll find in a rock band. The intricate, speed-acoustic guitar on numbers like “We Want It All” and “One Fall” sealed the deal. They ended the show with the adrenaline still pumping. This show is what City Arts Fest, at least the music side, is all about.
Cody Beebe
Land of Pines
The Swearegeans
Singer-songwriter Lucy Schwartz was in Seattle for a City Arts Fest show, as opener for Joshua Radin. Schwartz, who has toured with Lilith Fair, also has a song called “Cold” (co-written with Aqualung) on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.
Lucy Schwartz
Continue reading
We are getting so, so close to completing our coverage of 2012’s Bumbershoot! Photographer Simon Krane was all over the festival’s grounds, and we’ve got more evidence of his journeys. Krane caught garage acts Heartless Bastards and Ty Segall – as well as the Helio Sequence.
Heartless Bastards
Ty Segall
The Helio Sequence
Frightened Rabbit & Arc in the Round @ the Triple Door, 10/15
Show Review & Photos by Abby Williamson
Frightened Rabbit
After two years away from Seattle, Frightened Rabbit finally came back to our dear city, headlining a show at the Triple Door on October 15th. Opening the show was Arc in Round, a group drenched in sonic experimentation and fuzzy humming instruments. It was an interesting warm up to Frightened Rabbit, made even more interesting by the dinner theater ambience.
The Scottish boys brought it home with songs ranging from Sing the Greys to songs off new EP, State Hospital. Again, the dinner theater setting made for almost a more intimate performance – front man Scott Hutchison was almost able to have complete conversations rather than just talking at the audience. He told us about the band’s hardship in getting across the border, calling the border patrol lady a less than politically correct term – but that’s Scotsmen for you.
I was thoroughly pleased with the show. It felt short, but that may have been because it was such an early show (those 7:30 start times sure throw me off). Scott Hutchison’s solo acoustic stuff was one of the highlights of the night (apart from meeting the band afterward), but I was heartbroken not to have heard “Keep Yourself Warm.” I mean, damn that’s a good song.
Luckily, the band did say they’d be back next year with a new full-length (which was actually mastered the day of the Seattle show)! So if you didn’t catch them around on this tour, you’ll definitely have another chance – I highly recommend it.
Frightened Rabbit
Arc in the Round
