Belles of the Sound

Seattle's SolBird

Ok, it’s quite rainy today, which has me in the snuggle-up by the fire with a good drink and good friends mood… Usually for me this includes gathering the troops and finding some good weekend music. AND, that brings me to tell you about a fabulous, up and coming R&B/Motown band in Seattle called SolBird.

Fronted by the fabulous and quirky Tazlyn Fischer Gue, whose soulful voice will melt the cold outside, SolBird’s music is guaranteed to get you up and dancing. They play a fabulous range of music from the funky 60′s to the popular songs of today (plus some of their own music). While these guys have primarily played weddings and other party functions, they are a mainstay at the Owl ‘n Thistle, Paragon and the Cypress Lounge. Look for these guys to continue growing in popularity over the coming years.

SolBird will be playing at Paragon in Queen Anne this Saturday, March 3 at 8pm and there is no cover. Which means, you can catch a sneak peak at this exciting newcomer for FREE! And, who doesn’t like free?

I’ll personally guarantee that you’ll love this show. Tazlyn and I grew up in the same town (although she’s a few years younger than me, but who’s asking?!), and I’ve been a HUGE fan of her music for more years than I can remember. Seattle is super lucky to have this young rockstar. I also did my undergraduate work (and worked in the theatre department) with SolBird’s saxophonist Peter Daniel. Let’s say if you come and don’t love them instantly, find me in the bar and I’ll buy you a drink (tip: my photo is on the “about” page).

If you want to check out more, or see their show calendar, check out the website or the Facebook page.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll get:

SolBird

I’m a musical theatre nerd. I remember seeing my very first roadshow of Cats in Portland when I was just a wee little kitten. I fell in love with Les Miserables before I was old enough to understand all the historical situations and adult plot lines. When I was in college, I participated in an open call audition for a Broadway show in New York. I was vastly underprepared, but I certainly had heart and a never-ending love for musical theatre.

In Seattle, I’ve had the opportunity to see several shows at the 5^th Avenue Theatre. I’ve been impressed with every show I’ve seen there. I’ve wanted to do season tickets for years, but my wallet doesn’t always agree. If you are like me and love musicals, but don’t have a thick pocketbook, I have the deal for you!

5^th Avenue Theatre is doing a 3 for $99 promotion for the rest of January. For only $99 you get a ticket to three upcoming musicals; Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees and Rent. And these aren’t the cheap seats in the back. All the tickets are the best available orchestra seats! My sister and I decided to do this deal and I got our tickets in the mail yesterday. Our seats range from the third to eight row. That’s pretty awesome considering we got all three tickets for not much more than the cost of one single ticket would cost!

Below are the full details from the website. If you’re a musical theatre fan, this is a don’t miss! So call today!

A week or so ago, Keridwyn Deller held a contest to win tickets for the opening weekend of The 5^th Avenue’s new production, Saving Aimee. I love theatre and especially musicals, so I was thrilled when I won! I’ve seen several productions at the 5^th Avenue Theatre and they have all been entertaining and well done.

I knew nothing of the story and I’d never heard of Aimee Semple McPherson. All I had was the short bio on the promotional postcard from the 5^th Avenue: “Before Bakker, before Swaggart, before Robertson, there was Aimee Semple McPherson, the first media superstar evangelist. Her spectacular fall from grace is a real-life story tangled with scandalous love affairs and a tabloid-frenzied trial.” That was enough to pique my interest.

I found the story fascinating. I enjoy learning about history and this musical is based on a true story set in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I’ve always been a fan of the music and culture of the 1920s, so it was fun to see this era in Saving Aimee. The musical told the story of Aimee Semple McPherson, through flashbacks during her grand jury trial in 1926. Aimee was missing for five weeks and claimed she was kidnapped. The prosecutor alleged she had run away with a married lover. The play tells her story and lets the audience decide if Aimee was innocent or guilty.

