Sunday the 1st:
Elba/The Quit/Another Perfect Crime at The Sunset Tavern
Tuesday the 3rd:
Lushy/The Bug Nasties at Nectar
Wednesday the 4th:
The Color Bars/Mouseheart Factor at High Dive
Andy Werth/The Capillaries at The Sunset
Thursday the 5th:
Friday Mile/Two Sheds/The Dimes at Nectar
Friday the 6th:
The Submarines/Bad Dream Good Breakfast/The Color Bars at Chop Suey
Half Light/The Purrs/Jones Family Fortune/Delusions at The Comet
Thee Sgt Major/Head/Coconut Coolouts at Funhouse
Saturday the 7th:
Brent Amaker & The Radio/Mass Sugar/The Riffbrokers at Skylark
The Sinister Six/The Small Change/DJ Chrispo/DJ Gort/DJ Vodka Twist/Tangerine Tonic at Lo-Fi Gallery
Showing posts with label The Capillaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Capillaries. Show all posts
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Photos: IPO Day 2
Whew... I'm too old to rock this much. My dog woke me up at 8am (in fact, that's "sleeping in" for him), and after two five-hour nights at the Sunset, I'm pooped! But, it's worth it, because last night was another good rockin' affair. Here are some photos and random commentary.
Smile Brigade started the night off. The lighting was different tonight than last night. So, I struggled all evening to get good shots. This one isn't particular good. But, it made me laugh, because I'm pretty sure their singer was flipping me the bird here. :)
Emilio Banda (formerly of Static Radio) came on second with a solid set of acoustic pop. He's got a strong voice and good songs.
The Broadcast Debut was on third. Although I loved their last recording, this was my first chance to see them live. I thought they had the best pre-Amateur Lovers set of the night. Last night I realized that one really can't take a good shot of a drummer at the Sunset. Sorry drummers! But, at least one of these includes the drummer!
Matt Southworth of the Capillaries followed The Broadcast Debut. I thought the full band was going to be playing. But, turns out it was just Matt, which is still pretty dang good. This photo represents what he would look like seven days after watching that video tape in The Ring movies.
Andy Werth was on next, and he and his band crammed onto the Sunset's stage. It was a bit less crowded this time, because they only brought one keyboard. The audience really dug their set. You know how they say that Germans love David Hasselhoff, well the ladies love Andy Werth. See evidence below.
Sixth on the bill was Twink The Wonder Kid, who grabbed everyone by the shoulders, shook us really hard and yelled "suck it" in our faces. Sounds harsh? Well, it was all in good fun. After the initial shock wore off, the crowd was digging what they were burying.
The Snakebites came on next, and a funny thing happened during their set. The Sunset started getting more crowded with people who came only to see the Amateur Lovers reunion. And, let me tell you, some of those folks just didn't know how to process The Snakebites. It was amusing to watch.
Closing out the evening was the aforementioned Amateur Lovers reunion. They were very warmly welcomed with a full Sunset Tavern (see audience shot below), and they did a great set. It was bouncy and poppy and included a medley about trees, as well as a debate as to whether two songs constitutes a medley. It looked like they were having a great time, and they hinted that they may do more shows. I'll dig for more info.
Smile Brigade started the night off. The lighting was different tonight than last night. So, I struggled all evening to get good shots. This one isn't particular good. But, it made me laugh, because I'm pretty sure their singer was flipping me the bird here. :)
Emilio Banda (formerly of Static Radio) came on second with a solid set of acoustic pop. He's got a strong voice and good songs.
The Broadcast Debut was on third. Although I loved their last recording, this was my first chance to see them live. I thought they had the best pre-Amateur Lovers set of the night. Last night I realized that one really can't take a good shot of a drummer at the Sunset. Sorry drummers! But, at least one of these includes the drummer!
Matt Southworth of the Capillaries followed The Broadcast Debut. I thought the full band was going to be playing. But, turns out it was just Matt, which is still pretty dang good. This photo represents what he would look like seven days after watching that video tape in The Ring movies.
Andy Werth was on next, and he and his band crammed onto the Sunset's stage. It was a bit less crowded this time, because they only brought one keyboard. The audience really dug their set. You know how they say that Germans love David Hasselhoff, well the ladies love Andy Werth. See evidence below.
Sixth on the bill was Twink The Wonder Kid, who grabbed everyone by the shoulders, shook us really hard and yelled "suck it" in our faces. Sounds harsh? Well, it was all in good fun. After the initial shock wore off, the crowd was digging what they were burying.
The Snakebites came on next, and a funny thing happened during their set. The Sunset started getting more crowded with people who came only to see the Amateur Lovers reunion. And, let me tell you, some of those folks just didn't know how to process The Snakebites. It was amusing to watch.
