Unless otherwise noted: Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm.
All shows 21+
Karaoke every last Wednesday of the month, 9pm!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Steve Poltz with Special Guests Smile Smile
:: Early show: doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm. ::
He trick-or-treated at Liberace's house and was Bob Hope's favorite altar boy. Anecdotes like these go well with a fistful of peanuts at a cocktail party. But on top of these add that this person also co-wrote the longest-running song on the Billboard Top 100, had a debut solo album that earned three and a half stars in Rolling Stone, and was awarded the title of "San Diego's Most Influential Artist of the Decade" at the San Diego Music Awards. What you end up with is one of the most engaging, twisted, and prolific songwriters of our time - Steve Poltz.
He recorded his first solo effort, "One Left Shoe," for Mercury Records, and Rolling Stone gave it high marks for its clever lyrics and contagious melodies. Songs like "Kicking Distance From Your Heart," and "I Thought I Saw You Last Night" showcase the depth of his songwriting talent, and particularly his knack for layering lyrics of vivid images between his inimitable acoustic melodies.
Steve has taken his talent, his sincerity, and a well-honed work ethic, and put together his latest solo album, "Chinese Vacation." This album is a tribute not just to his gift for songwriting, but also to the blood, sweat, and tears that run through each song. It features a song titled "I Killed Walter Matthau," which is paralyzing in its beauty, and which is guaranteed to take the listener far, far away from wherever they find themselves listening. This album has already garnered considerable attention from his legions of devoted fans, and it is sure to reach a whole new audience with its warm and hopelessly melodic pieces.
$12 in advance, $12 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTFriday, July 30, 2010
The Stolen Sweets with Luke Winslow and Sleepy Bell
:: Old School Sweetness ::
The Stolen Sweets formed in 2005 with the intention of reviving the songs of 1930s sister act, The Boswell Sisters. Comprised of vocalists Jen Bernard, Lara Michell and Erin Sutherland, guitarists Pete Krebs and David Langenes (both of whom sing) and double bass player Keith Brush, The Sweets' repertoire has expanded to include material from the 1920s -1940s. Their arrangements are still inspired by the Boswells' tight 3-part harmonies, frequent tempo changes and "knowing shrugs and raised eyebrows," as noted by the Oregonian's A&E. The Boswell Sisters were popular harmony singers in the late 20s and early 30s, keeping company with the likes of the Dorsey Brothers, Bunny Berigan, Eddie Lang, and Benny Goodman -- partnerships that provided the jazz world with some of its most influential recordings. The nature of the music was auspicious and good-humored, providing a ray of hope to listeners during a truly dispiriting economic depression. Unlike the original Boswell arrangements that featured piano, clarinet, and horns, the Sweets incorporate gypsy jazz accompaniment, reminiscent of Django Reinhardt. Their recently-released 2nd CD Sleepytime in Chinatown is garnering rave reviews from all over the globe.
$10 in advance, $12 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTSunday, August 01, 2010
The Grant Gordy & Alex Hargreaves quartet
:: with special guests ::
Grant Gordy took up the guitar at the age of 13 in his hometown of Portland, OR. He now calls Denver, CO home and has been a part of the national acoustic music scene for the last several years. He cut his teeth as a working musician playing all kinds of music at all kinds of gigs around Colorado. In 2006 Grant auditioned and was selected for Edgar Meyer's "Porous Borders of Music" workshop in New York City, the culmination of which was a performance at Carnegie Hall, where Grant debuted a number of his compositions. He toured North America in 2008 with Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko and the "Africa to Appalachia Project", including dates at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Calgary Folk Festival, and a featured performance on NPR's All Things Considered. Their album won a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for Best World Music Record of the Year. Recently Grant has become the newest member of the legendary David Grisman Quintet, which has played all over the country at concert halls and festivals including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June 2009. He has shared the stage with such luminaries of the acoustic music world as Mike Marshall, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Darol Anger and of course David Grisman. He is quickly becoming recognized for pushing and blurring the boundaries of acoustic music in his compositions and improvisation, his assimilation of jazz influences, and his exceptional facility with his instrument. Grant recently released his debut CD of original compositions which features Alex Hargreaves, Dominick Leslie, Paul Kowert and David Grisman.
