Bands are often described as creating “driving” songs — as if their melodies and rhythms propelled the listener forward. But with Seattle hip-hop duo Sleep Steady — at the Central Saloon on Wednesday (May 11) for the next BAD DAD Collective showcase — that descriptor is especially apt. These guys make music they want to listen to in the car.
Read MoreIt still brings tears to Erik Blood’s eyes.
“It” being the final track on his new record, “Lost in Slow Motion,” which the Seattle producer will celebrate with a release show Saturday (April 30) at the High Dive.
Sinking into a small, orange-cushioned chair in his dark studio near the old Rainier Brewery, Blood seems lost in thought. He’s staring into space as “Out This Way” — that final track — plays on his monitors. He sips a cup of coffee, tears percolating in the corners of his eyes.
Read MoreRapper Vince Staples — playing the Neptune Theatre on Wednesday (March 2) — understands that a great deal of life is contradiction.
That idea is succinctly summed up in his song “Lift Me Up,” the second track from his 2015 double-album release, “Summertime ’06,” in which he raps, “I need to fight the power, but I need that new Ferrari.”
Read MoreTime travelers live among us.
Take, for example, Ishmael Butler, frontman for the classic ’90s rap group Digable Planets and the current avant-garde duo Shabazz Places. Both are playing Seattle this week — the former at the Moore Theatre on Wednesday (Dec. 30), marking the first reunion for Digable Planets since 2011.
Read MoreChad Nicefield is not ashamed to admit that he got into the whole music thing for the free beer. But as the sound of his band, Wilson, matured, so did its goals. Its focus has widened, turned into something more than the members themselves. The group has taken on the role of repping and bolstering its hometown of Detroit, a city that's seen its fair share of turmoil over the past decade.
"We're not ashamed to say we're products of our environment," Nicefield says during a phone interview while on tour with his band, supporting its latest full-length, Right to Rise. "Given all the hardships our city and families have gone through, we wanted to honor the stories of Detroit. It's not just about the rubble."
Read MoreOn January 30, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready teamed up with the Seattle Symphony and an all-star cast of rock musicians – from bassist Duff McKagan to singers Chris Cornell and Kim Virant – at Benaroya Hall to perform original compositions as well as songs from the band, Mad Season. The night of music, part of SSO’s fifth annual Sonic Evolution Series, where well-known musicians write original works tailored specifically for the symphony, was laid to tape and will be released August 28 on vinyl. And there is only one man McCready would trust to master this project: Seattle’s Ed Brooks.
Read MoreOur biweekly City Superheroes column highlights the powerful figures walking among us — with the help of a (usually local) illustrator. This week’s pairing: musician Julia Massey (with special guests Dom and Jared Cortese) and visual artist David Feaman.
Read MoreBy the time we’re cracking open fortune cookies, Bruce Pavitt and I find ourselves talking about Kurt Cobain and the idea of seclusion. That someone like Kurt, beautiful and stirring, at the height of world fame, needed the confidence and compassion of an inner circle of people to talk with. Kurt never seemed to have that—for whatever reason—says Bruce, solemnness to his voice.
It is the end of a fascinating conversation, with me mostly listening to the stories Bruce has about the genesis of the record label he founded—Sub Pop—his first record player, his forthcoming two books—one about a week in Europe with a crumbling Nirvana, the other a collection of his writings about Independent rock groups—and the idea of being relentless in the pursuit of your own aspirations.
Read MoreSutra, the restaurant film director Megan Griffiths chose for our rendezvous, is a cute little spot on the west end of Wallingford next door to a yoga studio of the same name. It serves delicacies like edible flowers from their backyard garden and begins each service with a gong and a moment of thanks for farmers. The whole thing is a stark contrast to the dark, human trafficking subject matter of Megan’s recent film, Eden, but somehow we found ourselves sharing a table ready to eat some artisan vegan cuisine, and set to talk movies.
Read MoreJohn Roderick stood center stage at the Alberta-Rose Theater in Portland, OR, telling jokes, stories and, later, playing his acoustic guitar, singing to the hundreds in the audience for NPR’s Live Wire show. A tall man, bearded, with glasses and a booming voice, John entertained. I was in the audience, having been given tickets by mutual friend and host of the show, Luke Burbank. I stared on attentively, listening to John’s stories and quips as he went back and forth with Luke.
I think about this performance now – about a month later – as I sit at the bar of Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in downtown Seattle waiting for John to come meet me for an interview. He strolls into the place a few minutes before seven. We shake hands and go to our table.
Read MoreI was late. Dawn Trudeau, co-owner of the Seattle WNBA basketball team, The Storm, was punctual. A businesswoman, self-made and supremely successful, of course she was on time. You don’t move from assembly line in Michigan to owner of a professional sports team by being sloppy. She was gracious – not batting an eyelash at my arrival to Queen Anne’s Obasan nearly 10 minutes late of 6:30PM.
The night before, the NBA’s Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs participated in one of the most epic and entertaining Finals games in history – an overtime contest capped by an unthinkable three-pointer by former Seattle SuperSonic, and current Heat player, Ray Allen. Sipping Sapporos in this quaint little Japanese restaurant, of course we began our conversation with basketball.
Read MoreOkay, so we just drank water. Well, I was finishing off an iced latte from a coffee place up the street. It was early – we met around 11am at Obasan, a quaint Japanese place in Queen Anne that has, coincidentally, my new favorite noodle dish: Yakisoba with tofu and no mushrooms. Marco Collins, the former Program Director for The End and expert with chopsticks, ordered the tuna rolls and teriyaki chicken.
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