Jon Olken gave his review of last Tuesday’s performance of The Lonely Forest at Neumos here. He commented that in his humble opinion, their new material was “a bit lacking.” As the intention of this post is merely to introduce an interview, the commentary won’t be too in depth, but here were a few things I observed.
This show was full at 9pm. Normally sold out shows fill up by the time the headliner comes out because, let’s be honest, most people aren’t as into the opening bands. The air was full of people in anxious anticipation to see The Lonely Forest. The room remained a bit noisy until they came out. As soon as John Van Deusen stepped out, leaned into the mike and said, “Hey! We’re The Lonely Forest!” the audience went wild. The energy mounted from one song to the next, and the room seemed to be abuzz with glee for the new material. Not to start reviewer wars with the respected writer Jon Olken, but in this reviewer’s opinion, The Lonely Forestlacked nothing.
As most know, The Lonely Forest were recently signed to Chris Walla’s new imprint label, Trans. What’s the deal with our Anacortes younglings? What were their thoughts soon after the dust settled? What’s next for The Lonely Forest? Find out directly from the horse’s mouth here, on SSG.
Last Tuesday, a great group of bands sold out Neumos. Anyone lucky enough to make it through the door, and there were a number of fans trying to find tickets who weren’t lucky enough, were treated to a fantastic show by Bear Hands, The Lonely Forest, and We Were Promised Jetpacks.
The first band to hit the stage was the Brooklyn based Bear Hands. After playing a live set on KEXP earlier in the day, a lot of folks were excited to see them and made it in early to check them out, myself included. We were not disappointed. They were easily the loudest band of the night. Rocking the crowd with their riotous percussion segments, featuring several of the band members playing various drums, and soaring guitar and bass riffs. They’re set was a great primer for what was to come later. They are definitely a band to keep your eyes on in the future. Sorry the following video isn’t from Neumos.
The second band of the night was local boys The Lonely Forest. The Anacortes based band, led by John Van Deusen, has been creating quite a buzz in the local music scene over the past couple of years, so I was eager to see them live. Their set was interesting as it was filled with mostly new material from their soon to be released major label debut. It was still the piano driven pop that’s expected from them, but it was, in my humble opinion, somewhat lacking. It reminded me of Dashboard Confessional but with more piano. It was still a good show, but I can see now why Eric Grandy says that they are destined for Twilight soundtracks.
The headliner of the evening was We Were Promised Jetpacks. The four Scottish rockers have been making music since 2003, when they won their schools battle of the bands competition, but their debut album, These Four Walls, was only released in June of last year. This is their first North American tour as a headliner. Last year when they visited Seattle, they were the opener for fellow Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit. This time they were the main act, and they showed the packed house at Neumos that they deserve top billing.
The band entered on stage to a prerecorded and kind of weird launch sequence. They played along with the weirdness until the launch sequence stopped and they took off into their song “Keeping Warm.” They followed that by going straight into the popular and fast paced rock song “Quiet Little Voices.” From the get go, We Were Promised Jetpacks had the crowd bouncing along to their lively rock songs. It wasn’t entirely fast paced though. They slowed down the mood and picked it up often in the same song. It set a nice pace for the show as they tore through their repertoire.
For most of the show, the crowd screamed, jumped, danced, and stared as We Were Promised Jetpacks rocked our worlds. At times, lead singer Adam Thompson didn’t even use his microphone. He just knocked his microphone stand over and screamed the lyrics while the crowd sang along. The band was enjoying themselves so much that they decided to skip the formality of leaving the stage before the encore, telling the audience that just wanted to keep playing. Unfortunately, they couldn’t play all night, and they ended their set with the epic song “Short Burts.”
It was a phenomenal performance by We Were Promised Jetpacks. It was a treat to see such a humble band, they thanked everyone from the venue and the fans to their own mothers, rock so hard. The opening bands were a pleasure as well. All things said and done, it was one heck of a Tuesday night.
In the mood for the silky smooth acoustic stylings similar to Bright Eyes with a dash of Sufjan Stevens? Well you’re in luck. Once again Drew Victor is bringing just that to the small confines of The Sunset Tavernall the way from the musical hot-bed of Brooklyn , New York. But don’t be fooled, it seems that Seattle is like a second home for him. His ninth album Stand Still Faithful Mountain was recorded here at Litho Studios with his friends from Grand Hallway, and The Maldives. So lets roll out the welcome mat, he’s going to deliver us some special musical goodies.
