Seattle Concerts

If you’re looking for a way to get into the groove, or perhaps stop the world and melt with the person next to you, then stop by the War Room  tonight at 9pm. This hip bar on Capitol Hill will be featuring 80s mash-ups all night long with DJs Four Color Zack and DJ Scene. Cover is free, so you know the price is right. So get your 80s fix tonight. Because just like a prayer, this place will rock you like a hurricane.

Looking for a fun, wintry activity that the entire family can enjoy? Tired of paying extravagant prices for activities that should be free in a just world? Ready to spend your holiday fun with other friends and families in Seattle?

Then check out Winterfest 2008 at the Seattle Center! From November 28th to December 31st, you can enjoy delightful entertainment and activities. Everything is free or low-cost, and very kid friendly, so bring the entire family!

Every day there are many, many fun activities, from ice skating and winter trains, to school concerts, ballets, and other theatric performances.The Seattle Center’s website has a list of activities and entertainment for each day. Since many of the scheduled events change from day to day, so don’t forget to check their online calendar to find out what’s going on each day! Also, you can get directions to each event, and find out other useful information, such as where to park, things to see and places to eat and hang out,

Check out the Fremont music scene tonight! This area has a lot of cool bars, and their music scene is hot!

ToST features Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder tonight at 9pm.  With just a $6 cover fee, you won’t want to miss this classic star. His music spans multiple genres, including rock, jazz, electronic, DJ, and world music, and multiple decades. Michael was the youngest performer at Woodstock, playing drums for Santana at age 19. He has since placed with many well-renowned musicians, from the Rolling Stones, George Harrison, and Steve Winwood, to John Mclaughlin, Stomu Yamash’ta, Freddie Hubbard, and Airto Moriera. He has been recognized by numerous publications, Michael also composes music for television and films, such as The Tempest.

Since 1990, Michael has been involved in many facets of the Seattle scene, from Bumbershoot to serving as the Musical Director for Seattle Theater Group’s “More Music @ The Moore,” a program that highlights gifted young musicians from Seattle’s various cultural groups. Michael Shrieve’s music is eclectic and interesting, and should not be missed.

If you’d prefer something completely different, then check out Ya Ho Wha 13 tonight at 8pm. They will be performing at Nectar Lounge,  which will be charging a cover fee of $12. They’re a psychedelic rock band, created in the early 1970s. Their music primarily consists of the sounds of tribal drums and distorted guitars, all completely unrehearsed.

Or, check out High Dive,  which will be featuring Sam Friend with Cinnamon in It, The Thoughts, and Sweet Chariot. Sam Friend with Cinnamon in It stars a recent grad of the University of Miami, Sam Friend, who is considered a local “indie rock prince,” as describe by an article feartured on his myspace.

Regardless, the Fremont area is a live with music, and it should not be missed, especially on Mondays.

The weather outside may be frightful, but Sarah Brightman’s singing is delightful. And since you have no where else to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

And go see Sarah Brightman at the Everett Events Center at 7:30pm. This sparkling soprano has recently released her latest album, “A Winter Symphony,” a Christmas album from which she will be performing classics such as “Silent Night” and “Ave Maria.” Tickets are on sale for $49.50 - $250.

Sarah Brightman is one of the world’s leading sopranos. Born in Berkhamsted, a small town just outside of London, this young prodigy became a ballet star at the precocious age of four. In addition, she enrolled in performing arts at age 11, aspiring to act in every play. As a child, she began singing in a variety of genres, from pop and classical, to dance, Gregorian chants and Eastern refrains. But it was not until the age of 12 that people realized she would one day become a successful soprano. She has sung and danced in countless theater productions, from Cats to Phantom of the Opera. Sarah may have started in musical theater, but her fans loved her so much that she has become a smashing success as a solo artist. Sarah has won numerous awards for her glorious voice and artistry, from Ireland to Istanbul. She is continually recognized with accolades and awards, proving that she global appeal.

