Seattle's Best Concerts, In-Stores and More
You’re in luck if you’re in the mood for some good music this week! Check out the videos and media below for a feel of what shows you want to go to this week!
3/12 (Tuesday) – Jack & The Bear @ Sunset Tavern
A band of bearded gents who play an upbeat flavor of guitar-driven, country-tinged indie rock.
Now that the Super Bowl is over, you might need something other than football to focus on. We suggest checking out some great shows happening in Seattle this week.
2/4 (Monday) – Ben Folds Five @ The Showbox
Piano-driven rock with a spotlight on savvy, poetic lyrics from one of this generation’s musical masterminds.
2/5 (Tuesday) – FUN. @ Paramount Theatre
Queen-inspired pop rock from New York.
2/6 (Wednesday) – Adam Green & Binki Shapiro @ Barboza
Smooth, vintagey pop with “his and her’s” call-and-answer vocals.
2/7 (Thursday) – Soundgarden @ Paramount Theatre
Chris Cornell’s Seattle-based project from the 1980s and 1990s makes a triumphant return to the Emerald City.
2/8 (Friday) – Mark Kozelek @ Benaroya Hall
Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and former frontman of the Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon.
2/8 (Friday) – Wake Owl @ Tractor
Peaceful, poppy, country-infused indie rock with thoughtful lyrics out of Portland and Vancouver.
Another week, another opportunity to see some awesome bands. For those who are already booked most nights this week, rejoice! Because most of the action is later in the week and into the weekend.
9/14 (Friday) – Hot Chip @ The Paramount Theatre
English electronic pop tunes that will make you want to dance.
9/15 (Saturday) – The Head & The Heart @ The Paramount Theatre
Seattle’s beloved indie-pop quartet is back with their folksy, heartfelt songs.
9/15 (Saturday) – Angus Stone @ The Crocodile
One half of Angus & Julia Stone, branching out and exploring the solo world.
9/16 (Sunday) – Fresh & Onlys @ The Crocodile
Lo-fi indie pop and a brand new album to boot.
9/16 (Sunday) – Lost Lander @ Tractor Tavern
Folksy pop fronted by an honest-to-goodness woodsman.
Bumbershoot wears some people out. But for others, like us, it reinvigorates us for the autumn tour season – and this season has no shortage of great upcoming shows. So if you are one of those people who needs more music after three straight days of live tunes, below are our top recommendations for this week.
9/5 (Wednesday) – PonyHomie @ The Crocodile
Dark synth-pop from a trio of Seattleites wearing bandannas.
9/5 (Wednesday) – Beirut @ The Moore Theatre
European-influenced orchestral pop from a modern-day musical genius.
9/6 (Thursday) – Sloan @ Tractor Tavern
Canadian alt-rock ledgends with more than two decades of touring under their belts.
9/9 (Sunday) – The Tallest Man on Earth @ The Moore Theatre
Some of the best Americana-folk tunes you’ll ever hear from a Swede.
You don’t have to contain your 4th of July celebrations to Wednesday. At least not when it comes to enjoying good music around our Emerald City. Another reason to celebrate? All Seattle residents know that the 5th of July is the official start to our PacNW summer. So three cheers for all the great concerts this week!
7/2 (Monday) – Audra Mae @ Tractor
Soulful country crooner from LA by way of Oklahoma.
7/5 (Thursday) – The Torn ACLs @ Tractor
Fun-times pop rock from Seattle.
7/4 (Wednesday) – Pickwick @ Gasworks Park
Have a blast at the Family 4th Celebration with your favorite indie-folk-turned-soul band from Seattle.
7/6 (Friday) – Bryan John Appleby @ Columbia City Theater
Thoughtful, folk-tinged acoustic melodies from one of Seattle’s finest singer-songrwriters.
7/6 (Friday) – Lower Dens @ Barboza
Multifaceted, ethereal experimental rock from Baltimore.
7/7 (Saturday) – The Moondoggies @ Barboza
Driving, Americana-infused melodic rock from Ballard.
7/7 (Saturday) – The Next Fifty Play The First Fifty featuring Vendetta Red, Grand Hallway, Fly Moon Royalty, Seacats, Candysound, Special Explosion, Brothers From Another, Dungeon Science @ The Mural
Free show Seattle Center’s Mural Ampitheater featuring local acts playing original songs interspersed with covers of legends of PacNW.
7/7 (Saturday) – The Cloud War (formerly Brother Bear) @ Tractor Tavern
Indie folk pop with a vaudeville twist from Seattle.
Even though the “let’s forgo the band and just all become singer-songwriters” trend has started to dwindle, there are still a handful of songwriting singers we hold near and dear in our music collection.
One such songstress is Sarah Jaffe, an artist with a raw yet delicate voice and a knack for infusing traditional indie pop with unexpected country and electronic flourishes. While we first learned of Sarah from her work and frequent collaborations with SLM favorite (solo artist and one-half of Seattle/Denton duo Ormonde) Robert Gomez, her solo work is fully deserving of your full attention and we’d argue, your evening. Hailing from Denton, TX, Sarah’s music is honest with a flair of southern charm with an interesting combination of violin and guitar with keyboard and electric drums.