The story reminded me a lot of Evita, another tale of a woman in history who did both good and bad things. I think the play wants us to decide if Aimee is a bad woman doing good things or a good woman doing bad things, but I’m not sure the story is balanced enough. To me it seemed like they led us down the path that she was a fake for most of the production, and it wasn’t until the end that they highlight all the good Aimee did during her life. I would’ve liked to see more balance during the story, not just at the end.

The cast was fantastic! Carolee Carmello was outstanding as Aimee. She was able to show the various emotions and stages throughout her character’s life. Her voice was incredible! Ed Watts played Aimee’s first husband, Robert Semple, and her third husband, David Hutton. Watts was a skilled performer and definitely not bad to look at! He played both an Irish preacher and a smarmy LA actor with ease. But for me, Roz Ryan stole the show! Ryan played Emma Jo, a reformed madame turned Aimee’s right hand. She has an incredible voice and perfect comedic timing.

It isn’t very often that I go see a musical and I don’t already know all the songs by heart. I enjoyed the music, however many of the songs sounded too similar for me. Why Can’t I was a great song and reminded me some of Dorothy’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow. My favorite song of the production was A Girl’s Gotta Do What a Girl’s Gotta Do in the brothel, but it didn’t seem to fit the rest of the score. But I’d love to do that song at karaoke!

All in all, I found Saving Aimee to be well-done and entertaining. The 5^th Avenue Theatre often modifies and alters productions as they go, so I would be interested to see how the production evolves over the run. Saving Aimee runs until October 29, and if you like musicals and history, I recommend you check it out.

Check out the Saving Aimee Montage to get a taste of the play.

Have you seen Saving Aimee? What did you think?

I’ve lived in Seattle for 6 years now. But before I moved north, I called Portland home. While I love Seattle, Portland will always hold a special place in my heart as well. I have several friends making the trip down I-5 this weekend, so I thought I’d share a few of my recommendations for a fun-filled Portland weekend!

How to Get There:

1. Plane – You can fly to PDX for just over $150 round-trip and the flight is only an hour. Certainly the fastest way to get to Portland. Well, as long as security doesn’t take too long.
2. Train – Amtrak is a pretty easy and inexpensive way to get down to Portland. You can purchase your trip for as little as $62 round-trip. The trip takes about 3 ½ hours, which is much faster than dealing with the traffic on I-5 during rush hour. And you get to move around, read, work, watch a movie, eat and even have a drink. If you take the Amtrak Cascades train you even get Wi-Fi. It isn’t the fastest connection ever, but it’s free!
3. Automobile – The cost of driving will depend on how high gas prices are at that moment, and how much your car likes to guzzle gas. How long the trip takes will also vary, depending on traffic. I’ve done this drive a million times and it bores me. One thing I do like about the drive is stopping at the Burgerville in Centralia. Yum!

Where to Stay:

1. McMenamins – I’ll admit right now, I’m a McMenamins fan girl. I freakin’ love this business! Anyway, their hotels are my favorite! There are a bunch of them in the Portland area, but my top three are Crystal Hotel, Kennedy School and White Eagle. I mean, who wouldn’t want to stay in an old elementary school? If you’re looking for value, White Eagle is the best!
2. Inn at Northrup Station – It’s located in the fun and trendy NW 23^rd/Nobhill neighborhood, and is just up from the Pearl District. It’s right on the streetcar line so it’s easy to get around. The suites have kitchenettes so you can have breakfast, snacks, drinks, etc. in the room. I love the design and decorations at the Inn at Northrup Station. It’s got a funky, retro vibe.
3. The Jupiter Hotel – A cool, trendy boutique hotel on the eastside of Portland. The restaurant/bar that is connected with the hotel is the Doug Fir Lounge, another one of my Portland favorites. I also find it hilarious that they have an “After Midnight at the Jupiter” deal!

Where to Eat Breakfast/Brunch:

1. Brasserie Montmartre – Best eggs benedict! They have an awesome brunch and tasty mimosas!
2. Mother’s Bistro – Even if you get a late start to your day, you can get yummy breakfast from Mother’s until 2:30! So good this place has their own cookbook!
3. Urban Farmer – Tasty breakfast and brunch items with an emphasis on tastes of the Northwest.

