Culture Fiend

China Forbes Rejoins Pink Martini for a Holiday Show with Seattle Symphony

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Nov 07, 2011 at 04:00PM 0 Comments

China Forbes (right) returns. And the band rejoiced.

Fans of Portland’s infectious “little orchestra,” take note: Lead singer China Forbes, who announced in June that she was taking a year off to recover from vocal cord surgery, is making her comeback earlier than expected. She’ll rejoin the 12-piece band on December 3 for a holiday concert with Seattle Symphony at the Paramount; tickets go on sale this Saturday, November 12, at 10am.

Since Forbes went on hiatus, Pink Martini has relied on jazz sirens Lucy Woodward and Portland’s Storm Large as its frontwomen, and they’ve helped deliver a strong cocktail of classical, jazz, and multilingual pop. (The band’s also been busy Occupying Portland.) For Forbes’s welcome back party, they’ll perform selections from their 2010 album of multicultural holiday covers, Joy to the World. Bonus points for anyone who can sing along to “Elohai, N’tsor.”

The album includes:

“White Christmas”
“Shchedryk (Ukrainian Bell Carol)”
“Santa Baby”
“Elohai, N’tsor”
“Little Drummer Boy”
“Congratulations (A Happy New Year Song)”
“Do You Hear What I Hear?”
“La Vergine Degli Angeli”
“We Three Kings”
“A Snowglobe Christmas”
“Ocho Kandelikas (Eight Little Candles)”
“Silent Night”
“Auld Lang Syne”

Tickets ($41.24–$121.25) will go on sale at stgpresents.org, tickets.com, the Paramount box office (877-784-4849), and the ticket kiosks at the Paramount and Moore theaters.

Pink Martini joins the Seattle Symphony (led by conductor Eric Garcia) Dec 3 at 8pm at the Paramount Theatre.

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Tags: Paramount Theatre, Ticket Alerts, Pink Martini

Plan Ahead: The Long Winters’ Only Seattle Show of 2011

It’s October 20 at the Showbox, and we hear it’s going to be “special.”

Posted by: Seattle Met staff on Sep 21, 2011 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

Thanks to Jess Voelker (over at Sauced) for this update: The Long Winters front man John Roderick (@johnroderick) tweeted last night that his Seattle-based indie band is playing “our only show of 2011 in Seattle at the Showbox Oct 20. It will be a special show. Get your tickets.”

Technically, the band’s been seen around town lately: playing short sets at Bumbershoot, and covering “Something in the Way” at the EMP Nevermind concert last night. But you heard the man. Tickets ($20–$23) are on sale now at showboxonline.com.

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Tags: Concert, Showbox, Ticket Alerts, Seattle Music

Woody Allen and His Jazz Band to Play Seattle

STG announces 11 new shows for the upcoming season.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Aug 26, 2011 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

As the story goes, Woody Allen’s stage name is a nod to clarinetist Woody Herman.

Right from the opening montage of Midnight in Paris, with its sigh-inducing slideshow of the City of Lights backed by a plaintive clarinet solo, it’s easy to sit back and go, ahh, classic Woody Allen. Yes, we know how adoringly his camera treats New York, Paris, Scarlett Johansson, but we sometimes forget his other love affair with jazz. Allen (a clarinetist since his teens) and his New Orleans Jazz Band will play a special set at the Paramount Theatre on December 26, Seattle Theatre Group announced yesterday. They added 11 new shows to the 2011-2012 lineup, including the following highlights:

Rainn Wilson and Friends (a benefit for the Mona Foundation), Nov 19 @ the Paramount
Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs Stevie Wonder, Oct 8 @ the Moore
Comedian Norm Macdonald, Dec 10 @ the Neptune
Violinist David Garrett, Jan 22 @ the Paramount
Whose Live Anyway, featuring Seattleite Ryan Stiles with Greg Proops, Chip Esten and Jeff B., Feb 4 @ the Moore

Tickets are available through subscription right now, with single tickets on sale at a later date. For more info, visit stgpresents.org.

