Blog Archives

August 31, 2010

So, You’re Not Going to Bumbershoot … Go To Bumblefuck

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While it will be difficult to tell here on Sound on the Sound and most local music publications, there are other things happening in Seattle this coming weekend that aren’t Bumbershoot.

If you didn’t have the cash to shell out or you hate big crowds or you’re not into the headliners or whatever the case may be, but you still want to attend a kick-ass arts and music festival, you are in luck. Happening Saturday at the Underground Events Center in Belltown is Bumblefuck, the anti-Bumbershoot hosted by the fine folks at Bad Horses. Featuring 16 local bands and even more local artists, the event costs $5 to Bumbershoot’s economy option of $30 a day. If you don’t have $5 to spend, you can donate canned food, or bring supplies and make art and you’ll get in for free. The event also needs volunteers to work the door and sell merchandise, if you do volunteer, your time and efforts will be rewarded with free beer and band merchandise. You can email agtsk@hotmail.com if you’re interested.

The music starts at 3pm and goes until 2am with sets from folks like A Gun That Shoots Knives, Curious Mystery, Partman Parthorse and Spurm. If you’re not going to Bumbershoot, let this be your alternative … or if you are heading to Bumbershoot and you’re looking for a non-sanctioned after-party alternative, head underground in Belltown for Bumblefuck.

August 30, 2010

The Terrible Twos This Thursday at The Blue Moon

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Blowdog and Sneezy ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Going hard on Thursday and Friday before the marathon that is Bumbershoot is probably a terrible idea, but there’s not a chance we’re going to miss a special night at the Blue Moon: The Terrible Twos.

This recipe for trouble includes sets by two-somes best known for their roles in other bands and some of our most memorable nights at The Blue Moon: The Seattle Supersonics (better known as Matt & Adm from Thee Emergency), Kurly Something (a duo featuring Kurly of A Gun That Shoots Knives), Shitty Dudes (better known as Stubby and Jeff from A Gun That Shoots Knives) and the final show ever from Blowdog and Sneezy (better known as Blowdog and Sneezy from Hopscotch Boys). The cover for the evening is, of course, two dollars. Beer is two dollars. And well-drinks are two-for-one. The most expensive part of the night will be the cab ride home.

Apologies to our livers in advance.

January 1, 2010

Celebrating New Years at The Blue Moon on a Blue Moon

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Bye 2009! Hello 2010! ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Sound on the Sound rang in the New Year at the Blue Moon Tavern (the night of an actual Blue Moon) for a night of cheap champagne in plastic glasses, space babies, the rebirth of the WE Wheel of Fortune, and the return of the Seattle Supersonics. Since first being introduced to A Gun That Shoots Knives on New Years Eve 2006, we’ve spent every New Years with the band and we’re still just as impressed and enamored with them as we were that first night. For the  birth of the new year, the band even debuted a couple brand new songs which we hope will be on a new AGTSK record sometime in 2010. For those of us at the Blue Moon, the first song of the New Year was ‘Balrog’ and truthfully, we probably wouldn’t have it any other way. If AGTSK is playing NYE 2010/2011 — it’s a safe bet we’ll be there celebrating with them.

Seattle Supersonics ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

We Wrote the Book on Connector’s Wheel of Fortune ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

2010 Birthed a Space Baby ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

A Gun That Shoots Knives ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

See More Photos from New Years Eve at The Blue Moon: Flickr Set

July 14, 2009

Memorial Shows for Gunther Jose Frank and Donkey in Bellingham This Weekend

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 The Trucks ::: photo by Gunther Jose Frank

As promised, we wanted to keep you updated on memorial events for the beloved and missed Gunther Jose Frank and Donkey, who were lost at sea in early June. Bellingham’s best will be coming out to perform in memory of Gunther and Donkey this weekend, including a reunion by The Trucks. All proceeds from the memorial shows and auctions will benefit Donkey and Gunther’s families.  

If you can’t make it to Bellingham this weekend to celebrate the lives of these amazing men and artists, a fund has been set up in their honor and to help their families. Please send all inquiries to Lindsay Craven.

Friday, July 17 @ Boundary Bay Brewery (1107 Railroad Ave.):

     – Music by Sugar Sugar Sugar, All-Nighters, and Ladies of the Night.      – Silent auction featuring deluxe donated goodies.      – Music will start at 8ish or so, although bidding on silent auction items starts a few hours earlier.      – All-ages until 10pm, then we kick the kiddies out.

Saturday, July 18 @ Nightlight Lounge (211 E. Chestnut St.):

     - Music by The Trucks, A Gun That Shoots Knives, Guinness and the Reps, the Daffodils, and Go Slowpoke.      – Slideshow of Gunther’s and Donnkie’s lives and art, as well as raffle of more deluxe donated goodies.      – DJ AbbyNorml will spin between sets.

Suggested donation for each of the Boundary/Nightlight shows is $5. Proceeds will go to benefit the Frank/Mansfield families.

Sunday, July 19 @ Bellingham’s Skate Park:

     – Skate Jam feat. the sweet skate stylings of whoever wants to throw down.      – DJ’ed music by DJ Moonboots.

July 5, 2009

Night After Night – July 6th to the 12th

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Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes ::: photo by Abbey

As someone who goes to shows more nights than not, I know that most nights of the week there’s a great show happening in Seattle. In fact, as someone who often wishes she could split herself in two or three, there’s usually more than one show worth checking out many nights.

While we’ve hesitated doing a straight up weekly Sound on the Sound recommends post, there are just too many shows that are worthy of highlighting and attending for us to not try one out.  With that in mind, I’m starting “Night After Night” your weekly guide to going to a show a night in Seattle.

I’m sure some weeks won’t have a full seven nights of shows, because we’d rather not list a show we wouldn’t be excited to attend ourselves. But my hope for this features is to show and share with you the impressive number of awesome shows at your finger tips, on any given night of the week in Seattle.

Monday 7/6:

Who – The Rural Alberta Advantage Where – The Sunset Tavern, 9pm How (Much) – 7$ Why- Saddle Creek’s latest band are creating haunting, charming tunes that defy  easy description. Singing songs about hometowns and heartbreak, the band mixes synth sounds and  indie folk sensibilities, with a side of Jeff Mangum vocals.

Tuesday 7/7:

Who – The Curious Mystery, Born Anchors, Cataldo Where – Nectar Lounge, 8pm How (Much) – FREE, courtesy of Sound Magazine Why – Because in this economy, we could all use a free show with three of Seattle’s most promising up and coming bands. The Curious Mystery’s Rotting Slowly is one of my favorite local releases of 2009.

Wednesday 7/8:

Who - Mad Rad, Thee Satisfaction Where - The Funhouse, 9pm How (Much) – 6$ Why – It’s a chance to see two of Seattle’s most buzzed about bands at a venue that couldn’t be further from the vibe of Pike and Pine. Mad Rad is sure to bring the antics, and I dare you not to dance to Thee Satisfaction’s unique groove.

Thursday 7/9:

Who - A Gun That Shoots Knives, The Raggedy Anns,  Doctor Doctor Where - Neumos, 9pm How (Much) - 6$ Why – To hear F Bomb laiden PSA’s about staying in school and literacy and to celebrate the Raggedy Anne’s catchy fortchoming CD of swing rock and Tin Pan Alley tunes.

Friday 7/10:

Who - Schoolyard Heroes, The Pharmacy, The Whore Moans Where - VERA Project, 7:30pm How (Much) - Why – Because you want to be at what will doubtlessly be the craziest show of the week, no booze necessary. The popular former Seattle band The Pharmacy are returning for their first weekend back since moving to The Big Easy. The Whore Moans of capable of whipping a group of nuns into ruckus moshers and you have never seen local teenagers go more insane then when Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes take the stage. Bring your ear plugs and elbows.

Awesome Alternative: Thee Emergency at The Sunset

Saturday 7/11:

Who - Robin Pecknold, Throw Me the Statue Where - Neumos, 9pm How (Much) -  15$ Why – See Robin Pecknold of The Fleet Foxes perform a rare solo set and a smaller venue then he’ll ever play again, all for one of Seattle’s finest musical resources: The Vera Project.

Awesome Alternative: The Hands, The Ironclads, The Beats Man at The Mars Bar

Sunday 7/12:

Who - Grynch (Chemsitry EP Release) Where - The Nectar Lounge How (Much) – $7 Why – On Tuesday you can download Grynch’s new EP for free. That way Sunday you won’t be laughing so hard from “My Volvo” that you can enjoy his other tracks.

Awesome Alternative: Azure Ray with Anomie Bell at Neumos

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p.s. Please let me know if you think this a worthwhile feature for Sound on the Sound, or if it’s something you feel like you get already from the site and/or every other local newspaper and music blog.

April 23, 2009

Sound on the Sound Presents Act Two of The Blue Moon’s 75th Anniversary

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Junkface ::: Photo by Josh

Getting into the Blue Moon a little after the Sounder’s halftime last Saturday I was glad to see a glimmer back in Junkface frontman Randy’s eye again. Last time he swung through town Junkface was just him, as he’d just recently lost keyboardist Ryan to Starfucker duties and was additionally at the time struggling to find a steady drummer. So he hit the stage with just his little casio keyboard to sing a few personal songs, but he just seemed deflated about it all.

This time his band was three, but still absent its now normal drummer, so Randy took a few songs on the drums, with the other members switching up on instruments as the songs demanded. The best songs I thought were when Randy was working the guitar behind the mic though, yet all retained the essential Junkface punk-pop feel. This new incarnation of the band has a recording coming out sometime this year, so many of the songs that I didn’t recognize I’m guessing will appear on that.

A Gun That Shoots Knives all strapped bags and tin foil to their heads and dressed up as legendary U-District denizen the Chrome Sheriff, a possible schizophrenic who roams the area covered in a protective duct-tape headgear and fortified coats. As Stubby quickly found out though, a tin foil hat get’s hot and sweaty really fast, and so does wearing plastic bags; they aren’t exactly breathable materials. They make space blankets out of that stuff, remember?

WE Wrote the Book on Connectors headlined the evening and ended on a high note even though their Blue Moon song was slightly less successful than they’d hoped. (No need to talk about that right? Oh well, you can’t have a song as good as “Gladiator Stripper Wars” on every attempt.) Ending after 1 a.m. on sing-and-dance-along song “Captain of the Future” the bar wasn’t nearly ready to dissapate, and was happy to actually dance till last call to Captain Neo’s classic album Thriller. That we would be ringing in the 75th year of the Moon with a Michael Jackson album from early eighties I would never have guessed, but that’s the Moon for ya.

Junkface ::: Photo by Josh

A Gun That Shoots Knives ::: Photo by Abbey

A Gun That Shoots Knives ::: Photo by Abbey

WE Wrote the Book On Connectors ::: Photo by Abbey

Flickr: Sound on the Sound Presents the Second of our Blue Moon 75th Anniversary Shows featuring: WE Wrote the Book On Connectors, A Gun That Shoots Knives, and Junkface

April 18, 2009

Photographic Evidence As To Why You Must Be At The Blue Moon Tonight

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Beyond the crazy and fun photos I’m about to share with you, there’s really one very simple reason you must be at The Blue Moon tonight: it’s going to be the best party in town. There are no better bands for a rollicking, hilarious party in Seattle than We Wrote The Book on Connectors and A Gun That Shoots Knives–and that’s what tonight is going to be all about.  It’s going to be a spectacle, in the most fantastic of ways.

Junkface:

A brief word about Junkface. Beyond celebrating with two of our favorite Seattle bands, we’re thrilled that Portland’s Junkface will be making the trek north to the Blue Moon. Junkface played Sound on the Sound’s very first sponsored show at The Blue Moon and not nearly enough of you got to see them.  Back then we said: ”Junkface seems built for a place like the Blue Moon. They play scuzzy yet simple and accessible songs that span the spectrum of genres.” Despite the fact the band’s EP is only 7 songs and 19 minutes long, it is an often played favorite, even after two years.

 

  A Gun That Shoots Knives:

 

 

We Wrote The Book on Connectors:

 
 
April 6, 2009

Two Saturdays of Celebration on behalf of the Blue Moon

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Tags
A Gun That Shoots Knives Hopscotch Boys The Whore Moans Thee Emergency We Wrote the Book on Connectors Blue Moon Tavern Sound on the Sound Presents
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Check this poster!!! ::: Poster by Stubby

We, the humble proprietors of Sound on the Sound, want you to recognize that this April, Seattle is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the venerable Blue Moon Tavern. Over those many years the Blue Moon as been through countless incarnations, seen the construction of the interstate on it’s doorstep and the rise of downtown skyline across the lake. At this point in time the Blue Moon survives as a rock n’ roll stage most nights under the watchful eye and ear of booker Jason Josephes (JJ), and we thought there would be no better way to help celebrate this milestone than to sponsor two consecutive Saturdays with can’t miss bills packed full of our favorite local bands.

The first show happens this Saturday and brings together the secret headliners from both of our Blue Moon birthday shows, Thee Emergency and the Whore Moans. And if two of our favorite current local bands weren’t enough, how about one of our most missed dearly departed Seattle bands: Hopscotch Boys. JJ was able to rouse the Hopscotch Boys from premature death onto the bill to salute the venue with a one-off special performance. Rounding out the night is High Class Wreckage. Since there are four bands the first set will start at 9pm and since this is an extra special show the cover will be $7. Do not show up to late, or you will not get into this show. Even our friends. You have been warned.

The second Saturday in a row, April 18, features a trio of bands who are likely to make for just as unforgettable a night. Previous A Gun that Shoot’s Knives performances have turned the Blue Moon into all manner of environments including turning the stage into a “womb.” As we have seen time and again, WE Wrote the Book on Connectors know how to deliver a stellar party. While Junkface… Junkface you pretty much have to see to believe. All in all, these are two epic bills not to be missed.

The complete details for both dates are below:

Sound on the Sound Celebrates the Blue Moon Tavern’s 75th Anniversary with two nights of incomparable rock n’ roll

Saturday April 11 Sound On The Sound presents: Whore Moans Thee Emergency The return of the Hopscotch Boys! High Class Wreckage $7, show starts at 9pm

Saturday April 18, 2009 Sound On The Sound presents: We Wrote the Book on Connectors A Gun That Shoots Knives Junkface (from Portland, OR) $5, show starts at 10pm

February 11, 2009

New A Gun That Shoots Knives Video!

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Check out A Gun That Shoots Knives brand new music video for “Dinosaurs Are Real.” The video was directed by AGTSK lead-singer Stubby Abbot, with a fantastical set created by the entire band. The awesome props and pre-historic theme was later transported to our Neumo’s Birthday Bash.  Nessie, the brontasarus/loch ness monster looking dinosaur, also now lives on my wall.