Rachel Bennett – I have always liked Spoon. I grew up hearing their music on alternative radio and their song “The Way We Get By” on iconic TV show The O.C. I even saw them live when I was 15 or 16 years old (but, even though Spoon was headlining, my teenage self was really there to see Passion Pit and Phoenix who opened the show).
Eric Tra – Canadian musical conglomerate Broken Social Scene was one of my “gateway bands” into indie rock music back in the early 2000s, a time when most popular rock hits seemed to all be some bizarre amalgamation of nu-metal and scream. Following a couple year hiatus following their last release, Forgiveness Rock Record, the band is back on tour promoting their new album Hug of Thunder.
Andy Bookwalter – In which Andy finally runs out of rambling anecdotes and self -absorbed diatribes and realizes that he should have done some more research on this band. I love Diarrhea Planet. Even if I didn’t, I’d pretend like I did so i could drop the words “Diarrhea Planet” into casual conversation.
Stephanie Oster – Earlier this month, Seattle-based hip-hop artist Grieves played a sold-out show to high-energy crowd at his iconic home-town venue the Crocodile. Throughout his set, the 33 year-old MC commented on how good it was to be back in Seattle, taking time to reminisce about his start in small venues, voice appreciation for his hometown fans, and remark on how far he’s come.
Travis Trautt – What a memorable first trip the Gorge, my home state’s gorgeous outdoor amphitheater. Adding drama for the HUGE, extremely fired-up crowd was the haze from massive wildfires plaguing the state this fall. The smoke was so thick I didn’t even get my own version of the venue’s iconic sunset behind the stage. .