18-year old Alex Hargreaves has already received countless honors including the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin from Mark O'Connor's Strings Conference and the Alternative Styles Award from the American Strings Teachers Association. At 15, Alex was also the youngest ever to win the Grand Champion division at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser, Idaho, and in 2009 he won the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship in Nashville. He has performed on the Grand Ole Opry and on PBS's Austin City Limits. Alex recently released his own debut CD, Prelude, which includes Grant Gordy on guitar and mandolin legend Mike Marshall, who describes Ales as "arguably one of the greatest improvising violinists in America today." David Grisman says, "[Alex] plays with wit, authority and soulfulness belying his years. In my opinion, he's destined to be one of the fiddle giants of the 21st century." Matt Glaser, artistic director of Berklee College of Music, simply states, "Truly, Alex Hargreaves is the best young jazz violinist in America."
$12 in advance, $15 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTWednesday, August 04, 2010
In The Cooky Jar - Soul Night
:: with DJ Cooky Parker ::
In the Cooky Jar brings the community together for a night of sweaty and hectic dancing, to the rarest and most carefully chosen soul and r&b 45's on the planet. DJ Cooky Parker has been scouring the basements of record stores, the far corners of the world, and even less likely places, constantly on the search for a demo or rare gem that will make you run for the dance floor! Motown/Stax, Northern soul, New Orleans R&B, Girl Groups, Funk, Popcorn soul, Doo Wop, Brill Building pop, and Beach will all get a spin on the turntable. By handpicking sets each night DJ Cooky Parker will make for an unstoppable night of shakin, twistin, jumpin and even mashed potatoin!! So come on down to the Woods to shake a tailfeather and if it is your pleasure do "the Double Bump" or maybe "the Funky Penguin" or even better "the Pop-eye!"
$3 in advance, $3 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTThursday, August 05, 2010
Quitzow with Setting Sun and special guests
:: NEW YAWK ::
"Upstate New York singer songwriter Erica Quitzow gives her cello and Moog art whimsy a bubbly groove and defiant summer strut." - SPIN MAGAZINE
"Oh, words can't express how much I adore this woman (full name: Erica Quitzow). If you dig Peaches, Le Tigre and early Liz Phair, she'll be right up your alley. Her new album is called Art College. I want to be her roommate." - USA TODAY, POP CANDY
"Juggling mind-blowing moog/rhodes/bass while singing. . ." - SXSW FESTIVAL GUIDE
Singer-songwriter Gary Levitt has a solid take on the balance between rural naif and urban hipster that's at the root of the current alt-folk scene, but for all the acoustic guitars and simple musical settings of the third Setting Sun album, he's no Devendra Banhart type of modern flower child. Levitt (who basically is Setting Sun, although Erica Quitzow, adds cello, violin, drums and vocals) has far more in common with Destroyer's Dan Bejar: the 11 songs on Children of the Wild use not only vintage psych and folk-rock as musical touchstones, but the melodramatic likes of Scott Walker and Hunky Dory-era David Bowie, as well as sophisticated '80s college rockers like Prefab Sprout and the Go-Betweens. Moods range from the giddy, strummy pop rush of "Overjoyed" to the whispered tension of "Not Waste," with room for the folkish delicacy of "Morning Song" as well as the trippy edge of the Beck-like single "No Devil Me No More," with the boyish charm of Levitt's vocals and the inventive melodicism of his tunes tying the whole thing together. Children of the Wild may not fit easily into any currently fashionable genre descriptors, but it's definitely worth a listen. - All Music Guide
$6 in advance, $6 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTSaturday, August 07, 2010
Paper Bird with guests Dovekins, Dominique Leone and Mary Clare Brzytwa
:: Joyful, haunting and authentic sound ::
Paper Bird's backbone is their songwriting, musicianship and a general allergy to all limitations and trends. With seven members and no leader, possibilities are ever unfolding, with fluctuations in style and mood akin to weather patterns.
When asked what genre of music they play, they answer "joyful." The seven-piece band consists of three female singers, accompanied by banjo, guitar, stand-up bass and trombone. Young in age but timeless in spirit, Paper Bird continually captures the hearts of new listeners and long-time fans. Their rare and beautiful approach to music led them to be featured on NPR's All Things Considered and they were voted in the Top 10 Best Underground Bands by Denver Post two years in a row, as well as 5280's Top of the Town 2009 "Top Local Band." In the last year they have played Red Rocks Amphitheater to an audience of over 8000 people and have shared the stage with Devotchka, Judy Collins, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Glen Campbell, and Big Head Todd & the Monsters. Their haunting and authentic sound is a refreshing and breathtaking blend of folk, jazz, bluegrass and rhythm and blues.
