After their set, we called an audible and headed back to the apartment where we were staying for a much needed nap; then decided to close out the festival proper by stopping by the Cascadia showcase put on by Apes on Tape, which featured a few Pacific Northwest bands that we all know and love.  Some folks on Twitter were wondering why I spent my time in Austin checking out bands that I already knew, and could easily see at home.  The thing is, I feel like it’s even more important to support those bands when they aren’t at home, especially after a week of many shows and not much sleep.  Besides, I’m always curious to see a new crowd’s reaction to a band that I love.

After Ravenna Woods and Lemolo‘s set, we caught a second wind and struck out to find some chicken and waffles, which I had been craving since Thursday.  We found success in a food truck near the convention center, and caffeinated up in an attempt to stay awake for Kithkin‘s set at 1AM.

Alas, after all the walking to and from the food truck, we made it through Parenthetical Girls‘ set and then called it a festival well done.

The next day was spent relaxing in the shade and the pool at our gracious host’s apartment complex.  The Local Strangers hosted a small BBQ for some fans and friends, so we got to enjoy yet another set of their songs.  You’d think that after seeing 3 sets in 4 days, it would get old, but it never does. Post-BBQ, we settled into some movies on the couch. Our final day in Austin was spent mostly eating – first at Ironworks BBQ, where Governor Perry (grrrrr) sat directly behind us, then at Homeslice Pizza.  We wandered around a few shops, and finally wound up cooling our heels at Barton Springs before catching our plane back to nice and cool Seattle.

Treefort Festival 2013

For this first episode of “Treefort of our Lives” you’ll get a recap of my ridiculous adventures of Thursday’s shows and some photo-y goodness at the end.

From the moment I stepped foot in Boise for this year’s Treefort Music Festival, it felt a little like another planet. I’d never taken a flight to go such a short distance before, but it was beautiful (especially after leaving a rainy, wet and frigid Seattle) with snowy peaks in the distance and sun beating down. I grabbed my rental car and zoomed into the city ready for whatever it is I might find. I still had quite a bit of time before the music started so I grabbed a coffee and found myself in the middle of one of the weirdest weather occurrences yet… (and that’s saying something since I’d been through four types of precipitation in an hour in Seattle):  snowing with bright hot sun beating down. That was the beginning of a very very cold weekend (think low 30′s to high 20′s at night, yikes!). Thankfully I spent most of my time indoors where heat was offered up in spades.

I managed to make my way over to the El Korah Shrine (which is an actual Shriner’s meeting hall… pretty rad) to grab my press pass and find myself some music. Starting off at the Red Room (which was way the heck over on the north side of Main St) to check out Lakefriend, but sadly I wasn’t all that impressed. To make up for it I took a short jaunt over to The Linen Building for Mickey the Jump. Holy hell, I should have started with these guys! I only caught a couple songs but they’ve now made it to my “must check out their album” status. I hung around to catch Hollow Wood, one of the groups I knew I had to see, and it didn’t disappoint. They were probably one of the big winners for the weekend. I tend to love festivals for one main purpose, seeing a ton of groups in a very short period of time so I know who to talk up for the rest of the year. This would be one of those bands. Keep an eye out, these Idaho natives will be coming at you soon, no doubt about it.

Though I have yet to see Foxygen, one of the up and comers with lots of buzz, I decided to stay at Linen once again to catch Terrible Buttons… it was a good choice. These guys hail from Spokane and they’ve got a weird, fun and not-so-Seattle, but still-pretty-Seattle sound. With a lot of trumpet, a lovely voice reminiscent of Tom Waits, and lots of other noodling instruments thrown in without abandon, they got the crowd dancing. You can check out a video from the fest’s performance of their song “Weed and Whiskey“.

I love punk, but there are times when it can get a bit much for me. I didn’t think Pony Time would be one of those moments especially after listening to their produced album (really like it), but their live show felt… insane. Not because the music moved them to it, but because they just did it… not the same thing at all. I know they’ve got some great press behind them, it’s just not my cup of tea. So I decided to leave Red Room once again (there were some great shows in there over the weekend, so keep heart!) and headed back to the nearby Linen Building to catch some bands I knew I’d love. I couldn’t resist catching Kris Orlowski‘s set, he and his band have tightened things up and the new music really kicks some ass. If you haven’t caught a show of his recently, definitely put it on your list. Following their set was The Last Bison, a great band hailing from Virginia and friends of IRW since last year’s Doe Bay Festival.

