Photographer Geoffrey Gribbin was everywhere during the 2011 Decibel Festival. In addition to his coverage of Moby, which we featured earlier, he captured so many other great shots. Thank you to Decibel Festival for allowing us to shoot away during the festivities. Also, ace puppy snaps, Geoffrey.
New Year’s Eve saw Seattle’s Ivan & Alyosha opening for Brandi Carlile at the Neptune. We’ll have photographer Amy Elyse’s photos of Brandi Carlile up for you very soon – first up we’ve got some of Elyse’s gorgeous Ivan & Alyosha shots. Their EP, Fathers Be Kind, was one of last year’s best releases. You can check out Back Beat Seattle’s prior coverage of the band here.
Pickwick & Campfire OK @ the Neptune, 12/8
Show Review & Photos by Abby Williamson
As I am writing about what became the final concert I saw in 2011, I can’t help but feel incredibly warm and fuzzy inside. Pickwick and Campfire OK co-headlining the Neptune Theater was a perfect way to end 2011 for me, as I was in Australia for the rest of the month of December and didn’t get a chance to see more shows. But I think it’s better that way.
Campfire OK
Pickwick
After being involved in this lovely little music scene we call our own here in Seattle for 2 years now, I feel like I actually belong now, and this show further exemplified it.
Not only were two of the best emerging local bands headlining. Jessica Dobson and Deep Sea Diver brought the house down, and I use that cliché wisely. She was phenomenal. No wonder the Shins brought her along as guitarist for their recent tour. I was blown away, and it was just getting started.
While the bands on the bill were the highlight of the evening, the rest of the theater was ripe with other local artists, even if there were other shows going on downtown. I spotted members of Hey Marseilles, The Local Strangers, Lemolo, Kris Orlowski, and Noah Gundersen several times. It just goes to show you how much love there is in this city.
Then Campfire OK took the stage, and they are by far the most adorable thing to come out of this city. So humble and gracious to be in a venue that Jimmy Hendrix once played. Did you know that? It’s so cool!
But their set was beyond what I expected. They played through some of my favourite songs off Strange Like We Are, as well as some new tracks that they tested on us all. Whatever this band does – I’m on board. And speaking of Noah Gundersen, he was Mychal’s guitar tech through their set. I kept half-expecting him to come and bust a song out with them, but he sat on the side of the stage, enjoying it with the rest of us, helping Mychael switch out his guitars every so often. The Neptune was a bunch of musical gumbo that night.
Pickwick
Campfire OK
Steel Panther
In 1985, rent cost $375 per month, gas was $1.09 per gallon, and movies were $2.75 per ticket. A-ha, Simple Minds, and Madonna topped the pop charts. Heavy Metal bands wore as much make up as their Day-Glow-wearing girlfriends and Aqua Net was as important as their guitars, mics, and drums.
On January 11th, The Showbox at The Market transported us back to the days of zebra print, spandex and neon as they hosted Steel Panther.
The crowd was eagerly waiting for Steel Panther to take the stage. The fans started getting a little antsy and some chanted: Steel Panther, Steel Panther, Steel Panther. With the power and sex appeal of any ’80s metal band, Michael Starr (singer), Satchel (guitar), Lexxi Foxx (bass), Stix Zadinia (drums) kicked off the show with “Supersonic Sex Machine” from their newest album Balls Out.
Steel Panther is a very campy and raunchy band that reminds me of many famous comedians in Hollywood. Their lyrics would be misogynistic and dodgy if they couldn’t sell their gags over the course of two CDs; however, Steel Panther has real talent and everyone was in on the joke. In 2011 Steel Panther played with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe at Wembley Arena in London. With company like that, they will be filling venues for years to come.
The trip back to 1985 was like, totally awesome, dude.
Steel Panther
The Chasers
Photographer: John Rudolph
The happy and dapper meteorologist, Steve Pool introduced Sade and John Legend at KeyArena on August 14th, 2011. While I was setting up to take pix of the show, a fellow photographer mentioned he had seen Steve Pool backstage. Pool was not just there as a fan, but to do the introductions. I needed to photograph this weather star.
Steve Pool – all photos by Dagmar
