Posted by: Laura Dannen on Aug 17, 2011 at 12:00PM0 Comments
Photo courtesy Susana Millman.
Mark Morris Dance Group performs Violet Cavern.
Mark Morris’s Hard Nut, a swingin’ ’70s send-up of The Nutcracker set to (finally!) make its Seattle debut this December after 20 years on stage, has been canceled, according to Seattle Theatre Group. No nuts for us.
“Funding challenges led both organizations to a mutual decision to move Hard Nut to a future date,” public relations manager Amanda Bedell said in a statement. (That’s typically code for “the sets are too big and there are too many dancers to schlep across the country this year.”) “But STG remains committed to Mark Morris Dance Group and presenting Mark Morris’s work.”
Scheduled in its place is a Mark Morris repertory program that includes the Seattle premiere of Festival Dance, a new work this year in honor of the group’s 30th anniversary. Romantic chamber music—a piano trio by Mozart protégé Johann Nepomuk Hummel—sets the tone for the cheery pastoral, with six couples enjoying the bliss and gaiety of social dance. The piece also features MMDG principal dancer and Seattle native Aaron Loux.
Also on the bill: Violet Cavern (2004), an art-dance collaboration that debuted here in 2005 with its dancers spinning beneath kaleidoscopic panels to an original score by improv jazz trio the Bad Plus.
Mark Morris Dance Group performs at the Moore Theatre December 1-3. More info on tickets to follow.
We have a second pair of tickets to hand out. This time, win a chance to see local singer Vince Mira — once thought to be the second coming of Johnny Cash — take on the King’s oeuvre with Joe Doria and the Can Can crew at the Moore Theatre on August 20. There’s going to be movie montages, some jailhouse rockin’. Just don’t expect a creepy Elvis impersonator; Mira’s the real deal. Ever since recording in the Cash Cabin in 2007, where Mira reportedly freaked out John Jr. with a deep baritone that sounded just like the his dad’s, the boy from Federal Way has made a name for himself nationally. He’s been on Ellen, Good Morning America, played Sasquatch! and Bumbershoot, and recorded two (soon to be three) albums. By the way: He’s only 19.
To enter to win a pair of tickets, just email ElvisandVince@gmail.com with “Elvis Alive” as the subject head, and the name of the greatest Elvis song ever written, by Thursday, August 11, at 5pm. The winner will be notified by email shortly after the deadline.
Plus: Blue Scholars turn to Kickstarter for their third album.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Mar 07, 2011 at 03:00PM1 Comments
Taking a break from joyfulness The Head and the Heart
In the past week, local indie band the Head and the Heart made the cover of both CityArts magazine and Seattle Weekly: one called the Sub Pop kids the best band of 2011, “a polished, joyful folk-pop” act, while the other (earnestly) chided the band’s earnestness, hand-clapping, and “inoffensively bland lyrics.” Debate! Though I don’t go to bed wondering if the songs on my iPod are ironic enough, I also don’t think THATH’s music is as memorable as, say, Hey Marseilles’s or Macklemore’s. What say you?
Like ’em or not, this band is getting big. The Head and the Heart have added a show at the Moore in April (their April 29 concert at Showbox already sold out). Tickets ($16–$18) for the April 30 show go on sale this Friday, March 11, at 10am at tickets.com orstgpresents.org.
Also on sale now: Tickets to see Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks at KeyArena on April 23 are $65–$171 at ticketmaster.com.
In other news: Seattle hip hop heroes Blue Scholars are taking a grassroots approach to their third and latest full-length album. Rather than release Cinemetropolis through a record label, the artful duo MC Geologic and DJ/producer Sabzi will try to raise money for distribution and other “creative projects” on kickstarter.com. The goal: $25,000 by April 21, and their Day One total is $7,816 and climbing. Fans who donate will receive the digital album before its June release (date TBA), and the chance to pledge their way to release party tickets, limited-edition posters, and other assorted Blue Scholars swag.