Closing out the evening was the aforementioned Amateur Lovers reunion. They were very warmly welcomed with a full Sunset Tavern (see audience shot below), and they did a great set. It was bouncy and poppy and included a medley about trees, as well as a debate as to whether two songs constitutes a medley. It looked like they were having a great time, and they hinted that they may do more shows. I'll dig for more info.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Junkmail, The Capillaries, Small Change & Sorry
While it is technically a Tuesday, most of us have tomorrow as a day of vacation. So, in that way it's a bootleg Friday, and I plan to go out rocking tonight (Tuesday, July 3). My rock of choice is happening at the Crocodile Cafe, which has Junkmail, The Capillaries, The Small Change and Sorry.
I got my grubby little hands on a copy of the Junkmail EP recently, and I'm listening as I type this. What we've got going on here is a collection of four songs that are melodic with a hint of sadness and an undercurrent of Americana. But, I like what I'm hearing, especially the song "little ones."
You can get many of the tunes from their EP on their website. So, you should head there and check them out. And it's important to note that the full-on rock and roll force that is Heather Riffbroker has now joined them on bass, too. So, that's even more reason to see and/or hear them.
The Capillaries and The Small Change both rock my world, and I've written plenty about them here in the past. But, I have to admit I have no idea who the band Sorry is. Anyone know?
I got my grubby little hands on a copy of the Junkmail EP recently, and I'm listening as I type this. What we've got going on here is a collection of four songs that are melodic with a hint of sadness and an undercurrent of Americana. But, I like what I'm hearing, especially the song "little ones."
You can get many of the tunes from their EP on their website. So, you should head there and check them out. And it's important to note that the full-on rock and roll force that is Heather Riffbroker has now joined them on bass, too. So, that's even more reason to see and/or hear them.
The Capillaries and The Small Change both rock my world, and I've written plenty about them here in the past. But, I have to admit I have no idea who the band Sorry is. Anyone know?
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Interview with The Capillaries
Last fall I did an interview with Matt Southworth from The Capillaries. But, rather than posting the full interview, I did a profile type of thing in which I pulled out the quotes. I was just on their myspace page, and they had the full text of the interview up, and I thought I would go ahead and post the whole thing here.
You can tell the interview is a bit dated (it refers to a fall 2006 release of their new record, which is actually due out in a month or so). But, it's still a good read:
1. How did the band form? What's the history (timelines/backstories/etc.)?
The band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, where I was making an independent film, breaking up with my live-in girlfriend and having a nervous breakdown. I had played guitar for a long time but had never led my own band and had actually given up on music while working in film. But I started writing songs and recording them in the basement and then started to put together friends to play them with me. There was never any intention of being a professional musician, there was only the desire to write more songs because I found it helped me to release a lot of the anxiety I had.
Things led to things, and we played a lot of shows, got some radio play in Los Angeles, and things got more focused. However, our bass player had to quit to focus on his job on the exact weekend that our drummer revealed he was going to have to move to Chicago for work and I confessed I was thinking of moving to Seattle. It was the easiest band breakup in history--we all made the same decision at the same time, totally unaware of each other.
So I came to Seattle and rebuilt the band. I made a record with the first version and we got a lot of airplay off of that, and I hunkered down and wrote over a hundred songs in 2004 for this one. Then I got into the recording process and got obsessive and here we are in 2006 and the new record, LOVE CONQUERS SOME, is finally done.
2. How many releases do you guys have? What's your take on how they've been received?
We have two records--OVERNIGHT LOWS AND DAYLIGHT SAVINGS is the first record, out in 2003, and LOVE CONQUERS SOME is the new one, out in fall 2006. OLDS was very well-received--all told it cost about a hundred and thirty six bucks to make and people really seem to like it. It was a pretty accurate picture of a certain mind-state that people seem to respond well to.
3. What are your feelings about the state of powerpop in the Northwest and Seattle in particular?
I think Seattle has a really strong connection to art in general. Something about being in the corner of the country makes the people more social here, more interested in art, particularly more so than in Los Angeles, where it's much more focused and financial. There seems to be a solid audience here for power pop just like there is for hip-hop and roots country and metal. I like that, particularly since the fans of each style don't seem to be competing with the other fans over whose style is better, and that gives musicians lots of room to incorporate elements of other types of music into their own without turning off the people they're trying to speak to.
4. If you could open up for any band (any time period, any location), who would it be and why?
It would be Led Zeppelin right at the beginning of their career, mainly just so I could see this amazing group of musicians before things got muddled by careers and jets and 14 year-old girlfriends and was just about them making this music, playing off of each other. Think about it: you're going out with some friends on a Thursday night, just want some drinks and there's some band setting up, and twenty minutes later your jaw's on the floor from the intensity and quality of this band. Particularly that drummer. I'd like to see that.
5. How do you think others would describe the Capillaries, and is that the same or different than you'd like to think of yourselves?
I think people are currently curious about what's happening with and to us. Which I guess is the same as I see us, too. But generally speaking, I think of us as a highly literate band with an unstable side that comes out in shows. We have a tendency to go off the rails, and sometimes we're able to reorient and other times not. I think that combination of emotional instability and verbal acuity is interesting--just having a lot of literary tools doesn't mean you can express your feelings more clearly, but it makes it interesting to try.
