“This is independent wrestling, bro,” said John Hennigan. Also known as John Morrison, Henningan is a former WWE professional wrestler who hit the stage Friday night at Washington Hall as part of DEFY8: Kings Among Men, a wrestling showcase staged by a recently established local outfit called DEFY Wrestling. “This is where wrestling happens today," Hennigan said, "not in some half-empty arena.”
Read MoreIt’s unclear what one is supposed to expect when going to see the “virtual band,” Gorillaz, play live. Prior to their show Saturday night at KeyArena, rumors swirled about the group playing anonymously behind a big projector screen. Or maybe they’d come out dressed in costume, appearing like the iconic animated characters from their music videos? Known for their curious cartoons and comforting, catchy vocals over unabashed hiphop beats, Gorillaz hit the stage Saturday night amid befuddlement—but, by the end of it, everyone knew exactly who they were.
Read MoreMac DeMarco, the Canadian-born, laid-back minstrel of mellow rock ’n’ roll, says he is “addicted” to the excitement of creation. For the chain-smoking, whiskey drinking musician his main professional ambition is to keep making music — in large part, he says, so that he doesn’t have to experience any “withdrawals.”
Read MoreThe HBO television show “Room 104,” produced by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, employs myriad storytellers to depict the sordid history of a graying roadside hotel room. Two of the raconteurs tapped for the task were Emerald City writer-directors Megan Griffiths and Dayna Hanson, whose paths to the acclaimed show were as different as a boxer’s punch and a dancer’s pirouette.
Read MoreKrist Novoselic has begun the grind again. The 52-year-old former Nirvana bassist, who has since formed a couple of short-lived groups between joining the Foo Fighters and Paul McCartney on national stages, has launched a new Northwest-based band, Giants in the Trees, a mix of rock, pop, and folk music.
Read MoreAfter more than 30 years in the music business, singer-songwriter Mark Lanegan has learned a few things about himself as a creative individual. For someone who at times begrudgingly took on the role of lead singer for the bands he's fronted—most notably the Screaming Trees—Lanegan has grown leaps and bounds as a songwriter and, particularly, as a frontman. So much so that he still finds surprises in his line of work.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever worked in a bar—or sat in one long enough—you’ve likely heard a patron or two ask if the bartender has any non-alcoholic beer. With less than .5% alcohol by volume, it’s drunk by folks who like the premise of a cold one but, for any number of reasons, want to avoid its buzzy effects. Well-stocked bars can oblige, often offering a bottle of Kaliber (owned by Guinness), O’Doul’s, or St. Pauli Girl (both owned by Anheuser-Busch). These beers taste relatively terrible compared to, say, a nice glass of Georgetown Brewing’s Bodhizafa IPA—so one wonders why no craft brewery has cornered this unclaimed market by attempting its own tasty n/a.
Read MoreImagine a pair of bell-bottoms. A suede vest. A wide collar, strutting leather boots. Similarly, imagine sequins and elongated lashes. Pearls and sly eyes. If you can imagine this, you can begin to sense the spirits that inspired the newest record from Seattle soul and funk group, The True Loves.
Read MoreGrammy-nominated singer Mary Lambert has been doing things for herself lately. And, she says, it feels exhilarating. But between performances and business moves – like signing her own distribution deal and releasing her latest EP, Bold, in May – she’s been playing a lot of The Sims computer game, creating characters based on her friends (like The Black Tones’ Eva Walker, featured drummer in Lambert’s latest video).
Read MoreTrombone Shorty, playing Seattle on Sunday, August 20 as part of the annual Woodland Park Zoo series, is well known for his prowess on brass instruments. Famous for his skills on the trumpet, trombone and as a bandleader, Trombone Shorty (aka New Orleans’ Troy Andrews) has been fronting groups since he was a child. An affable, thoughtful and generous fellow, the musician recently began a summer tour showcasing the music from his hometown, including cuts off his new record, 2017’s Parking Lot Symphony. We had a chance to catch up with the virtuoso to ask him about the Big Easy, how his musical ear developed, his thoughts on his lineage and much more.
Read MoreDespite finding himself in the midst of writing a new record, slated for release early-to-mid 2018, Seattle-area soul singer, Allen Stone, can’t help but continue to tour. “I kind of live on the road,” says Stone, while on brief hiatus in Los Angeles. His highway ramblin’ will continue in the Seattle-area when the buttery-voiced singer performs Friday at Woodinville’s Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Read MoreIn an age when brief pops like retweets and viral videos reign supreme, Seattle rapper Raz Simone has chosen a more maintainable route—one where numbers aren't the driving force but the viability of making art is. Simone's is a trek that susses out the complete character and depth of his work in music, and his mission is one of personal and creative sustainability. "My career," he explains, "is going to be a longer battle. But it's going to be very worth it."
Read MoreBorn in 1996 during the waning days of the grunge movement, Pike Brewing Company’s historic subterranean pub, just a few blocks from the center of Pike Place Market, The Pike Pub, is adorned with random stickers, exposed grating, and pipes painted black. The pub, which brews and serves some of the city’s most recognizable beer, feels comfortable and familiar, like your favorite ripped jeans/flannel shirt combo. But the famous locale has recently changed significantly.
Read MoreSeattle’s Jason Koenig, who has carved out a tremendously successful career as a music video director — which includes the video for the new Macklemore single, “Glorious,” released this week — can hardly believe his good fortune.
Read MoreSay the name DJ Shadow to any hiphop head who came of age in the 1990s, and they'll stop what they're doing to recall a favorite track. For some, it's "Organ Donor," the methodical-yet-spastic gymnastic of an instrumental. For others, it's "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt," a misty, railroad-like tune featuring dialogue perhaps plucked from a psychedelic Hitchcock film. But whatever the song, DJ Shadow, with his mixing board and collection of 60,000 records, has been integral in the development of hiphop over the last two decades.
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