by Campfire OK Seattle's Campfire OK will be at the Crocodile on September 23rd opening for Fences CD Release Show
Shenandoah Davis
Photo by Abbey Simmons ::: Saturday September 4th at 4:30pm Shenandoah Davis plays the Bumbershoot edition of the Round with Goldfinch and Tomo Nakayma
We try to do as little copy-and-paste posting as possible on Sound on the Sound, because you don’t come here to read press releases or slightly reworded one-sheets. However, there are two tour dates that were just announced this morning that we have to share with you, even though we don’t have a ton more to say than this: save these dates or regret it forever.
First up is Carissa’s Wierd and their only scheduled reunion tour date: July 9th at The Showbox. The show will feature original band members Mat Brooke, Jenn Ghetto, Sarah Standard, Robin Peringer and Sera Cahoone, as well as the promise of some special unannounced guests. Not that the guests matter, you’re going to experience the unique heartbreak of Carissa’s Wierd and because you most likely missed them the first time around. (Like us.)
The second date you need to save is considerably further in the future, but unmissable nonetheless. After three or four tour date announcements that ignored Seattle, Akron’s favorite sons, The Black Keys finally announced that they will be at the Paramount on October 2nd, 2010. The band will have been touring all-summer behind their new album Brothers, so by the time they roll into Seattle they should be a finely-tuned machine of sloppy blues and gut-grabbing guitar riffs.
Here’s the latest video from the band (or is it?) of their song “Next Girl” off Brothers.
When I heard that Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground were set to open for Damien Jurado’s tour early this summer, I wrote an entire piece on the dynamic dichotomy of a band as big and boisterous as Kay Kay opening for the often solo, stoic Damien Jurado. Like a good reporter, I emailed Sarah Jurado, Damien’s manager, wife and wonderful photographer, to confirm that this would be the set-up for their tour before posting. Little did I know that cursory confirmation email would result in a sweet scoop.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground won’t just be opening for Damien Jurado this tour, they’ll also be his backing band. As if there weren’t enough reasons to see this tour already…
Damien Jurado is at his creative peak. Back in February, Damien stared posting a new song every week on his Myspace and promised to continue until the May 25th release of the stunning Saint Bartlett, his best album to date. Its an album that leaves no room for doubt: Damien Jurado is one of the Northwest’s signature songwriters and story-tellers. The addition of the orchestral psychedelia of Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, which is made up of some of Seattle’s finest musicians, is exactly why the phrase “icing on the cake” exists.
We cannot recommend this tour enough. Even if it means rearranging your Sasquatch plans for the Seattle date:
05.29.10 Seattle, WA. @ The Triple Door
06.02.10 Boise, ID. @ Neurolux
06.03.10 Salt Lake City, UT. @ Urban Lounge
06.04.10 Denver, CO. @ Hi Dive
06.05.10 Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
06.06.10 Des Moines, IA. @ Vaudeville Mews
06.07.10 St. Paul, MN. @ Turf Club
06.08.10 Milwaukee, WI. @ Mad Planet
06.09.10 Chicago, IL. @ Schubas
06.10.10 Louisville, KY. @ 930 Listening Room
06.11.10 Cincinnati, OH. @ Northgate Tavern
06.13.10 Bloomington, IN. @ The Bishop
06.14.10 Columbus, OH. @ The Treehouse
06.15.10 Cleveland, OH. @ Beachland Tavern
06.16.10 Cambridge, MA. @ TT The Bears
06.17.10 New York City, NY. @ Mercury Lounge
06.18.10 Brooklyn, NY. @ Littlefields
06.19.10 Philadelphia, PA. @ Johnny Brenda’s
06.20.10 Arlington, VA. @ IOTA
06.21.10 Charlottesville, VA. @ Random Row Books
06.22.10 Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
06.23.10 Nashville, TN. @ The End
06.24.10 Birmingham, AL. @ The Bottletree
06.26.10 Austin, TX. @ Club DeVille
06.28.10 Phoenix, AZ. @ Rhythm Room
06.29.10 San Diego, CA. @ The Casbah
06.30.10 Los Angeles, CA. @ Spaceland
07.01.10 Visalia, CA. @ The Cellar Door
07.02.10 San Francisco, CA. @ Bottom of the Hill
07.03.10 Portland, OR. @ Mississippi Studios
The Moondoggies at the Blue Moon ::: Polaroid by Josh Lovseth
Saturday night at the Blue Moon was a Hardly Art label showcase of sorts, featuring two bands officially on the label, The Moondoggies and Unnatural Helpers, and a third band with an up-in-the-air status at this point. Of course, you would have never known that, because the only band listed on the bill was the fictional Diamond Joe Quimbys.