I chatted a bit with both bands after their set, then really started to feel the wear and tear of jet lag (ha! ok, I was tired… that’s all there is to it) so I decided to call it a night… but only after trudging myself down to the other end of Main St to catch Nick Jaina. This one I was really excited for and after pushing my way to the front of the very crowded Pengilly’s Saloon, I found a tiny table to inhabit for a few moments while Jaina used his acoustic magic to lull me. What a great evening of music, and this was just the beginning. Check back in the next few days for the rest of “Treefort of Our Lives”. It’ll be way better than a soap opera… promise.

In September I was lucky enough to attend the Decibel Festival (which will celebrate 10 years this coming fall), the 5-day electronic music festival right here in Seattle, as a writer for IRW. The highlights, among others, were Kimbra (duh) and Bonobo, the latter I’d never heard of before. Bonobo (or, as stated on his birth certificate, Simon Green) comes to us from the UK, where he’s been making music and DJing since at least the late ‘90s. His trip hop, jazz, electronica sounds have consistently received praise from both audience and critic. He plays bass, among other instruments, and is able to perform his music live with a band or as just the man with a machine—a laptop, of course. While in September he was solo, this time he came with a full band, including the female vocalist Szjerdene.

Much of his set included music from his latest release The North Borders. He juggled between playing the bass and using his table of electronics. Besides the vocalist, other musicians included a drummer, keys / guitar / multi-instrumentalist, and a saxophonist / clarinetist / flutist. The songs were  mostly downtempo, with the occasional fast jam, pumping basslines and percussive beats loudly through the speakers. Clearly, the audience enjoyed his performance and expressed it through dance, cheers and plumes of smoke.

This performance was not as sonically exciting as when I first saw him in September. Back then, I could not stop dancing or grinning or cheering and I was shocked that his music kept me from taking a break, because my body would not stop dancing. While I appreciated the live element this time—the vocalist had a lovely voice and wonderfully elegant stage presence and the flute solos just about made me swoon—I was hoping for that same dance energy from before.

However, I was especially taken by the light show. I have never before experienced lights that were such a fantastic complement to the music. The transitions between light settings were incredibly seamless and flowed with the songs. The lighting designer used flashing lights, but not the kind that put you on high-alert for a seizure. Overall, the various colors, including shades of red, blue, green, white, and purple, were soft and artistically pleasing. Truly, the lights were noticeable, yet not distracting—exactly as they should be. They were perfect. In fact, I was so impressed that I showered praise on the humble and appreciative “light guy” (shame on me for not learning his name!) after the show.

By the end of the show, we had meandered our way to the left of center bar area above the crowd, where there was plenty of room to dance, listen, and watch the beautiful lights. Bonobo finished the night with two encore songs and the audience left satisfied and smiling. The music was good, though it didn’t meet my expectations, and I’m very pleased that Bonobo exposed me to a new and wonderful stage experience.

Next time it reared its head was, believe it or not, at Doe Bay Festival 2011. Travis Barker of Elk and Boar and Jake Hemming of Big Sur were sitting around a campfire with about 40-60 other people in the dead of night just noodling around on the guitar… then all of a sudden Travis busted out with “aye yo aye yo aye yo aye yoooooo” and Jake chimed in right along with him. Unfortunately that perfect moment in time wasn’t caught on tape but it will forever be one of my favorite memories of any Doe Bay Festival.

In my continued search for locals covering “diggity”, I found this little gem by Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground featuring Katie Kate. Holy shit talk about swagger. All I can imagine  while this song is playing is lead singer Kirk Huffman sauntering down Broadway donning white dress jacket, red button-up shirt, white dress slacks and white patent leather shoes with this song flowing from his lips like dripping honey. Let’s just say I hope they play a show again soon so I can even hope to see it performed live. Wow.

There have been several other bands since then to jump on the diggity bandwagon and I’m sure there will be more to come, it’s just a damn good song. A not-so-local musician Chet Faker, with a soulful and swaggering voice, does a beautiful rendition of his own that I’ve dropped below for your listening pleasure. IRW’s lovely and talented writer Brianna is headed to the show at Showbox Sodo this Friday and will have the low down on how well they’ve managed to span the years since “No Diggity” hit #1 in ’96.