Speaking of The Maldives, this Seattle mainstay is going to be pleasuring the people with their rootsy-country sounds at The Tractor tonight after kicking off their spring tour last night at The Doug Fir in Portland. These co-stars of the $5 cover series Seattle shot over last summer with countless other Seattle faves are revving up their music prowess to showcase their sound at SXSW next week in Austin, Texas. So be sure to head down, and give them a warm send off tonight.
On the other end of the spectrum, but heading to SXSW as well, Neumos is hosting one of Seattle’s most up and coming metal bands known as Book of Black Earth. If you have some frustrations from the week or just want to let it all hang out, then you need to step right up. These boys evoke the metal gods to each and every show, so I am sure its going to be a rough and tumble night in the pit. Or, you could just stand back and let the vocals of T.J. Cowgills permeate your skin and saturate your pores. NO matter which you choose, this is going to be heavy, but its going to be good.
For more show ideas, please visit our friends over at ReignCity.com
Shrinebuilder isnot more than the sum of their parts. Not when one takes into consideration the fact that Shrinebuilder shares members with Om, St. Vitus, The Melvins, and one of the greatest bands of all time, Neurosis. That said, Shrinebuilder is a killer band in and of itself. They’ll fit perfectly into the legacy left behind by the aforementioned bands. Part of what makes Shrinebuilder fun to listen is what is actually a failing of previous supergroups: accents of each member standing out as an embodiment their previous band. In the case of Shrinebuilder, hearing a part of a song that sounds like Neurosis sewn into Om by those Melvins drums is a rare treat.
Seeing Shrinebuilder live will be a rare treat too, because every member of this band has their own active band to return to–it’s like an inverted reunion tour. The doom supergroup is going to rock Neumos in unforgettable ways on Tuesday night.
If you hadn’t noticed, Seattle Show Gal fancies a lot of shows that go down at Neumos. There is going to be a major ticketing change that starts tomorrow and all of our readers need to know about it. Neumos is no longer going to be in partnership with TicketsWest. They are going to be using ETIX.COM as of tomorrow. If you are a consumer that purchases tickets directly from the Neumos website, this might not have that big of an effect on you.
This will have a huge impact on consumers who are accustomed to picking up tickets from Rudy’s Barber Shop and select QFC locations; you will not be able to make Neumos ticket purchases at said locations until further notice. If you prefer to purchase your tickets in person, you will still be able to pick up your tickets from MOE Bar.
On the plus side, ticketing fees will be going down, and consumers can purchase tickets right up until the the time the doors open–you can even make your purchase directly from your iPhone! It used to be the case that ticket sales cut off at 2pm. To illustrate why this is such a bonus, lets look at The Lonely Forest show that took place on Tuesday. There were 40 tickets left at 8pm, and a line around the block. With the ETIX.COM iPhone app, consumers could have secured their tickets from the back of the line, and left the suckers at the front of the line gnashing their teeth, claiming, “I’m with the DJ!” This new partnership is a great thing. Know about it, and don’t call the Neumos offices wondering why you can’t buy tickets from Rudy’s anymore–you’ve been informed!
These United States last rolled through town several months ago at the onset of their tour supporting Everything Touches Everything, which was released in September, 2009. Since that time, these Kentucky/Washington, D.C. boys have been very busy. The momentum continues to build for the seemingly tireless band and Wednesday night you’ll have the opportunity to catch them as they rock their way South for an repeat appearance at SXSW in a couple of weeks.
Defying genre labels and simply delivering their eclectic take on what feels right for that particular moment, These United States (TUS) has grown into a buzz-worthy band. While the albums may strike some listeners as nothing more than melodic, pop-rock suitable for background music at your local coffee shop, TUS’s live sets are a scorching jamboree sure to leave you smiling and yearning for more. The combination of Elliott’s genuine and thought provoking lyrics along with the tight crew of musicians he’s assembled creates a musical moment that is meant to be seen and heard. – Jodi Kaufer, Seattle Show Gal 9/09
Take a moment to see what These United States are all about….it’s amazing just how much can happen in 7 minutes. Enjoy!