Where to Eat Lunch:

1. McMenamins – Hey, I warned you I’m a fan girl! But seriously, they have awesome burgers, sandwiches, salads and tater tots! There are almost as many McMenamins pubs in Portland as there are Starbucks in Seattle, so it’s hard to tell you my favorite ones. I used to go to Blue Moon the most because it was blocks away from my apartment, but any of them will be great!
2. Food Carts – Portland has quite a reputation for outstanding food carts. And they’re EVERYWHERE!
3. Deschutes Brewery – I’m from Bend, where it all began for Deschutes Brewery, so of course I’m a fan! But hometown-bias aside, their food is awesome!

Where to Eat Dinner – Casual:

1. Montage – Montage has a terrific menu with a variety of Cajun dishes, but they are best known for their mac and cheese!
2. Pastini Pastaria – I really miss this place! Yummy pasta dishes of all kinds, but my favorite is the tortellini gorgonzola!
3. Henry’s 12^th Street Tavern – This place is especially great if you have a group and people that have lots of different tastes because the menu has a huge variety. They also have a fantastic happy hour, and it runs all day on Sundays!

Where to Eat Dinner – Fancy:

1. Jake’s Grill – Jake’s is a Portland institution and is now part of the McCormick & Schmick’s family. There is also Jake’s Famous Crawfish a couple blocks away. Both are awesome!
2. RingSide Steakhouse – This place is THE place to get steak in Portland. It’s been open since 1944 and has won many awards. You want meat? Go here! (Note: at the time when I published, the website was down. Not sure why.)
3. Urban Fondue – Who doesn’t love fondue, right? I love this cute little restaurant up in the northwest neighborhood! Mmmm, cheese!

Where to Eat Dessert:

1. Saint Cupcake – I really love this place! Best. Cupcakes. EVER! Get the dots so you can try plenty of the tasty flavors!
2. Papa Haydn – For as long as I can remember, this was the best place for dessert in Portland. They are like pieces of art!
3. Moonstruck Chocolatier – Need your chocolate fix, this is the place! Adorable, beautiful and, most importantly, tasty little chocolates for your pleasure!

Where to Catch a Concert:

1. Crystal Ballroom – Suspended ceiling makes for a bouncy floor, need I say more? (Yes, it’s another McMenamins.)
2. Roseland Theater – A smaller venue with lots of room to dance and seats in the balcony when your feet need a break.
3. Doug Fir Lounge – Awesome little venue where you can get really close to your favorite bands!

How to Get Around Town:

1. The MAX – Portland has about a 20-year head start over Seattle when it comes to the light rail. The MAX is a stellar way to get around town. Fast, easy, clean and inexpensive.
2. Portland Streetcar – Just like The MAX, it’s easy to use, fast, clean, etc.
3. Walk – Portland is a very walkable city. Unlike Seattle, Portland is pretty flat. So go for a walk!

Portland Institutions (AKA – Don’t miss these places!):

1. Powell’s Books – The best bookstore you’ll ever visit! If they don’t have it, it isn’t in print.
2. Voodoo Doughnut – How can you NOT visit a place when the tagline is, “the magic is in the hole!” Get the bacon maple bar. Trust me!
3. International Rose Test Garden – Portland is the city of roses, after all! This park is beautiful and peaceful. There are some amazing views of the city up here, too. Take a camera!

What to Do:

1. Drink Beer – Portland is known for being a microbrewery capitol of the northwest. There are plenty of options including Bridgeport, Widmer and Deschutes breweries.
2. Movies – I know it seems like a silly thing to do on a weekend away, but I love the movie theaters in Portland. There are a bunch of them where you can get a burger and beer while you enjoy your movie. Most of them are McMenamins theaters, but there is also the Laurelhurst Theater.
3. Saturday Market – Don’t let the name fool you, it’s actually on Sundays, too! There are all kinds of crafts and cool items for sale. There is also tasty food to snack on.

