Show Review & Photos: The Moondoggies Christmas Show w/Acapulco Lips & Dumb Thumbs @ the Tractor

Posted on 01/31/2022 by BBS

The Moondoggies Christmas Show w/Acapulco Lips & Dumb Thumbs @ the Tractor – 12/17/21
Show Review by Meredith Smith

Another rainy December night proved the backdrop for the 15th annual Maldives’ Christmas Show at the Tractor Tavern — now hosted by The Moondoggies, this longstanding holiday tradition still features a cadre of local acts and holiday cheer.

The Moondoggies – photo by Meredith Smith

Surprise of the night was opening act Dumb Thumbs, a local punk outfit with traditional Sex Pistols-esque rhythm, but vocals like a warm sunny day. The band proved not to be simply a one-trick pony, adding textural stylings with sliding guitars, an extremely strong rhythm section, and lead guitar solos to keep the set moving. Although they opened with their best track — “Holy Guacamole” — the entire set delivered a bright spot of punk. For a band that bills themselves as “good-time rock-n-rollers from the PNW,” they sure delivered.

Up next were goth-surf trio and local sweethearts Acapulco Lips. Dumb Thumbs warmed up the night, and Acapulco Lips’ legion of fans present for the evening got the party started. With their extremely charismatic drummer clad in a Santa-print three-piece suit (notice I did not describe his attire as a Santa suit, as intended) truly bringing the Christmas spirit, our local surf rockers warmed up the beach, er, stage, for the Moondoggies.

Acapulco Lips – photo by Meredith Smith

Bringing their classic beach-party-inspired americana jam to the Tractor were, of course, The Moondoggies! Inheriting the Christmas show from venerable locals like The Maldives is a tall order, but these local darlings delivered. Opening with a rockin’ rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and donning an appropriate Winnie-the-Pooh themed Christmas sweater, The Moondoggies front man Kevin Murphy kept the Christmas spirit alive throughout the evening. With songs old and new, including “Ain’t No Lord,” “One More Chance,” and “Red Eye,” The Moondoggies filled the Tractor with their three-part harmonies, slide guitars, and classic country vibes for the remainder of the evening.

Dancing, a little moshing, and an extremely jolly crowd kept the Tractor moving through the end of the set and into the encore. In spite of all of the anxiety and the worries we’ve faced the past few years, The Moondoggies’ Christmas show honored the spirits of Christmas past, gave us a warm, fun evening for this Christmas present, and brought hope for the future of live music in Seattle.

Although this was not my last show to attend of 2021, it was one of the most fun evenings I had at a concert in a long time. Great energy from all of the bands involved, lots of love and laughter in the Tractor community at large, and I dare say, that a good time was had by all.

Photos: Candlebox @the Neptune

Posted on 01/30/2022 by BBS

Candlebox @ the Neptune – November 5, 2021
Photos by Alex Crick

What a beautiful sight to catch a real Seattle band such as Candlebox at a Seattle landmark, the Neptune. When Candlebox formed, the Neptune was one of the oldest Seattle movie theaters. In November, the band played two shows, an acoustic date on November 5th at the Neptune, and an appearance at the Showbox on November 6th. Plus, they released Wolves, Candlebox album seven, just in 2021.

Candlebox – photos by Alex

Show Review: Laura Veirs @ Fremont Abbey

Posted on 01/09/2022 by BBS

Laura Veir s @ Fremont Abbey – 12/12/21
Show Review by Meredith Smith

Humidity. A fact of life that Seattlites and inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest know too well. We live and breathe the marine layer, the way it lifts and falls, how it rises and fades. It settles overnight and then lifts by mid-morning. It taunts us, and our hair. And can provide some of us with enough talent with a unique view of the world — and songwriting inspiration.

Such is the case for long-time Pacific Northwest resident and acclaimed singer-songwriter, Laura Veirs, who brought her jazz-influenced alt-country act to the Fremont Abbey on Saturday, December 12th. Playing two nights of Seattle shows, the Portland musician played to a packed Abbey and wove a tapestry of stories influenced by her life in the Northwest and beyond. Playing literally to her roots with family and friends making up the audience and special guests including longtime violinist.