Back in September, Seattle got it’s chance at checking out the Monsters of Folk and now we get to check out another powerhouse collaboration that (thankfully) resulted in a brand new band. Meet Stockholm Syndrome (SS). You may not be familiar with this band but you likely know some of the other projects these monster musicians have played in. SS is Jerry Joseph (Jackmormons, Little Women) on vocals and guitar, Dave Schools (Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule) on bass, Eric McFadden on guitar and mandolin, Wally Ingram (Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, David Lindley) on drums, and Danny Louis on keys.
While many of the songs seemed to lack any sort of coherent “hook,” the extended jamming and improvisation more than made up for any sort of apparent lack of mainstream listening appeal. The band brought out several tunes that will appear on their forthcoming new album, which the band claims will drop soon. On some of these fresh songs, Joseph’s voice was extremely pronounced – a welcome change to some of the band’s songs that lacked a characteristic inflection. The song selection as the band neared the end of its set seemed to really capitalize off the musical diversity that Louis displayed behind his keyboards. Ranging from reggae to Texas rock, Louis’ knack for cross-genre competence really proved that he’s one of the more talented and severely underrated keyboardists on the circuit today. After the unrelenting set concluded, the band bowed off the stage visibly stricken from the massive amount of musical movement all had taken part in. After the crowd cheered for a bit, they returned to the stage and launched into an extremely heavy two-song encore so intense that Ingram broke his snare. – Justin Gillett, JamBase.com Show Review 9/6/09
For your chance to win tickets, CLICK HERE or send an email to contests@seattleshowgal.com with the subject “Stockholm Syndrome are the Monsters of Rock!!!” in the header. Be sure to include your name as you want it to appear on the guest list. The winner will be drawn at 3pm DOS. Good luck and we’ll see you at the show!
One more reason to head to Neumos tonight: Hot Scottish band We Were Promised Jetpacks(WWPJ) is going hit the stage to show the people of Seattle how they do it across the pond. This band is gleefully (and rightfully so) lapping up all the success of their break through album These Four Walls, and have decided to finally headline their own U.S. tour. The have enlisted the help of Seattles own The Lonely Forest, and you know they are going to rock. WWPJ’s will likely be serving up the Seattle audience some new stuff off their new EP The Last Place You’ll Look due out March 9th on Fatcat Records.
If you have never seen them live, then expect them to teeter on the line of of being very angsty and a bit over-indulgent. We Were Promised Jetpacks are built for speed, and thanks to the tight rythm and taut groove section, they sound better the faster they play. I think we need to add this Glaswegian band to the current craze of the thick Scottish brogue such as label mates Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad, as well as Glasvegas. So if you’re in the mood for charging guitars, soaring choruses, and the sheer ENERGY that they’ve got going on. Then you need to make your way to Capitol Hill where their wall of guitars will sound like a massive torrent of rain covering every part of your being, drenching you to the core in their atmospheric noise. Need I say more?
Brooklyn, NY based Bear Hands will be bringing the noise to Neumos tonight. They are kicking off a National tour with We Were Promised Jetpacks here in the Northwest before continuing on to South By Southwest later this month. Bear Hands plays upbeat, high energy indie-rock with twangy guitar riffs, and rock-steady beats that are likely going to get your head bobbing. They are going to feel very at home here in Seattle with a sound that could easily share a stage with Modest Mouse, or any number of the great indie bands this town is known for. The Lonely Forest is also going to be on stage at Neumos tonight, this show will be well worth the $15 it will take to get you through the doors.
Local boys Brier Rose will be at Chop Suey tonight opening for Noah Gunderson.Their sound is a more mellow, almost crooning type of indie. Think Muse, or Patient Patient. Thoughtfully arranged and meticulously played, they have a good clean sound. Their live performance is particularly impressive. It’s relatively easy to pull off these types of intricate guitar parts in a studio, but to be so accurate and clean in a live performance is no small feat. Not to mention, these guys are relatively young. The footage below is from last years Sound Off!, an all underage battle of the bands hosted by Experience Music Project.
It seems like tonight is full of low-key indie-pop, and The River Empires are definitely doing their part to make that happen. This Oregon based five piece outfit is full of talented multi-instrumentalists that give their music a wide range of feel and emotion. They bounce from track to track, sometimes with simple acoustic arrangements, and others with full on production including a full choir. It should be a great night in SODO, and a rare treat for those bold enough to stay out late on a school night.