$6 in advance, $6 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTWednesday, August 11, 2010
Amy Seeley with Incredible Yacht Control and Chris Marshall
:: Lilting, piano-driven, haunting ::
"Amy Seeley is one of those rare songwriters who captivate the listener from the very first note. Her style is delicate and unassuming with songs that balance easily in the worlds of folk and jazz. While the obvious influences of Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Sarah McLachlan are present it does not overwhelm her own individual style. It's all here with poignant lyrics and sympathetic arrangements that simply shine." - Tom Coxworth, host of Folk Routes CKUA Radio
Bret Vogel says: "Incredible Yacht Control began nothing but Crosstide demos. . . it was really exciting to take an idea to a relatively completed state outside of the practice room. Since the completion of the first album, I put together a band comprised of Matt and Rian from my own Crosstide, and Kody and Ruban Nielson of the Mint Chicks.
Local press has been very favorable, and the Willamette Week even put the record on its best of 2009 list. That's exciting. A new record, entitled Ordinary Boys is already completed. It is 19 songs and under 40 minutes. It could best be described as being trapped inside my cobweb wracked brain on a Monday morning just before coffee. Musically it's a bit more influenced by The Fifth Dimension, Ride, the dB's, the Zombies, and Guided By Voices."
$8 in advance, $8 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTThursday, August 12, 2010
The Slants with Fleshtone and DJ Linoleum
:: Camp Odyssey Benefit Concert ::
Camp Odyssey is an innovative diversity camp that provides an opportunity for youth to challenge stereotypes through experiential activities and dialogue. At the front of the revival effort is Aron Moxley, Odyssey alumn and frontman of Portland synth-pop rockers The Slants. NPR's All Things Considered lauds "It's tempting to peg the Slants in some existing Asian genre: Canto-pop, J-Metal, Viet Core . . . but they're not quite that simple." Also appearing is Portland based Fleshtone, an inspired union of progressive synth-rock, dark wave, disco and performance art in what the Portland Mercury describes as, "the most rock'n'roll union of costumes, music, and choreography since, well . . . ever." The night begins with a Silent Auction of local art and goods and ends to the postpunk, new wave, and minimal synth jams of DJ Linoleum. Join us for a night of dancing, celebrating diversity, and supporting the future of Camp Odyssey, a project of Janus Youth Programs.
$8 in advance, $10 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTSaturday, August 14, 2010
Lara Michell CD Release with A Simple Colony and Miss Michael Jodell
:: Ethereal and intricate ::
A double CD release celebration for Lara Michell's fourth solo album and the debut album by new duo A SIMPLE COLONY (consisting of Lara Michell and Michael Dodson)!
Lara Michell is better known for her collaborative roles in swing jazz ensemble The Stolen Sweets and pop/rock collective Dirty Martini, but she has also released four albums of dark, dreamy acoustic music over the last 13 years. Fans will recognize her unique intricate fingerpicking and ethereal lyrics on her latest release PETALS, which features nine originals and an unexpected Duran Duran cover.
A Simple Colony is a collaboration between longtime friends Lara Michell and Michael Dodson (formerly of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus and the David York Ensemble), who met while attending Willamette University in the early 1990's. Their debut album WORLD BRAND NEW consists largely of music written by Michell and lyrics written and sung by Dodson. Dodson's totally unique sense of melody, phrasing and layered vocal harmonies will surely leave you intrigued!
Miss Michael Jodell fills the middle slot with her delicious jazz/country songs and gorgeous voice.