This Sarah’s her first-ever Christmas album, but it is an amazing album, and we are truly fortunate to have the opportunity to hear this legend sing.

If last night’s show with The Coats got you amped on a cappella, you’re in for a treat. The Kirkland Performance Center will be featuring The Edlos, performing a special holiday show. All the a cappella action will take place at 8pm with tickets sold at $29 for adults, $26 for seniors, and $10 for youth.

The Edlos will sing traditional and not-so-traditional songs from a variety of cultural holidays. In addition, they bring in a unique brand of wit, humor, and respectful irreverence to create a holiday classic you will never forget.

If that’s not enough fun for one night, the Kirkland Performance Center’s In Harmony Series will be offering a free pre-show wine tasting, featuring wines from Challenger Ridge. Just don’t forget your ticket purchase.

The Coats will be performing in the Nordstrom Illsey Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, on December 11th, 13h, and 19th, with all shows starting at 7:30pm.

They are an a cappella group with a tradition of outreach performances and workshops supporting music in schools around the Pacific Northwest. Their first performances took place on the street corners outside the Pike Place Market. Their popularity enabled the group to win national vocal competitions, sing for the President of the United States, and share the stage with many other talented and well-renowned entertainers. Today, they are touring internationally, and their success has led to many gigs, in the corporate and collegiate world.

Though this concert will focus entirely on holiday music, The Coats have produced ten CDs with their renditions of many classics, including, “The Boys Are Back,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Their holiday collection includes traditional carols like “Angels We Have Heard On High” and “Silent Night” to “Let It Snow” and “Mr. Grinch.”

While Congress and the Treasury Department are bickering over who gets how much of a trillion-dollar-bailout, it’s likely you, like me, have decided to cut back on concert-going as belt-tightening measure. That, along with the need to buy presents at this time of year probably means you have no concerts on your calendar, at least for the near future. While this is perfectly understandable, I would like to dissuade you of this notion (perhaps as a New Year’s treat to yourself), and go see DeVotchKa at the Showbox at the Market on December 31, 2008.

Based out of Denver, you may recognize some of DeVotchKa’s signature sound from the soundtrack of the 2006 hit film Little Miss Sunshine, for which they were nominated for a 2007 Grammy award. The band uses a plethora of unusual instruments such as a tuba, accordion, theremin and a bouzouki. DeVotchKa assembles influences as widely varied as Greek and Eastern European traditional music, filters it through a punk-pop-folk sensibility to create a sound as original as has been heard in recent years.

Likely to perform many songs off their March offering A Mad and Faithful Telling, this writer hopes to hear as many from their 2004 breakout hit How It Ends. The album is a virtuosic turn, letting the listener brood and feel self-pity on one track, then feel the need to dance a traditional Slavic folk dance the next. A Mad and Faithful Telling no less an opus, though perhaps I appreciate it less having had my mind blown back in 2004 (I still thank the friend who turned me on to them).

But perhaps the best measure of whether to see a band in concert is not whether you’re an uber-fan or simply casually appreciative, but whether you expect the show to have staying power in your heart and mind. I’ve seen DeVotchKa in concert once, in Denver, and it is probably among my five favorite shows of my life. So much goes into what makes a concert good, it can be hard to separate the performance from other periphery events – examples being, who you go with, the venue, etc. (For whatever it’s worth, the Showbox is the best venue in Seattle). But DeVotchKa will not disappoint: they play the songs close enough to the album that you recognize a song when it’s coming, while at the same time they vary the performance enough to keep you interested.

Who knows what the band, or the venue, will have up their sleeve when the clock strikes midnight, but rest assured, the show will be entertaining enough to promise a few fireworks. Give yourself (and maybe a special someone) a treat this holiday and go spend New Year’s with DeVotchKa at the Showbox. Doors open at 8.