6. What's the future hold for you guys?
We'll put out this record, LOVE CONQUERS SOME, and play as many shows for as many people want to come see us. Maybe we'll all get married (not likely).
7. What's the future hold for powerpop in general?
I think power pop is nothing more than forceful melodic music, actually, which can cover everything from that "You're a Grand Old Flag" song to Superdrag to "Since U Been Gone". I think as long as there are relationships going south, there will be an innate desire to write about it and to mask those feelings in pretty little melodies. Sometimes that teary, trembling smile is the most effective way to express deep sadness.
And I know that as long as politicians get more and more venal and that there is more corruption and bald dishonesty in government, there will be more explosive anger in the public, and that's going to fuel the "power" part.
8. Who plays what instruments in the band? Has your line up been stable or a rotating cast?
We've had sixteen members since the band was formed. That includes several people who only played a couple of shows with us, etc., and also includes my having moved the band from LA to Seattle, but even in Seattle there have been a few different casts.
The core of the band in Seattle has been me, Matt Southworth, on guitar and vocals and Jon Foley on drums. Now we also have Michael McGivaren on keyboards and Aaron Brown on bass. (Blogger note: This is one area that has really changed for them -- see my previous post about the Comet show)
9. What do you want people to know about The Capillaries?
I want people to hear the stories in these songs. Some of them are very specific, about specific people and places, and I like telling those stories. I also want people to see us play. A magazine once called us "Seattle's most entertaining live band" and I think that's a ringing endorsement.
10. Anything else to add?
Just to thank you for asking the questions. I hope I've answered them clearly, but who knows? If people want to check out some songs, they should visit us at http://www.myspace.com/thecapillariesrock. And come see us at a show and tell us you found out about us at Seattle Powerpop.
You can tell the interview is a bit dated (it refers to a fall 2006 release of their new record, which is actually due out in a month or so). But, it's still a good read:
1. How did the band form? What's the history (timelines/backstories/etc.)?
The band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, where I was making an independent film, breaking up with my live-in girlfriend and having a nervous breakdown. I had played guitar for a long time but had never led my own band and had actually given up on music while working in film. But I started writing songs and recording them in the basement and then started to put together friends to play them with me. There was never any intention of being a professional musician, there was only the desire to write more songs because I found it helped me to release a lot of the anxiety I had.
Things led to things, and we played a lot of shows, got some radio play in Los Angeles, and things got more focused. However, our bass player had to quit to focus on his job on the exact weekend that our drummer revealed he was going to have to move to Chicago for work and I confessed I was thinking of moving to Seattle. It was the easiest band breakup in history--we all made the same decision at the same time, totally unaware of each other.
So I came to Seattle and rebuilt the band. I made a record with the first version and we got a lot of airplay off of that, and I hunkered down and wrote over a hundred songs in 2004 for this one. Then I got into the recording process and got obsessive and here we are in 2006 and the new record, LOVE CONQUERS SOME, is finally done.
2. How many releases do you guys have? What's your take on how they've been received?
We have two records--OVERNIGHT LOWS AND DAYLIGHT SAVINGS is the first record, out in 2003, and LOVE CONQUERS SOME is the new one, out in fall 2006. OLDS was very well-received--all told it cost about a hundred and thirty six bucks to make and people really seem to like it. It was a pretty accurate picture of a certain mind-state that people seem to respond well to.
3. What are your feelings about the state of powerpop in the Northwest and Seattle in particular?
I think Seattle has a really strong connection to art in general. Something about being in the corner of the country makes the people more social here, more interested in art, particularly more so than in Los Angeles, where it's much more focused and financial. There seems to be a solid audience here for power pop just like there is for hip-hop and roots country and metal. I like that, particularly since the fans of each style don't seem to be competing with the other fans over whose style is better, and that gives musicians lots of room to incorporate elements of other types of music into their own without turning off the people they're trying to speak to.
4. If you could open up for any band (any time period, any location), who would it be and why?
It would be Led Zeppelin right at the beginning of their career, mainly just so I could see this amazing group of musicians before things got muddled by careers and jets and 14 year-old girlfriends and was just about them making this music, playing off of each other. Think about it: you're going out with some friends on a Thursday night, just want some drinks and there's some band setting up, and twenty minutes later your jaw's on the floor from the intensity and quality of this band. Particularly that drummer. I'd like to see that.
5. How do you think others would describe the Capillaries, and is that the same or different than you'd like to think of yourselves?
I think people are currently curious about what's happening with and to us. Which I guess is the same as I see us, too. But generally speaking, I think of us as a highly literate band with an unstable side that comes out in shows. We have a tendency to go off the rails, and sometimes we're able to reorient and other times not. I think that combination of emotional instability and verbal acuity is interesting--just having a lot of literary tools doesn't mean you can express your feelings more clearly, but it makes it interesting to try.
