This past Sunday I had the pleasure of attending my first ever Seattle Living Room Show. The venue isn’t disclosed till a couple of days before the event, and this time it was at a gallery in SoDo. The artists this night only had an amp for their guitar and their own vocals to power through. It provided a unique atmosphere that I hadn’t been in previously. You can view my entire set here.
Lelia Broussard
Bess Rogers
Brandon Flowers possesses the easy, natural charm that just might convince his fans to do anything. Flowers came to Seattle’s Showbox SoDo last night on his solo tour – if you don’t know, he’s the Killers’ singer – and carried the audience away in songs mostly from Flamingo, his first CD as a solo artist. The Killers have not disbanded, instead Flowers is such a great and prolific songwriter he’s got extra material to share. It’s a wonderful bonus.
Flowers wore a red top and black vest with black slacks, plus a sharp silver belt. I am all for the black and red combination – it’s my favorite. In a few songs a very pretty crème-colored backdrop of crepe was on display. The audience was there to see Brandon Flowers, not just as a curiosity to see one of the Killers go solo, but for him alone. The album came out just this September, and the majority of the audience helplessly sang along with the infectious and enjoyable songs. As I went through the songs trying to focus on which ones I would like to point out as particularly strong, I realized I was remembering the entire set list (which you can see here). He opened with the moving “On the Floor” (On the floor where the rats all come away clean/They’re on the floor . . . On the floor/Where the mice call shots in the corner/That’s where I’ll be). Other standouts were an engaging “Magdalena,” a totally awesome version of Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes,” superb performances of the sexy “Crossfire,” “Only the Young” and “Was it Something I Said,” and a few of my favorites – his hometown paean, “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” “Playing with Fire” and the perfect “Swallow It” (Be an advocate of joy).
Brandon Flowers
There’s a sincere depth and faith in Flowers’ work. I sense an old soul here, and it was definitely there in his encore song “The Clock Was Tickin’,” a clear country song that he said was written from the point of view of his dad. Flowers is an expert at writing character-driven songs. He ended the show on a rather sorrowful and unexpected note with an acoustic version of the Killers’ “When You Were Young”. I was also impressed with the full and consistent power of Flowers’ voice.
Fran Healy (Travis) opened the night. I accidentally missed the first half of his set but the second half I saw was really gorgeous. Healy also possesses that wonderful charm that sets him and Flowers apart as front men. I loved “Buttercups,” and his discussion on how an argument about whether he was romantic or not was the only argument he’s won with his wife. Verdict: he is romantic.
Brandon Flowers @ Showbox SoDo – all photos courtesy of Press Here Publicity
After a 3-year break, KT Tunstall made it back to Seattle with a show at the Showbox Sodo on Election Day. I have always been somewhat of a fan of KT Tunstall as her songs are very catchy, I also discovered her music from none other than NW Cable News meteorologist Lisa Van Cise when she used to be a reporter for KIMA in Yakima. In support of her new album Tiger Suit, KT didn’t disappoint her diverse fans – who knew what they wanted. A couple people had asked me if she played as a “one man band” but no, she had a band with her this time. Opening were Hurricane Bells, an Indie band based out of New York, whom at first I wasn’t familiar with but after hearing a few songs, I noticed I had heard them on KEXP.
Overall, this show was a blast. I was a bit surprised she was playing Sodo as most acts of this nature play Showbox at the Market or Neumos. But none the less, this was worth a 3-year wait.
To see more photos, click on the links below
KT Tunstall click here
Hurricane Bells click here
By Xander “XD” Deccio
KT Tunstall
Hurricane Bells
Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames headlined on Saturday at The Croc. It was very apparent from the level of audience participation and their warm reception, that Laura has a loyal following in Seattle.
Seattle got The Pleasure Principle treatment from Gary Numan this Halloween. The British musician performed the album’s songs, along with other pieces from his oeuvre to a sincerely rapturous crowd. I should know. I was one of those enraptured crowd members. Numan’s voice was perfect for every song; it’s got a hypnotic depth to it that worked so well in The Pleasure Principle‘s songs. It also stood out in all the great music he’s released since.
“M.E.,” “Films,” (I think this one of, all the Pleasure Principle songs hints to the passion that particularly infuses his newer work) “Observer,” “Engineers,” “Cars” (which was right in the middle of the set) hit me just right in the heart– then things got yet deeper. It’s difficult to classify Numan’s music; some want to call it industrial, techno, synth, and I am just not sure. I don’t like pigeonholing music and I think while a lot of his work might have these elements, the songs stand alone. “Pure,” the title track of his 2000 CD, was a key song on the list. Its aggressive and yet lulling guitars and words (I want to dip your wings in blood/And watch an angel bleed for me/Hey bitch/This is what you are/Purified/Sanctified) really shot out at the audience. “Are Friends Electric?” and “Down in the Park,” with their sinister vibes, were perfectly placed within his newer songs. Jagged’s “Halo” was superb, and the new song “Zulu” absolutely roared.
Numan, joined by a full band, moved easily from keys to guitar to using his vocals and performing strongly as a front man. He’s a soul-touching, thrilling master to watch.
Gary Numan – all photos by Dagmar