If the cornucopia of choices Bumbershoot gives you doesn’t satiate your taste for live music or if you just want to keep the party going longer, there are a couple recommended kick-off and after parties happening around Seattle.

Fellow local blogger and friend Travis Hay is hosting two official Bumbershoot parties. First up is a kick off show Friday night with a bevy of local talent, where with a five dollar raffle ticket you can enter to win a pair of tickets for each day of Bumbershoot, a Sub Pop Records prize pack, a EMP/SFM prize package and a pair of tickets to Bumbershoot for Sept. 5 that give the winner side stage access to the main stage to watch Rise Against, Hole and Weezer. Hell, I’m going to buy a ticket to see if I can watch Courtney Love from the side stage.

On Sunday Travis plays host again to two big name touring bands: Surfer Blood and Dead Confederate. (Plus another Athens’ SOTS favorite: Futurebirds.)

Drop your full name in the comments below and you’ll be eligible to win a guest list spot to Sunday’s after party courtesy of Hard Rock Cafe, Travis Hay and Sound on the Sound. We’ll choose a winner on Thursday at 12pm.

Saturday night the after party is at The Crocodile with a Bumbershoot artist taking the stage for the second time that day. In the name of community courtesy, we’re not going to come out and say who it is, but we did do the research for you.

Here are the specifics on all three nights of Bumbershoot parties:

Friday September 3rd

The High Dive - The FunOfficial Bumbershoot Kick Off Party with Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Thee Emergency, Curtains for You, and Sol - $10

Saturday September 4th

The Crocodile - A Warp Records Recording Artist and Fresh Espresso - $17

We did the internet research for you … there is only one Warp Records artist playing Bumbershoot.

Sunday September 5th

Hard Rock Cafe - Official Bumbershoot After Party with Dead Confederate, Surfer Blood and Future Birds - 10 adv/15$ night of show

The Head and The Heart ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

We can’t really review Friday night’s sold-out show at Columbia City Theater with The Head and The Heart and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground. It would be like asking us to judge our own baby in a cute contest, it is impossible to have the objectivity to do so. What we can do, is say thank you.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the show, it sold out by The Head and The Heart’s second to last song. Thank you to The Head and The Heart and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground for not just playing, but playing with inspiration and beauty. Thank you to Columbia City Theater for having us put on nights like this, where we get to watch our dreams unfold in a manner so big and beautiful that there aren’t words to express the pride and happiness they make us feel. Thank you to Kevin Sur who trusted my judgment enough to let me book a band back in early April that had never gotten an inch of press. Thank you to Josiah and all of you who cheered when my Mom and Dad were shouted out as members of the audience. And thank you to all of you who sang along to The Head and The Heart, hearing your sweet choir accompany the band made me feel like I was witnessing, and that I have been a part of something supremely special.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

See More Photos from the Evening on Our Flickr

We just got back the beautiful poster for our August 6th Sound on the Sound presents show at Columbia City Theater with Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground and The Head and the Heart. We commissioned local artist Jill Labieniec to do the poster and even though we’ve been fans of her work for years, we think she out-delighted herself (and us) with this one.

You can purchase tickets for the show at Brown Paper Tickets and we do recommend you get them before the day of the show, we expect the show to sell out and we definitely don’t want you to miss it.

Reunited ::: Photo by Caitlyn Mirete

July 3rd

After driving all night long from San Francisco, we arrived this afternoon, covered in sunshine, in Portland’s Mississippi neighborhood. We were so disoriented from 20-minute sleep intervals and not stopping for food that it felt like heaven on earth to have a cup of Stumptown coffee and take a minute to browse some vintage shops.

A large number of Seattle folks came down for the final show at Mississippi Studio; it felt like home for certain! Tomo from Grand Hallway opened the show and then a troupe of Kay Kay fans (myself included) danced through their whole set. Damien’s voice recovered after his cold and every song sounded effortless as he sang to the hushed crowd.

I don’t want this tour to be over. I’d rather wake up tomorrow in an over-crowded motel room than in my own apartment. But since we’re already cruising up I-5, I’ll just relish the last few hours in this big silver van and look forward to the next tour I get to be a part of.

Cheers, and happy Independence Day!

Sarah Jurado at Mona Lisa Deli ::: photo by Caitlyn Mirete

July 1st - Los Angeles, CA

Being out on tour, all the days just seem to be one, long, continuous Saturday. Since my last post, we drove through the middle of the sweltering Arizona night and made it to the Pacific in San Diego! The venue for the night was The Casbah, situated adjacent to the airport, and we gazed in amazement every time an airplane flew dangerously low toward the landing strip. The show sounded great and I cannot wait to post the photos I took that night. My laptop is broken - so check back!

Last night we were in the Silverlake neighborhood of LA. Lots of familiar faces were at the show, and with the buzz of magic melon juice from a local dispensary, the Kay Kay guys absolutely killed their set! Damien has been fighting off an unfortunate cold but his songs were almost more moving with his voice not as strong as usual. The crowd was impressively quiet during his acoustic songs.

This morning we woke up slowly and between the 10 of us we made about 15 trips down the street to Cafe Tropical, for coffee and croissant sandwiches. Now we are in the small town of Visalia at The Cellar Door and I look forward to the jams once again!

Soundcheck in Visalia ::: photo by Caitlyn Mirete

Austin Soundcheck ::: photo by Caitlyn Mirete

[Editor's Note: There are few tours we're more excited about this summer than Damien Jurado hitting the road with Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground as his backing band. We saw their Seattle show at the Triple Door and it was such a beautiful night and pairing that we haven't yet properly found the words to tell you about it. Luckily, local photographer Caitlyn Mirete has found the words ... and a way to join up with Damien and Kay Kay in Austin, Texas for the final leg of the tour! She'll be sending us dispatches from the road and we couldn't be more excited share them with you. First stop, Austin! - Abbey]

- * - * - * - * - *- * -

June 26th, Austin, TX

I flew from Seattle to Austin and was greeted by a wave of heat and humidity that refused to taper off at sundown.

Club De Ville is composed of a small indoor bar, a large outdoor patio strewn with mis-matched plastic chairs and glass garden tables, and a natural Limestone amphitheater behind the stage. Damien’s good friend Jack opened the show and then as a breeze picked up and made an attempt to dry the salt on our skin, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground took the stage and everyone danced themselves into a sweat all over again.

The amphitheater created an excellent sound as far as outdoor venues go, even though we were competing for sound against a hip hop show next door. Damien’s thoughtfully played songs thrilled the audience and we all loved to see him truly rock out with the band on his final song.

Everyone was so kind and appreciative in Austin, we would have loved to spend more time in that city, but with a 16-hour drive to Phoenix ahead of us we took quick showers and hit the road at 3am bound for Arizona and triple-digit temperatures. Welcome to the desert.

The Van ::: photo by Caitlyn Mirete

Damien Jurado ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

So, you’re not going to Sasquatch …  whether you didn’t get your tickets before they sold out, couldn’t afford them anyway or just can’t do the three day long music festival in the middle of nowhere anymore, don’t fret. There’s still plenty of great music happening in Seattle proper this weekend and with much of the usual show going crowd out east, you should have your pick for the front row at any number of this weekend’s great shows.  Plus, if you’re sticking around town, you have the chance to see a few folks playing Sasquatch in a much more intimate setting and without the shower-challenged stench of festival goers. (We’ve noted those bands with an asterisk *)

Here are a few of the shows we recommend you seek out if you’re staying in town this holiday weekend:

Friday - May 28th

Dinosaur Feathers*, Ravenna Woods - The Sunset
Grand Hallway - Mural Amphitheater at 8:45 (as part of Folklife Festival)

Saturday May 29th

Damien Jurado, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - Triple Door
Future Islands - The Sunset Tavern
K Records Showcase featuring Calvin Johnson, Karl Blau, LAKE, The Curious Mystery - Center House (for Folklife Festival)

Sunday May 30th

Huck Natori, Zoe Muth - The Tractor

Monday May 31st

Rad Snafu* (Nada Surf), Pearly Gate Music - The Crocodile
Dolly Parton Tribute with Calvin Johnson, Anna Coogan, Nudie Suit Stardusters, Huck Notari & many more - VERA Project

For what it’s worth, I think the Damien Jurado show at the Triple Door (where he will be backed by Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground) is so unmissable, I’m skipping the first day of Sasquatch for it.

The Head and the Heart ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Even though it’s a few months away, we couldn’t wait to share the exciting news. We’ve just confirmed the second Sound on the Sound line-up at Columbia City Theater and it promises to be an incredible evening of lush pop music. Plus,  if we tell you now there’s virtually no excuse for you to miss it.

So save the date and mark your calendars:

August 6th, 2010

Sound on the Sound Presents:

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
and
The Head and The Heart

At Columbia City Theater

Of course we were going to invite our new favorite up and coming local band The Head and The Heart to play. The real challenge  was finding a band that would match their passionate performance and pain-stakingly crafted songs on stage. One band immediately came to mind: Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground and their sweeping orchestral psychedelia. Both bands have a touch of Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville to some of their songs, so it is only fitting the pair will play for the first time together in Washington State’s oldest vaudeville theater.  Just thinking of these two bands sharing the same stage is enough to make us giddy … we hope it has the same affect on you. See you August 6th!

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Damien Jurado ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

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

Grynch (King of Ballard) ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Today the announcement of the final lineup and set times for Seattle Weekly’s locally-focused music festival REVERBFest was made with many of the usual suspects apart of the annual one day, nine stage, Ballard neighborhood take-over. The Maldives will be doing a midnight set at the Tractor, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground will be doing a late set at the Sunset and amidst the four all-ages venues the event is offering, a who’s who of local hip-hop will be invading the Fashion Academy. Last year we were introduced to Black Whales at this fest; who knows what we’ll come back excited about this time.

Get $8 advanced tickets for the fest from the Weekly, and peep this year’s complete lineup below the fold.

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