Grand Hallway with the Seattle Rock Orchestra & Perkins School Choir ::: photo by Abbey Simmons
It has always seemed to me, the crux of orchestral pop is you rarely have the orchestra to fulfill even your genre’s name, much less the potential of such an immense sound. With eight full-time members (and about 16 instruments between them), Grand Hallway was already much more successful in fulfilling the promise of orchestral pop than most who undertake it. However, having seen the band around town over the past couple of years, I couldn’t help but long to hear the band’s sound fully realized, with a slew of strings and horns accompanying. That longing was abated Saturday night during two sold-out shows at the Triple Door, where Tomo Nakayama’s songs and the sweeping landscapes he painted on Promenade came to life with a full orchestra and childrens’ choir.
It took hearing those songs in their grandest form to appreciate the small intricacies and simplicity that makes Grand Hallway such a delight. At the heart of it all, in the cradling of complex orchestration, shone Tomo’s songs. Where poetic tunes like “Raindrops” and “Blessed Be, Honey Bee” left little doubt that if Tomo and Grand Hallway are determined to write the perfect song one day, they will. Having heard them with the able bows of the Seattle Rock Orchestra and the soaring sound I always longed for, I am even more eager to return to just Tomo and the seven other gifted musicians that make up Grand Hallway. I left the Triple Door satiated, but now longing for the small-scale symphony of pedal steel, accordion, violin, guitar, and Grand Hallway’s multitude of multi-instrumentalists, for their own internal choir, and those songs, the potential of which are as immense as any orchestra.
Grand Hallway is making their way down the West Coast and east to Austin this week, without the orchestra in tow. Clearly, I still highly recommend you check them out:
3/12/10 - DOUG FIR, Portland, OR
3/13/10 - THE BOUQUET, Boise, Idaho
3/14/10 - KILBY COURT, Salt Lake City, Utah
3/15/10 - HI DIVE, Denver, Colorado
3/16/10 - LOW SPIRITS, Albuquerque, New Mexico
3/18/10 - SXSW: ST DAVID’S HISTORIC SANCTUARY, Austin, Texas
3/19/10 - SXSW: VORTEX THEATER (Acoustic set) Austin, Texas
3/20/10 - SXSW: BEAUTY BAR (Seattle Party) Austin, Texas
3/22/10 - THE PERCOLATOR, El Paso, Texas
3/23/10 - THE RED ROOM, Tucson, AZ
3/25/10 - SILVERLAKE LOUNGE, Los Angeles, California
See more videos and photos from Grand Hallway with the Seattle Rock Orchestra:
I could waste a lot of words on why you should check out Goldfinch at The Round next week.
I could tell you The Round is the perfect place to be introduced to Goldfinch and their intimate earnest songs, because The Round and Goldfinch are both about intimate artistry and earnest experiences. Or that hearing Grace Sullivan perform for the first time at an old church couldn’t be more fitting, because it’s clear from note one, Grace has spent a lot of time honing her voice in choirs. Or that the simple beauty of Aaron Stevens’ lyrics couldn’t be more suited for the stripped down, reverent setting of The Round. And that would all be true.
If you haven’t fallen for Goldfinch yet, next Tuesday at The Round is definitely the place to start your love affair. But I’d rather let the band do what they do best, and sing for themselves.
Ian McFeron, slam poet Jodie Knowles, Aaron & Grace from Goldfinch, Jake from Big Sur, and two expert potters (Eric Newman and Mark Strom) will turn lowly lumps of clay into a variety of vases and bowls right before your eyes. Finished pots will also be available for purchase.
Tuesday, March 9th @ Fremont Abbey Arts Center
8-10pm / 7:30 doors / $7 advance / $7-10 at door / all-ages / pg13
Info: www.theround.org / Tickets via www.fremontabbey.org
Last Friday Damien Jurado played a rare Seattle show to a packed house at the Sunset Tavern. That evening Damien treated the audience to new and old favorites alike, from Caught in the Trees, his forthcoming Secretly Canadian album Saint Bartlett, and three new songs that he has (or will be) featuring on his myspace in his new song a week challenge. Listen to “Arkansas” the first single off of Saint Bartlett courtesy of Secretly Canadian
I recorded my favorite of Damien’s newest new songs, “You For A While” and am so pleased to share the first video of the track here with you. After leaving the sold-out Sunset, I realized there were some long forgotten and never uploaded videos of Damien from last fall’s “Show Me Your Tiffs” opening party of two of my favorite tracks from the brilliant Caught in the Trees: “Sheets” and “Everything Trying.” “Everything Trying” even features a little cameo of Damien’s wife, local photographer extraordinaire Sarah Jurado, helping him remember the first few words to the song. It was one of my favorite musical moments of last year and I’m so glad I caught it on camera.