Catch Sarah tonight with the Secret Colours at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard.
6/12 Sarah Jaffe / Secret Colours @ Tractor Tavern :: Tickets are $12 :: Doors at 8:30 PM :: 21+
When music critics and others who enjoy musing on the subject are asked to pick out some of the best wordsmiths in the business, more often than not tonight’s Tractor headliner appears on such short lists. Along with John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, The Weakerthan’s John K. Samson is regularly cited as one of the so-called “poet laureates of indie rock.”
As NPR aptly puts it, debut solo full-length “Provincial continues to mine Samson’s observations of life as an open-hearted Canadian book-reader type, while couching his reference-rich storytelling in sweet, guitar-powered pop hooks.”
If you count yourself as a fan of exceedingly clever lyricists with strong pop sensibilities, be sure to head over to the Tractor tonight to take in the live experience for yourself.
4/1 John K. Samson (of The Weakerthans), Shotgun Jimmie @ Tractor Tavern, Doors at 8pm, $12-15, 21+
Last month, we were lucky enough to interview Eric Anderson of Cataldo in advance of the album release for the band’s excellent third album, Prison Boxing. Excerpt below and click through to the full interview here.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Cataldo offers audio fare that falls somewhere between The Weakerthans and The Decemberists. Eric’s ability to craft (sometimes painfully) honest folk-tinged songs infused with clever wordplay and a strong dose of pop sensibilities has made Prison Boxing a regular musical accompaniment to our (sometimes mundane) daily routines.
The local band has made several appearances at our favorite venues these past months and tonight will take the stage before Breathe Owl Breathe at the Tractor.
2/23 Breathe Owl Breathe / Cataldo / Kendl Winter @ The Tractor :: Tickets are $12 :: Doors at 9:00 PM :: 21+
Excerpt from “Brainy Feelings Music and the Perfect Tuna Salad: An Interview with Eric Anderson“
How would you say your approach to songwriting or maybe just the process of writing, arranging and recording has changed over the years?
It’s changed a great deal. The biggest change with “Prison Boxing” was the inclusion of bass and drums on almost every song. Our first two records are, for lack of a more accurate adjective, “folkier.” While occasionally quite ornately orchestrated they’re mostly built around a voice and acoustic guitar. This is, relatively speaking, a rocker. We also used recording studios for a couple days which was a new experience.
I keep a notebook of lyrical ideas (analogies, images, cool words, etc), little pegs I try to jam into musical holes. As far as the tunes I’ve historically started with a guitar, banjo, or piano. Beginning with this past record I have been writing melodies without tying them to a rhythm instrument early in the process. Filling those out in ways that surprise and excite me has been increasing challenging and rewarding. Growing disenchanted with strumming an acoustic guitar makes sense given I’ve been doing that more or less exclusively for 8 years and three records.
When we’ve written about Cataldo before we made the statement that your sound falls “somewhere between The Weakerthans and The Decemberists.” How far off were we in your mind?
I have not heard The Weakerthans but you’re in the right building with The Decemberists comparison. Pop music which is worth listening to because of the well-crafted lyrics.
How has Seattle treated you since you first moved here?
I moved to Seattle in summer 2008. I was terrible for a year as my relationship imploded and I ran out of money. The next year I found a job scooping ice cream and things steadily improved from there. As of this moment I count myself supremely lucky for my friendships and experiences in Seattle.
Matthew Caws has always been the lyricist who seemingly captures the very same highs and lows we feel by placing them poetically into nearly-prefect expressions of failed dreams often sprinkled with glimmers of hope.
As such, we’re thrilled to learn that Caws will be playing three shows in the very near future. As luck has it, two shows – one solo and one with his band Nada Surf – happen to take place tonight.
While we’d be hard pressed to pick one over the other, we can wholeheartedly recommend that you spend your evening with Matthew Caws one way or the other.
Caws will play the highly anticipated Sasquatch Launch Party tonight and will hit the stage directly before headliner Junip, which features fellow noted lyricist and favorite understated vocalist Jose Gonzalez. Party kicks off at 8:00 p.m. at the University District’s Neptune Theatre.
If you’re more excited about seeing Caws with Nada Surf or perhaps are just more of a Ballard fan, you’ll be happy to know that the Brooklyn veterans of intelligent indie rock will be headlining the Tractor tonight as well. Say Hi will open with a solo set. Doors at 9:00 P.M.
Lastly, if tonight just isn’t going to pan out for you, rest assured at Nada Surf will return again to the Neptune on 3/24 as headliners with An Horse opening.
2/2 Sasquatch! Launch Party with Junip, Matthew Caws and The Physics @ Neptune Theatre :: 8:00 p.m. :: Tickets are $15 :: All Ages
2/2 Nada Surf / Say Hi @ Tractor Tavern :: Doors at 9:00 p.m. :: SOLD OUT :: 21+
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