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Tags: Paramount Theatre, Ticket Alerts

Single Tickets to City Arts Fest On Sale Now

Deal of the day: Robyn tickets are only $28.50.

Posted by: Seattle Met staff on Aug 24, 2011 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

Grab your credit card: Single-event tickets to Heineken City Arts Fest in October are on sale now. That means $28.50 passes to see pop star Robyn at the Paramount, or Crystal Castles with Picture Plane, Crypts, and Nightmare Fortress at Showbox SoDo. Prefer alt-country crooner Ryan Adams with Rebecca Gates at Benaroya Hall? $33.50. Have to admit: These prices are good.

Read all about the full lineup and then visit cityartsfest.com/schedule to purchase tickets. All-access passes for the three-day fest (Oct 20–22) are $69.

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Tags: Ticket Alerts, City Arts Fest, Music Festival

Tix On Sale Aug 17: Natalie Merchant with Seattle Symphony

She’ll perform her symphonic album Leave Your Sleep.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Aug 16, 2011 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

Photo courtesy Mark Seliger.

It’s hard to think of Natalie Merchant without those maniacs (all 10,000 of them) but she’s enjoyed success on her own as a folksy singer-songwriter since the early ’90s. Of particular note is her 2010 album Leave Your Sleep, which some critics called her finest work as a solo artist. Others might call it her magnum opus: an album five years in the making, with more than 100 musicians contributing and lyrics pulled from British and American poetry, everything from E. E. Cummings to Mother Goose. It just started out as a lullaby album, she told The New York Times product of breast-feeding her daughter Lúcia six hours a day and feeling a “burst of creative energy.”

"I had all these visions of projects I wanted to do and things I wanted to make, but I couldn’t leave my chair, and I had my hands full. So I just put a tape recorder next to the chair where I was nursing, and I would start singing into it, and that’s where the first songs came from.”

Who says you can’t be a working mom? The result is anything but nursery rhyme rock. She sets folk talks to Celtic music, country, jazz, Klezmer, and the beautiful, soaring strings of a chamber ensemble. It’s well suited for a symphonic concert—which is why tickets to see Merchant perform with the Seattle Symphony are going on sale a year in advance. Yeah. The show’s not until June 22, 2012, at Benaroya Hall, but tickets are available starting Wednesday, August 17, at noon at seattlesymphony.org. Consider yourself forewarned.

Now, a debate: Who did this song better—Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen, or 10,000 Maniacs? I’m on Team Bruce and Patti.

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Tags: Ticket Alerts

Win 2 Tickets to See Reggie Watts at the Neptune

Posted by: Seattle Met staff on Aug 08, 2011 at 04:00PM 0 Comments

Photo: courtesy Wendy Lynch Redfern.

We’ve been saving our best giveaway for last: You have one week to enter to win tickets to see musician-comedian Reggie Watts at the Neptune Theatre on August 21. The ‘fro that opened last year’s Conan O’Brien live tour got his start in Seattle—studying jazz at Cornish, fronting soul-rock-hip-hop crew Maktub. He’s a born-and-bred hyphenate who lived in Germany, Spain, and Montana before he turned 18, and does genre-defying comedy that’s part musical act (Watts at a looping machine), part gonzo performance, and almost entirely improvised. In other words, we have no idea what to expect. And that’s the best part.

To enter to win a pair of tickets, email ReggieWattsTix@gmail.com with “Reggie” as the subject head, and a reason why you want to see the show, by Friday, August 12, at 5pm. The winner will be notified by email shortly after the deadline.

Reggie Watts is at Neptune Theatre on Sun, Aug 21, at 8pm.

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Tags: Ticket Alerts, Ticket Giveaways

Win Two Tickets to Rock with Imelda May

Plus: More giveaways coming up this week!