6. What's the future hold for you guys?
We'll put out this record, LOVE CONQUERS SOME, and play as many shows for as many people want to come see us. Maybe we'll all get married (not likely).
7. What's the future hold for powerpop in general?
I think power pop is nothing more than forceful melodic music, actually, which can cover everything from that "You're a Grand Old Flag" song to Superdrag to "Since U Been Gone". I think as long as there are relationships going south, there will be an innate desire to write about it and to mask those feelings in pretty little melodies. Sometimes that teary, trembling smile is the most effective way to express deep sadness.
And I know that as long as politicians get more and more venal and that there is more corruption and bald dishonesty in government, there will be more explosive anger in the public, and that's going to fuel the "power" part.
8. Who plays what instruments in the band? Has your line up been stable or a rotating cast?
We've had sixteen members since the band was formed. That includes several people who only played a couple of shows with us, etc., and also includes my having moved the band from LA to Seattle, but even in Seattle there have been a few different casts.
The core of the band in Seattle has been me, Matt Southworth, on guitar and vocals and Jon Foley on drums. Now we also have Michael McGivaren on keyboards and Aaron Brown on bass. (Blogger note: This is one area that has really changed for them -- see my previous post about the Comet show)
9. What do you want people to know about The Capillaries?
I want people to hear the stories in these songs. Some of them are very specific, about specific people and places, and I like telling those stories. I also want people to see us play. A magazine once called us "Seattle's most entertaining live band" and I think that's a ringing endorsement.
10. Anything else to add?
Just to thank you for asking the questions. I hope I've answered them clearly, but who knows? If people want to check out some songs, they should visit us at http://www.myspace.com/thecapillariesrock. And come see us at a show and tell us you found out about us at Seattle Powerpop.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
More haiku on The Comet
Last night was a pretty rockin' show at The Comet. The crowd was larger than I thought it might be for a night that had so much going on (Dino Jr., Slender Means, Mirah, and several other shows were all happening at various clubs). I'd probably guess 150 through the door, which is not bad, all told.
You might recall that Ari Spoon posted an "ode to the Comet" over at the Stranger's Line Out blog back in April and I responded with some Comet-inspired haiku. I figured I could continue that tradition (if something you've done exactly once can be called a tradition...) in this post about the show last night.
I'll start with a few complaints.
I think I've simply logged too many hours in clubs over the past 20 years, because I'm really impatient at rock shows. I just want to get things started at 9pm and have the change-overs between bands be smooth and quick. That never happens at the Comet.
You book four-band bills
But won't start them 'til 10:10
Makes for a long night
The sound system at The Comet cracks me up. They have a three foot tall rack of power amps, equalizers, enhancers, compressors, limiters and various other gadgets. Yet it still sounds like my garage. In fact, I think last night might've actually sounded better if the bands had been in my garage, because by the end of the night, I couldn't hear a word the Young Sportsmen were saying. Now, given, my boys are loud. But, still.
Mighty sound system
You are a paper tiger
The mics shock my lips
So, with those complaints out of the way, it was a generally fun night. Red Sky started the evening off. I really love their songs and I'm a big fan of Max's guitar playing and Rob's unapologetic lyrical sensitivity. But, I'm not sure they are the best band to have start out the night. Because while their slow, dreamy pop is appealing to me, I think I needed an energy boost to start my Friday night of rock. Maybe if they had a few more uptempo numbers in their set.
Fans of Scottish pop
So in love and dreamy
90 bpm
The Capillaries came out next, after a lengthy delay with the sound system. Apparently the monitors were not working. So, the sound person worked to get them going. I believe this was also the beginning of the "get shocked by the mic" part of the evening. This show was the debut of the new Capillaries line up that includes Eric Corson (The Long Winters) on guitar and Aaron Huffman (Harvey Danger) on bass. They've got a new recording coming out quite soon, and I'm digging a lot of their new material.
Catchy falsetto
Riffs that get stuck in my head
New record drops soon
We of Shake Some Action were on third. We focused our set on more of the rockin' stuff and a little less of the poppy stuff, and given the PA system situation, I'm glad that we did, since rock transcends being able to actually hear the vocals. Other than taking a low-grade shock to the lips about a dozen times throughout the set, I thought it went well. Kudos to our guitarist David Bos who agreed to play this show even though he had a 10a.m. flight this morning to France for a two week vacation with his wife, Imaginary Dana.
Such a rocky start
But new songs go over well
Glad I'm in this band
Closing out the show was the Young Sportsmen. They gave us exactly what we've come to expect -- both the energy knob and volume knob rolled all the way off to the right. As I mentioned before, you could barely hear their vocals through the PA system, which is a shame because Wesley has a great voice and a big, rock-and-roll delivery. But, at least you could still see the delivery, even if you couldn't hear the voice. Even though the whole night was running late and I don't think they even started until nearly 12:30am or so, there were still plenty of folks in the room to hear them lay it down.