Teddy Riley/Blackstreet @ Showbox SODO
May 10th – 9:30pm (doors 8:30pm)
Tickets: $37.50/$40 dos

Prombershoot lineup party w/ Allen Stone at Crocodile

The last two nights at The Crocodile have been full of funk and surprises. Katrina and I headed out to Prombershoot (the prom-themed Bumbershoot announcement lineup party) Thursday with little to no idea what to expect. The thought of Prom to a 30-something like myself brings about annoyance, rolling of eyes and honestly a little bit of anxiety. Not to mention I’m not normally a dress-wearing lady, my speed is more jeans, shirt, possibly a zip-up hoodie and most importantly my camera.  For this event I tossed aside 90% of that (the camera was still in tow) and put on some tuxedo-like duds (complete with a toddler-sized bow tie) for some fun.

Allen Stone was the highlight of the night as he made the crowd cheer and swoon while walking on the crowd’s hands rather than crowd surfing (what!? epic). It’s been a while since I had seen him perform. The endless tours haven’t worn him down one bit; he and his band brought that sass and charm as always and brought the crowd together like we were all old chums. Their classic ironic tuxedos added an air of goofiness that really got us all into the moment helping me shed that eye-rolling attitude.Honestly, if you slapped a gold tooth on Mark Sampson you’d get Dr. Tooth of the Muppets and Allen was about an inch away from being the Mad Hatter. The cash they laid down for those suits was money well spent.

I was happily surprised to have a fabulous time dancing to killer 80′s/90′s tunes tossed out by the dj that bookended Allen’s set. So many favorites including “Faith”, “Black or White”, “I Want it That Way” and lots more including “Jump” which I’m assuming was in homage to Chris Kelly, the recently deceased member of Kris Kross. The weirdest part about it was that 90% of the room was swaying (like typical kids at a prom) but knew none of the songs they were grooving to. Nothing makes you feel older than a room full of high school kids. Ugh, I now call anyone under the age of 25 a kid… thankfully I haven’t reached the stage where I’m yelling at them to stay off my lawn, but I did yell at a crow on my fence today.

Stepping away from my quick decent into old age, I’d like to get back to what this event was really about… the Bumbershoot lineup. I had several bands in mind for possible acts like Phoenix, Nick Cave (if only) Alt-J, The Comettes, The Grizzled Mighty and a few others. I’m excited to report that I was more accurate than I thought I’d be ( and I was just tossing up names of bands I was hoping to see on the bill). You can head over to the Bumbershoot website to see the entire lineup, but I’m gonna mention a few groups that you shouldn’t miss. But before I do that, one other thing I am really psyched about? All the local groups that I’ve seen on the sidelines for WAY too long and are finally getting the attention they deserve… several of which will be in the list below. Enjoy the photos and take my word on these suggestions!

Hot Bodies in Motion (local, funky, bluesy and sexy)
River Giant (local, great new album and wacky fun members)
The Grizzled Mighty (local, wacky and awesome)
FUN. (you probably already knew that)
Alt-J (up-and-coming killer group)
Maceo Parker (incredibly talented saxophonist)
!!! (fantasticly fun live show)
Vintage Trouble (get ready to dance… like James friggin Brown)
Mates of State (sweet, cute and fun. Show at the Tractor last year was rad!)
The Lone Bellow ( talented up-and-comers, killed at SXSW)
St Paul de Vence (local, frenchy with accordion, fun and unique)
Kris Orlowski (local, we brag on him constantly… beautiful voice and soul)
The Comettes (local, new folks getting attention for good reason)
Death Cab for Cutie (local, like I need to tout them…)

About 15 minutes into Frightened Rabbit’s set, they announced the “venue” (ie parking lot) was at capacity and no one else was being let in for the next performance: alt-J.  Thankfully we were already there, but unfortunately they took some extra time setting up and sound-checking, so their set was an abbreviated one.

 Up next in Waterloo’s diverse day party lineup was the legendary Richard Thompson, whose fiery set stopped everyone in their tracks.

After Thompson’s stage-charring performance was Billy Bragg, who dedicated his first song “Sexuality” to “those who are working to bring equal marriage rights to the great state of Texas,” then added “You know where you can stick it, Governor Perry” mid-song.  Coincidentally, three days later, the Governor himself sat in the booth directly behind me at Ironworks BBQ, and it was all I could do not to ask him if he remembered the three things he had ordered…

The next two bands in the lineup were unknown to me, but have been around for some time.  The Relatives loosened up the tiring crowd with their funky gospel songs, and The Mavericks kept things moving with some upbeat country tunes.

And then there was Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, with Tommy Spurlock joining them on pedal steel.  With the golden sun glinting off Emmylou’s guitar, they serenaded the crowd with duets off their recent album Old Yellow Moon, including the stellar “I’m Hanging Up My Heart.”