A traveling stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s novel gives the devil his day.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Feb 25, 2011 at 02:00PM2 Comments
From left: Beckley Andrews (Toadpipe, aka Wormwood) and Max McLean (Screwtape) star in The Screwtape Letters. Photo courtesy Gerry Goodstein.
If you know nothing of C.S. Lewis other than his journeys through a wardrobe and into Narnia, you’ve missed the fiendish ways he satirizes human nature. One of his more popular novels, 1942’s The Screwtape Letters, lampoons modern vice as two of the devil’s henchmen—a sort-of intern demon Wormwood and his elder, wiser uncle Screwtape—discuss how to to coax a human to the dark side.
“We rescue annually thousands of humans from temperance, chastity, and sobriety of life," Screwtape boasts. It’s a busy job, this “spiritual warfare.”
It’s also a morality lesson (Lewis was a prominent Christian writer), albeit a funny one—the kind of smart dialogue about love, war, and marriage playwrights would trade their Tonys for. New York actor-scribe Max McLean saw the potential of Letters and adapted it for the stage with director Jeff Fiske; the play ran for 309 performances in New York, and did brisk business at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C. and Chicago’s Mercury Theatre before that.
This weekend the Moore Theatre becomes the bowels of hell—inspired by the catacombs of Rome—where the devil’s psychiatrist, Screwtape, counsels young Toadpipe (aka Wormwood) in an “eerily stylish office,” McLean said. The 90-minute adaptation stays true to the book, taking 98 percent of the script from Lewis, which means there’s a chance Screwtape will face a formidable foe in the form of a Christian woman: “a vile, sneaking, simpering, demure, monosyllabic, mouse-like, watery, insignificant, virginal, bread-and-butter miss.”
“C.S. Lewis’s genuine respect for people who disagree with him make him loved by folks of all faiths,” McLean said in an email. “He likes a good argument and likes to tell a good story. The Screwtape Letters is one of the best examples of reverse psychology one could read."
Shabazz Palaces and TheeSatisfaction, PUSA, the Decemberists, and more.
Posted by: Seattle Met staff on Feb 17, 2011 at 09:00AM0 Comments
Seattle’s peaches-lovin’ alt rockers Presidents of the United States of America take over Showbox at the Market Feb 18-20.
Since half of these shows are sold out, it didn’t seem quite fair to just tell you about them. Instead, Seattle Met writers and editors weigh with their favorite band moments, taking you inside a (fairly) typical concert.
From Style editor Laura Cassidy: Like an Afro-centric psychedelic art fair fashion show with the best soundtrack ever, this double-header of the most talked-about, vibed-on hip-hop from Seattle (yes, Seattle) will likely include weather-defying booty shorts, rad batik prints and men in Olsen-twin-esque kaftans. That’s all in addition to fuzzed-bass beats, hypnotic tribal drum patterns, hook-heavy melody lines, and stylish spit-fire rhymes that deftly bounce, like so many heads in the crowd, around subject matter so that the idea of a “political party” takes on a totally new meaning.
From intern Clancey Denis: Once I saw a drunk audience member throw his dirty sock at lead singer Colin Meloy and the band stopped mid-song to sing “Happy Birthday” to the guy’s girlfriend. And then, worried that he would have to walk home sock-less, they returned it to him. The niceness does fade sometimes…like when Chris Funk dresses up as a giant whale and tries to “eat” the audience.
From senior editor James Ross Gardner: When the Decemberists played Marymoor Park in July 2009 they did their whole neo-sea shanty routine, of course, but they also blew the crowd’s collective Northwest music-loving mind when, as the encore finale, they lurched into Heart’s “Crazy on You.” Thing is, it wasn’t an ironic rendition. There was no knowing wink; no “Look at us play this 1970s Top 40 tune by these Seattle has-beens.” It was the most reverential cover imaginable. It was also the most rocking tune the Decemberists played all night.