Big sound yet still pop
Cracking snare drum and big bass
Foam smells like toilet
That last line was just for Wesley and those paying attention to his in-between song banter.
You might recall that Ari Spoon posted an "ode to the Comet" over at the Stranger's Line Out blog back in April and I responded with some Comet-inspired haiku. I figured I could continue that tradition (if something you've done exactly once can be called a tradition...) in this post about the show last night.
I'll start with a few complaints.
I think I've simply logged too many hours in clubs over the past 20 years, because I'm really impatient at rock shows. I just want to get things started at 9pm and have the change-overs between bands be smooth and quick. That never happens at the Comet.
You book four-band bills
But won't start them 'til 10:10
Makes for a long night
The sound system at The Comet cracks me up. They have a three foot tall rack of power amps, equalizers, enhancers, compressors, limiters and various other gadgets. Yet it still sounds like my garage. In fact, I think last night might've actually sounded better if the bands had been in my garage, because by the end of the night, I couldn't hear a word the Young Sportsmen were saying. Now, given, my boys are loud. But, still.
Mighty sound system
You are a paper tiger
The mics shock my lips
So, with those complaints out of the way, it was a generally fun night. Red Sky started the evening off. I really love their songs and I'm a big fan of Max's guitar playing and Rob's unapologetic lyrical sensitivity. But, I'm not sure they are the best band to have start out the night. Because while their slow, dreamy pop is appealing to me, I think I needed an energy boost to start my Friday night of rock. Maybe if they had a few more uptempo numbers in their set.
Fans of Scottish pop
So in love and dreamy
90 bpm
The Capillaries came out next, after a lengthy delay with the sound system. Apparently the monitors were not working. So, the sound person worked to get them going. I believe this was also the beginning of the "get shocked by the mic" part of the evening. This show was the debut of the new Capillaries line up that includes Eric Corson (The Long Winters) on guitar and Aaron Huffman (Harvey Danger) on bass. They've got a new recording coming out quite soon, and I'm digging a lot of their new material.
Catchy falsetto
Riffs that get stuck in my head
New record drops soon
We of Shake Some Action were on third. We focused our set on more of the rockin' stuff and a little less of the poppy stuff, and given the PA system situation, I'm glad that we did, since rock transcends being able to actually hear the vocals. Other than taking a low-grade shock to the lips about a dozen times throughout the set, I thought it went well. Kudos to our guitarist David Bos who agreed to play this show even though he had a 10a.m. flight this morning to France for a two week vacation with his wife, Imaginary Dana.
Such a rocky start
But new songs go over well
Glad I'm in this band
Closing out the show was the Young Sportsmen. They gave us exactly what we've come to expect -- both the energy knob and volume knob rolled all the way off to the right. As I mentioned before, you could barely hear their vocals through the PA system, which is a shame because Wesley has a great voice and a big, rock-and-roll delivery. But, at least you could still see the delivery, even if you couldn't hear the voice. Even though the whole night was running late and I don't think they even started until nearly 12:30am or so, there were still plenty of folks in the room to hear them lay it down.
Big sound yet still pop
Cracking snare drum and big bass
Foam smells like toilet
That last line was just for Wesley and those paying attention to his in-between song banter.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Nada Mucho presents...
Nada Mucho presents.... A show that I would've presented, as well. :) In fact, I did the flyer for the show. Cute, huh?
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Band links for EC cover night
The Elvis Costello Cover Night really is a great line up. Here are links to some of my favorite bands on the bill. I don't know what order they're taking stage. So, this list is random and includes a few thoughts or comments from me.
Young Sportsmen - Among the most "powerful" powerpop bands in Seattle. Great hooks and lots of rock.
Cantona - Melodic and engaging, if somewhat inconsistent (but only when their bass player doesnt show up!..:)
Central Services - More "pop" than "power" usually, but creative and engaging to watch.
The Capillaries - Difficult for me to pin down. Definately powerpop, but somehow quirky and angular, too. Their page has newly uploaded songs, including one called "Atlanta" that is truly great.
The Sea Navy - Very "welcoming" and downhome, but melodic and fun, too. I like them live more than on record.
Young Sportsmen - Among the most "powerful" powerpop bands in Seattle. Great hooks and lots of rock.
Cantona - Melodic and engaging, if somewhat inconsistent (but only when their bass player doesnt show up!..:)
Central Services - More "pop" than "power" usually, but creative and engaging to watch.
The Capillaries - Difficult for me to pin down. Definately powerpop, but somehow quirky and angular, too. Their page has newly uploaded songs, including one called "Atlanta" that is truly great.
The Sea Navy - Very "welcoming" and downhome, but melodic and fun, too. I like them live more than on record.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Powerpop Night photos
I snapped a bunch of photos last night during the Powerpop Night at The Comet. I forgot how hard it is to take good photos with my camera there. In most venues I get better shots without the flash, but since The Comet has no stage lights, it's too dark without it. So, none of these are stellar. But, not horrible, either.