Posted by: Seattle Met staff on Aug 04, 2011 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

See Imelda May at the Neptune on Aug 12.

Aren’t you lucky: Today we start giving away tickets to all kinds of things this month: concerts, comedy. First up: Win two tickets to see Irish rockabilly star Imelda May at the newly renovated Neptune Theatre on August 12. Don’t know May? She’s a siren with fire-red lips and a reputation for causing a rumpus—absolutely rockin’ live shows that cover rock, blues, and New Orleans jazz. To enter to win a pair of tickets, just email ImeldaMayTickets@gmail.com with “Imelda May” in the subject head, and one reason why you want to see the show, by Wednesday, August 10, at 5pm. The winner will be notified by email shortly after the deadline.

Good luck! More to come tomorrow.

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Tags: Ticket Alerts, Ticket Giveaways

Robyn, Ryan Adams Headline City Arts Fest 2011 [UPDATED]

Free mag’s second annual music and arts festival is nothing if not eclectic.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jul 27, 2011 at 10:55AM 0 Comments

Robyn doesn’t need to see to be able to rock.

City Arts magazine just rolled out the lineup for its second annual music and arts festival in October, and Swedish pop star Robyn and alt-country crooner Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Brian Adams) top the list, along with rockers Built to Spill
(in their only Northwest performance of the year), electronic act Crystal Castles, and Latin hip-hoppers Ozomatli. Talk about a little something for everyone—the City Arts Fest is nothing if not eclectic. (Remember last year’s headliners?)

Also making an appearance: Shelby Lynne, Blackalicious, Freestyle Fellowship, Mudhoney, the Fasbacks, the Long Winters, Seapony, Campfire OK, and Seattle School of Rock at the Laser Dome. Plus, there’s plenty of theater performances, new projects by local artists, pie bakeoffs, “Thriller” dance classes, and singalongs over the weekend.

Heineken City Arts Fest takes place in 20 venues across the city from October 20–22. All-access wristband tickets ($69) go on sale August 5 at 10am at cityartsfest.com; individual performances go on sale August 24. Check back here for updates.

City Arts Fest Music Lineup
Ryan Adams, Robyn, Built to Spill, Crystal Castles, Ozomatli, Blackalicious, Freestyle Fellowship, The Long Winters, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine, Mudhoney, Shelby Lynne, The Fastbacks, Thao and The Get Down Stay Down, The Felice Brothers, Fences, The Boxer Rebellion, Pogo, Allen Stone, Male Bonding, Seattle Laser Dome performances with Man Man, The Helio Sequence and School of Rock, Campfire OK, USF, William Elliot Whitmore, Cobirds Unite, Pictureplane, Grand Hallway, Theoretics, The Cops, Disco Doom, Seapony, Picoso, Black Whales, Pickwick, Caitlin Rose, Thee Emergency, Daydream Vacation, Lemolo, That 1 Guy, Sons of Warren Oates, Joseph Giant, Smokey Brights, Crypts, Lovesick Empire, Unnatural Helpers, Virgin Islands, Hi Life Soundsystem, Birthday Suits, Strong Killings, Tea Cozies, Midday Veil, Witch Gardens, Dyno Jamz, F***ing Eagles, Whalebones, Don’t Talk to the Cops, Cataldo, Yuni in Taxco, Fly Moon Royalty, Blue Sky Black Death, Bryan John Appleby, Daniel G. Harmann & the Trouble Starts, Big Spider’s Back, Nightmare Fortress, Kris Orlowski, All Star Tribute to the Replacements, Factory: NW Hip-Hop redesigned, Horde and the Harem. More to come.

