Green Day & Catfish and the Bottlemen @ White River Ampitheatre – 8/1/17
Photos by Charitie Myers
Memory Lane Series, part 74
Photos: Green Day & Catfish and the Bottlemen @ White River Ampitheatre
Show Review & Photos: The Helio Sequence, the Moondoggies & Smokey Brights @ R Day
The Helio Sequence w/ the Moondoggies & Smokey Brights @ R Day – 10/6/18
Show Review & Photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Memory Lane Series, part 73
Happening upon a music festival during a neighborhood stroll was a fabulous surprise—especially when the lineup was three great Northwest bands and admission turned out to be free. R Day is an annual celebration sponsored by Rainier Beer, and it’s held adjacent to the original Rainier brewery in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. The event closed several blocks of Airport Way for beer, music, and street-festival fun.
2018’s show featured headliners the Helio Sequence, a Sub Pop-signed indie-rock duo from Beaverton, OR. They were touring in support of a new 10th anniversary re-issue of their 2008 album Keep Your Eyes Ahead, which they played in its entirety. Two local favorites opened the evening: Everett folk-rock group the Moondoggies, and Seattle psych-rockers Smokey Brights.
Many attendees wore Rainier-themed costumes, a 1970s Rainier brewer received an award, and an audience member even made a (successful) marriage proposal onstage. With its low-key vibe and in-demand lineup of local performers, R Day is definitely an event to put on the calendar.
Photos: Black Lips, Iceage & Surfbort @ the Showbox
Black Lips, Iceage & Surfbort – 11/6/18
Photos by Alex Crick
Memory Lane Series, part 72
Show Review & Photos: Kim Petras @ the Showbox
Kim Petras @ the Showbox – 10/22/19
~Review & Photos by Dagmar
The stunning German singer-songwriter Kim Petras performed at the Showbox on October 22nd. Petras, who now has two awesome albums, Clarity and Turn Off the Light under her belt, has also released a large number of great singles and an EP. I was really excited to see her, and she put on such an amazing show. Can you tell I love her? I do.
Petras made numerous outfit changes, including the wonderful dress she hit the stage in. She looked like one of those little ballerinas you see in music boxes – but one that’s an electronic princess. There was also a brown cavewoman-like outfit she wore as she sang and posed on a circular, moving platform. I gotta say I worried a few times she might fall in her fantastic enormously high-heeled boots, but she elegantly kept everything together.
And her voice was wonderful. The songs spectacular. I enjoyed how she ordered her setlist with segments: a big set of Clarity tracks, singles, covers, a giant set of Turn Off the Light tracks. Superb. Big love to “There Will Be Blood,” “Massacre,” and “Everybody Dies.” I loved it all. She also did a really cool thing where she made hand movements along with the electronics.
I cannot wait to see her again. She is a joyful, sexy, talented artist for the modern age. Brava Petras, brava.
Setlist:
Clarity (Clarity)
Got My Number (Clarity)
Meet the Parents (Clarity)
Blow It All (Clarity)
I Don’t Want It at All (Single)
Hillside Boys (Single)
1,2,3 Dayz Up (Single)
Unlock It/Click (Charli XCX Cover)
There Will Be Blood (Turn Off the Light)
Wrong Turn (Turn Off the Light)
Massacre (Turn Off the Light)
Death By Sex (Turn Off the Light)
Close Your Eyes (Turn Off the Light)
Everybody Dies (Turn Off the Light)
Human (Killers Cover)
Homework (Single)
Icy (Clarity)
Do Me (Clarity)
Can’t Do Better (Single)
Heart to Break (Single)
Sweet Spot (Clarity)
Show Preview: The Joy Formidable @ the Tractor, Tues. 12/17
Show Preview: The Joy Formidable @ the Tractor Tavern, Tues. 12/17
~Dagmar
The awesome Welsh trio the Joy Formidable returns to Seattle on Tuesday, December 17th. This is a big deal tour for the band, as they’ve released a double album including their debut EP, A Balloon Called Moaning (just turned 10!), plus the songs are also performed in Welsh. Sweet! I have a major soft spot for Welsh after growing up loving actor Richard Burton and the bands Manic Street Preachers and that singer from Scritti Politti, Green Gartside, plus so many other Welsh treasures. Enough about me. In recognizing their Welsh heritage lead singer and guitarist Ritzy Bryan said, about the A Balloon Called Moaning songs, in a recent press release, “It’s exciting hearing them in the Welsh language because now they have new life too and can be a celebration of language as well as memory.” Agreed. As opener for the tour, the Joy Formidable has brought with them singer-songwriter Bryde, who was half the Welsh duo known as Paper Aeroplanes.
