On Monday night Dropkick Murphys brought their punk Irish sound to the Paramount. Going Out in Style, album number seven from the band was released this March and includes appearances by Bruce Springsteen and Pat Lynch. Sláinte to photographer Graham Lee for capturing the action in Seattle.
British pop singer and songwriter Natasha Bedingfield headlined at the Showbox at the Market and sang for a very enthusiastic audience. She’s in the middle of her US tour in support of her latest album, Strip Me.
It was obvious that Natasha enjoys being close to her fans. There was a lot of interaction with the audience as she reached out to touch hands on numerous occasions, as captured in several photos below. Natasha, with backup singer Jessi Collins, who’ve known each other since high school, harmonized fantastically together.
Besides her own songs, which included her #1 hit “Unwritten,” Natasha sang a few covers; Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,”, The Police’s “Message in a Bottle” and an impromptu version of Sade’s “Smooth Operator.”
Marc Broussard brought his soul singing rock and roll blues to Showbox at the Market on June 25. Growing up in Carencro, Louisiana the son of a musician, Broussard was immersed in the sounds of soul, funk, gospel and blues. He developed a great affinity and affection for soul legends like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Otis Redding and Bobby Womack. His style is a unique rock hybrid of all of these influences. Looking at him you wouldn’t think he could project the deep southern soul vocals that he does. He was backed by a fantastic band. Many songs showcased the shredding guitar solos of Nathan Duggar.
Broussard is touring behind his new, self-titled, album. He did a great job keeping the show exciting, changing up the pace, turning up the funk then bringing it down to a slow jam. His new songs are not indicative of his raw talent. Many of the new offerings sound like they were polished up and glossed over to make them a little more poppy and easy to swallow for his label. He alluded to this while introducing “Emily.” He entertained with a story about Lou Bega’s “Mambo #5” and what makes a hit song. He joked that Bega looked up a list of popular girls’ names and put them all in his song so every girl with their name in the song would have to go out and buy it. He joked that his label didn’t like “Emily” because it had too few girls’ names. The song itself is catchy to be sure but, like I said, it does not represent his full talent and potential.
Marc Broussard – photo courtesy of marcbroussard.com
The cavernous Showbox SoDo had turned into Seattle’s largest (and noisiest) steam room by the time Panic! At the Disco took the stage, the air filled with shrieks and teenage girlsweat. Standing in the photo pit, I began to understand why security guards wear earplugs — the band is fairly quiet from that vantage, but the screams of the crowd were deafeningly loud and completely unrelenting.
Panic is worlds away from what I was into at fourteen. I reached that age in the height of the grunge era, when an unwashed Kurt Cobain was the heartthrob du jour, and stage demeanor was a studied (or stoned) disaffection. The suits and ties and hair gel that the boys of Panic sport would have seemed at best archaic and at worst ridiculous, embarrassing and out of touch. Nowadays? I flipping love it. Their bear hug embrace of theatricality and their unabashed willingness to enjoy themselves are a joy to behold and a much better inspiration to kids (or adults) than chilly faux-cool.
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Brittney Bush Bollay
Panic! At the Disco – photos by Dagmar
Hollywood’s magical Mickey Avalon captured Seattle’s Showbox Market on Friday night. Avalon, whose next CD is really eagerly awaited, looks like “Mr. Right” to these fans and more. Thanks to Graham Lee for some wonderful shots:
