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

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

 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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:

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

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.

A few reasons why you should be attending tonights Sound on the Sound Birthday Bash featuring the likes of Wah Wah Exit Wound, The Resets, and the cloud-sporting hooligans featured above:

1.  It’s a Sound on the Sound Birthday Bash.  I personally can promise that I will drink far too much and try to fight someone over the age of 65.  It’s a problem I have, one that most people enjoy watching.  Most people except for the security guards at the old age homes I usually end up at.

2.  Look at that picture!  These people are going to be performing live on stage for you and for you only.  I can’t promise that they’re genitalia will be covered by weather formations, but I can certainly promise you a brand of absolute madness that only the gentlemen of A Gun That Shoots Knives can bring.

3.  That said, we’ve been promised, by those cumulus cloud-rocking sons a bitches, that there has been a dinosaur-themed set built solely for this occasion.  You’re getting a fucking Sound on the Sound Birthday, the madness of one of the craziest bands performing in this ‘burg right now, and, AND an entire set built to encompass a dinosaur theme.  I don’t know what that means, or what it will entail, but I hope and wish that there will be at least one living velociraptor, Dr. John Hammond from Jurassic Park, and kindly brontosaurus that will serve me drinks and nuzzle my chest.

Please, for your own good, go buy an eraser and go to your scheduler.  Erase everything written under January 14th, 2009.  Write in, “Dinosaur Themed Birthday Party @ Neumos”.  Your life is now better.

A Gun That Shoots Knives Myspace Page

A Gun That Shoots Knives :: Photo by Abbey

I just know you’ve been searching for the right time and place to break out your best Fred Flintstone animal skin getup and head out to the club to rock the night away. Well, maybe you haven’t been “searching” for that moment, but nonetheless, that moment has arrived. Wednesday at Neumos, A Gun That Shoots Knives is hosting a Prehistoric Dinosaur Jungle party as a part of our birthday extravaganza, and are pulling out all the stops. Word has it a jungle set is being build specifically for this show, so don’t be surprised if you see me swing by on a vine clutching a Corona. In honor of the show we’ve featured an AGTSK track, “Dinosaurs Are Real” up at the top of the main page, which you should definitely check out.

Also on the bill are prog disciples Wah Wah Exit Wound and reliable party starters the Resets. Costumes are Encouraged!

Now please enjoy some Flintstone dino-rock.