Blue Scholars ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Yes it’s that time again boys and girls. It’s festival time! Time to put the face paint on, run the trusty silver flask through the dishwasher and go buy a bottle of aspirin. Not for you silly goose. The mild pain relief is for your checking account and not your own aches and pains. How do I know you’re poor? You read this blog. Rich people don’t read this blog. If you’re rich, may I suggest you buy advertising on this website. It’s almost 2011, you can never have enough self promotion.

City Arts Festival is brand spanking new. I mean that literally, this is the first year that it has taken place. The festival circuit is a dogfight for concert promoters. Scheduling the festival in itself is an almost impossible feat. Then you have you to get notable, diverse acts that will separate your festival the dozens of others that seem to pop up every year. We haven’t even gotten to the point of hiring vendors or working with local venues. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I just woke up and I need a nap.

What I’m really trying to say is, this festival might be executed perfectly or it might go down in a blaze of infamy like the Hindenberg. While City Arts Festival features more than just musical performances at your disposal, here at Sound on the Sound music is all we care about.  Keeping with that theme and my complicated contractual obligations, music is the only thing my hands are at liberty to discuss with you. Without further adieu….

Tonight — Wednesday October 20th

I know I’m running late to the party but in the day and age of the “smartphone”, it’s never too late to write a preview. As per usual you’re about to bossed around by technology. Where do you want to be tonight? You’ve got options:

Belle and Sebastian at Benaroya Hall (8pm) - Surely you are familiar with this band. When you were in high school you wrote in your diary how the The Boy With the Arab Strap might the best album that will ever be created. Then you discovered Tigermilk and you were convinced that you might call Scotland “home” one day.  Two albums as your only reason for living at the time. Flash forward more than a dozen years later and this band has moved on to bigger and better things. You’re still stuck in the past.

Blue Scholars, Brother Ali, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Fresh Espresso and Mash Hall at Paramount Theater (6:30pm) - Minus the absence of a few names, this is an A-List of Seattle hip-hop. I’ve seen Macklemore and Fresh Espresso a handful of times so I know that their performances will be top-notch. What I’m curious to see is how Mash Hall will perform, knowing that they on the verge of an impending final show. Some musical acts elevate their performances before they hit shelf life while others crumble. Which are you Mash Hall? I also want to know how composed Brother Ali will be given the untimely death of Eyedea recently. I expect Brother Ali to go all out and at some point pay tribute to his lost friend. All of this leads to the headliners of the evening, Blue Scholars. I have lived in Seattle for three years now and I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Blue Scholars song. Ever. From what the native population says, I should be in for a treat tonight.

Gogol Bordello at the Showbox SODO (8:30pm) - I’m going to replay a conversation I had about this band with a friend of mine. This took place approximately two years ago:

Friend: “Gogol Bordello is coming to town. Are you going to see them?”

Me: “Who? Blood Brothers? They broke up.”

Friend: “No. Gogol Bordello. If you like energetic live music, you’ll probably like them.”

Me: “What do they sound like?”

Friend: “Gypsy shit”

Me: “Oh, so they sound like the soundtrack to milleniums of discrimination, misinformation and possible child theft?”

Friend: “Yeah, gypsy shit….”

I’ve been listening to Gogol Bordello off and on for the past few days. I think my friend was right.