After getting more than my fair share of pavement tan for the day, we relocated closer to the heart of things on 6th Street.  Our destination was The Driskill for dear friend and absolutely stunning songwriter Tyler Lyle‘s only public set of the week.  I’ve only seen Tyler play once before, at my going away party in San Diego last year, but his songs have been living in my head and seeping through my stereo for the past year and a half.  It was amazing to see him bring those songs to life in a beautiful room within a gorgeous hotel. I was filled with childish glee to hear the lyrics to “Werewolf” resound in such a space.

The performance immediately after Tyler’s set was a band I was excited to see based solely on a single song from a Paste sampler: The Lone Bellow (see a vid of the song).  They had played more shows at SXSW than any other band I had seen that week (this set was their fourteenth), but we would never have known if we hadn’t asked.  They filled the room with their raucous energy and shimmering harmonies, and left their souls on the stage.  I expect to hear much more from this band in the upcoming months.

Local Natives // Photo courtesy of Stereogum

Having just released a gorgeous new album, Hummingbird (out now), Local Natives graced the Neptune’s stage this last Friday and Monday bringing fresh material to two sold-out, fanatic audiences.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Local Natives in spring of 2010. It was the perfect kind of day that is quintessential Sasquatch at the Gorge; when a warm breeze carries each note across the crowd just long enough for you to savor its sweetness. An ethereal reaction was set off in me when I fell trance to their inimitable rhythms, contemplative lyrics and intricate guitar parts, not to mention those three-part harmonies—be still my heart. Their live set was one that was as honest and unapologetic as it was awe-inspiring. There was no dissonance between the album experience and the live experience, making it one of the most satisfying concert memories I’ve yet to own.

That is, until this last weekend at the Neptune. Just when I thought their live set couldn’t get much better, the dudes trumped their previous performances, thus replacing themselves on my own personal “top-concerts-ever” list. It takes a certain finesse to be able to accomplish a feat of that sort—a finesse so polished and blindingly apparent to anyone in attendance, whether a die-hard fan or new to the bandwagon. Their songs boast greater complexity and proficiency (three of the members switched instruments among each other at several points), complicated rhythms and ever-so-beautiful harmonies. Their material is bolder and edgier than ever before. With that, I can say with confidence that they have solidified headliner status, and I don’t see them going anywhere but up.

And if the band had any doubts about their newly found headlining status, they only had to play for Seattle to find that notion confirmed. There was so much mutual love and electricity in that room, not a soul left without feeling that priceless, post-show high.  Friday’s show felt like a homecoming for a band that doesn’t even have roots here. Kudos, Seattle—you know how to show the love.

Jon Russell and friends at Neumos

There’s been a shift in the music scene lately, have you felt it? In the heady days of The Head and the Heart (HATH), Hey Marseilles, Campfire OK and Bryan John Appleby we couldn’t get enough of the “americana” sound. Now it’s almost a punchline as we’re gnashing our teeth and wishing for something new, or at least something more. Our most cherished groups are out on the road trying to make something of themselves and we’re left with quite the void.

Tomo Nakayama at Neumos

There are a lots of fledgling bands trying to fill that gap with more dance-able music like The Fame Riot, The Invisible Shivers, The Hoot Hoots, Kithkin and even some older faves like The Tea Cozies. As excited as I am for fresh talent to enter the scene, it’s always nice to have a little throwback… you know, enter a time machine and get back to that happy vibe so readily available about two years ago.

Well, I had one such opportunity earlier this month at Neumos: Jon Russell of HATH has stepped out on his own a bit writing some songs with acoustic accompaniment that would lull even the most savage music fan. Joining him on stage were the incomparable Tomo Nakayama of Grand Hallway and Damien Jurado with sets of their own keeping it low-key with simple acoustic performances as well.

Damien Jurado and friends at Neumos

One special treat for the audience was Damien’s vocal accompaniment of several well-known female singers from the Pacific-Northwest including Shelby Earl, Ashlea Tegman of Pretty Broken Things, Kirsten Wenlock of Elk and Boar, Anna-Lisa Notter of Hannalee among several others. It was a gorgeous combination of soulful, heartbreaking lyrics by Jurado backed by equally beautiful and angelic harmonies by the ladies.

The second treat of the evening came during Jon’s set as he brought several musical friends up on stage at key points throughout the performance. Josiah, his fellow vocalist from HATH was on stage a majority of the time lending his wonderfully complimentary voice to Jon’s as well as some strumming of the guitar. Other stage-dwellers included Charity Thielen and Chris Zasche of HATH as well as Daniel Blue of Motopony.