So now you know how to have an outstanding trip to our neighbor city to the south. Go plan your trip!

What are your favorite places in Portland?

Buy a T-Shirt! Support the fight against breast cancer! *Photo courtesy decemberists.com

With Bumbershoot in full swing this weekend I thought I would say a little bit about the outdoor concert.  About two weeks ago on August 22nd I saw my beloved Decemberists perform outside at Marymoor Park.  First I’ll just say that the show itself was great ad I always enjoy what Colin Meloy and his bizarre gang bring to the stage.  If you enjoy a good nine minute song about people being eaten by whales or listening to music with a dictionary at hand the Decemberists may be for you.

Anyway, more than that I just want to write a little about the venue and a little something else.  First off the idea of an outdoor concert is a great idea.  You get to enjoy a little nature with your rock and roll (or whatever you’re into).  You can bring a picnic and the venue doesn’t have to invest in chairs.  However, scheduling any sort of outdoor anything in Seattle has always seemed to me to be a little foolishly optimistic.  Take this show for instance.  It hadn’t rained any significant amount in the weeks leading up to the 22nd.  It had been in the 80′s the couple of days before.  It had been beautiful.  So of course, when the show actually rolled around it did almost nothing but rain for the better part of three hours.  I wonder how a show in Southern California would have dealt with such a night?  I imagine there would have been refunds.  I have quite a bit of Seattle pride that the crowd at Marymoor did not disperse much as the rain fell harder and harder.  We all tightened our hoods on our ever-present raincoats and carried on enjoying the show.  It was, rain and all, a lot of fun.

If you do attend a concert there I suggest getting there early setting up camp on the back hill.  Unless you need to be super close, this gives a great view and lessens the chance that some tall person will block your view (always a concern of mine at 5’2″).  I also suggest bringing your own food as the choices are limited and not that exciting.  The parking is about 5 bucks and not too bad (though the field gets a little muddy when it’s been downpouring for hours).  And of course bring a raincoat.  Always.

Lastly I just wanted to say a little piece for the Decemberists.  A few months ago their super awesome accordion player Jenny Conlee was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I was very happy to see her at the show here and wish her a speedy recovery.  If you want to do a little, in honor of Jenny’s perpetual awesomeness for the cause of breast cancer check out these “Team Jenny” t-shirts with a fantastic accordion design on sale for $25 at the Decemberists website.  All of the proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  But one for someone you love!

Has anyone else noticed the influx of big-ish name musical acts coming to the Seattle area this summer? Over the next month, month and a half there are a ton of concerts coming to town. From Santana to Lil Wayne to Alan Jackson — there’s something for every musical taste. I stumbled upon the discovery while Googling for upcoming Seattle events. See that! Doing research to keep my readers in the know. Pat on the back for Shannon. Anyhoo, check out the list below and do some concert-going. Shake your tail feather, exercise those wind pipes, clap your hands to (or not to) the beat, wave your lighter until your thumb starts to burn, etc. And this list doesn’t even begin to cover all the acts coming to town — I just tried to pick the biggest names out of the bunch. I know, so Top 40 of me.

Weezer: August 19th, WaMu Theater

Alan Jackson: August 19th, Comcast Arena

Atmosphere: August 22nd, Paramount Theater

Santana: August 25th, White River Amphitheater

Janet Jackson: August 29th, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall

Blink 182: September 1st, White River Amphitheater

OneRepublic: September 1st, Evergreen State Fair

Lil Wayne with Rick Ross, Far Eat Movement, Keri Hilson and Lloyd: September 4th, White River Amphitheater

Taylor Swift: September 7th, Tacoma Dome

Ke$ha: September 10th, WaMu Theater

Maroon 5: September 13th, White River Amphitheater

Miranda Lambert: September 17th, Western Washington Fair

The Script: September 21st, Paramount Theater

The weather is FINALLY heating up and all over the city folks are having backyard cookouts, cocktails on the roofs, tossing frisbees in the parks and tanning on the beaches. Whichever summer activity you prefer, it’s always made better with some kickin’ tunes!