Back to the humidity. Veirs presents songs with an air of psychedelica and a down-home Americana that feel weighted, but not heavy. The rhythms and melodies permeate, but they don’t fester. Her songs bring meaning to metaphor. Lyrics are infused with deep longing and loss and hope. And the set list for her second night at the Abbey included a bevy of ballads and up-tempo numbers that spanned her vibrant discography.

Laura Veirs – photo by Meredith Smith

As a longtime Veirs fan, I was more than pleased to hear a mix of songs from the whole catalog. Veirs has been recording albums since the early aughts, and her catalog includes releases from labels like the fabled Nonesuch and self-released recordings. Her collaborators are lauded indie talents like Neko Case, Karl Blau, and k.d. Lang. But it’s Veirs’ own experiences that fuel her passion for music, her passion for creating, and her passion for sharing her stories with those around her. Between songs, she shared her stories of creating, and finding inspiration, and her ability to create community and deliver a churchlike evening found a perfect setting at the Abbey, and there was hardly a dry eye in the house by the end of the night.

Veirs played the Abbey with a bright, full four-piece backing band, including a talented violinist and keyboardist, her multi-instrumentalist and rhythm guitarist, and jazz drummer that kept the band in sync.

Her set list included Saltbreakers A-sides, singles from her previously mentioned collaborative efforts, and a tender interlude of solo songs with a cover of Elliott Smith’s Between the Bars, and the song that started this whole thread of humidity in the first place, “Lake Swimming.”

A song about swimming in Lake Washington.

It may have been dark and cold outside, but inside Laura Veirs brought that bright humidity to a head. The show was a break from the storm. The eye of a hurricane. The soundtrack was a driving mix of jazz and tender metaphors with vivid emotions. A heartfelt way to spend a Saturday night in December.

Photos: Cowboy Junkies @ the Moore

Posted on 01/03/2022 by BBS

Cowboy Junkies @ the Moore – November 19, 2021
Photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn

Toronto’s Cowboy Junkies achieved something really awesome in 2021: an authorized biography called Music is the Drug hit stores in February. Not many bands get to do this. Last time they were going to visit Seattle, there was a snow storm (yes, in Seattle), which led to a waiting time. . . but they returned! Led by Margo Timmins, the band performed songs from their cool career, including the track “My Little Basquiat,” with the words: One day they’ll be older/Maybe bolder perhaps than me/One day they’ll be rising/Maybe living perhaps in peace. Here’s to peace.

Cowboy Junkies – all photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn

Show Review & Photos: Thundercat @ the Paramount, 12/4

Posted on 12/24/2021 by BBS

Thundercat @ the Paramount Theater – 12/4
Show Review & Photos by John Rudolph

Thundercat – photo by John Rudolph

Thundercat’s fans loved this show at the Paramount. One fan joked with another fan, “if Thundercat were an anime character, he would have wielded a bass and killed us all.” The sentiment with most fans was that he slew the audience with his fierce bass riffs.

I expected to see a dazzling performance, and I wasn’t disappointed. My dear friend, Tammy, said Thundercat has a modern-day Parliament vibe, and yes, he does. Parliament is known for their far out “Funkadelic” stage presence and knows how to wow the crowd. Thundercat was different from Parliament in his way, wearing a Gucci adornment in his hair. His stage lighting had a very Parliament/Funkadelic vibe to them.

Stephen Bruner (that’s Thundercat!), played a six-string bass, and the backup guys played a masterful set of jazz fusion, funk, with a heavy dose of R&B. I loved that sense of the drummer, the keyboardist, and the singer all playing slightly offbeat in a cool jazz kind of way.

I like when entertainers share some personal anecdotes about their lives. Bruner shared how his mom named him after Bruce Lee (full name: Stephen Bruce Bruner). He even wore an outfit styled after Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon.

The crowd danced the entire night, hopping and groovin’ to melodic beats that pounded the chest with heavy bass. They couldn’t get enough.

Later, Bruner laid down a bass solo as I’ve rarely heard, except maybe from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea. The crowd began clapping in unison during the intense solo and stomping their feet. The volume was deafening and the floor vibrated with every strum of the bass. Bruner put on a fantastic show worthy of the moniker “virtuoso.” I didn’t know much about Thundercat before the show. Now, I am looking for more music from the master.