This is the second time that I have seen Scumeating at Glow. There is something to be said for that: schizophrenia meets irony in a soft leather chair overlooking the transient activities of Railroad and Holly. Maybe it’s perfect. I don’t know.

Chambers, made up of Sarah Jerns and Matt Curtis, breaks the quiet with two massive guitar hammers. Reminiscent of the Dirty Three. Stumbling slow noise. Waves of electric strings. Feedback music. Loud and relentless instrumentality. The two of them, each with guitars, standing on the dance floor like noise drunk gunfighters in a Sergio Leone dream of the agonies of echo. Beautiful. And in the strangest way, upsetting all expectation, getting into your skull with whips of lightning and ripping the tissues of your brain to pieces. If there was a heroin addict in the crowd, he’d be wanting to shoot up about now. Grace note: walked over to the bartender at the end of the set to get a beer and he said to me: I was about to lose it with all of the f!@#ing noise! Kudos, Chambers.

Next up, a variation (minus Chris Stainback) on Thimble vs. Needle with the inimitable Kat Bula on guitar/vocals/violin, Anna Arvan on cello/vocals and Tim Leighton on drums/guitar/mandolin. After the beautiful noise comes exquisite harmonies as in “The Only Girl You Are Not Allowed to Kiss.” These songs seem to epitomize something just underneath definition, perhaps it’s the mood of the 21st century with a healthy sense of humor. The musicianship is outstanding but casual, not forcing itself through the performance. Just there and talented. With each time that I have heard Thimble vs. Needle, I am reminded how much they make me smile with their subtle self-conscious odes to self-consciousness.

Near the end, Tim sings a song with the line “Hey Buddy, you’ve got puke on your shoes.” It is delivered flat, as a dirge, a lament. The others join in harmony. Beautiful. “Hey Buddy, you’ve got piss on your knees… Hey Buddy, you’ve got blood on your hands.” Appalachian Bellingham. Reminded of the Band at Big Pink.

Scumeating begins to assemble. Jess Manley told me he has a migraine but believes it will help his performance. Undoubtedly. Fiona has just come in from K.D. Lang, wondering why no one seems to know who she is. And Robert, newly shaved pate shining, is in a “fine damned mood.” All of this seems auspicious. Chris Gusta is up there on guitar. Bill Anker on drums. A.J. Hawn on keyboards and Kat Bula is standing off to the side with her violin. It begins in media res, a wall of sound that was not there before is suddenly in front of the crowd. A wall of raw emotional, but sharp edged, music. Robert Lashley’s words sing out of a storm of intensity.

Imagine back to a time of trying to tune into a distant radio station and all of a sudden all at once hearing pounding drums, infernal violin and guitar and keyboard, a trombone, what? and the haunting voice of a preacher trying to save sinning souls from the hands of an angry god. Imagine Don Quixote on acid with a band tuned to his every Pulse. This is Lashley, the poet unleashed. Songs don’t seem to begin or end as much as take a breath before coming right back at your throat again. Jess Manley spins voices out of the ether. Kat Bula’s violin and Fiona’s trombone seem to be waging war against each other, trading musical salvos like punches. Ankers’ thunderous drumming holds everything into place. Gusta and Hawn setting the limits to the music. And the Voice of Lashley like a rusty knife over the strings of an ancient guitar, from the edges of time, is a rhapsode. It is like nothing else you are going to see. Here’s hoping their tour will offend, alienate and utterly shock the rest of the world into abject admiration.

Big Sur: Sad, Dark and Pretty

Big Sur is a band that embraces the hidden self. Singer Jake Hemming and company find inspiration in the things that most prefer to bury deep inside, building heart wrenchingly beautiful slow sad folk songs out of the everyday carnage of self-abuse and addiction. “For me, it’s about having a place to put the things you are afraid of and hide from everyone,” Hemming said. “Catholic guilt, family, chemical imbalances…and love.”

The five-piece band is an amalgamation of folk, indie, country, and orchestral pop. After six years of playing together in some form or another, Big Sur finally has a solid and consistent lineup and is a pivotal part in the Northwest community of artists and musicians. Influenced by the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, and Elliot Smith, Big Sur have created a unique sound. “Jake is sad, dark and pretty,” said violinist/vocalist Kat Bula, who began playing with the band in 2009. “So he writes sad, dark and pretty songs, and then we play sad, dark and pretty parts on them.”

