7: Blogs | Sound Wave

Mixtape Monday Vol. 30: Sasquatch '08

"It's Epidemic," The Cops: �On �Free Electricity,� The Cops� staccato stop-and-go six-string rhythms couple with abusive drumming to create a surprisingly danceable set,� Spin.com on the new album by the Seattle punk-rock quintet. ( Full post )

James Pants on the cover of Myspace

I got a text from Ben Cater at 7:50 this morning with these words: "Spokane represent". ( Full post )

Notes from the local metal scene Pt. II

"My 2 cents, we obviously promote all kinds of shows from national christian artist, to local metal/rock bands at our inferno nights. Many of them sign up everymonth because it is hard for them to get gigs anywhere else. We here at IGNTIE have looked for venues to have these shows in and it is pretty tough. We lucked out when youth for christ partenered with us and didnt mind the heavier music some months. I came from Indiana where there was Midwest HXC and grew up on Zao, Training for Utopia, and At Peace while Burning, then I moved to spokane and the Scene here is really lacking in my opinion compared to my little 30,000 person city that would have way more people show up than I have ever seen here.
"IGNITE spokane is a christian organization that realizes the impact on music, and wants to change the city through music. We are all volunteer, none of us make a pay check, we do it for the love. We have been going for a year and a half now, and have done a dozen or so local shows and 4 national artist's shows/tours. Our local shows mostly happen with our Partnership with Youth for Christ to use their very cool building with a Good pa and wi-fi internet. We dont "preach" by any means at these shows, we book both christian and non-christian bands, we just ask to respectfully keep it clean. That area really has responded well to our monthly Inferno's, and we usually get more request's to play than we can fill in a night. We do 5 bands for $5 bucks usually, and have a variety but there is always a HXC band or rock band represented, and sometimes thats the whole show. We do not do them in the summer months though. The Spokane scene is very lacking, and I dont say that to get people mad at me, I say it coming from a completely different part of the country. I work for the Government and they moved me here 3 years ago. I think it is great what all the promoters are doing here, as I am one of them trying to change it. Like I said previous in the Midwest when we would promote a show, there was just tons of passion and response at the show. The attendance was outragious. The city was only 30,000 people strong but could easily double the attendence I see at some of these shows for something of the same caliber there. For a city of 400,000 or whatever it is, to only get 100-200 people at a show sometimes is obsurd. That was easily met at every show we did in Indiana times two or three. I havent quite got to pinpoint why yet, I am not saying its the bands fault's by any means, and I do not want this to come across as everyone will hate IGNITE spokane, cause thats not what I am saying, it is just very different hear. Lots of awesome talent, but it seems like a small dedicated followership? Make sense? So is the Spokane scene 'bad,' no not by any means, but I have to compare it from where I came from and for a large city I am suprised it is not further along." -Jerome Casinger, Ignite Spokane. ( Full post )

Notes from the local metal scene

There was a lot of discussion between myself and several of the local hard rock/metal bands and promoters about the state of what has been Spokane's most stable scene for years. ( Full post )

Death Cab for Cutie on NPR

Here's a link to the Death Cab interview the aired today on NPR. There's also some cool video of a live performance: Click here. ( Full post )

Starship tickets hard to find

The remnants of �80s rock band Starship are indeed landing on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the INB Performing Arts Center, but you wouldn�t know it from checking the TicketsWest Web, as the show isn�t listed there. ( Full post )

Otep postponed

The Otep concert scheduled for Saturday at Big Easy Concert House has been postponed due to health issues, according to the Big Easy�s Web site, tickets for the show will be honored for the rescheduled show. Check the blog for updates. ( Full post )

Avril Lavigne cancelled, refunds available

It should come as no surprise, but the status of the postponed Avril Lavigne concert (originally scheduled for last Friday at the Arena) has changed to cancelled. ( Full post )

Mistress and the Misters ends Thursday

Well, I just got back from Platfest and the forthcoming podcast with The Globes is worth checking out, so stay tuned for that. ( Full post )

Mixtape Monday Vol. 29

Alt-Swedish/grind/screamo/thrash/post/ Norwegian/prog/speed/black/deathmetal edition. Stay tuned for this week's 7 for more from some of the musicians who make up the strongest arm of Spokane's live music scene: heavy rock. ( Full post )

Another 'awesome' blog review for Pants

Our man James Pants drops his Stones Throw Records full-length debut at the end of the month and he's getting a fair amount of buzz on the blogosphere. ( Full post )

Mistress minus one more Mister

One of Spokane�s favorite local bands, Mistress and the Misters, looks to be coming to an end, as charismatic frontman Seth Swift plays his last show with the band next week. ( Full post )

Stevie Wonder coming to White River

Motown prodigy and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Wonder's only Northwest performance - the first Northwest performance in more than 30 years in memory serves (I stand corrected... maybe first in the state.. anyone?)- happens July 11 at White River Amphitheatre south of Seattle. ( Full post )

Avril Lavigne postponed

Thirty-seven shows into the North American leg of her "Best Damn Tour," Avril Lavigne announced she is postponing six dates - including her show scheduled for Friday at the Spokane Arena - due to acute laryngitis. ( Full post )

New live stream with Pour Soi

On the instrumental "Travis Hates Dogs and Babies," Pour Soi's drummer, Travis Hottinger, went off on an extensive and stunning drum solo to close out a superb night of progressive and experimental rock at The Zombie Room. ( Full post )

New podcast episode with Musee Mecanique

One keyboardist plays three synths, lap steel, glockenspiel, sings and whistles; another plays three synths, guitar, and sings; the guitarist sings and plays synths and the saw; the bassist plays synth and drums; and the drummer plays synths, glock and quadracep (he mikes he leg for lap-pat percussion). That captures an evening with Portland�s Musee Mecanique, whose sound has been justly described by hometown media as music-box orchestral folk. ( Full post )

Sprinkler law looming

In case you haven't seen the front page of today's S-R yet, there's a story about the new sprinkler law that will require certain nightclubs to install costly sprinkler systems. ( Full post )

Big Easy gets a new name (at last)

I just got the official word, the Big Easy Concert Houses in Spokane and Boise are changing names to "Knitting Factory Concert House," to better connect it with its new owners, Knitting Factory Entertainment. ( Full post )

The Brakes Vol. 4.1: More Fairbanks fun

Karli added some cool videos and a new blog to her myspace. Don't miss her homecoming show. It should be quite an event. ( Full post )