New additions to the lineup as of 9/8/11. Shabazz Palaces with Metal Chocolates and DJ Riz Rollins at the Triple Door; Yacht as direct support for Robyn at the Paramount; the Hold Steady with Grand Archives at the Neptune Theatre; Rebecca Gates supporting Ryan Adams at Benaroya Hall; Mad Rad with Katie Kate, Helluvastate and Slow Dance at Neumos; Gill Landry (of Old Crow Medicine Show) along with Shelby Earl and Gabriel Mintz, as support for the Felice Brothers at the Crocodile; Noah Gundersen supporting Shelby Lynne at the Triple Door; local acts: Rose Windows, Whalebones, Stag and Capsula at the Comet; Exohxo and Elk and Boar with Horde and the Harem at Rendezvous; and Nazca Lines added to the Cops, Birthday Suits, and Strong Killings show at the Comet.

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Tags: Ticket Alerts, City Arts Fest, Music Festival

Kanye West and Jay-Z to Team Up at Tacoma Dome

Presale for this hip-hop madness starts July 28 (Update: now starts August 2).

Posted by: Matt Pitchford on Jul 25, 2011 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Blinded by the bling Jay-Z and Kanye West tour together starting in September.

Believe it: Kanye West and Jay-Z have formed a hip-hop supergroup, the Throne, and plan to take their collective egos—err, new album—on the road this fall with a stopover at Tacoma Dome on October 13. The ticket presale starts Thursday, July 28, at 10am at livenation.com, but the regular sale starts the day the album drops, August 8. (UPDATE 7/28/11. Due to demand, the presale date has been moved to August 2 to accommodate concerts being added to the lineup. Regular sale date is still August 8.)

While the dynamic duo has visited each others’ stages before and produced together, their work on new album Watch the Throne is their first truly collaborative effort. Only 20 or so journalists have actually heard the LP, but it’s still generating plenty of buzz and will feature high-profile contributions from the likes of Odd Fellows’ Future’s Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, and Otis Redding. Given all the talent involved, it’ll be interesting to see if Kanye and Jay-Z can share the “throne” on stage (and a tour bus).

Want to see what the hype is all about? Stream the soulful lead track, “Otis,” at watchthethrone.com or watch their previously released single, “H.A.M.”

Track list
1. “No Church In the Wild” (feat. Frank Ocean)
2. “Lift Off” (feat. Beyoncé)
3. “N—-as In Paris”
4. “Otis” (feat. Otis Redding)
5. “Gotta Have it”
6. “New Day”
7. “That’s My Bitch”
8. “Welcome to the Jungle”
9. “Who’s Gon Stop Me”
10. “Murder to Excellence”
11. “Made In America” (feat. Frank Ocean)
12. “Why I Love You” (feat. Mr. Hudson)
(Available on the deluxe version)
13. “Illest M—————r Alive”
14. “H.A.M”
15. “Primetime”
16. “The Joy” (feat. Curtis Mayfield)

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Tags: Concert, Ticket Alerts, Tacoma Dome, Kanye West and Jay-Z, The Throne

Neko Case, Bon Iver, The Decemberists, and Fleet Foxes Tickets Still Available

So many concerts, so little time.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jul 06, 2011 at 12:45PM 0 Comments

She cut her teeth in Tacoma—now Neko Case tours the world with two different bands.

I couldn’t believe it either: There are still tickets on sale for each of these concerts, including Neko Case’s show at the Paramount on Sunday. Case is currently the hardest working woman in indie rock, touring behind her 2009 solo album Middle Cyclone; playing free shows in Vancouver with her other band, the New Pornographers; and collaborating with Nick Cave on a cover of the Zombies’ ’She’s Not There’ for the new season of True Blood. Playing one of the largest theaters in Seattle almost sounds…relaxing after all that.

Get yer tickets while you can…

July 10 at the Paramount Neko Case

July 15 at the Paramount Owl City

Aug 22 at Marymoor Park The Decemberists

Sept 6 & 7 at the Paramount Fleet Foxes

Oct 22 at KeyArena Death Cab for Cutie

Plan ahead for…

Sept 26 at the Paramount Bon Iver

Oct 11 at Neptune Theatre Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement) and the Jicks

Oct 19 at Neptune Theatre Friendly Fires

My song pick of the day: “Live Those Days Tonight” off Friendly Fires’s new album Pala.

