Photos: Heaven 17 @ the Neptune

Heaven 17 @ the Neptune – 10/6/22
Photos by Rachel Crick

Heaven 17 – photo by Rachel Crick

Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware, along with two backup singers Kelly Barnes and Rachel Mosleh, plus synth player Flo Sabeva (she’s also a pianist!) made an incredibly rare appearance in Seattle on October 6th. So rare, in fact, this was part of their debut headlining tour in the US. Gregory and Ware reached fans in the UK starting in the 1980s, beginning with the album Penthouse and Pavement. This is an album everyone should have. How appropriate is it then to take their most famous track off the album “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” on the road with the eponymous tour. Only fifteen dates, the tour’s set list featured some of BBS editor’s (that’s Dagmar) and all Heaven 17 fans’ favorite songs: “Let Me Go,” “Come Live with Me,” “Temptation,” “Penthouse and Pavement” and “We Live So Fast.” Classic. Just classic. So here the band is in synth glory as they performed those tracks and more in the last date of their USA/Canada 2022 tour.

Heaven 17 – photos by Rachel Crick

Photos: Sloppy Jane @ Vera Project

Sloppy Jane @ Vera Project – 11/6/2022
Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Avant-garde rockers Sloppy Jane headlined at the Vera Project, in support of their most recent release, Madison.  The band was fronted by Haley Dahl who gave a memorable, theatrical performance.  Her blue velvet suit, blue shoes, blue guitar, and blue tears beautifully complemented her long red hair.  She was backed by an eight-piece orchestra, with many of the members playing multiple instruments.  In the middle of the show, Dahl went into the crowd for what quickly turned into a sing-a-long.

Sloppy Jane – Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Cool Cover: Luke Evans – A Song For You

Artist: Luke Evans
Album: A Song For You
Details:  Welsh actor/singer-songwriter and the generally amazing Luke Evans just released his second album, A Song For You, including covers of “Over the Rainbow,” “Last Christmas” and “My Way.” There’s also a duet with actress/singer Nicole Kidman on “Say Something.” I believe this is the first song Kidman’s done independent of a film since 2001’s “Somethin’ Stupid,” a duet with Robbie Williams. The cover is a smoking hot photograph by Ed Cooke of Evans.

Cover art for Luke EvansA Song For You – photo by Ed Cooke

Photos: Yuna @ Crocodile Café

Yuna @ Crocodile Café – 11/4/22
Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna headlined at the Crocodile Café in front of a packed, enthusiastic crowd.  The Seattle stop was one of many on her US mini-tours to promote her latest album, Y5, the fifth in the series released this year.  Accompanied by Pierre on keys, Yuna played guitar on several songs.

Photos: Atmosphere @ Showbox SoDo

Atmosphere @ Showbox SoDo – 10/12
Photos by Rachel Crick

Atmosphere‘s Slug – photo by Rachel Crick

Ah yeah! Party Over Here tour from Atmosphere??? Minneapolis’s duo of hip hop mega proportions visited Seattle on October 12th to headline Showbox SoDo. This year, they released GodLovesUgly Reprise: The Anniversary Collection, while the sweet “Sculpting With Fire” hit the internet as well. Last year’s WORD? was well-received and has one of the coolest album covers in recent memory, also, remember, as they tell us in that album’s Track “Fleetwood,” There’s no winners at the ass-kissing contest. Love it!