Photos: Cibo Matto & The Chain Gang of 1974 @ Neumos

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Recently reunited Cibo Matto, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda, performed at Neumos for a truly ecstatic audience last Tuesday evening. The show followed March’s benefit the duo took part in to help victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, and Tuesday’s concert was one of the first shows the band has done since disbanding in 2001. Photographer Simon Krane and I got to check out Cibo Matto and openers The Chain Gang of 1974, who just happens to be an artist I’m picking as one of my own personal breakthrough artist of the year. They return to Seattle in August with Tapes ‘n Tapes.


Cibo Matto – photo by Simon Krane


The Chain Gang of 1974 – photo by Simon Krane


Cibo Matto – photo by Dagmar


Cibo Matto – photo by Dagmar


The Chain Gang of 1974 – photo by Dagmar


Cibo Matto – photo by Simon Krane

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Photos: Cheyenne Marie Mize @ the Fremont Abbey

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I saw the talented Cheyenne Marie Mize for the first time in March at SXSW in Austin. Her name recently popped up on the Fremont Abbey’s calendar and I immediately grabbed tickets. Her website says it best … whimsical, haunting, dreamlike folk that’s dynamic and eschews the traditional folk formulae … rugged and gentle, innocent and forlorn, spacious and intimate, desolate and uplifting … honey-tinged vocals make up this simple, immaculate collection of vintage torch ballads, engrossed in twinkling bucolic imagery. The Fremont show was in the middle of her US tour with Vanderveer.

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Review & Photos: KISS @ The Everett Events Center

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It was a typical day at work when at 1:45 P.M. I got a call from my buddy Tom exclaiming that the KISS Army was a man down. Major Tom insisted that I join the fight.

After 40 years of hard livin’ and even harder rockin’, KISS still packs the house with wild and colorful fans. As I joined the ranks of bleached blondes in bustiers, aging rockers, and new recruits, the show got underway. KISS took us on a journey through time and space playing songs spanning four decades. Not all of the original members are still around but KISS has lost none of its magic and theatrics. The winged Demon still belches blood, the stage was engulfed in flames hot enough to melt faces, and was bathed in light dazzling the senses.

KISS

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Show Review & Photos: Cerebral Ballzy & Grave Babies @ Neumos

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I was the first person to arrive at Neumos last Thursday night for the explosive triple bill featuring Black Lips, Cerebral Ballzy, and Grave Babies. The floor was dark and empty, save for a lone security guy on a bar stool at the back and a few other staffers. The next four people inside were, like me, there to photograph the show. As we staked out our spots at the front of the stage, I was wondering. . . ”Where is everybody? This is going to be one amazing show!”

Within an hour or so, the floor was packed into a mob of joyous punked out pit maniacs. Bodies were flying, beer was spraying, and fists were pumping into the air. I never should have doubted the inevitable. The three bands had commonalities – loud, noisy, with plenty of attitude – but their differences were more pronounced.


Grave Babies – photo by Alex Crick


Cerebral Ballzy – photo by Marianne Spellman


Cerebral Ballzy – photo by Dagmar

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Interview & Show Preview: fun. @ Showbox SoDo Friday, 6/24

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fun., a super trio of former band members from The Format, Steel Train and Anathallo, began in 2008 as an inspiration from singer/songwriter Nate Ruess. Ruess moved from Arizona to New York, and contacted musicians Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost. They got to work on album one, Aim and Ignite, an immediately appealing and stirring CD. Since its 2009 release they’ve toured as openers for bands Jack’s Mannequin, Paramore and Weezer. Now they’re back on tour after nearly completing album two (plus releasing a deluxe edition of Aim and Ignite), and on Friday, June 24th they’ll be in Seattle with Panic! At the Disco. I can’t wait! Nate Ruess talked with me last week about movies, musicals and the great vocals in fun..

Is your follow-up to Aim and Ignite completed?

Nate Ruess: Almost finished and hoping to be out in late summer. It’s 90 percent done.

Have you made any changes in sound for this CD?

NR: I think so. Nothing that wasn’t natural as far as us progressing. As a songwriter I always want to look for something different but I never want to force the issue. I want it to be as natural as possible. I think we made some big changes but there’s still a naturalness to who we are.

How was making the video for “Walking the Dog”? It must have taken a long time to do all that painting.

NR: It was horrible. I was in the worst mood I think I’ve ever been in. We had 24 hours to do it and then we had to fly straight to England. It was one of those moments, like touring with bigger bands, when I see them get carted around so much I always feel so bad for them. That was my one moment to be carted around, doing 90 different things. Usually we space things out so that we have a moment to catch our breath. That wasn’t the case and I think I was just in a really bad mood so you can imagine taking 4 hours to paint my entire body.


fun.

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