The first Hardly Art band to take the stage were the Unnatural Helpers, who have a new record in the pipeline and who had me wishing I could have caught the whole set instead of sneaking in for the last two songs. Billed as the Diamond Joe Quimby’s the Moondoggies served as the night’s headliners. The band took the stage at midnight and played to an effusive crowd who knew every word to ever song until last call. The Moondoggies are the closest thing the Blue Moon has to a house band and even though they can barely still play there even when it’s a secret, seeing them on the stage that all but bore them just never gets old.
That third band of unknown status (who played second), referred to themselves as “White Lightning.” Formerly they were “Magic Mountain,” or maybe “Magic Mtn,” but I guess that didn’t go over too well with the trademark police, so now they have a new name. (Which may not be the name they end up with.) The now known as “White Lightning” is a collaboration of Arthur & Yu’s Grant Olsen and The Moondoggies. Kevin Murphy, lead singer of The Moondoggies, told me that a summer White Lightning tour may happen, and a recording may even follow. But no promises. You can already hear the collaboration in action on one live track included on the free 2009 Hardly Art label sampler, a track recorded during the course of playing just a few select dates last summer.
With all that possibly in the works, it’s looking like it’s going to be a busy year for the Moondoggies. In addition to setting a September release date for their next Hardly Art LP, Tthe band has just returned from a month long tour with the Cave Singers and the Dutchess and the Duke and the band has already confirmed an early summer tour with fellow Northwest roots rockers Blitzen Trapper. Those dates are below the fold.
Tour is always an adventure. Tour with 9 guys, double the instruments, a broken trailer, a killer soundtrack and over a thousands miles of driving in four days is the making of an awesome first Maldives tour vlog.
We’ll be following and sharing The Maldives tour adventures here on Sound on the Sound. Not only will we be sharing the boys’ video blogs, we’ve also equipped them with cash for the most obscene postcards they can find, postage, and a couple disposable cameras. We’ll share whatever arrives in our mailbox from the Maldives with you.
Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives ::: photo by Abbey Simmons
Often the hardest things for me to write about are the things I love the most. No one wants to be the blogger who cried “best band ever” over and over again, and there’s more self-imposed pressure to find the perfect description for what you find to be most compelling. That’s why there’s been nary a mention of what was quite possibly my favorite show and live discovery of 2010 thus far: Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives.
Hailing from Portland, Drew Grow plays with the riveting passion of a revival tent preacher, full of captivating apocalyptic bombast. And just like that revival preacher, Drew Grow controls the audience. When I saw him at The Comet in January you could’ve heard a pin drop by the end of his set. An unassuming man and band takes the stage, and with no antics, just a pure and righteous emotional force, a prophet steps off, inevitably amidst a sea of stunned converts. Grow’s songs are his visions and parables, and with crash and crescendo they stir the soul.
Vocally and in terms of the emotional wallop per note, Drew Grow most reminds me of a Grace-era Jeff Buckley. There is a broken but beautiful timbre to Drew Grow’s voice, just as there was to Buckley’s, that seems to tug directly at the heart strings. I should have known when a music teacher told me she’d never had a “more moving experience with music than at a Drew Grow show” that he was the Truth, but it’s the kind of performance you have to witness for yourself to actually believe. If you haven’t seen Drew Grow or discovered his soaring spirituals yet, I sincerely can’t recommend that you check them out enough.
Seattle will have to wait about a month for their chance to see Drew Grow again, as he’s playing the Tractor Tavern on April 28th with another Sound on the Sound favorite Ravenna Woods, for what I assure you is the makings of an unmissable show. Portland, you lucky bastards, don’t have to wait that long for Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives since the band will be celebrating the release of two new songs “Do You Feel It” and “Bon Voyage Hymn” this Friday at The Woods. This show will sell out, so be sure to get your tickets in advance lest you miss out.
Us, well we’ll be anticipating Drew Grow shows throughout the summer: the band will also be performing on June 26th with Grand Hallway during the Grand Opening celebrations of the Columbia City Theater and making a return trip to the Doe Bay Festival this August. Two events, I assure you, you want to put on your calendar now. Keep reading Sound on the Sound for more exciting announcements about both Columbia City Theater and Doe Bay.
Here’s some video proof of Drew Grow’s powerful live performance and the band’s effect on a crowd. This video was shot at a sold out show in Tacoma (r.i.p Warehouse) and the crowd is so quiet you can hear Drew breathing between notes.