“The fact that we know Jake so well helps in writing parts that are appropriate to go along (with his subject matters),” drummer Derek Jackman said. Hemming, Jackman and bassist Mike Bergstrom grew up together and have been friends since their teenage years, and started playing in bands together in 2001. “I began collecting dark/sad/awkward songs that didn’t quite fit the other projects but would come alive when I would sit up all night with those two,” Hemming recalled.

It wasn’t until 2006 that Big Sur began performing, largely at the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern, and added Steve Norman (pedal steel, trumpet, guitar) to play on their 2008 recording, Women. “We were speechless at the beauty he could conjure out of the pedal steel,” Hemming said. “We played every show we could with him from then on.”

Hemming attributes the success of the band and the beauty of their sound to each individual member’s talent. Jackman concedes that it is a mind-blowing experience to play with people so talented. “Musically and emotionally, I’m inspired by my bandmates.”

While Bula and Norman help to craft the arrangement and harmonies of the songs, Bergstrom and Jackman hold the whole band together. “The result is a somber weeping screaming f#!@ed up Frankenstein that I’m always unabashedly proud of,” he said.

While Jackman and Bula remain in Bellingham, the rest of the band currently resides in the Seattle area. And it is their deep Northwest roots that have helped connect the band with a larger group of DIY artists, musicians, poets, non-profits, venues, designers, press and a thoughtful and loving community of listeners. “We are obscenely fortunate,” Hemming said. “It feels like we all lean up against each other, and we are lucky enough to get to ride in that boat.”

With the recent release of their new EP, Two Songs, Big Sur continue to perform around the Sound, building capitol for a full-length recording. Through the sales of their EP and some help from Kickstarter, Jackman says the band hopes to be finished recording and on touring in support of their album this fall. Hemming adds, “Plus, we’re going to make t-shirts soon!”

For more information about Big Sur, visit www.myspace.com/bigsurmusic or bigsur.bandcamp.com. Catch them live on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Fairhaven Village Green during the finale of the 2011 Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema series.

A recent songwriters circle featured Drew Fichette (Rooftops), Alexandra Song (Mary Mary), Bradley Lockhart (Baltic Cousins), Biagio Biondolillo, Cora Glass, and organizer Kat Bula. To participate, e-mail Bula at kat@platespinnerpromo.com. Photos by Paul Turpin

The Honey Moon has been offering more than just their usual belly-warming mead. The tasting room has been spotlighting local songwriters the second Saturday of every month and housing a “songwriter circle,” featuring a changing rotation of performers that represent a variety of backgrounds and musical styles.

Over the course of the past two years the cozy space has evolved into a full-fledged music venue. They now offer live music on a regular basis, greatly contributing to Honey Moon’s success and making it a local staple.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize what an amazing venue the Honey Moon is,” organizer Kat Bula explained. “It’s intimate; classy but unpretentious, and they have live music five nights a week. I wish more venues in town looked to them for a model of how to take care of musicians. And since it’s a tasting room, not a bar, it’s all-ages.”

The idea for the once-monthly gathering came about on the eve of a canceled gig about two years back. One of the bands Kat Bula played in bailed last minute, but she felt compelled to go on. “I hate being onstage by myself,” admitted Bula, “So I got friends to come take turns playing songs with me.”

Among the original participators were Wesley Davis, Kayla Jeffress, and Go Slowpoke’s Anna Arvan. “I generally try to book a variety of songwriters from different parts of the scene and even a few out-of-towners,” Kat explained. “That way the audience who comes for one particular person is exposed to others they might not normally go out of their way to see.”

The Jan. 8 show featured Drew Fichette (Rooftops), Alexandra Song (Mary Mary), Bradley Lockhart (Baltic Cousins), Biagio Biondolillo, Cora Glass, and Kat Bula. To hear the wide range of perspectives between each performer allowed me to hear them each in a unique way. For some of the performers, it was enlightening to see them outside of their normal band format and perform a broken-down version of their songwriting process. Typically Drew Fitchette can be seen pummeling his guitar and executing complicated math-rock melodies at a Rooftops show, but watching him play an acoustic set acquainted me with a different side of him musically.

“As a listener I think the change of context helps you listen to the songs differently, especially if the person usually plays with a loud band,” said Bula. “As a musician, it can be a creative challenge to figure out how to put your songs across when you’re used to having others helping you.”

The atmosphere of the performance in its entirety was calm and refreshingly intimate compared to a typical amped-up show at a noisy bar. However, shortly after the show had started, Honey Moon booker and bartender Linda Melim had to hush some patrons because they were speaking over the performers. It instantly shut up the entire room. Thankfully they became sincerely engaged with each songwriter and actually paid attention to the voices and melodies amplified by nearby microphones. Previously distracted audience members were absorbed into the songs and and nestled into a deeper understanding and appreciation for the row of musicians before them, so much so that you could instantly tell that it made an impression.

Kat maintains that in order for the circle to work it’s important to keep things low-key and open. Essentially, it’s a house jam show in a live venue format. It makes the musicians more comfortable and spontaneous while helping to mix up the sound and keep people engaged.

Kat Bula, excited about the rising popularity of songwriting circles in other cities and within Bellingham, said, “I think that is just smashing. Songwriter rounds are a good thing.”

For those who’d love to hear covers of their favorite locals bands this might be of interest to you; every six months, musicians gather at Honey Moon for a local covers circle. “It’s so fun to hear local musicians cover each other’s songs and to see which ones they choose,” stated Bula. “I also love to hear people play songs by artists who moved away or don’t really play anymore. It can be easy to forget that local music has a past as well as a present.”

Kat Bula is looking for a broader range of talented performers, especially those over 40 and under 21. If you’re interested in joining up for another songwriting session e-mail Kat a link to your music at kat@platespinnerpromo.com.

Three active local organizations, WhAAM, Make.Shift and B’Damn have made significant strides over the last two months in making Bellingham a better community for musicians. WhAAM and Make.Shift are working on a new music and arts hub while B’Damn’s noise ordinance battle has begun to pay off.

As of press time, WhAAM and Make.Shift are within $1,400 of making their goal of $8,500 by Jan. 16. According to board member Amanda Kalkwarf, the Kickstarter funds will allow construction to begin on the new space hopefully by March following the permit process. “Construction would, ideally, only take a couple months. Just to get to the base level of we can open, we can start having practice spaces available and having shows and generating revenue.” That won’t end the need for fundraising, though. “We still need more money than that, but that doesn’t mean construction can’t begin.”

When construction is complete, the space will not only be home for shows, but a tremendous resource for local musicians young and old with practice spaces available (on an hourly basis), a resource center, the Make.Shift van, and the potential for different classes and workshops regarding music and art. It will be an organization few towns the size of Bellingham are blessed to have. “It would be helpful to local musicians in general, but I really hope it helps a lot of underage kids. Or people who just move to town people who might not be ‘in the know,’” Amanda said.

As Amanda sees it, the space might be run by WhAAM and Make.Shift, making it a true community entity. “Once it opens, it’s only going to succeed if people are going to be excited about it and are willing to make it an arts and music hub.”

If you’d like to donate to the new space, please do so at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/makeshift/the-makeshift-music-project and watch for benefits under the title “drink.shift.” The first will be held at the Temple Bar on Jan. 12. A benefit is also slated at the Cabin Tavern on Jan. 14, with bands to be announced.

While WhAAM and Make.Shift have been working on a new space, the efforts of B’DAMN are going full steam ahead. On Dec. 6, the Bellingham City Council unanimously voted to “enact revisions to the noise ordinance which specifically state that live music downtown and in Fairhaven is culturally and economically important to the city, and that police should take this into consideration when deciding whether a ticket is an appropriate response to a noise complaint against a venue,” according to B’DAMN member, Kat Bula. “The revised law does not include decibel limits or quiet hours, but it does designate boundaries of “Entertainment Districts” generally covering downtown and central Fairhaven.”

For Kat, the change is significant. “We may not see much immediate difference in how the ordinance is enforced because for the last couple of years the police department has been fairly reasonable in its dealings with music venues, and “reasonability” remains the standard for deciding how loud is too loud.” But, she added, “it’s no small thing for the city to set down in writing, in its laws, that live music is important and should be treated differently than run of the mill public disturbance noise.”

The new language could, potentially, open the door to further changes in the future would create more specific results. B’DAMN is continuing to work on the noise issue and hopes further action will be taken in the future by the Council. “One thing that’s on the table is revising the construction codes to require that residences built downtown would need to have better soundproofing, so noise wouldn’t actually bother people as much. This would be huge,” she stated.

For more information, go to Bellingham’s Downtown Alliance for Music & Nightlife (B’DAMN) on Facebook.

Over the first weekend in November, Bellingham will be home to a unique music experience. Aptly named Minifest, it consists of two shows comprised of music pieces, videos, songs and improvisations up to two minutes long all extremely varied in style and substance. Approximately 60 percent of the event will be international music videos while the remaining part is live performances by local artists. Local video and installation art will also be shown in the lobbies.

It’s the type of event you’d expect to find in big cities such as Seattle or New York, not Bellingham. But, thanks to primary inspiration and organizer WWU professor Bruce Hamilton, his concept of Minifest has become a reality.

The idea for Minifest has been building for Bruce Hamilton for “for a while,” he stated. “For one, I enjoy making, performing, and listening to a lot of short pieces and songs, and have done so for years. More recently I’ve become involved in an online music community that specializes in short-form tracks, and started thinking about presenting several such artists in concert.”

The final piece of the puzzle came a couple months ago when Bruce presented two 60×60 mixes from Vox Novus, a New York-based collective that “curates hour-long recorded sets of tracks each 60 seconds in length, sometimes linking them with dance or video.”

Realizing the concept could be added to by using live performances from local artists, Minifest was born.

For Bruce, musical miniatures are fascinating. “They tend to betray immediacy, formal economy, and (paradoxically) explorations that might be more problematic in a longer time-frame. Miniatures strung together into a continuous set can form a kind of meta-piece, one in which whether one likes what’s happening or not, something new is just around the corner,” he said.

“Many artists can participate, highlighting the musical diversity a location has to offer,” he continued. “They can also be challenging, as there is little time for development of ideas, and many short contrasting sections in a row can create a bewildering experience for some; the ordering of pieces can be very important.”

The festival, which is spread over two days, is a who’s who of Bellingham’s more unique artists including Sarah Jerns, Jordan Rain, David Ney, Kristin Allen-Zito, Kat Bula, Karl Olson, Kali Tupper-Richards as well as Bruce himself just to name a few. Performers will play solo or in different group combinations throughout the sets. There is no “headliner,” according to Bruce.

Each performer is allowed to do what they want, as long as the segment doesn’t go over two minutes. Besides that, anything can happen. “The fact that there will be a bizarre mixture of styles on display neatly intersects with my own interest and promotion of eclecticism. If some artists feel more freedom to be adventurous within this format, well, that makes me smile.”

Adding to the unique flavor of the festival, there be a 60×60 mix with 120 composers from around the globe being represented. “Each show will feature 60 one-minute music-videos; all the video was created by Chicago-based artist Patrick Liddell, but the audio tracks represent 120 different composers and sound artists from around the world.”

The mixes were curated by Robert Voisey and his Vox Novus organization out of several hundred submissions. Bruce added. “Electroacoustic music and experimental electronica feature prominently in these mixes, but there’s all sorts of stuff and with 120 artists there is naturally quite a variety!”

Getting musicians to play wasn’t difficult for Bruce, who initially put the word out among musicians that would appreciate the Minifest concept and those who would bring something unique. “Along the way more musicians heard about it and sent me inquiries. It didn’t take long to fill up the available spots, partly because we wanted people to have more than one chance to play within the shows.”

While Bruce has worked on other festivals, such as the Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival (BEAF), Minifest is a one-of-a-kind project.

After all the planning, Bruce is excited to simply see how the whole festival fits together. “I’m also excited to see how each artist approaches the task. We’re very, very lucky to have a talented group of artists willing to try something different.”

The festival is a co-presentation of Sound Culture, Vox Novus/60×60 Project and WWU Music.

The shows will take place on the WWU campus on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. in the Old Main Theater, and Sunday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. in the PAC Concert Hall. Both shows are $5 general admission. For more information, contact Bruce Hamilton via e-mail at skiks.bh@gmail.com.

Music for Moderns: Tonight we're gonna party like it's the 1940's

Music for Moderns: Tonight we're gonna party like it's the 1940's

Music for Moderns: Tonight we're gonna party like it's the 1940's

In its second year, Music for Moderns takes the idea of a conceptual event to dizzying heights by harkening back to a time before most of our parents were born. Centered around the theme of a 1940′s USO party the night before the troops are sent off to war, there will be food, music, and dancing an event for the ages.

Primarily organized by Marie Biondolillo, Kat Bula, Amy Gibson, Tracy Reilly and Katie Rickard, Music for Moderns is based on a simple idea. “We wanted to throw a really awesome party that was also a fundraiser that young people could afford to go to, and that had bands that people really wanted to see,” Tracy said.

The group also wanted to bring more attention to the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, located on Bay Street, and help raise much needed funds. “I always really liked the Radio Museum and I wanted to be a part of it somehow. I really like the radio station, KMRE, and I like the music of that time,” stated Katie.

Last year, Music for Moderns used the theme of a Speakeasy during prohibition, while this year, they’ve moved onto the next generation. “Last year we tried to have a speakeasy feel. The emphasis was on Prohibition, so we were going for an illicit feeling–secret drinking and sexy things. This year is more straightforwardly fun more balloons and streamers,” Tracy said. “Less debauchery, more flirting,” Amy added.

Each organizer had a different reason for being drawn to the 40′s USO dance concept. “When you think about the ’40s, it was a time when people were going through something rough, but they were coming together and figuring out how to have fun, which is kind of like what we’re trying to do now,” Katie said. “We liked the musical feel of the ’40s. My grandpa was in a jazz quartet and used to play trumpet in dance halls. They would take requests, and it was a very social way of presenting it, and we were inspired by that.”

Added Tracy, ” In the ’40s, there was more of a focus on the working woman and on practical clothing and suits–it was a shift for women in showing them what they were capable of physically and economically in the labor market. That felt really relevant.”

The aesthetic of the time is partially why Amy is excited about the 40′s. “I just like glitter and glam.”

For Marie, it was the party itself. “The appeal of the USO dance is that people partied like it was their last night in town BECAUSE it was their last night in town. The only people wilder than a bunch of speakeasy patrons are sailors on leave.”

This year’s event also includes a silent action, fresh pizza made on site by Peace Love Pizza, with champagne and cider to go along with the beer and wine. “The biggest change is that we’ve gone 1940s instead of 1920s, and that most of the entertainment has been created specifically for this event,” Marie said.

All of this year’s entertainment has been geared specifically for the 40s. “Laine and Naked Hearts are doing ’40s sets, and Ursula VanderRodd (Krissa Woiwoid) is putting together a song and dance number just for the event. We’ve got Rumba Northwest doing a ’40s dance number and quick lesson, and Kat Bula put together people from pretty much every band in Bellingham Ross Robinette (Lumpkins), Sarah Jerns and Coltan Foster (Pan Pan), Jessica Sele, Anna Arvan (Go Slowpoke), Chris Stainback (Thimble Vs. Needle), Mark Detrick (Rooftops), Karen Kunkel (Four Players), Robert Lashley (Scumeating), Wes Davis (Pirates R Us), Mars Lindgren (Yogoman Burning Band), Kit Nelson (Timmy Sunshine and the Conductors), Poops (Hawaiian Ghost Punch), and Tina North (Memes)–into a giant supergroup swing band. It’s a massive undertaking, and I’m really interested to see what it looks like,” Marie stated.

While Marie, Kat, Amy, Tracy and Katie are the primary organizers, the event is put together by a large contingent of people. Tana Granack, AMRE’s Operations Director, is very much logistically involved, along with volunteers Troy Greig, Ross Brackett, David Ney, Nora Hughes, Sheana Sisselman and Eric Holl.

As a big production, they’re all working for one common cause. “Our ultimate goal is to throw the best party ever–awesome music, beautiful clothes, and having it benefit people so that you can feel good about having fun. All the stuff that we love in one space,” exclaimed Marie.

Music for Moderns II: Last Night in Town A One-Night-Only Costume Party/Silent Auction/Dance will be held Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the American Museum of Radio & Electricity, 1312 Bay St., Bellingham. Tickets are $5 advance and $7 at the door. 21+. For more information, contact musicformoderns@gmail.com.

On Aug. 6 I was faced with a hard decision. It was the Downtown Art Walk and there were four really great shows happening around town. Should I see the always amazing Pan Pan at Jinx? Or how about the fantastic Rooftops at the Cabin Tavern? But then I would miss my favorite band in town, Keaton Collective, who was playing at the Wild Buffalo. And just to make things even harder, the fun rock band, Citizen Escape was playing at Plan B. After thinking about which show I wanted to see, I decided that I didn’t just need to go to one show, I could see them all!

Since it was the first Friday of the month, the Downtown Art Walk was happening. Every first Friday of the month, all the galleries in town open their doors for free to allow people to come in and see what all of our talented artists in town have been creating. The great thing about the Downtown Art Walk is that it focuses the city’s attention all on the huge underground artist community that we are fortunate to have.

During this art walk, I was particularly excited that the new Pickford theater, the Dreamspace, was having an open house. Already being in love with the Pickford, I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the Dreamspace. Due to lack of funding, it has been taking them longer than anticipated to open. However, on this art walk, and continuing with every art walk forward, they opened their doors to allow the public to see the status of the theater and hopefully to raise some donations. The space is fairy still bare bones with the layout complete and the wooden risers for the seats set in the two different theaters. There was a projection playing in the smaller theater, which will hold about 90 people and a band playing in the bigger theater, which will hold 145 people. The band, Bar Tabac, who are John Sampson on guitar, Andy Piper on a percussion contraption and Terry Wergeland on accordion, were playing haunting, echoey music. Or as my friend described it “crazy clown gypsy carnival blues.” The band would create sounds with their instruments and then John would trap the echoes the instruments created and loop them, while Andy and Terry would start creating something else to play on top of those echoes. Occasionally, John would switch from playing the guitar to the trombone and Terry would switch from playing the accordion to the trumpet. The haunting echoes that Bar Tabac were playing was the perfect match for the eery bare bones theater that we were sitting in.

After wandering around the Dreamspace studios, and seeing some awesome things that can be done with toasters, I made my way over to Jinx. Another great thing about the Downtown Art Walk is that there are usually free shows happening at the galleries. This art walk, Pan Pan was playing a free show in the Jinx basement. The show was to start promptly at nine since everyone, including Sarah Jerns, wanted to see the Rooftops. When I got to Jinx, the folk band, the Moandingers were just starting their set. Usually a three member band, tonight the band consisted of Kayla Brodgen on an acoustic guitar and Bill Lohse on cello. Kayla, who has the sweetest, most heartfelt voice, would lay down a playful melody on either her guitar, mandolin or accordion and then Bill, who sung harmonies, would add a serious tone with his cello. Their six song set, which consisted of songs such as “The Ghost Song” and “Gold, Gold, Gold” was blissfully mellow and made me want to hear more from them.

As the Moandingers were finishing their set, the crowd swelled, all waiting to hear Pan Pan. For this performance, Sarah Jerns brought along Austin Richy on drums and Ryan Wapnowski on saxophone. I knew from seeing Sarah play her trumpet in random bands around town that she was great and had always read that Pan Pan, was simply astonishing. Even though Pan Pan has been playing in town now for a couple of years, I’ve never seen her play a show or have listened to her album. After finally watching her perform live, she more than exceeded my expectations. It was just extraordinary to see how much ferocity and passion Sarah put into that piano. Through the entire set, her beautiful piano, soulful saxophone and great backing percussion blended flawlessly together to create breathtaking melodies.

After Pan Pan was done blowing my mind, I headed over to the Cabin Tavern. When I got there, Mary Mary had just got done playing and Biagio and the Argonauts were setting up. Being impatient as I am, I headed over to the Wild Buffalo to hear Keaton Collective. Just getting back from their “Time and Pressure” tour, Keaton Collective was playing a free show to kick off the Buffalo’s free August Fridays. I always love to see Keaton Collective live since they impressively demonstrate their own controlled chaos. Having six members in a band, four of which are vocalists, play a range of music from country to rock just spells a recipe for disaster. Keaton Collective, however, perfectly blend their forceful rhythm section, commanding drums and harmonies together all while being great showmen. At the time, the band was playing their country material, off their new album “Time and Pressure.” Since it was relatively early, there was only a small crowd at the Buffalo and I decided to head back to the Cabin just as the band started to play “Hilltop Saloon.”

When I got back to the Cabin Tavern, Biagio and the Argonauts were just about to start their set. The band is Biagio Biondolillo on main vocals and acoustic guitar with the Argonauts who are Kat Bula on violin as well as harmonies and Rabia Magnusson on piano. Biagio writes the songs and Kat and Rabia add beautiful vocal harmonies, strings and piano melodies. As the band started to play, they created an intimate setting since all three of the members had decided to play while seated, which had led a group of 15 or so people to sit on the floor of the Cabin along with them. The problem with playing an intimate show at the Cabin Tavern is that it is usually hard to hear the music over all the conversations. Being a great billed show, the Cabin was packed with people, all talking, which made it hard to hear anything other than Biagio singing and his guitar. However, while talking to friends, I did find the music enjoyable and relaxing to hang out to.

During changeover from Biagio and the Argonauts to the Rooftops, I went back to the Wild Buffalo to catch some more of Keaton Collective. Luckily for me, now they were playing more of their rock songs off of their first album “The Wash”, including my favorite “Hitler Doesn’t Own That Mustache.” After dancing to a few other songs, like “Be A Mess,” I heard that Citizen Escape had already started at Plan B and decided I better hustle up there before the Rooftops started at the Cabin. Sure enough, when I got to Plan B, the high energy Citizen Escape was already rocking through their set. The four man band, Jason on vocals, Billy on guitar, Ryan on bass and Chad on drums, blend elements of punk, rock and alternative music together to create a headbanging fun and fast sound. Paranoid that I was going to miss the Rooftops, I only stayed for about twenty minutes, which was long enough to hear the band play some originals and covers, including one of an Incubus song.

Running back down to the Cabin, I made it before the Rooftops even started. If you don’t know who the Rooftops are, then seriously, what rock have you been living under? Still, if you don’t know, the Rooftops are a four man band consisting of Mark Detrick, Drew Fitchette and Jonathan McIntyre all playing guitars, and Wendelin Wohlgemuth on drums. They intricately layer guitars, horns, strings, percussion and sparse vocals into irregular rhythmic structures and intersecting melodies to create their own union of math rock and post rock into indie-post-math-rock. Looking back on my notes from the evening, the one word that appears most is incredible.

Reminising on the night, I had seen seven remarkable bands in a period of six hours. The even more remarkable thing is that I only had to pay a cover at two shows. Bar Tabac was free, The Moandingers and Pan Pan were free, Biagio and the Argonauts and the Rooftops were a three dollar cover, Keaton Collective was free and Citizen Escape was only $2. Seven amazing bands for only $5! This night in my mind solidified the fact that we are so lucky to have such a great local scene.

Lumpkins shared their country music in Glacier, Portland and Seattle, and then shared a self-portrait for your reading pleasure. Courtesy photo/illustration by David Stray Ney

Lumpkins shared their country music in Glacier, Portland and Seattle, and then shared a self-portrait for your reading pleasure. Courtesy photo by David Stray Ney

The first ever Lumpkins tour was a success in that there weren’t any incidents that led to the creation of a new sad tune. Gas money was recovered, and everybody left with a couple of dollars in their pocket. I mean literally, a couple of dollars. Like two. But you know what?We sounded good. We had very special guest Kat Bula playing fiddle with us, which made our sound more full, and added that special element that only she can add to a band.

This was a small tour. Most of us work, and we are still a relatively new band, so anything larger than a weekend tour is far off in the distance. We managed to get out of Bellingham and take our northwestern music to…well…the Northwest.

It started Friday in Glacier at Graham’s Restaurant. None of us had ever played in Glacier before, and Graham’s is THE venue up in that sleepy mountain town. The crowd that night was sparse but appreciative, the numbers and enthusiasm increased throughout the night. People listened intently and gave us good feedback. An older gentleman told me that Graham of Graham’s is a former NASA engineer. He showed me the space where Graham makes machines to help athletes repair their torn muscles.

After spending the night at our respective homes in Bellingham, we headed south towards Portland. We stopped in Seattle to pick up our good friend, and special guest drummer Dan Dejoy. The venue we played was called the Queen of Hearts Tavern, way down in SE PDX. We had heard, going into this, that this was a biker bar (and according to one of my friends, a swingers bar). The latter was not true, but the former definitely was.What a perfect environment for us and Lana Rebel & The Love Lasers to play our down n’ dirty country music.

This was a bar full of characters. And these characters wanted to get drunk and listen to some country music. Playing with Lana & The Lasers was an incredible pleasure. Our set went great, but we were warming the stage up for this incredibly dynamic and suped up version of Lana’s intoxicating music. Bellingham ex-pat Dan Lowinger plays guitar in this band, and holy shit, that guy is good. Notable characters: the older man whom informed me that “Lumpkins is the best music I’ve heard since I left Kentucky”. The gentleman’s name was “Towtruck” and unsuccessfully tried to pick up our friend, due to the fact that she was “very attached” to her “boyfriend”.

The most notable character was a sweaty, large, lovable and extremely generous man named “The Gooch”. The Gooch was a big supporter of the arts and the alcohol industry. He also knew how to instigate the: “ONE TIME FOR THE GOOCH”, “TWO TIMES FOR THE GOOCH” funk command, which Lana and the Lasers were more than happy to oblige.

The final show was the Can Can Cabaret in Seattle, in the heart of the Pike Street Market. The atmosphere was brilliant and the crowd was very responsive. I, myself, decided to take advantage of the newly legalized selection of “real” Absinthe that the Can Can serves. Our set was great, and the sound in that venue was superb. I returned to the green room wanting to try on the wolf mascot head, but respecting the wishes of the venue who put up a sign instructing me not to.

Sola Luna, a quartet consisting of Nora Huges, Sonja Irene, Ariel Morgan, and Kelsey Beckmeyer, sang songs in Spanish and English against a video backdrop of line drawings. Ghosts and dogs chased across the screen, accompanied by a mixture of spoken word poetry, vocal harmonies and delicate guitar melodies. The performance comprised the culmination of a long-term project by Sola Luna’s members, who traveled earlier this year to the Dominican Republic to help with relief efforts in the wake of devastation by the Haitian earthquake. This trip also gave birth to the Bellingham-Hispaniola Solidarity Project, an effort to raise awareness of this issue.

Nearby, a tree of paper balloons bloomed–symbolic of months spent asking citizens to make balloons in order to raise money and awareness for the cause. Even though I could only catch a little of the meaning of the songs, I was moved by their palpable sense of desolation and loss.

Next came a short film by Nina Mouritzen, “Pola-film,” which slowly built an enigmatic story through a series of dreamy stills and words.

Marsha, a piano and guitar duo featuring Ariel and Alexis Diltz, performed lush songs reminiscent of CocoRosie. A vaudevillian banter between songs contrasted amusing with the kind of minor harmonies one imagines might be composed by freak folk opera school drop-outs.

“My Life in Saints,” by Liz Darrow, examined the narrator’s personal pantheon of heroes, from mothers and aunts to female icons like Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur, relating them to Catholicism’s rich tradition of female religious warriors.

Maple Nightingale, a former member of Yes We Are, sang a mixture of wistful covers and originals. Intricate guitar finger-picking complemented thoughtful, pensively humorous lyrics.

Mary Mary, a trio led by Alexandra Song and backed by Geoff Traeger and the suddenly ubiquitous Zach Zinn, will hopefully record an album soon. Their songs were impossibly loud and catchy, blowing the roof off not only the Meat Market but also drowning out the jazz performance taking place at the Chuckanut Ridge Wine Company next door.

Mae West’s Leg, featuring the formidable combination of Tina North, Kat Bula, and Amanda Kalkwarf, played songs with names like “Blood,” “Drinkin’,” and “Skullfuckery,” creating a mighty noise that both exhilarated and intimidated.

Then a film by myself, entitled “Male Heterosexuality: A Celebration,” was shown. It featured the acting talents of Tracy Reilly, Amanda Kalkwarf, Kelly Bjork, Jed Bailey, and Joel Hollander. Some liked it; others did not!

The evening finished with music by O Paon, the project of one Genevieve Castree. Beautiful, hypnotic guitar playing was backed by inscrutable, melancholy French vocals. Castree made brilliant use of her loop pedal, building trance-like circular melodies that slowly stretched into violently emotional crescendos.