From art director Ben Purvis: I saw lead singer Chris Ballew playing acoustic guitar at the Ballard farmers market last summer, and chatted with him for a minute. He told me that he married his wife onstage at a Showbox show earlier that year. That’s the kind of guy he is.
From intern Tiffany Wan: Orchestra founder Scott Teske insists they’ve gotten so good at covers, the band could “probably take a pseudonym and play the casino circuit.”
From arts editor Laura Dannen: They’ve covered Bowie, the Beach Boys, Arcade Fire. I’m waiting to hear them try Lady Gaga.
For this show, Seattle’s coolest orchestra reworks Radiohead’s The Bends and OK Computer, with Visqueen’s Rachel Flotard and Jon Auer of the Posies joining.
There’s the obvious way, but we’re talking about going out on the town.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Feb 08, 2011 at 01:00PM1 Comments
Celebrate love—and all its highs and lows—with Bushwick Book Club’s performance of work inspired by High Fidelity.
Valentine’s Day on a Monday is tricky. Yes, you have the preceding weekend to fulfill celebration duties (aren’t I romantic?). But you know … you just know that when Sunday night rolls around, your lady will have flashbacks to school days and construction paper hearts full of Disney valentines that say “I’m Goofy For You!” and will start staring wistfully at the place on the table where a vase of flowers should be. Face it: You have to keep her busy through Monday, and restaurants are filling up quickly.
But we found five V-Day outings that both entertain and hint at love, lust, and romance. For your consideration:
Swoon-inducing crooner and pianist Michael Feinstein brings his 17-piece band to Benaroya to cover standards by Ol’ Blue Eyes and his contemporaries Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. Tickets ($50-$96) are on sale.
Laughter is a highly underrated aphrodisiac. This year’s V-Day stand-up comedy showcase—the 17th annual—features top talent from past performances: Comedy Central regular Maria Bamford, science guy Tim Lee Ph.D, Boston Comedy Fest winner Dwight Slade and Seattle’s David Crowe.Tickets ($27.40-$48) are on sale for both shows.
Top five reasons why you should go to this show: 1. The “book club” is made up of local singer-songwriters. 2. They don’t talk about the book—they sing about it. 3. You don’t have to sing; you don’t even have to read the book. You can just watch. 4. Comedy-acoustic-funk duo Bucket of Honey will be there. 5. They’re playing original work inspired by one of our favorite love-hate-love stories, Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity. Tickets ($10-$15) are on sale, and a portion of proceeds supports the Seattle Public Library.
SIFF continues its film noir fest on V-Day with a stellar double feature: Ronald Coleman delivers an Oscar-winning performance in A Double Life (7pm) and a psychopath stirs up trouble in the 1941 horror noir Among the Living. Plenty of lust, fear, and insanity—just like the average relationship! Tickets ($7-$12) are on sale.
We’re cheating a little with this one. It’s on Valentine’s Eve, but the effect should hold over till Monday with the help of PNB’s complimentary Freixenet sparkling wine toast. Plus, it’s a beautiful ballet with a Prokofiev score based on Charles Perrault’s original French fairy tale—happy ending included.
Bonus! Seattle’s Cinerama is screening three Valentine’s-friendly romances through Feb 17: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, and The African Queen. Tickets ($9) are on sale at cinerama.com.
Looking for a gift you can wrap? Find six great ideas on our Wear What When blog.
Seattle Rock Orchestra pays tribute to Phil Spector and the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds on Nov 13.
Posted by: Clancey Denis on Nov 11, 2010 at 10:00AM0 Comments
The last time we heard from Scott Teske and his all-volunteer Seattle Rock Orchestra they were channeling David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. These days they’re paying homage to two other rock Hall of Famers— Phil Spector and the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson —in a performance of Wall of Sound hits and the entirety of Wilson’s 1966 Pet Sounds at the Moore on Saturday.