Peter Wilburn

Monday has become the new Friday. There are tons of concerts, bands, and singers performing tonight all around the city. Here are just a couple of the hottest shows that will be going down tonight.

Downtown’s main action will take place at the Showbox at the Market in the Green Room. They will be featuring all Seattle-born bands tonight, with performances by Past Lives, Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death, and Chk Minus. It all starts at 8pm tonight with tickets priced at $7.

Past Lives is a native indie Seattle band, with such hits as “Strange Symmetry,” “We Meet in Sleep,” “Chrome Life,” and “Beyond Gone.” Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death also hails from Seattle. Their music is self-described as experimental, psychadelic, and garage. Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death has covered hits by several other bands and singers, including Neil Young, David Bowie, Huggy Bear, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Joanna Newsom. Chk Minus is an indie, post-punk, grunge band with hits like “12 Demo” and “Spark Plug.”

Neumo’s, located on Capital Hill, will be featuring Kimya Dawson, L’Orchidee D’Hawai, and Akida Junglefoot Dawson, Kimya’s brother. Performances start at 7pm, and tickets will be $12, sold on TicketWest.com to people of all ages.

Kimya Dawson’s songs were featured in the movie “Juno,” and much of her music was inspiration for the other composers in the movie. She is known both as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches, an indie group based out of New York. L’Orchidee D’Hawai hails from France as a self-proclaimed garage, surf, rock band, and is in the midst of a tour around the West Coast.

Mos Def will be performing on Saturday, December 13th at 8:00pm at the Moore Theater. Tickets are on sale now for $35, and will be available at the door for $38. He will be accompanied by special guest Dyme Def.

Mos Def is an acclaimed rap star who hails from Brooklyn, New York. He’s worked as a professional artist for nearly 20 years, and defines his music under the categories of rap, hip hop, and alternative. His last album, True Magic, came out in 2006 and features hit songs such as “Crime and Medicine,” “True Magic,” and “Murder of a Teenage Life.” He will release his next album in 2009, titled The Ecstatic.

Mos Def is very passionate and active on several social and political issues, particularly following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He help the socially conscious rap of the early 1990s have a comeback along with Talib Kweli through his musical discussions of violence and deceit in hip hop, his Islamic faith, and the lack of recognition blacks have received for their contributions to birth of rock and role music.

Mos Def was awarded a Peabody Award for his work on the HBO series “Def Poetry,” and won an Obie Award for his performance in Suzan Lori’s play, “Top Underdog.” He also won a Black Reel award for Best Actor in The Woodsman (2005). In addition, he’s been nominated for three Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, two Image awards, and a Source Award for his work.

Spice up your holiday season at the Dan Zanes and Friends Holiday House Party. This is a big new theatrical and musical production that represents Jewish, Arabic, and Mexican traditions. Dan Zanes may be zany, but this is no ordinary Dan Zanes show. Christmas carols will be transformed into tap-dancing wonders, Hanukah songs will be remixed into a disco-styled masterpieces, and Arabic beats will ring in the Lunar New Year with a sing-a-long!

This will be a memorable show to see, especially since you’ll be able to brag to your friends that you saw the show right before it made it to Broadway. That’s right, this show is debuting in Seattle and after these four performances, it will head straight to Broadway!

To quote Dan Zanes: “Imagine if you will a December afternoon in my Brooklyn home. My band and I have made a plan to play for awhile, and a group of musical friends drop by to say hello. A sudden storm turns a quick visit into a full blown jam session. How did I, a WASP from New Hampshire, end up in this wild situation with Mexican, Jewish, Arabic, English and Korean songs not to mention Tap Dancing shaking the rafters? It’s the 21st Century! We are all celebrating the holidays together this year, and I hope that you can squeeze into the living room to sing and dance with us.”

You’ll have four opportunities to see this spectacular show, taking place at The Moore Theater. Show times are Saturday and Sunday, December 6th and 7th at 11:00am and 4:00pm. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online here.