Results tagged “chopsuey”

HOLD ONTO YOUR DOUGH: Seems the folks at Southern Comfort finally want to make up for all of those awful hangovers with a free rock show. Deal. Tonight those sweet whiskey people present The Hold Steady at The Crocodile. Jump through a couple little hoops (register for a ticket), and you’re in.

METEOR SHOWERS: Well, the Perseids are back and they've brought their cosmic trash with them to dump in the fire barrel that is our atmosphere. This morning and tomorrow morning is supposed to be prime-viewing-time, but if you miss it, there's more where that came from the next few days. Look for clear skies to the east (always with the negative waves, CHS?), stay up late, and maybe make a run out to Camano Island, Rattlesnake Ridge, Tiger Mountain, or Snoqualmie Pass, where light pollution won't get in your eyes. Failing that, it's on YouTube.

LO-TECHNO: Mr. Quintron ranks as one of the oddest and most original acts currently touring the US. An electric organ player from New Orleans, he's notable as an inventor of various Rube Goldberg-esque musical devices, including the "Drum Buddy," an optical theremin-based drum synthesizer that looks like the famous Burroughs-Gysin "Dream Machine." Quintron performs with his wife, Miss Pussycat.

Despite what you might infer from their name and the (current touring) company they keep, Foreign Born is a band that was born and raised in the good ole U.S.A. While the band shifted south from San Francisco to L.A., they are by no means a band that can be easily classified as having an "L.A. sound," typified by heavy fuzz and a fascination with glam. Instead, the band finds inspiration from artists like ELO, Bruce Hornsby, and the Doors--or at least Val Kilmer’s portrayal of the Doors--and can count Ed Droste of critical darlings Grizzly Bear among the band's growing legion of fans spread across the globe. In advance of Foreign Born's show at Chop Suey tonight (with headliners The Veils and openers The Other Girls, $12, 21+), we were able to catch up with lead singer Matt Popieluch to discuss the band's sound, influences, and upcoming plans.

Surprisingly, there are still tickets available for the Dirty Projectors show this Friday. We say "surprisingly," because Dave Longstreth's band was already critically acclaimed before new release Bitte Orca earned their best reviews yet and even some early talk of it being the best album of the year.

Our predilection for local county/folk songsmiths aside, our interest was piqued when we heard that a Brooklyn band that has received praise for playing melodies in roughly the same vein would be hitting Chop Suey tonight in support of Ben Kweller. In advance of their first trip to Seattle, we were able to catch up with mandolinist and singer Danny Erker of Jones Street Station to talk about exploring “the great American genres,” and reconciling playing traditionally rural music in urban settings, among other topics.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Brooklyn musician Kevin Devine is emerging as one of the greatest observational lyricists around today. He writes about what he sees and more often than not, he turns his keen analytical skills on himself. What separates Kevin from a great deal of his peers, however, is his adeptness with the pen, which he has been developing since grade school, building upon as a journalism major at college and strengthening as an extremely mobile touring musician over the past years.

We've already mentioned the Thermals show tonight, but if you're more inclined to shake your bon bon tonight, here are some safe bets.

Tonight's bill at Chop Suey has not one, but two bands of interest. Taking the middle slot (after openers Resplandor) is Bell, the Olga Bell-fronted Brooklyn band that's gotten a ton of great press off the strength of last year's Bell EP. Once you get past the Björk comparisons, you can't help but be impressed by how powerful Olga Bell's voice is, both literally and figuratively. For more info, read this Olga Bell interview from Gothamist.

We rolled into Chop Suey in time for the opening band Obi Best last night, and found the place jam-packed already. You could have knocked us over with a feather. But then we thought about it and it made perfect sense: Obi Best is led by Alex Lilly, who sings backup in the headlining band the Bird and the Bee. Two great tastes that go great together. (Read about how that happened in our sister site LAist's interview.)

TIMELY LESSON: With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's only fitting that Inara George and Greg Kurstin are bringing their sexy, breathy version of jazz-influenced indie pop to Chop Suey tonight. An hour and a half of George's luscious vocals making sweet love to your ears will prove an invaluable lesson come Saturday. The Bird and the Bee take the stage tonight after a set by Obi Best.

Friday night was our first visit to Chop Suey since the shooting a month or so ago, and the security situation was basically a nightmare. A line of will-call ticket holders wrapped east up the block to the hot-dog vendor's cart. It took almost twenty minutes to get the roped off entry, where a bouncer was already bouncing an enraged young man, furious that he was unable to get into the sold-out show, while his girlfriend, wearing what was little more than an homage to a miniskirt, stared on mortified as he unleashed a tirade only partly in English.

FRIDAY: Formed back in 1983, the waning days of the Soviet Union, in the distant seaport city of Vladivostok, Mumiy Troll is one of Russia's most popular rock outfits. Moving from garage to hard rock to keyboard-heavy pop sounds, the group, founded by Ilia Lagutenko, represented Russia in the 2001 Eurovision contest. Yes, it's strange. The novelty alone should be enough to drag you out to Chop Suey tonight. With Anacortes' The Lonely Forest.

Donte is taking advantage of cheap post-holiday travel by heading down to SFist territory to see Lindstrom's only west coast date on this mini-tour, since Where You Go I Go Too was one of last year's best releases.

">Skullcrusher Mountain," is about an evil genius who analyzes the problems of his would-be relationship with his beautiful victim. Coulton is goofy and clever, and his show should be wonderful.

Carlos Bernadez has been charged with murder in the first degree for his direct involvement with the Chop Suey shooting last weekend. Bernadez was the man police allege opened fire from the side door of the venue, killing one and injuring two others. Roger Allen LaBranche, the first man to be arrested in conjunction with the night's events, has been charged with assault and drug-dealing. As the investigation unfolds, LaBranche may be charged with something more serious; for now, this charge allows the county to keep him as a suspect for accomplice in the murder of 29-E while they continue to clarify what exactly happened to lead up to Saturday night's violence.

CD News has an update on the Chop Suey shooting that took place over the weekend. They say it was the result of a "long-running dispute" between one of the victims and one of the shooters (a dispute that "included a drive-by shooting" says Seattle 911). "The first of the two suspects, 25-year-old Roger Labranche of Everett, was arrested at the scene of the crime on Sunday morning after he had been grabbed and detained by clubgoers in the aftermath of the shooting. The second, Carlos Bernandez, 18, was arrested by the SWAT team at his parent's residence in Seattle yesterday afternoon following a stakeout. He later confessed his role in the shootings to police." The two suspects are being held on $2 million bail.

The group was clear on how important it is for them to respond proactively to the weekend's violence, and organized a few specific ways they plan to do that on a city-wide level. The consensus formed through a respectful but lively debate, informed both by those who had been at the show on Saturday and by senior members of the community who have seen the cycle of anti-hiphop sentiment related to tragic waves of violence rise and fall in Seattle before. Everyone agreed that in the next few weeks, one of the most important things they can do is to support the victims and their families as much as possible. Details are forthcoming about how the community can help, but for now, friends and family are rallying around each other to get through the next crucial hours.

THE BEAT NEVER DID STOP: YO, Son!, possibly the best hip-hop club night in Seattle (featured in Rolling Stone, at one point, even) and one that's been going strong for years, is having a "Classic Edition" 7th anniversary party at the War Room on Saturday. B-Mello and DV One will be spinning classic hip-hop (yesssss) all night. The party should rock hard and steady late into the night, if we know hip-hop heads in this town (and we do), so come early and stay until the wee hours to get your fix for the weekend.

driving unless you have to. Try to use the bus. We know service is highly impacted by the weather, but Metro has a nice page set up that's regularly updated that gives you information on bus service.

OBAMA! OBAMA!: No, not that Obama. In fact this event has nothing to do with the President-Elect and everything to do with art--really bad art, to be specific. Spend your Thursday night enjoying (or eviscerating) the Official Bad Art Museum of Art (acronym: OBAMA) at Cafe Racer. Drink some booze, hear a band (called "God's Favorite Beefcake", no less), and enjoy glitter paintings of Elvis...could anything be better? We didn't think so.

Chicago's The Sea and Cake, touring in support of their 8th (!) full-length, Car Alarm, will be playing Chop Suey Saturday night. The video above for "Weekend" is a prime example of band's latest output, which sees the band reintroducing electronics and keys to their sound, locked in the groove while avoiding the annoying noodling usually associated with that phrase. The album, recorded quickly after Everybody, was meant to capture the looseness of a live setting. Going full-circle, here's your chance to see if the recorded looseness translates to the stage.

EVERYBODY SAY YEA: Did you see Yeasayer at that show they played with psych rockers Black Mountain last year? We did, and that night we became heartfelt believers in the pounding, global jungle magic of the foursome from Brooklyn. It's a smart idea to listen to their recorded material (here or here) to see if you like the direction they're headed, but to be honest, Yeasayer's got ten times more energy going for them at a live show; leave your inhibitions at home and lose yourself to the rhythm at Neumos for a few hours tonight. Guaranteed to at least pierce the fog of your fall blues.

Katelyn's hitting up Wizdom's birthday show to catch Large Professor (aww yeah!) on Friday night. For Saturday, her calendar reads: Graffiti Rock, Sportn' Life Edition. MUST GO." She'll be hungover enough on Sunday to need homemade pomegranate mimosas, vegan guacamole, red velvet cake and coconut-crusted tofu at an undisclosed location while she hangs out with the ladies of 206Proof.

MY GOD CAN BEAT UP YOUR GOD: The Coexist Comedy Tour hits Comedy Underground today, seeking to unite us all through the power of laughing at our religious prejudices. According to a description of the show, "Can an atheist, a Hindu, a Christian, a Muslim and a Buddhist go on the road together, share a stage and be an example of how to get along? Probably not, but our failures should be good for some laughs."

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! At Seattle's own Chop Suey: It's I! Heart! Rummage!

GENUINELY COOL, ARTSY FARTSY NIGHT: Go to the Filter release party at the Richard Hugo House tonight for readings, hobnob opps with writerly folks, and performances by Awesome!. The literary magazine celebrates the release of its second issue, and if you haven't seen this work of art yet, you may not know: this is a beautiful and well-crafted literary magazine, not only in content but in construction.

Tera will be catching the Saturday evening premiere of Spring Awakening at the Paramount. Saturday evening will be followed with a leisurely plane ride to Orlando where she’ll be trying out for the Mickey Mouse Club, or riding rollercoasters--however you want to look at it.

Saturday afternoon MvB is going to talk to a pack of Emerging Critics at the Seattle Rep--and hopefully avoid being panned--before heading to the Moore for Compagnie Heddy Maalem's version of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps. Sunday he's packing for Iceland. Warm socks, etc.

Matthew Dear is a Michigan-based artist most known for his techno productions, both under his own name and under a slew of aliases. Over the last few years the incredibly productive Dear has taken a decidedly pop turn, adding his own baritone vocals to his techno productions, crafting songs instead of tracks under his own name.