$10 in advance, $10 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTSunday, August 15, 2010
Dinosaur Feathers with Listening Party and Lonnie Walker
:: New York and B.C. ::
"When asked what about those shows has generated a bit of blog-buzz in recent months, Sullos (of Dinosaur Feathers) demures: "The more you play, the more people talk about it." True, but it likely has a bit more to do with the band's melange of Latin and African-infused drum machine beats - plus the fact that these guys can really sing. Sullo and his bandmates use their voices like instruments, stacking and weaving them into a textured sonic tapestry that drips with 60s nostalgia. The 10 songs on the band's debut LP, Fantasy Memorial are full of catchy pop choruses that linger like summertime freckles, as richly layered as late-August sunset." - Paste Magazine
"Dinosaur Feathers' songs, which meld soaring vocal harmonies to an aesthetic that's at once synthetic and tribal. That means skewed electronic beats hanging out with an acoustic guitar, gorgeous melodies peering out from layers of noise, and singers Greg Sullo and Derek Zimmerman playing vocal games with lots of woozy vibrato." - Onion AV Club
Blazing a trail through the backwoods of Shawnigan Lake B.C., Listening Party emerged on the scene in 2007 with their debut album Who Are We Missing? Produced by the band's long-time friend and fellow Shawnigan Lake local Dante DeCaro (Wolf Parade, Johnny and the Moon, ex Hot Hot Heat), the record earned them a spot opening for Montreal's Wolf Parade on the West Coast leg of their July 2008 tour. Proving themselves to be true crowd pleasers with body moving beats and chant along melodies, the boys were asked back as openers for the next leg of the tour. The band then recorded their new album, I Was Young. Delving into themes such as nostalgia, mythology, and an adoration of the natural world, I Was Young shows the band maturing both as songwriters and musicians. New to Listening Party is the use of organically created loops as a percussive element, filling out a sound that draws influences from the Talking Heads, Portishead, and The Walkmen. The songs on I Was Young are at the same time hushed and dynamic, atmospheric and grounded, painting vibrant pictures using tones. They will shake your legs loose with hypnotic vibrations and leave you craving more.
$5 in advance, $5 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTWednesday, August 18, 2010
Fast Rattler with Brackish Water Band and Haymarket Squares
:: Son of Utah ::
Fast Rattler started when Brendan Phillips, Utah's son, picked up an old beat to shit copy of "Starlight on the Rails." This collection of Utah's old songs spurred him to assemble this group of players to learn these songs and, in some cases, even write music for ones that Utah had never performed. Utah himself has compared folk music to a river that is in constant flux, needing to be added to and taken from, but always with the intention of giving it back so that it can flow down stream to be picked up by others and used again. We have come to love these songs and we have added them to the narrative that is the folk tradition.
"Phillips has clearly inherited his father's stature and stage presence, not to mention a book-worth of his forgotten songs." -Seattle Sound Magazine
$5 in advance, $5 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTFriday, August 20, 2010
John Heart Jackie CD Release Party
:: with What Hearts ::
Dearest John, For you a book. Le Balloon Rouge. From world of impossible probabilities. A world of the very young and the very old. Those that have time for imaginings and who possess young hearts. In this world "a king properly wears a beggar's rags and a cracked heart of lead and a dead bird are the most precious things in a city. Is this too strange? Or, have you, in fact, always known it to be true?"
This world is to be entered into whenever the COLD REALITY 20th century intellects are always referring to (and I guess it is pretty frigid) becomes too much for the human spirit. A world, as the song says, over the rainbow where troubles melt like lemon drops.
$7 in advance, $7 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTSaturday, August 28, 2010
An Evening with Taarka
:: Gypsy-chamber-rock ::
"There are Gypsy-jazz, bluegrass, Celtic, chamber-folk, jazz, rock, and even Indian influences, all distilled through a gifted group that has toured extensively on the jam-band circuit, but who at its best sounds unlike anyone else in that genre. . . this eclectic quartet has harvested a bountiful feast of new string-band music." - Greg Cahill, Strings Magazine
". . . the four performers are drawn equally to backwoods fiddle tunes, the avant-garde acoustic music pioneered by mandolinist David Grisman, storytelling singer-songwriters, and the swinging jazz of Django Reinhardt. At times, however, there seems to be a rock band lurking just underneath the surface." - Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight (Vancouver, BC)
$8 in advance, $10 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTSaturday, August 28, 2010
Jason Reeves with special guest Brendan James
:: Love songs from Iowa ::
**Early Show: Doors 7:00pm, Show 7:30pm**
The son of a Maytag worker and a food stylist, Jason Reeves' songwriting sensibility harkens back to a time when people wrote "Old-Fashioned Letters" and employed a more poetic way of expressing feelings. Reeves, part of a new generation of musicians reminiscent of the 1970's Laurel Canyon scene, balances his romantic sentiments with raw hurt on a number of tracks where a relationship goes bad and his lover commits the ultimate sin, striking a match "as she is covering my heart with gasoline."
