Let’s hear it for West Seattle! Have you heard? Let’s talk star power for a second. Now more than ever, that side of the Sound is putting the rest of the city to shame in terms of rock star cred. Aside from Minus 5/R.E.M.‘s Scott McCaughey, Alien Crime Syndicate‘s Joe Reineke, and Mudhoney/Monkey Wrench‘s Mark Arm, there’s William Reid living over there, minding his own business like he wasn’t part of the greatest late-night band in the world, the Jesus and Mary Chain. Then there’s Eddie Vedder, doing it WS style when he isn’t touring the globe while heading up the biggest band in the USA. What about Joey Santiago, the Pixies‘ guitarist extraordinaire? I’m telling you, he lives in West Seattle, too. And here I am, living on crummy ol’ Capitol Hill? I must be some kind of moron. Arm’s all blasé about it; he doesn’t care. “Like I’d let William Reid cut in front of me at the Admiral Thriftway,” he said, resplendently snide (as usual) at the Bumberclub beer garden recently. Shit, I could write every It’s My Party from that fucking Thriftway: who’s making a late-night beer run–or a red wine run, in Reid’s case; who’s buying Hamburger Helper or Shake ‘n Bake on a Thursday afternoon; who’s demanding a half-and-half double-shot vanilla latte at 10 am, shades bolted in place, leather jacket perfectly rumpled. And let’s not forget who’s taking up two parking spaces with their fancypants car. Oh, the possibilities. Nah, I’m here on the Hill, reporting that Love as Laughter’s Sam Jaynes— in his other profession as bartender at the Cha-Cha–has created the best mocktail with a kick EVER: Orange juice fortified with Red Bull and EmergenC, topped off with a splash of cream. It tastes just like an Orange Julius, and despite the no-alcohol factor, packs a wallop.
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I’ve been remiss lately in using this space to point you in the direction of great new local bands, so here’s a couple. First, Aveo, opening for Carissa’s Wierd last Friday night at Graceland, played some very impressive, passionate, introspective, guitar-driven (can you see what I’m getting at here without my actually having to use the dreaded word?) rock that made the following band, Orso, look and sound like a bunch of stoned hippies. And speaking of stoned hippies, one was bound and determined to ruin Carissa’s Wierd‘s drop-dead gorgeous set by mocking the band’s unabashed romanticism. OF COURSE he was standing next to me, because that’s the cross I bear, and when I suggested he shut his big, flapping mouth, he bellowed, “YOU WANT ME TO SHUT UP, AND I SHAN’T SHUT UP!” Shan’t?! I know there’s a law on the books somewhere clearly stating that anyone, especially an American hippie, who uses the word “shan’t” at a rock show deserves to get his fuzzy teeth kicked in. Care to help a girl out here?
Next. I’m not usually one to keep the wisecracks to a minimum when idle vocalists–those who don’t play an instrument–make grand hand gestures and pretentious motions while singing. But I proudly admit my eyeballs did not roll skyward–well, only for a second–when faced with Muy Triste‘s vocalist doing just that at the Baltic Room. She was truly mesmerizing–as was the whole band, who played spunky indie rock while their stylish frontwoman sang in Spanish as well as English with great skill and panache. Definitely check them out.
One last, very important thing: Best wishes to Jake and Nate’s mom.