The night went quite well, overall. I think The Comet folks were somewhat befuddled by the running order of the night, which went band-solo-band-solo-band. For some reason this seemed to confuse them and resulted in longer change-overs than necessary.
They also wouldn't let us start until 10pm instead of the pre-determined 9:30pm, which meant the Young Sportsmen were going on as 12:30 instead of midnight. Sadly, the crowd of close to 100 had dwindled by that time. Their loss, however, as the Sportsmen rocked it out like they were in an arena instead of a sparsely populated club.
My band The Scheme started the night off, and since I was on stage, I didn't get any photos. But, trust me, we were very handsome. :)
Here are some snapshots of and comments on the rest of the bands.
James Hall, from Shake Some Action, came on second and did some nice solo acoustic version of SSA tunes. The songs hold up very well to that kind of stripped down setting, which is a testament to how good they are to begin with. I took a handful of shots of James, and he looks absolutely possessed by some kind of demon in all of them except this one.
James Hall - Shake Some Action
Up next were Ghosts & Liars, about whom I received more comments than any other band on the bill. I think lots of folks were surprised at how good they were. Descriptions of them from other folks to me ranged from "like The Decemberists without the sea chanties" to "like a folk-rock Jellyfish." Great songs, great sound.
Ghosts & Liars - Chris DuBray
Ghosts & Liars
On after G&L was Matt Southworth of The Capillaries. Matt played a lot of new tunes, as well as a Beatles cover, and sounded great. He was also pretty entertaining with funny in-song banter.
Matt Southworth - The Capillaries
Closing out the night were Young Sportsmen. As always, they rocked. As I mentioned earlier, it's to their credit that they played that show with all the heart and performance irrespective of the number of folks left in the house. Once again my friend David and I were trying to find decent comparisons for these guys. We settled on a little bit of Superdrag and a little bit of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give them, however, is that my wife -- who normally doesn't like live music unless she knows all the band's songs -- enjoyed their set. That might not seem like much. But, she's a tough critic. So, that bodes well for their appeal to people who "like music" but are not necessarily music fans. Based on this, I say they have a hit record within two years.
Young Sportsmen - Richard and Wesley
Young Sportsmen
Young Sportsmen -- providing a very big ending to a fun night of music
The night went quite well, overall. I think The Comet folks were somewhat befuddled by the running order of the night, which went band-solo-band-solo-band. For some reason this seemed to confuse them and resulted in longer change-overs than necessary.
They also wouldn't let us start until 10pm instead of the pre-determined 9:30pm, which meant the Young Sportsmen were going on as 12:30 instead of midnight. Sadly, the crowd of close to 100 had dwindled by that time. Their loss, however, as the Sportsmen rocked it out like they were in an arena instead of a sparsely populated club.
My band The Scheme started the night off, and since I was on stage, I didn't get any photos. But, trust me, we were very handsome. :)
Here are some snapshots of and comments on the rest of the bands.
James Hall, from Shake Some Action, came on second and did some nice solo acoustic version of SSA tunes. The songs hold up very well to that kind of stripped down setting, which is a testament to how good they are to begin with. I took a handful of shots of James, and he looks absolutely possessed by some kind of demon in all of them except this one.
James Hall - Shake Some Action
Up next were Ghosts & Liars, about whom I received more comments than any other band on the bill. I think lots of folks were surprised at how good they were. Descriptions of them from other folks to me ranged from "like The Decemberists without the sea chanties" to "like a folk-rock Jellyfish." Great songs, great sound.
Ghosts & Liars - Chris DuBray
Ghosts & Liars
On after G&L was Matt Southworth of The Capillaries. Matt played a lot of new tunes, as well as a Beatles cover, and sounded great. He was also pretty entertaining with funny in-song banter.
Matt Southworth - The Capillaries
Closing out the night were Young Sportsmen. As always, they rocked. As I mentioned earlier, it's to their credit that they played that show with all the heart and performance irrespective of the number of folks left in the house. Once again my friend David and I were trying to find decent comparisons for these guys. We settled on a little bit of Superdrag and a little bit of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give them, however, is that my wife -- who normally doesn't like live music unless she knows all the band's songs -- enjoyed their set. That might not seem like much. But, she's a tough critic. So, that bodes well for their appeal to people who "like music" but are not necessarily music fans. Based on this, I say they have a hit record within two years.
Young Sportsmen - Richard and Wesley
Young Sportsmen
Young Sportsmen -- providing a very big ending to a fun night of music
Monday, January 22, 2007
Monday Morning Powerpop mp3(s)
This Saturday, 1/27, is the second SPB Powerpop Night. This one is being held at The Comet Tavern. So, this week's Monday Morning mp3 is a actually collection of mp3s from the bands on the bill. Enjoy a taste of this weekend's show and I hope you can make it. It's going to be a heck of a good time.
Young Sportsmen - Under The Rocks and the Stars
Ghosts & Liars - We'll Carry On
The Scheme - Sidewalk Soundtrack
I don't have mp3 links for James Hall (Shake Some Action) or Matt Southworth (The Capillaries). But, you can hear their respective bands on their linked myspace pages.
Young Sportsmen - Under The Rocks and the Stars
Ghosts & Liars - We'll Carry On
The Scheme - Sidewalk Soundtrack
I don't have mp3 links for James Hall (Shake Some Action) or Matt Southworth (The Capillaries). But, you can hear their respective bands on their linked myspace pages.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Damn you, Capillaries!!
For some reason, the cosmos or allah or sheer coincidence doesn't want me to see the Capillaries anymore. I really like these guys. So, why is that that literally everytime they play, I've got a conflict?
They're playing at the O Lounge (I don't know a thing about this place... anyone been?) on Saturday (12/23). But, I'm simultaneously playing over at The Crocodile at Imaginary Liz's birthday part with Shake Some Action.
So, now you powerpop fans have a decision to make. If you choose The Capillaries, do me a favor and take some pictures and give me a report for the blog. It's what I'd be doing if I were not playing.
They're playing at the O Lounge (I don't know a thing about this place... anyone been?) on Saturday (12/23). But, I'm simultaneously playing over at The Crocodile at Imaginary Liz's birthday part with Shake Some Action.
So, now you powerpop fans have a decision to make. If you choose The Capillaries, do me a favor and take some pictures and give me a report for the blog. It's what I'd be doing if I were not playing.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Now Matt Southworth is on Radio 8 Ball
It was supposed to be last week. But, apparantly the freakish ice and snow storm kept it from going down. So, tonight on KAOS out of Olympia, Matt Southworth of The Capillaries will be appearing on Radio 8 Ball from 6pm until 8pm.
You can listen live on the web, as well.
You can listen live on the web, as well.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Matt Southworth on Radio 8 Ball
I've talked about Radio 8 Ball here on the blog in the past. But, they're worth mentioning again, as Matt Southworth, main dude from The Capillaries is appearing as their guest on Tuesday, November 28th from 6pm until 8pm. The show is on KAOS FM, which is 89.3 out of Olympia. Or, you can listen live via their website, as well.
Friday, October 27, 2006
200th post!! The Capillaries tonight (10/27)
First, I've just realized this is the 200th post on the blog. I thought that was a significant enough milestone to warrant mentioning it. I hope everyone out there enjoys the efforts!
Now, onto the news at hand The Capillaries are playing at the Central Saloon in Pioneer Square tonight. They promise that you shouldn't be afraid of the venue:
This is also the debut of their new line up. So, throw 'em your support!
Now, onto the news at hand The Capillaries are playing at the Central Saloon in Pioneer Square tonight. They promise that you shouldn't be afraid of the venue:
If you've never been inside....don't let the word "saloon", nor the assortment of Harley's and tribal tatoos outside alarm you. We wouldn't play somewhere dangerous to your physical being....definitely not somewhere dangerous to OURS!?!?
This is also the debut of their new line up. So, throw 'em your support!
Thursday, September 28, 2006
A rant and a Capillaries show
First up: the rant. Ready? Here goes:
Damn, I wish there was some sort of rss feed for rock-n-roll calendars! I do my best to plan out my week and find all the cool powerpoppin' rock shows, but then somehow I miss a great show like the one below. How can that be? I dunno.
And, in truth, I don't even have an excuse, because it's right there in The Stranger's live music listings. Perhaps the issue is I just suck at reading event calendars. Maybe it's time to get a SPB intern to read the calendars for me. It'll be like Kramerica Industries (the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets an intern). Best dialog from that episode:
- Dean of school: "As far as I can tell Mr. Kramer, your entire organization is run out of a messy appartment that may or may not contain a chicken."
- Kramer: "And with Darren's help, we'll GET that chicken!"
- Dean of school: "I'm sorry, we can't let Darren continue this internship."
- Kramer: "What?? That seems arbitrary and capricious."
- Dean of school: "Your fly is open."
Anyway, onto the good stuff. This is from The Capillaries:
Damn, I wish there was some sort of rss feed for rock-n-roll calendars! I do my best to plan out my week and find all the cool powerpoppin' rock shows, but then somehow I miss a great show like the one below. How can that be? I dunno.
And, in truth, I don't even have an excuse, because it's right there in The Stranger's live music listings. Perhaps the issue is I just suck at reading event calendars. Maybe it's time to get a SPB intern to read the calendars for me. It'll be like Kramerica Industries (the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets an intern). Best dialog from that episode:
- Dean of school: "As far as I can tell Mr. Kramer, your entire organization is run out of a messy appartment that may or may not contain a chicken."
- Kramer: "And with Darren's help, we'll GET that chicken!"
- Dean of school: "I'm sorry, we can't let Darren continue this internship."
- Kramer: "What?? That seems arbitrary and capricious."
- Dean of school: "Your fly is open."
Anyway, onto the good stuff. This is from The Capillaries:
Tonight, Thursday Sept 28, the Capillaries will be at the Comet Tavern on Capitol Hill (Seattle) with good friends Get Set Go and New Maximum Donkey, both from the sunny climes of Los Angeles.
This is a rare opportunity for Seattlites (Sattelites?) to catch the gorgeous melodies and rich antisocial sentiment of one Mike TV, frontman for Get Set Go.
The Capillaries are also doing something unusual tonight in that our keyboardist, Michael, is on safari, and so we are playing as a stripped-down sweaty three-piece. We promise some roaring new songs and a fair amount of mistakes.
Please come down to what must be Capitol Hill's oldest bar and join us. Things start, oh let's say at 9:00, and they'll cost $3.00? $5.00?, I don't know.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Day 5: Two mp3s per day for 16 days
With today's mp3s, we begin day two of the International Pop Ovethrow. If you show up early on Friday the 25th, you'll get to see two great bands.
The Capillaries' "Moving To Waterloo"
The Craze's "Turn On My Radio"
NOTE: In some instances, like the one above with The Capillaries, I may have to pull songs off of myspace and put them into a linkable source (in this instance, it's putfile.com). If any of the bands don't want this to happen, let me know and I can redirect to another mp3 of your selection, or remove completely.
The Capillaries' "Moving To Waterloo"
The Craze's "Turn On My Radio"
NOTE: In some instances, like the one above with The Capillaries, I may have to pull songs off of myspace and put them into a linkable source (in this instance, it's putfile.com). If any of the bands don't want this to happen, let me know and I can redirect to another mp3 of your selection, or remove completely.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
The Capillaries @ The High Dive
FYI to all: Last week's profile band here on the Seattle Powerwpop Blog, The Capillaries are playing at the High Dive this Thursday (8/3) with The Plains, Tilted Blue and Analiese.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
The Capillaries - unstable, but solid as a rock
Matt Southworth, main man in Seattle powerpoppers The Capillaries, never intended to be a full time musician. Indeed, he was on the path to independent filmmaking in 2000, living in LA and “having a nervous breakdown” when the music bug bit him. But, it was that breakdown that led to him hunkering down in his basement and writing and recording his songs.
And he kept writing, and writing, and writing. After going through an LA version of The Capillaries, Matt moved to Seattle and kept writing. One hundred songs later, The Capillaries are on the verge of releasing “Love Conquers Some,” their second release.
And Seattle has been good to them. Matt notes that, “Seattle has a really strong connection to art in general. Something about being in the corner of the country makes the people more social here, more interested in art. There seems to be a solid audience here for power pop just like there is for hip-hop and roots country and metal.”
And when I say Seattle has been good to “them,” I do mean THEM. Matt points out that there have been 16 members of The Capillaries, if you go back to include the LA lineups. Perhaps that’s not surprising for a band Matt calls literate, with “an unstable side.” Especially live, where they “have a tendency to go off the rails. I think that combination of emotional instability and verbal acuity is interesting,” says Matt.
The Capillaries will be showing up on a number of live dates soon, especially after the record is released. So, head on out to see them. Matt says to tell him that Seattle Powerpop sent you. But, I’m not sure how he plans on using that information. Should I be nervous? I mean, he did declare himself emotionally unstable! :)
Their upcoming calendar, as well as our full email interview with Matt, is up over at The Capillaries myspace page. While you’re there, take a listen to their songs. They're really solid, catchy, rocking, and energetic. The very definition of powerpop!
And he kept writing, and writing, and writing. After going through an LA version of The Capillaries, Matt moved to Seattle and kept writing. One hundred songs later, The Capillaries are on the verge of releasing “Love Conquers Some,” their second release.
And Seattle has been good to them. Matt notes that, “Seattle has a really strong connection to art in general. Something about being in the corner of the country makes the people more social here, more interested in art. There seems to be a solid audience here for power pop just like there is for hip-hop and roots country and metal.”
And when I say Seattle has been good to “them,” I do mean THEM. Matt points out that there have been 16 members of The Capillaries, if you go back to include the LA lineups. Perhaps that’s not surprising for a band Matt calls literate, with “an unstable side.” Especially live, where they “have a tendency to go off the rails. I think that combination of emotional instability and verbal acuity is interesting,” says Matt.
The Capillaries will be showing up on a number of live dates soon, especially after the record is released. So, head on out to see them. Matt says to tell him that Seattle Powerpop sent you. But, I’m not sure how he plans on using that information. Should I be nervous? I mean, he did declare himself emotionally unstable! :)
Their upcoming calendar, as well as our full email interview with Matt, is up over at The Capillaries myspace page. While you’re there, take a listen to their songs. They're really solid, catchy, rocking, and energetic. The very definition of powerpop!
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