Song Release Show & West Coast Tour Dates:
March 19th - Portland, OR - The Woods
April 28th - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern (w/ Ravenna Woods)
May 23rd - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah
May 24th - Sacramento, CA - Old Ironsides
May 26th - San Diego, CA - Bar Pink
May 27th - Davis, CA - Aramdillo Records
May 27th - Davis, CA - Sophias Thai Kitchen
May 28th - Chico, CA - Cafe Coda
May 28th - Eugene, OR - Sam Bonds Garage
June 26th - Seattle, WA - Columia City Theater (Grand Opening w/ Grand Hallway)
Aug 14th - Olga, Orcas Island, WA - Doe Bay Festival
[Warning: Video above may be NSFW. If you consider out-of-focus penis NSFW. -The Editor]
This is a tour to phone dad about. San Fransisco Americana-tinged mega-group Or, The Whale have joined forces with Seattle’s own likeminded mega-group the Maldives to make the ride down to SXSW this March a whole lot more fun. These two bands both put out strong records last year, made friends after playing a few dates together, and now they’re hoping to ride each other’s coattails a bit. Since my pop had to jet a bit early for my birthday show, this will be the show I’ll be making him the sell on. I don’t think it’ll be a hard sell at all.
The video above is a song called “Rusty Gold” from Or, The Whale’s self-titled LP, released in September of 2009.
Or, The Whale Winter 2010 Tour Dates
Feb 27th - Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Mar 9th - Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge ^
Mar 10th - Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern ^
Mar 11th - Cottage Grove, OR Axe and Fiddle ^
Mar 12th - San Francisco, CA The Independent ^
Mar 13th - Los Angeles, CA Hotel Cafe ^
Mar 14th - San Diego, CA Bar Pink ^
Mar 15th - Tucscon, AZ Club Congress ^
Mar 17th - Mar 20th - Austin, TX SXSW
^ = w/ The Maldives
The Maldives will be playing the SXSW Seattle Party themselves on March 20th, happening again this year at The Beauty Bar, where they’ll be joined by . Then they’ll looping around back into Utah and Boise for a few dates after SXSW. Those dates are below.
The Maldives at SXSW and beyond:
Mar 20th - The Beauty Bar - Austin, TX
Mar 21st - Lola’s Saloon - Fort Worth, Texas
Mar 24th - Bar Deluxe - Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar 25th - The Bouquet - Boise, Idaho
Tickets for the Tractor Tavern show on March 10th, a bill that also includes PDX band Weinland, can be had at TicketWeb for $10 adv.
With today’s announcement of a month of November (and into December) dates in the U.S. supporting his new album A Year in the Kingdom, Josh Tillman has finished planning a busy few months of double duty. Starting this week, in addition to headlining, he’s taking his brother’s band Pearly Gate Music, a band in which he also drums, on a month long route through Europe. Then after a short break, beginning early November he’s taking the same group on the road for a clockwise traverse of North America.
MP3: “Earthly Bodies” by J Tillman from A Year in the Kingdom courtesy of Western Vinyl
Though Josh has taken his brother Zach’s band to Europe before, and down the west coast, this is Pearly Gate Music’s first nationwide tour. On December 11th, the Tillman brothers will wrap up their trek in Seattle at Neumos. Hopefully sometime in there we might actually see a Pearly Gate Music recording materialize.
Complete J Tillman European and North American Tour dates are below the fold.
Nurses play “Technicolor” on an old piano, and then “In Rhythm” in a backyard, and then “Caterpillar Playground” on the piano courtesy of LEFT|RIGHT
No wonder we couldn’t get them to play our bloggy birthday party later this month. Our Portland fav’s of the moment Nurses just posted a slew of dates in support of their soon to be public album Apple’s Acre, dates which all together make up two national tours over the next few months. First, starting at the end of August, they’ll be spending nearly a month on the road supporting Throw Me the Statue and the Brunettes, and then in October they’ve got another month of shows scheduled with Le Loup. Upcoming Seattle Dates include a September 23rd date at the Vera Project and an October 23rd date at Chop Suey with Le Loup.
I understand if you are. The video for the single “No You Girls” from Franz Ferdinand’s latest album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand just dropped and it’s fun. And if you’ve still got the will, watch it above.
In full, the song is a good song. Unfortunately we’ve been bombarded with this song, or rather remixed parts of the song, as a part of an iPod campaign for sometime now. In order to make it commercial-ready they modified the timing and the changes and mashed-up the song, condensing it in a catchy but unfortunate way. So now when I listen to the actual song I’m anticipating changes that aren’t there and feeling like a great song has been ruined for me before it ever had a chance. Yikes.
Franz Ferdinand starts their American tour in Seattle on April 13 at the Paramount Theater. Tickets are $32.50 and can be bought online.
Fresh off touring, these gentlemen look to be planning on continuing the momentum throughout the rest of the year. Starting mid-September and through mid October they’ll be doing North America, adding to their already announced tour of Western Europe through November, with drummer J Tillman opening those dates. They’ll be starting the North American leg with our Canuck neighbors to the north and finishing off in Seattle on October 19th, at the Moore Theatre(!). Talk about movin’ on up. I would be scared too.
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