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Tags: Concert, Ticket Alerts

Fleet Foxes Tickets On Sale June 25

Seattle’s moody indie act has the blues.

Posted by: Lisa Han on Jun 20, 2011 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

By now, we’re well acquainted with the latest Fleet Foxes album, Helplessness Blues, a series of brooding tracks that tackle mortality and self-doubt with a ’70s folk sound. Front man Robin Pecknold says the album was inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, but things probably started to get existential when he broke up with his girlfriend during its production. (Did you read the Rolling Stone article?)

But Fleet Foxes aren’t harbingers of doom and gloom. Rather, Blues is one of their richest collections to date—folk rock that’s acid-washed in psychedelic pop, with plenty of soaring vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Foxes of 2008. They played two sold-out shows at the Moore Theatre in May. Now they’re giving fans another reason to celebrate. The group will return to Seattle for two shows at Paramount Theatre on September 6 and 7, at 7:30pm. Tickets ($34) go on sale this Saturday, June 25, 10am at tickets.com or stgpresents.org.

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Tags: Paramount Theatre, Ticket Alerts, Fleet Foxes

TV on the Radio, Ra Ra Riot to Play Capitol Hill Block Party

Bringing you (part of) the 2011 lineup.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on May 18, 2011 at 10:15AM 0 Comments

Brooklyn boys TV on the Radio will play Capitol Hill Block Party.

Capitol Hill Block Party is back this July for three days of music in the streets, beer gardens, and teeming throngs of hipsters, with a lineup that includes now-regulars Ra Ra Riot; TV on the Radio touring behind a new album; and all kinds of local hip hop.

Here’s the partial lineup for the July 22–24 music fest (full lineup announced June 1):

TV on the Radio, Explosions In the Sky, Ghostland Observatory, Thurston Moore, The Cave Singers, Battles, Ra Ra Riot, Les Savy Fav, Handsome Furs, The Posies, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Yuck, Fucked Up, Telekinesis, Cults, Cold Cave, Woods, Fences, Pink Mountaintops, My Goodness, Papercuts, Austra, The Fresh and Onlys, Mad Rad, Fresh Espresso, Champagne Champagne, Federation X, THEESatisfaction, Ravenna Woods, Akimbo, Young Evils, Black Breath, Grynch, Absolute Monarchs, Eleanor Friedberger, Grave Babies, Beat Connection, Grand Hallway, Campfire OK, Loch Lomand, Skarp, Lisa Dank, Sol, Painted Palms, Mash Hall, Metal Chocolates, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Sports, Teen Daze, Craft Spells, Boat, Lake, Virgin Islands, Spurm, Elephant Rider, The Pharmacy, Lovesick Empire, Constant Lovers, Slow Dance, Don’t Talk to the Cops, Nazca Lines, Tom Wright Trio, Lovers, Yarn Owl, The First Times, Reporter, Lumerians, Seapony, Wheelies, Slow Dance, The Lumineers, Witch Garden, He Whose Ox is Gored, Land of Pines, Buster Blue, The First Times, “The Rolling Stones” (a Seattle Rolling Stones cover band featuring members of Truckasaurus, Flexions, Blood Brothers and Whalebones), Hausu, Yuni in Taxco, Spaceneedles, Comeback! feat. Ononos, Hollyhood! DJ sets by Fourcolor Zack, Tigerbeat, Sean Cee, and DJ N8.

Three-day passes ($75) for the 15th Capitol Hill Block Party go on sale Friday, May 20, at 10am at capitolhillblockparty.strangertickets.com. Single-day tickets ($25) go on sale June 3.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Ticket Alerts, Music Festival