So…why Pet Sounds? Why now? For one thing, Teske likes it, and he’s in charge. “Pet Sounds is such a gorgeous album, it’s so orchestral,” he says. “It seemed like a really fun and fitting show to do.” Teske tries not to stray too far from the original material—songs like “Sloop John B,” “God Only Knows,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”—and Pet Sounds is a perfect fit for his 100+-member ensemble to cover.
It’s also easy to forget that before the two murder trials, grizzly mug shots and larger-than-life hairstyles, Spector was the producer of the 1960s. He worked with everyone from Ike and Tina to the Ramones to John Lennon, and his Wall of Sound production technique—using many musicians to create dense, layered recordings reminiscent of orchestral arrangements—influenced some of biggest musical names of the era.
Cue Brian Wilson, an artist also remembered for all the wrong reasons. While he spent most of the early 1970s in bed famously overindulging in food and drugs, Pet Sounds, greatly influenced by Spector’s lush technique, is widely regarded as one of the best pop recordings of all time. “[Spector] really sets the stage for Pet Sounds; Brian Wilson was so inspired by Phil,” Teske says. “You can hear the continuity of the orchestration and rhythms; you can hear where Brian Wilson took that style and added more complexity and subtlety. It’s like the evolution of his technique.”
Seattle Rock Orchestra plays the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds at the Moore Theatre on Saturday, November 13. Tickets are $18-$20. They’ll play Radiohead on February 19, and Queen on May 21.
The Seattle Rock Orchestra pays tribute to the 1970s glam years of David Bowie.
Posted by: Tiffany Wan on Mar 23, 2010 at 11:00AM3 Comments
It’s tough to pick a favorite David Bowie era/persona (Thin White Duke? Berlin? The Goblin King from Labyrinth?), but the glam years are unquestionably his most iconic.
In homage to his most prolific decade, the Seattle Rock Orchestra will perform 15 songs from Bowie’s early ‘70s albums (namely Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, and Diamond Dogs) at the Moore Theatre this Friday, March 26. Vocalists for the evening include Jon Auer (formerly of the Posies), David Terry (Aqueduct) and Nouela Johnston (People Eating People).
At the helm of this event is bassist Scott Teske, director of the SRO—an all-volunteer group of local musicians who lend back-up accompaniment to local and touring acts (including Suzanne Vega and Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate). But after a successful sold-out show at Fremont Abbey last November, where they covered Arcade Fire’s debut album Funeral in its entirety, Teske realized they could moonlight as a tribute band.
So why Bowie? “Who doesn’t love Bowie,” Teske told me matter-of-factly. “Secondly, whether or not people love Bowie, I love Bowie.” One needs the deepest devotion to Ziggy Stardust to pull off an adaptation of 15 songs for 86 musicians who play a spectrum of classical instruments, from the harp to the tuba to the oboe. Oh, and let’s not forget a guest choir conducted by Rafe Wadleigh (choirmaster at Holy Names Academy), adding another 30 people into the mix for a grand total of 116 individuals onstage. At the Moore.
Openers the Kindness Kind (for whom Teske plays bass) will also join the SRO for its Bowie blowout set. Teske insists they’ve gotten so good at covers, the band could “probably take a pseudonym and play the casino circuit.” Whether casino-goers are as fond of Bowie as they are of, say, Carlos Mencia remains to be seen.
Seattle Rock Orchestra: A Tribute to David Bowie starts Friday at 8 at the Moore Theatre. Tickets are $15-$18 at STGPresents.org.
More local A&E organizations rally to send aid to earthquake victims.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jan 28, 2010 at 08:00AM0 Comments
ON SALENOW
A Hootenanny For Haiti, February 28
This benefit concert at the Showbox has a stellar lineup, featuring Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Guns N’ Roses’s Duff McKagan, Kim Virant, Kristen Ward, Kim Warnick, Mark Pickerel, Star Anna, Chris Friel, Gary Westlake, Jeff Rouse, Justin Davis, Ty Bailie and friends. All ticket sales and Ticketmaster fees go to Partners in Health’s Stand With Haiti campaign; PIH is one of the largest health care providers in Haiti, and was among the first responders after the earthquake hit. $15, 7:30pm; ticketmaster.com
JANUARY 28
Northwest Film Forum holds a benefit screening at 7pm of Michelange Quay’s Eat, for This is My Body, a 2007 Sundance feature film that looks at the colonial relationship between an elderly white woman and young black boys in her charge in Quay’s native Haiti.