There is going to be a world class DJ at Neumos tonight. Mark Farina might not look like the coolest DJ on the block, but his reputation is solid. He has been rousing crowds and selling out clubs with his electronic goodness for a long time. Electronic music has taken many different forms in the past decade. It used to be when people would say electronic, the first thought to the listeners mind would be techno or perhaps house music. Nowadays when people say electronic the listener doesn’t know what their getting besides instrumentation in some form that isn’t organic such as a guitar or drum set. In this case, Mark Farina is bringing full on house music to Neumos, and he is guaranteed to be bringing the booze and scantily clad women. Show up at Neumos if you want that kind of party tonight. Here is a sample:
Are you one who dares to dream? As people go through life tying experiences to music, there are few times when one is able to do it in a grand fashion outside of their own making. Most of us don’t actually get to chronicle our lives, make movies, and choose said soundtracks but tonight is one of the nights when a few select people can have their life beautifully orchestrated in person, and whoever chooses to can join in from home. Keith Kenniff, aka Helios, is someone who creates music to accompany grand stories. In an ideally apropos setting, Kenniff will be play at a private home starting at 8pm sharp. You can stream it here for free. If you choose to stay in for this event, bring your stories for Helios to caress. This could be one of the best nights to stay at home. If you want more info on Helios and Kenniff before you decide to stay in on a Saturday night, check out SSGs previous content.
For more show ideas, visit our friends at ReignCity.com
2004 seems just like yesterday when the The Lights won The Stranger’s “Best New Band,” and look at them now. Since then, Lynn Shelton, one of Seattle’s brightest young directing talents, helmed their 2007 video for the song “Setting Sun.” Recently, they’ve snagged one of Seattle’s hottest most talented music producers, Erik Blood, to lend his mixing talents to their collection of albums, including their latest endeavor Failed Graves. It has came full circle now with Lynn Shelton casting The Lights in MTV’s “$5 Cover,” a (faux) reality online series, with the current season set in Seattle, and stars not only The Lights, but tons of other local talent as well.
With all that said, so much work has lead up to tonight’s CD release party at the Funhouse, and its an amazing line-up. The always entertaining, highly sexual antics of Partman Parthorse(PMPH) kick things off, and something tells me that there’s a good chance he will be working the stage in very little; a jockstrap perhaps? Following PMPH will be Erik Blood, and if you haven’t had a chance to catch any of his stuff live, you’re in for an amazing treat. And of course, the reason we are all there at The Funhouse in the first place, THE LIGHTS. So many people have been looking forward to the release of The Lights new CD that it’s bound to be a packed house. So if you’re in the mood for a full night of entertainment, then get there early because it’s going to be good!
With sparkly western shirts and a pompadour Elvis would be jealous about, Vince Mira is well on his way to stardom. If you’ve never heard Vince sing, then you’ll be amazed when this 17 year-old kid standing in front of you sounds just like Johnny Cash. Discovered playing in Pike Place Market, teenage Vince was quickly thrust into the national circuit of television appearances and the media buzz began. Since then, he and his style have continued to develop and mature. Originally known for his Johnny Cash and Elvis covers, Vince has been writing his own music lately and it’s good to hear his talent is not just limited to his voice. Fresh off the main stage at this year’s Sasquatch festival and with upcoming dates locally and nationally, now is the time to witness the rise of a star. – Jodi Kaufer, Seattle Show Gal 7/2/09
The last couple of years have been quite successful and I’m sure this evening will be as well. Get down to Neumos for an evening of great music and help pay tribute to the man who influenced so many. As a last minute treat the fine folks over at Neumos have provided a pair of tickets for SSG readers. For your chance to win tickets, CLICK HERE or send an email to contests@seattleshowgal.com with the subject “Happy B-Day Johnny Cash!!!” in the header. Be sure to include your name as you want it to appear on the guest list. The winner will be drawn at 3pm TODAY. Good luck and we’ll see you at the show!
Seattle Show Gal is in hot pursuit of undiscovered talent! How many great bands are out there that are slipping through the cracks? Seattle is saturated with so much music, it would be nearly impossible to sift through it all to find the good stuff. The Seattle Show Gal staff is not so proud to think that we can bring you all of it, but we are actively pursuing all different types of acts to give you a pulse on what is going on--right here in Seattle! (See more in "About")