A couple things about me: 1) I love music! I pretty much always have a song playing in my head. 2) I have very eclectic taste in music. Anything from classical to R&B, show tunes to pop, I love it all! Except metal. I’m not really a fan of metal.

Since Spotify just launched in the U.S., I’ve been playing around with their service and put together my very own Ultimate Summer Playlist. It’s has 95 songs and about 5 hours of music for your listening pleasure. To give you a taste of the long and diverse playlist, I’ve included my top 20 tracks below. Check it out, play it at your cookout, and tell me what you think!

• All Summer Long by Kid Rock
• Amber by 311
• American Girl by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
• Catch My Disease by Ben Lee
• Cruel Summer by Bananarama
• Firework by Katy Perry
• Friday, I’m in Love by Dryden Mitchell
• Girl by Beck
• Groove is in the Heart by Deee-lite
• Hot Stuff by Donna Summer
• Huddle Formation by The Go Team
• LDN by Lily Allen
• Lovefool by The Cardigans
• Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield
• Sometimes the Sun by The Lashes
• Sunny Hours by Long Beach Dub Allstars
• Sunshine by Matt Costa
• Vacation by The Go-Go’s
• Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves

What songs would you add to the playlist? What is your favorite summer song?

It’s a busy weekend around Seattle so there are no excuses. So many opportunities to eat, drink, eat & drink. I’ve listed a few that I’m squeezing in amongst some other activities but even if you can only make it to just one of these, you can’t go wrong. Hopefully next week I’ll have enough energy back to give you the run down on my Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic that took place this last weekend. I will NOT be riding my bike anywhere this weekend!

Have fun and happy almost Friday!

The Bite of Seattle

What: The Bite of Seattle Brought to you by Comcast hosts over 450,000 visitors each year.  Nicknamed “the Northwest’s Premier Restaurant Showcase,” the Bite’s main focus is local culinary talents and so much more. Aside from the over 60 restaurants, visitors also enjoy nine entertainment stages, live cooking demonstrations with the city’s finest chefs, a wine tasting, family area and much more.

Where: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.

When: Fri. & Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Why: It’s the events 30th year – for a little extra fun head to The Alley  hosted by Tom Douglas for a $10 smorgasbord. (more…)

Summer is expected to return tomorrow and stick around through the weekend. Don’t let today’s dreary, misty, mood get you down.

We all know that West Seattle’s Alki Beach is where it’s at in the Summer – our own little version of the California coastline – despite the popularity of the “strip” and this rollerbladers paradise, this weekend West Seattle is going to be skating to the beat of the West Seattle Summer Fest.

West Seattle Summer Fest is a FREE 3-day street fair, hosted by an organization of local area merchants, the West Seattle Junction Association. Now in it’s 29th year, West Seattle Summer Fest is host to dozens of bands, hundreds of merchants and artists, and over 30,000 attendees.

FESTIVAL HOURS:

• Friday: 10am – 10pm (Vendor sales until 6pm and food vendors until 8pm)
• Saturday: 10am – Midnight (Vendor and food sales until 8pm)
• Sunday 11am – 5pm (Vendor and sales until 5pm) (more…)

If you are a regular Fremonster, you know this is nothing new. But this Friday’s First Friday Art Walk is my first! I’ve lived in Fremont for exactly five years now and I’ve never wandered down to the Fremont storefronts that feature local art, nibbles and beverages EVERY first Friday of the month. It’s like free dinner and drinks while being cultured and meeting some awesome small business owners.

Tomorrow, I will be finally checking out the scene and centering a great deal of my attention on the “Hired Hands: Paintings & Photography” at the EVO Timesinfinity Art Gallery. This exhibit features photographs and paintings that not only highlight the lifestyle and sports of EVO employees but also their artistic abilities and personal interests. Should be interesting!

But there are so many fantastic other venues to visit throughout the night.