Seattle Concerts

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

9/19/08- The Raconteurs @ WaMu Theater Seattle

9/20/08- Alicia Keys @WaMu Theater Seattle

9/23/08- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ Showbox SoDo

9/26/08- Blue Scholars @ Showbox at the Market

- There might still be tickets available for these shows.

I don’t know about anyone else but this year’s Bumbershoot Festival kind of sucked. I’m not saying the line-up of acts wasn’t any good, I was very excited about seeing Lucinda Williams and Beck. They both rocked. And the Stone Temple Pilots gave a very good performance, although they didn’t play any new material and that was a bit disappointing.

I would have to say that the reason Bumbershoot sucked in my humble opinion is that it no longer feels like the hippie festival it once was. I used to look forward to Labor Day weekend for what seemed like Seattle’s own version of Woodstock.

But alas, even Woodstock went corporate.

That is why I will never return to Bumbershoot. The hippies are gone. The drum circles are gone. The tie-dyed shirts, the beaded necklaces, the hair. Gone.

And now, I too will no longer be participating in what was once a very, very cheap way to watch live music. What was once a festival for all, is now over-priced, over-hyped, and over-crowded with bland suburbanites and Eastside hipsters. Too bad.

Can you believe Glenn Danzig is still touring? It’s been many years since I saw Danzig, if I recall correctly it was at the EMP. I can’t imagine how he’s holding up these days, this guy has been around forever. I remember thinking he was too old then. Has anyone seen him play lately? He was still rocking hard back then, I’m going to try to catch them when they come to the Showbox SoDo on November 8.

Everyone is always raving about the Chateau St.Michelle Winery and recently I got to experience it myself when I went with a good friend to see Steely Dan. It’s a little out of the way in Eastern Washington but the drive is nice and it helps to build the anticipation for the show. It’s also not as far away as the Gorge in George. This was a nice outdoor show, the sound was very good. The audience was polite, but still lively. And the wine was phenomenal, I consumed many glasses of a fragrant cab merlot, I don’t remember what year the server said it was. This is a great place to bring the parents too, I noticed they play a lot of old timers music. It’s also a romantic place to bring your spouse to .if I’m going to try to catch the Gypsy Kings, they’re like a regular fixture at this venue. I recommend this place, it’s the perfect venue for a romantic, outdoor night of music and wine.

Have you been to concert in Seattle recently? Do you know of an awesome upcoming show? Or have you ever been impressed or disappointed by a concert venue? If so, welcome to Seattle Concert Chat, where you can share the low-down on concert-going in the Emerald City. Talk about when and where to catch a good show, and what places to avoid. Share with others your concert-going experience in a city known for its vibrant music scene.