Tickets are $10, and all proceeds go directly to the hard-hit city of Jacmei, home of the Ciné Institute. This center for film studies is currently working to document the earthquake’s aftermath, though its staffers aren’t immune to the hardship. Nathalie Brunet recently posted her reflections on CI’s website, after flying to New York via Santo Domingo, San Juan, Miami and Fort Lauderdale:
“The disconnection from Haiti is pretty traumatic in itself, or is that what they call post-traumatic stress? … Then came the phobias. Airport terminals (where the ground shakes a lot) got me very nervous and I broke down in tears at the Fort Lauderdale airport yesterday. I can imagine what walking above the subway will feel like later today. Getting mentally ready. Every time the apartment’s wooden floor cracks, I shake! I’m realizing that we, the survivors of the earthquake, are so deeply scarred that we will need assistance for decades to come… I’m so exhausted that I can’t get enough sleep.”
[Read the full text here.]
Local bands The Maldives,Sweet Water,Vince Mira,Classic Crime,Memphis Radio Kings, and Mike Herrera of MXPX have already signed on to perform at the Moore Theatre in what could be the biggest local benefit this month. All proceeds from this concert and a silent auction will go to the Red Cross, with the goal of raising $20,000 for aid for the people of Haiti. Concert organizers Cody Rossen with Maker’s Mark, the Seattle Theatre Group and a host of local businesses are updating on the event’s website, SeattleHelpingHaiti.com , so check it now for the latest lineup and ticket information. 8pm, $15.
Consider stopping by The Pike Brewing Co before the concert for Washington for Haiti, a benefit organized by Seattle Greendrinks, Seattle Microfinance (SeaMo), ReVision Labs, Global Washington, and Seattle Works. Donations ($20 suggested at the door) will go to microfinance institute Fonkoze, ’Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor.’ Representatives from Fonkoze will discuss their relief projects, and Sunday Evening Whiskey Club will provide entertainment. 6-9pm, $20.
At 4pm, Town Hall sponsors a free “briefing” on the current situation in Haiti, with eyewitness accounts of the quake by activist/teacher Jesse Hagopian and health educator Sarah Wilhelm. Local legislators will also weigh in on how Seattleites can help the people of Haiti. The two-hour program includes presentations by Rep. Jim McDermott, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, local NAACP Director James Bible, immigrant rights advocate Sandra Aguila, UW International Studies professor Matthew Sparke, and more. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave.
FEBRUARY 1
Do the Lindy hop for Haiti at Sonny Newman’s Dance Hall. The Savoy Swing Club will host a night of live music by Seattle jazz band the Careless Lovers, dancing, contests, and raffles, with money raised going to disaster relief. $5, 9:30-12:30am, 201 N 85th Ave.
FEBRUARY 4
Neumos and Seattle’s hip hop community join forces for the Haiti Relief Benefit Show, featuring Common Market, The Physics, Dino Jamz, SOL, break crew Flying Sneakers, and hosted by Haitian-American Khingz of Abyssinian Creole. Advance tickets ($10) are on sale at Moe Bar, Rudy’s Barbershops, select QFCs, or online here. All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders. All-ages show; doors open at 7.
ONGOING
Artist Jeff Antebi, whose photograph of the Haitian slum Cite Soleil is on display in wall space gallery’s New Directions 2010 exhibit, will donate all money made from the sale of those prints to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam. Photographer Emily Nathan also just agreed to donate proceeds from Green Sea to Doctors Without Borders. Email gallery@wallspeaceseattle.com with questions. $25, 206-330-9137.
The Seattle Office of Film and Music is also constantly updating its list of benefits around the city. Click here for the latest roundup.
More local A&E organizations rally to send aid to earthquake victims.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jan 20, 2010 at 10:00AM1 Comments
Emily Nathan, Green Sea, 2009; prints for sale at wall space gallery. Proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders.
A 6.1 magnitude aftershock rocked Haiti early this morning, just days after a 7.0 earthquake destroyed its capital and left an estimated 3 million people without food, water, shelter, or medical assistance.
To put this in perspective, the earthquake that destroyed San Francisco in 1906 ranked a 7.9. The one that started the 2004 tsunami was a 9.1, though the death toll in Haiti could be comparable, news outlets are reporting.
Haiti needs our help more than ever. Local arts and entertainment organizations continue to rally to send aid—here’s the latest lineup of benefit concerts and events:
JANUARY 20
The Stranger reports that Re-bar will host a benefit concert with sets by DJs Robwhy, Recess (Shameless), Queen Lucky, and more. Proceeds from the door and PBR sales will be divided between the Red Cross and Yele Haiti. 8pm, $8 or $5 with a nonperishable donation.
The Seattle jazz community rallies behind one of its own to organize a series of live jazz acts at seven University District venues, from 9pm-midnight. Checks, cash, and emergency donations will be accepted and will go straight to Haiti, thanks to David Pierre-Louis, owner of LUCID Jazz Lounge who just flew to Haiti to check on his mother (she’s okay) and plans to return ASAP to provide aid. For more information and a complete lineup of bands, click here or visit LucidSeattle.com.
JANUARY 25
Gethsemane Lutheran Church and Happy Hour Concerts will co-host a classical music benefit at the church’s downtown location (911 Stewart Street) at 7pm. Suggested $25 donations be forwarded to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) International Disaster Response.
JANUARY 28
Local bands The Maldives,Sweet Water,Vince Mira,Classic Crime,Memphis Radio Kings, and Mike Herrera of MXPX have already signed on to perform at the Moore Theatre in what could be the biggest local benefit this month. All proceeds from this concert and a silent auction will go to the Red Cross, with the goal of raising $20,000 for aid for the people of Haiti. Concert organizers Cody Rossen with Maker’s Mark, the Seattle Theatre Group and a host of local businesses are updating on the event’s website, SeattleHelpingHaiti.com , so check it now for the latest lineup and ticket information. 8pm, $15.
Consider stopping by The Pike Brewing Co before the concert for Washington for Haiti, a benefit organized by Seattle Greendrinks, Seattle Microfinance (SeaMo), ReVision Labs, Global Washington, and Seattle Works. Donations ($20 suggested at the door) will go to microfinance institute Fonkoze, ’Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor.’ Representatives from Fonkoze will discuss their relief projects, and Sunday Evening Whiskey Club will provide entertainment. 6-9pm, $20.
FEBRUARY 4
Neumos and Seattle’s hip hop community join forces for the Haiti Relief Benefit Show, featuring Common Market, The Physics, Dino Jamz, SOL, break crew Flying Sneakers, and hosted by Haitian-American Khingz of Abyssinian Creole. Advance tickets ($10) are on sale at Moe Bar, Rudy’s Barbershops, select QFCs, or online here. All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders. All-ages show; doors open at 7.
ONGOING
Artist Jeff Antebi, whose photograph of the Haitian slum Cite Soleil is on display in wall space gallery’s New Directions 2010 exhibit, will donate all money made from the sale of those prints to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam. Photographer Emily Nathan also just agreed to donate proceeds from Green Sea to Doctors Without Borders. Email gallery@wallspeaceseattle.com with questions. $25, 206-330-9137.
The Seattle Office of Film and Music is also constantly updating its list of benefits around the city. Click here for the latest roundup.
Before joining Seattle Metropolitan, Laura Dannen covered all things A&E as deputy editor of Time Out Singapore. She’s an award-winning reporter and editor whose team of entertainment junkies delivers daily doses of news, reviews, and interviews.
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