Yakima has been on a roll with getting some big name acts to play in the area. With Elton John, John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, and the forthcoming Brett Michaels one has to wonder, Why all of the sudden are the big name acts, playing a small town like Yakima? The only big names to draw here are a few country acts (Carrie Underwood) and maybe a few rock acts. And maybe a comedy act (Jeff Dunham or George Lopez) from time to time. Continue reading
Photos: Hole, Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack & Daredevils @ Bumbershoot
Hole and Weezer played Bumbershoot’s Mainstage last night and I completely enjoyed both sets. I had never seen Hole before but have always liked their music. I think Courtney Love is resilient and talented – “Honey,” off the new CD, Nobody’s Daughter was quite gorgeous. Love’s voice was spot-on, and Live Through This’ “Miss World,” “Violet,” “Doll Parts,” and “Asking for It” especially sounded great. Weezer was fantastic. They packed so much into their show, playing many of their hits – Rivers Cuomo at one point said, “Play your hits Weezer.” Since I love Weezer it’s hard for me to be impartial when talking about them, but highlights for me were the many songs they did off Weezer: “Buddy Holly,” “Undone – the Sweater Song,” and “Say it Ain’t So”. “Hash Pipe” and “Island in the Sun,” from Weezer 2 were fabulous, as was Weezer (Red Album)’s “Pork and Beans”. I also caught some of an energetic Motion City Soundtrack set at the new stage for Bumbershoot, the Center Square Stage and saw Circus Una Motorcycle Thrill Show, a female duo of daredevils.
Hole
Weezer
Motion City Soundtrack
Una Circa Motorcycle Thrill Show – all photos by Dagmar
Show Review & Photos: Slayer & Testament @ the WaMu Theater
On Friday night Slayer starred in a mouthwatering lineup that included fellow Californians Testament. One thing that struck me about both these bands was their ability to create real melody in the speed of their music. I don’t think this is easy to do. Sometimes if the rhythm is too fast it can sound unbalanced, but Slayer and Testament let their ripping power stretch and compress in just the right moments. A wide span of generations came to this very crowded show. While it was entertaining to watch the people in the mosh pit, the sight of children (and I mean six-, eight-, ten-year-olds) wearing Slayer shirts was just really awesome. It was also proof of each band’s strength that fans have stuck with them over the years – not everyone was a 20-something. I couldn’t get pictures of the bands’ drummers as they were behind massive kits – sometimes it just isn’t possible to get shots of each band member, but I had a wonderful time capturing these (galleries coming soon):
Slayer
Testament – all photos by Dagmar
Photos: Comedy, the Raveonettes & Solomon Burke @ Bumbershoot
I split the first day of Bumbershoot between comedy and music and I sure am glad I did. At the Comedy North Stage (Intiman Theatre) I caught the surprise guest, Doug Benson, as well as scheduled guests, Kumail Nanjiani and Nick Kroll. All three were hilarious. I encourage you to see them when they perform again on Sunday and/or Monday. I did an interview with Kumail Nanjiani, which will be up here soon. I also got pix of Solomon Burke and the Raveonettes on a couple of the outdoor stages – they both sounded excellent. In all the times I have seen the Raveonettes I had never seen them play outside, so this was a very different experience. Here are some of my photos, with more on their way:
the Raveonettes
Kumail Nanjiani
Doug Benson
Solomon Burke
Nick Kroll – all photos by Dagmar
Photos: Archeology @ the Comet
Portland’s Archeology wrapped up a nearly two month tour at the Comet last night. Their debut LP, Memorial, came out in March, and here are some photos from Friday’s show:
