Sound Off! 2022 continued on February 26th with showcase # 2. Photographer Simon Krane captured wonderful shots of all four acts participating at MoPOP: Gavon Leo, Kiddus Fecto, the Sleepy Haunts and Saezo. What a treat that Sound Off! is back. The 3rd, and final, showcase takes place on Saturday, March 5th. Tickets are available here.
Sound Off! is back! The 2022 showcases began on February 19th with #1 happening on February 19th. This year, the event again highlights some of the very best youth bands in the Pacific Northwest. We’re so happy to see this take place at MoPOP as always, which provides such a lovely venue with the Sky Church. Strictly a showcase now, with no placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th. Sound Off! allows fans to enjoy the performances without the artists worrying about placement. This seems to take off stress and just let the artists SHINE! Check out Simon Krane’s great shots of Instant Crush, Maceo Sky, Lexi Lalauni and REFUGIO.
Georgia’s Washed Out brought tunes from his latest release, Purple Noon to Seattle at the end of January. That album got its name from the classic French movie of the same, featuring actor Alain Delon. The Sub Pop-signed Washed Out (Ernest Greene) excels in Chillwave, a genre well-suited to the Showbox’s ability to host such sounds. Duo Brijean, who describe themselves as “back-room disco” (that’s a very cool phrase) opened.
JoJo is all grown up! After being the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single in the United States at age 13, JoJo has continued her success with worldwide, sold-out, headlining tours. She made a recent stop at the Showbox SoDo near the beginning of her coast-to-coast, headlining 2022 Tour … then it’s off to Europe next month. And yes, it was a sold-out show!
Thievery Corporation returned to Seattle for two nights at the Showbox Market, after a couple of pandemic years away. (See a review of their 2018 show in Back Beat Seattle).
Founded in 1995, Thievery Corporation offered a precise and high-quality show, with an endearing genuineness and a felt sense of joy in performing together. The band included founding member Rob Garza, guitarist/sitarist Rob Myers, percussionist Frank Orrall, drummer Jeff Franca, and newly joined bassist Dan Africano—it was just his third show, replacing mainstay Ashish Vyas.
Their blazing 25-tune set included an instrumental opening segment, followed by an excellent cast of rotating vocalists (Puma Ptah, Loulou Ghelichkhani, Natalia Clavier, Racquel Jones, Mr. Lif, and Frank Orrall), and an extended curtain call. Although Seattle crowds can require some coaxing, Thievery had this one waving and jumping.
Folks showed up early for opening singer–songwriter –rapper Dessa, who was joined by a keyboardist and harpist. She showed wit at the mic, sipped her drinks with a licorice straw, and walked the back bar while fans illuminated her with cellphones and sang along.
Thievery Corporation is back on the road in March 2022 for their Outernational Tour V.2.
Dessa – photo by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Thievery Corporation – all photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Dessa – all photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Dessa Setlist – photo by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Thievery Corporation Setlist – photo by Lisa Hagen Glynn