Damien will be releasing a new song on his myspace tomorrow, the sold-out Sunset got a preview of it last Friday and I promise that you’ll be wanting to stop by his myspace for a listen. If you weren’t able to make last Friday’s show (or if you’re like me and you saw Damien last Friday and then again on Sunday and still can’t get enough), you can see catch him with brother Drake, this Friday as they celebrate the record release of their side-project, Hoquiam.
Dave Bazan closed last night’s emotional Vic Chesnutt Tribute night at The Tractor Tavern with “Flirted With You All My Life.” I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. (Mine certainly weren’t.)
We’ll be posting more on the tribute show, including more videos later this week, but we had to share this with you all right away.
Yes, our love for Local Natives is well documented. For a good year now. It was just about this time last year that we shared Local Natives with you for the first time. The band was heading to SXSW and shopping their album Gorilla Manor around for a good home. Fast forward a year: Gorilla Manor has found a great home at French Kiss Records, had a big release and blogs all over the world are rightfully crazy for Local Natives.
Blogs like La Blogotheque, who’ve just posted an incredible video of Local Natives playing three tunes on a Parisian carousel andin a cozy Paris cafe I’d like to be drinking at right now. Sadly, watching the video is as close as I’m going to get, but it’s a pretty delightful second best. Pour a glass of Pinot and enjoy for yourself.
Sunday’s the almost-final day of NOISE POP 2010, and the pickings are slim. I’m content to curl up in a local theater, shovel corn in my mouth and let it all just settle in.
When?: Sunday, February 28th
Where?: Artist’s Television Access
What?:All My Friends Are Funeral Singers. This is the directorial debut of Red Red Meat and Califone frontman Tim Rutili and features the absolutely awesome actor Angela Bettis (you need to see May).
Why?: The above mentioned items - Angela Bettis, Tim Rutili, Califone - make this a must see, but check out that trailer above! It looks like absolute mayhem. Bettis plays a psychic whom lives in a house full of ghosts whom she uses to fool people in to thinking she’s a psychic. Sort of like Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners but with more indy cred. I only imagine that this film might skirt the line of narrative to a fairly great degree, but it’ll be pretty and chock full of gorgeous music.
What Else?: Take a snooze, drink a beer, have a nice dinner with a good friend. It’s a weak night unless your in to that Edward Sharpe fellow …
The best part of celebrating Valentines Day at The Sunset Tavern? A set chalk full of new Kaylee Cole songs. Save her opening tune (”Uncertain World” off We’re Still Missing You), Kaylee’s set was compiled solely of new songs. Kaylee’s never been someone who sang happy songs per se, but for her new batch of tunes her voice is filled with an extra punch of sad knowing, combined with the lyrical wistfulness I’ve always found so compelling. If lovelorn songs are your thing, your broken heart is about to swell for Kaylee Cole.
These songs, “David” and “Your War,” were two of my favorites from the night. Kaylee’s next Seattle show is March 10th at The Sunset Tavern and she’ll be singing these songs and more new tunes. Checking out the show, these new songs and Kaylee Cole come with my highest recommendation.
This past weekend I was treated to something that has never happened before: two bands covering the same song on back-to-back nights. A song I’d never heard covered (outside sad sad karaoke nights) before.
The song? The don’t-mind-me-crying-in-my-whiskey and oh-so Valentines Day appropriate “Green Grass” by Tom Waits.
The cover culprits? Mountain Man doing an a cappella version on Saturday at the Josephine and Kaylee Cole breaking our hearts at the Sunset Tavern on Valentines Day.
To me, they’re both beautiful heartache. Which cover of “Green Grass” do you prefer?
[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.
The files posted on this blog are for sampling purposes only. We post a track, and if you like it, go out and buy and album or a concert ticket. That's how it works. If you represent the copyright holder on this material and believe a file has been posted in violation of your copyright and you would like a file removed notify us here.
We Talk About New and Local Music!
If you would like to send a CD for review or tell us about your band contact us here.
Digg This!
::
Share
::
Delicious