Subject matter that is deep yet resonates; hook-filled melodies and Jason's unmistakable vocals caused Reeves' music to instantly engage the MySpace community and propelled him to #1 on the MySpace Folk chart (unsigned) for 9 months prior to his record deal, and kept him consistently in the Top 5 Acoustic (unsigned) and Top 20 Overall (unsigned) categories.
From the uplifting opening track "Someone Somewhere" through reflective closer "The End," singer/songwriter Jason Reeves' forthcoming album The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and Other Frightening Tales) takes listeners on a contemplative journey of love, hope, heartbreak and renewal. Originally available online and at his shows only, the album's beauty and raw honesty connected with listeners and earned a "Top Folk Album of 2007" distinction from iTunes, which also named Reeves one of the Top Indie Singer-Songwriters of that year. Now signed to Warner Bros. Records, which will widely-distribute his album for the first time, Jason's own story continues, one that remains as pure as his outlook on life and music as it ever was.
$10 in advance, $12 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTFriday, September 03, 2010
Dao Strom with Jenny Gillespie
:: California, Vietnam, Chicago ::
**EARLY SHOW - DOORS 6:30, SHOW 7:00**
Dao Strom is a writer of both books and songs. She was born in Vietnam, raised in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in California, and has since lived in NYC, San Francisco, Iowa, Austin TX, the Oregon coast, and Alaska. Her music is inspired by American roots music stemming out of Appalachian and gospel traditions while reaching also into other traditions, mingling East with West, and attempting to draw the Vietnamese diasporic experience into the context of Americana. However, she also writes and plays songs that are simply songs about life, love, wanderings & longings. Lyrical, gentle, sometimes dark, sometimes ethereal, Dao's music has been praised by No Depression magazine, among others. She is also a literary fiction writer with two published books.
Having followed many musical threads from jazz to alt-country to electronica, Chicago-based Jenny Gillespie finds herself merging all of the tones, sounds, and textures she loves on her new album Kindred. After her 2009 debut album Light Year drew praise for its blend of ethereal folk and art-pop grandeur, Jenny embarked on a new sonic adventure, recording her new album Kindred produced by Austin, TX multi-instrumentalist Darwin Smith. Smith had mixed Light Year and expressed interest to Jenny in recording an album in a house setting near her home base of Chicago. Using over two years of home demos as a starting point, Smith and Gillespie worked together to arrange the songs and create the lush sound of Kindred. Recorded both in the living room of a rambling house in Wilmette, IL and various locations in Austin, TX, Kindred is a convergence of refined musicianship and experimental spontaneity.
$5 in advance, $7 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENTFriday, September 03, 2010
Pete International Airport, Benjamin Starshine and Happy Prescriptions
:: Fuzzed-out primal rock ::
**LATE SHOW - Doors at 9:00, Show at 10**
Benjamin Starshine formed in Portland in late 2005 when singer/guitarist Ben Starshine (formerly of The Shrills) met up with violinist Pekio Vergotis to arrange and produce some of his new solo work. After collaborating, recording and performing together for a year, the duo was joined by drummer Michael Ford (Rick Bain and The Genius Position) and Bassist Lance Dinauer (Go Fever), and so a star was born... In August of 2007, while playing Fuzzfest Nothwest with legends such as The Chocolate Watchband, Electric Prunes and The Strawberry Alarmclock, Benjamin Starshine was thrown into the position of backing up the iconic Sky Sunlight Saxon of The Seeds. The result was a spontanious improvization of fuzzed-out primal rock, as well as a handful of classic Seeds songs. The success of the night led to future collaborations with Saxon in Portland and Seattle, in early 2008. Their first LP (Self Titled), recorded jointly at Revolver Studios with engineer, Colin Hegna (BJM) and at their home studio, was self-released in September of 2008 on their own label- Dreamyoga Records. Drawing from influences such as The VU, Spacemen 3, Plastic Ono Band and Elliott Smith, the album is split between stylish sixties pop arrangements and dreamy layered psychedelia. Benjamin Starshine is currently working on a new record, due for release sometime in 2010.
$5 in advance, $5 day of show
GET TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT
