What's Up Magazine - November 2011. Cover by Mat Hudson

Brent and Becca’s baby girl Autumn arrived Oct. 13, joining big brother Harrison and big sister Ruby!

Well, now that Horror Business is done occupying the venues of Bellingham, that means only one thing: October is over. But how great was that month? Not only were there fantastic shows spread throughout, but Beavis and Butthead are back, and honestly, who needs anything more than that? Bellingham’s music and arts community are thriving and excelling. It’s been an exciting time, and November is going to be just as good.

NEW PLACES TO PLAY

There’s so many things happening on the south side of N. State recently that I have decided that it will have its own section for the Le Beat this month.

The Ridge Wine and Bar is done. The business was sold to Shea Hagan (of Ship to Ship) and Rebecca Ogden and they have changed the name to Redlight. Not only will the space on N. State Street be one to host shows, art exhibits, delectable wines and beers, but they will also feature its own coffee roaster in the back called “Redlight Coffee Roasters.” It’s practically putting everything that Bellingham loves into one space. I can’t wait to see the final product.

Another addition to N. State is Positive Negative. Jason Byal is the executioner of this much-needed niche in Bellingham. The space is a 1,000 square-foot industrial room that is being transformed to have a darkroom, dry room, studio, and gallery art space for the community. Everything has been placed on wheels for the space to be adaptable to any artist’s needs while keeping lighting in mind. You don’t need to be a professional to use the space either, anyone is welcome to use the facilities. I’m really excited to see what this space will become. For the longest time Bellingham has had tremendous photographers, and I’m excited for the analog form of film to be accessible for anyone.

Time in Play is a new business on 311 E. Holly Street. The idea for this place is amazing: a family (and everyone) caf that has good food, great coffee, (eventually) beer and wine, and climbing structures, big wheels, and toys for kids to play with and on. In time, the space will regularly host music. Jordan Rain is currently setting up every Monday night for a family oriented Yogoman’s Wild Rumpus.

Also, while we’re on the subject of Yogoman, the Burning Band just acquired Nelson Bell from Seattle as a new sousaphone/trombone player for the band! Congrats Nelson! Welcome aboard. The band is still looking for a singing bass player along with sax or trumpet players. If you’re interested and you think you’ve got the chops, find Jordan Rain running through the streets of Bellingham sometime. Or you can even catch him on Mondays at Time in Play!

ON THE RECORD

Odd Ones Out are recording are currently recording. I saw this group for the first time at WhAAM’s Grand Opening at JINX Art Space and they blew my mind. The group is definitely going places, but more importantly they look like they’re having fun when they play. Which is really the most important part.

Both Sugar Sugar Sugar and Swayze are currently in the midst of recording. I hear that they’re recording a lot of it analog. Mmm….analog.

Tearamanapart posted one song online this past month and I hate them for it. It’s so good and I want to hear all of it ASAP. Like right now. The boys are going to be doing a little traveling for some shows in November. One show is on Nov. 6 at The Shakedown with Rabbits and Sirhan Sirhan. On Nov. 11, they’ll be at The Cabin Tavern with Seattle’s Grenades and Bellingham’s newly adopted Cower. They are then traveling back down with Grenades to play at The Black Lodge in Seattle with Monogamy Party and a few others. Have fun boys!

PRND has a new album coming out. They will have their CD release while playing with Cave on Nov. 18 at The Cabin Tavern.

Also what should be noted is Zach Zinn from PRND is now doing Karaoke at Cap’s. While it’s a very rare occasion that I grab the mic, as long as Sum 41 remains in the binder, anything is possible.

The Daffodils also have their CD release party later this month. Catch them at The Edison on Nov. 26. A little shuffle board and music never hurt anyone, now did it?

David Ney’s new solo CD Blackened will be released soon. The show will be at The Shakedown on Nov. 30… on his birthday! So make sure to mark your calendars for that one.

Queen Anne’s Revenge will be having their CD release at The JINX Art Space with A Cat from Hue and Feather and Bone on Nov. 12. This night is booked solid for an all-ages rock ‘n’ roll party.

Bellingham has always had a little thing for local compilations, and now there’s another one that we can look forward to. Boris Budd has put together an Occupy Bellingham compilation containing local artists such as The Posies, Black Eyes and Neckties, Yogoman Burning Band, Candysound, Kris Orlowski, Dana Lyons, Keaton Collective, Police Teeth, and many more. This stacked release is set to be available on 11/11/11 and will be accessible for anyone to download for free online.

Osa is having their CD release with Little Elephant and The Palisades on Nov. 9 at Glow. Keep an eye out for the poster around town because it’s probably one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

RAD TIMES

After a long drought, the Bellingham all-ages scene is starting to kick butt. Between the workings in The Old Foundry and WhAAM at The JINX Art Space, there are actually options for all-ages shows! More music means more bands means more shows means more fun. This I’m okay with.

Also speaking of JINX Art Space, both Make.Shift and WhAAM have put up a community bulletin board in the basement. Think of it as a less creepy version of the musician’s section on Craigslist. Need a guitar, amp, PA, or singer? Just post it on the board and then everyone going to the shows and workshops in the space will see it. Resourceful, fun, and sensible.

KARP (and I’m not referring to the Pok mon type) is back, kinda. For over four years, Bill Badgley has been working on this film. Little “did you know game,” WhAAM’s President Amanda Kalkwarf played in a band when she was 15 years old called Team Butt. The band played with KARP and The Cleavers (band before Murder City Devils) as their first show. She’s going to kill me for adding that in but I think it’s awesome. This KARP documentary is something that a lot of Bellingham people have been waiting for and on Nov. 19, the film will be showing at the Pickford Cinema. This is definitely something not to be missed.

Acorn Project are going on tour, and their welcome home show is at the Wild Buffalo on Nov. 11 with Quick and Easy Boys.

Two huge benefits are happening in November at The Shakedown. Boom Boom Thwack returns Nov. 25 after a 10-year hiatus to benefit the Seattle Drum School’s Ben Hills memorial scholarship. Personally, I’ve never been to one of these things so I asked Aaron Ball to help describe it: Imagine four drummers with four kits. Some come with beats/ideas/songs and some improvise. This is not a drum circle. This is a “16-limbed beast chopping up drumsticks like they were toothpicks. You have never heard anything like 8 drumsticks hitting 8 cymbals simultaneously – imagine operating a chainsaw inside a jet engine that is flying through a hurricane and you’ll have an idea of the volume/power/energy BBT delivers.” Personally it sounds like a benefit for the amount of ear plugs that The Shakedown will have to provide, but I’m into it.

Then on Nov. 26, Chachi 7 the Hot Shotz will be playing. This group is what some would call an all-star lineup featuring Charlie McCoy from Whatcom Falls, Sharpie, and Camarojuana, Ryan Roullard from Wastelanders and Camarojuana, Darren Johnson from Sharpie, and Aaron Bell from Sharpie, Enders of Ozone, and Virgin Islands. The benefit is for Charlie’s wife Mandy, who owns Studio Galactica. She recently had a terrible fall and shattered her wrist. The group plans on playing many songs from all the bands, including songs that were recorded but never played live before. They also plan on making some of the songs acoustic, and even selling old Sharpie 7″s. It’s definitely going to be a memorable night and it’s all for a good cause!

Did anyone see Make.Shift member and Cabin Tavern booker Audra Robson’s audition for the Wheel of Fortune? Inspiring doesn’t even begin to describe what I saw in the video online. She talked about Make.Shift, cabin-oke, and of Bellingham with grace and poise as she sang in front of a huge audience showing her karaoke skills by request. Good luck Audra on getting a call back! Bellingham will be rooting for you to buy a vowel.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

Olio is done, as a name at least. They are now called The Vonvettas and have been writing new songs. Recordings should be hopefully coming soon and I’m really looking forward to hearing their new stuff.

I don’t know if it was just for the holidays, but Thorny Croft, Bellingham’s own Ramones cover band played twice for Halloween and I hope they’ll continue. The Contra’s own Blake Owens mastered Joey Ramone.

EXTRA EXTRA

The Cole family has a new baby. Brent and Becca’s daughter Autumn was born on Oct. 13, and she is adorable and cute as can be. The whole family is happy and healthy, and excited for their new member of the family.

Start planning ahead! The What’s Up! Awards Show has officially been scheduled for Jan. 28 at the Wild Buffalo. The all-ages pre-awards show will take place Jan. 27 at JINX Art Space. Personally, there are so many venues, bands, art galleries, and individuals working hard in this community, that nominations in itself are going to be a toughy to compile! Keep a look out soon for voting online. You know you want one of those golden beer cans…

On all reports the opening bands also from Mount Vernon blasted Bellingham a new one. I caught the last song of I believe the Unfortunates, and I was gripped by the singer’s energy and howls while the drummer blasted some heavy.

Granted, I already knew frontwoman Faith Reichel was a bad ass loaded weapon and her time with the Trucks saw very little of the fury that was soon released and splattered all over the Bellingham crowd via Mount Vernon’s one and only $hit Machine. The most striking thing about SM, other than Faith’s high priestess metal goddess garb, was that they were all very down to earth and obviously just happy as all get out to be playing and spraying music at Cap’s this very night. The chemistry of the band was very much coming from all angles and many styles noise, rock, black metal, grunge, pop, Halloween, slurpee-fun, American socio-cultural criticism/satire, and cohesively so amongst the kindred but different spirits inhabiting the Machine. Every instrument was played extremely well and shittily (in the best way possible) at the same time.

I absolutely loved it and felt like I was in musical church, one of the places I like to visit unexpectedly. I was baptized by the $hit Machine and I’ll never be the same again. Mount Vernon seriously brang the emotional rescusitator to Bellingham. I strongly recommend seeing them the next chance you get. There music can be accessed at http://www.myspace.com/shitmachine666#ixzz0zhJnwwHT

Michelle Schutte at Jinx Art Space. Photo by Megan Blaney

This month we interview the talented and mighty Michelle Schutte. For those not familiar with this lady of the local arts scene, Michelle is half of the brains and beauty behind the Jinx Art Space, and has had her creative hands in many other projects around town, and of course, has likely handed you a drink at some point. Read on.

Tell us about yourself? Who are you? What do you? How long have you lived in Bellingham?

My name is Michelle Janene Schutte. I tend bar at Cap Hansen’s and co-own and manage Jinx Art Space. I paint and draw. I’m not great at real-life chronology, but give or take a year I think I’ve been living in Bellingham for about 15 years. I grew up in Gig Harbor and Tacoma, Washington with 2 brothers. I moved to Bellingham to finish college, studied sculpture and a bunch of other stuff, and ended up with a double major in art history and studio art with emphases, respectively, on contemporary criticism and painting.

I’ve been tending bar here for maybe 13 years, at the Ranch Room, the 3B, and Cap Hansen’s. With the help of photographer Chris Fuller I opened my first gallery (Hand to Mouth), almost 6 years ago. I opened Jinx with Django Bohren 2 years ago. I am proud to say that I’m surrounded by talented people who give a shit, people who have helped me create these art venues and who are the reason I live in Bellingham.

What is a quality or trait you possess that you wish more people knew or understood?

That I’m doing the best I can.

When painting, what do you do to help you break through when your struggling creatively?

Deadline. A pressing date is the only thing that has ever motivated me to work on my artwork with any real determination. I feel happiest and most content while I’m alone and drawing or painting, but it takes a deadline to make me really work at it. I really respect artists who work consistently. I also sort of envy musicians who practice a few times a week because they’ve made the obligation to other people…it’s a great motivation, feeling responsible to other people.

What was written under your name in your senior yearbook? Was it accurate?

I haven’t looked at my senior year book for almost 20 years. I don’t know what, if anything, was written about me. Since I dropped out of high school, it should have said “Not Present”. That would have been totally accurate.

What would that 18-year-old girl think of the woman you’ve become?

Not much. She had more pressing things to think about.

If you could have a drink with anybody (living), who would it be? Why?

Django Bohren, Jenny White, and Tom Waits. All together. Django because he and I have shared almost everything but a bottle, Jenny because I miss her, and Tom Waits because he’s Tom Waits. Django and Jenny could maybe keep the conversation rolling while I cried from the weirdness of having a drink with Tom Waits.

What is your worst guilty pleasure? Something that is truly embarrassing…

I don’t know if it’s embarrassing, but my most pleasant guilt comes from sleep. And naps. Sleeping nappy sleeps. Turn-your-phone-off, ignore-the-date, don’t-care sleep.

If someone gave you a thousand dollars tomorrow, what would you do with it?

Waste some. Give the rest to Fuller.

If you didn’t live in Bellingham, where would you live? Why?

Portland, because outside of Bellingham it is where most of the people I love reside.

Describe what your perfect day would be like.

There are so many perfect days, I don’t think I can describe just one. There would be swimming and painting and love. Shit. That sounds kind of awful when I say it out loud.

Of all the shows you’ve seen in Bellingham, which one is your favorite? Why?

One?! Impossible. I can tell you a few common things about my favorite shows:

1) Most of the best shows I’ve seen in Bellingham had something to do with Aaron Roeder.

2) Lots of friends sweating and yelling and hugging in a small venue, they feel like a Pentecostal church service.

3) I left feeling incredibly lucky. And deaf, probably.

What’s your favorite story as a bartender? What’s the biggest tip you’ve ever received?

I’ll answer the second half of your question first: None of your f#$!ing business.

I have a few good stories from tending bar, but one memory that is very sweet (and that does not include any reference of physical violence, poop, or making out in the walk-in) is from a few years ago at Cap’s. It was snowing out so I wasn’t super busy, but the people in there were celebrating. It was SNOWING! Most everyone in there were friends, rocker kids, probably playing Slayer and the Melvins on the jukebox, except for one guy. He was older, a quiet but weird regular. He would usually walk in, go straight to the men’s room, and change out of one sweater into another (storing the extra in a plastic bag) before ordering a drink. Whatever. He was nice enough. So, it’s snowing and the kids are drunk, and the sweater guy has put some money in the juke box. Right at last call, Brown Eyed Girl comes on, everything outside is bright white and flurries, and before the song’s half-over every tattooed metal-head in the room is singing along and waltzing to a crappy love song that I will never hear again without smiling. I love moments like that in this town. It was beautiful.

Tomorrow is Sunday, how does your typical Sunday unfold?

Slowly, with radio shows as a soundtrack. If I’m lucky, I have the alone-time and energy to do some chores and take a bath before going to work at Jinx, before going to work at Cap’s.

What would you do if Lady Ga Ga came into Cap’s and ordered a drink?

I would not recognize her.

Surf rock king Dick Dale graced the stage of the Nightlight Lounge on Dec 14. Photo by Paul Israel.

Dick Dale

Harkonen brought their skull crushing sounds to a special reunion show at Cap's on Dec 30. Photo by Paul Israel.

Harkonen