By the time I walked out of that sold-out Neumos’ show with the last of the stragglers, I realized I’d gotten that rare chance. The one where you get to step back in time and be in a place that felt like home once again. A place where everyone wishes they could stay but knows they can’t. We must change and move on, move forward. New music will come in and rock our socks off, the bands we have come to cherish and love will either fade away or make something of themselves… but we’ll always have the memories of that crazy night on the porch at Doe Bay or that sold-out room going dead silent as perfect harmonies begin floating above our heads like smoke. That’s what keeps us coming back for more, coming back to be there for the next memorable performance.

Following Cobalt’s set was Seattle-based The Local Strangers‘ set.  I’m continually impressed by their ability to draw in a crowd, especially as just a duo.

Next I hiked down 6th Street to Paste’s day party to see Josh Ritter perform.  I chatted with him briefly before his set, but it wasn’t until he played “Harrisburg” that I realized I had forgot to tell him that I’d actually grown up in Harrisburg.  D’oh!  Having never seen him live before, I was stunned by how much joy he packed into a 30-minute set, especially considering his most recent record deals with his divorce.  His stage banter was especially amusing, as he pointed out “there’s a lot of free stickers around…for your trapper keeper,” and launched into an extended story to allow his bass player a short cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”

I took a brief break from the craziness at Annie’s Cafe.  Feeling refreshed and renewed by a cool beverage, a bite of food and a quick re-application of deodorant, I headed to Maggie Mae’s rooftop to catch a few songs from young band von Grey.  They soldiered through sound issues and caught more than a few people’s attention.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for very long, as I was determined to catch Night Beds a few blocks away at Red 7.  This was really the first venue where I encountered a line that I was willing to stand in.  It seems as though a lot of people were trying to gt in to see Small Black, who were playing on the patio stage—just one more problem to deal with at multi-stage venues.  However, after a short wait, I managed to get inside just a few minutes before Night Beds started. I was immediately blown away by Winston Yellen’s voice.  The band encountered their fair share of sound issues – I can’t imagine the stress of setting up and sound-checking in a venue in 10-15 minutes, then having to pack up and play another showcase elsewhere in the city.  It really is a marathon for the performers and I’m impressed by those that don’t fall apart under the weight of it all.

After swooning over Yellen’s vocal melodies, I hiked across town to Townhouse for another Seattle-based act, Reignwolf.  I caught a few songs of his set at Bumbershoot last year, and have since described him as “a photographer’s wet dream.”  He plays dirty, gritty blues rock while climbing all over drum sets and bars.  The venue was of the “hallway bar” variety, with a small stage at the end.  We packed in with anticipation.  Due to the lack of lighting and elbow room, I hadn’t planned on taking photos, but man, sometimes you just can’t help yourself.

Here we are, three years and a new album later, and I am more excited than ever to have the opportunity to see him at Seattle’s newest (and quite lovely) STG venue, The Neptune.

Blake released the first single, “Retrograde” from brand new album Overgrown in February and I was immediately hooked. Then came its music video. Oooo, weird. Good weird. Then, thanks to his Twitter, I came upon the album’s title track music video, chosen by Vimeo as a staff pick.

The dark beauty of his music is reflected in each video with each disjointed scene somehow leading to a sensible — or at least definite — resolution. I knew I needed to own the entire album and have listened to it nonstop, which brings me to today, as I sit writing this article secure in the knowledge that I can’t wear out a digital download.

James Blake is an anomaly. To say his music is unique understates what he creates. His songs are dark and haunting, yet still alluring. The melodies and lyrics are repetitive, but he adds layer upon layer, building on a single good idea and turning it over and over again. Each song is an evolving orchestration, changing or adding or subtracting one element at a time. It never gets boring, and his experimental use of rhythms and syncopations creates complexity without alienating the listener. I can’t bring myself to try to define his genre, because he is truly one of a kind. Wikipedia, however, has tried and defines his music as “electronica, post-dubstep, and soul.” Trying not to laugh, I think they’ve nearly got it.

Needless to say, this is a show I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Blake is a recording genius, and I look forward to seeing him perform, hoping that he has equally mastered his craft in a live setting.

Do yourself a favor: listen to the new album and befriend someone who has an extra ticket to his sold out Neptune show, and join me Tuesday night.

James Blake at The Neptune
with Falty DL
Tickets $30 – SOLD OUT
All Ages :: Bar w/ID
Doors 7pm :: Show 8pm