Now this is what I was talking about last week: hilarity. It's been told to me that while Tight Bros From Way Back When were playing a show in Tucson a few days ago, two musicians in the audience requested permission to climb onstage and "jam" with the band. Who were these bold musicians? None other than two guitarists from W.A.S.P., Blackie Lawless' unintentionally ridiculous '80s metal band (remember the codpiece?!). Tight Bros drummer Nat Damm told his roadie to decline the axemen's request, prompting one of the aging headbangers to snap nastily: "That's why bands like you will only ever play in bars!" Hee.
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The star-studded show to see and be seen at last week was Death Cab for Cutie's CD release party at the Crocodile. The Fri, Oct 5 audience featured members of Sunny Day Real Estate, Foo Fighters, Juno, Automaton, Carissa's Wierd, Love as Laughter, and just about anyone else who's currently playing the hot clubs in town. Death Cab's latest just may be the band's greatest, and it's called The Photo Album, out now on Barsuk. At the night's early, all-ages show, openers the Prom stumbled upon some misfortune with a faulty keyboard, halting the band's performance before it had even gotten underway. A new instrument was rented for the 21+ show.
The reading to be seen at, apparently, was Jonathan Franzen's Oct 6 date at Elliott Bay Book Company. At least one member of the Blood Brothers sat front and center as the author read from his novel The Corrections.
Speaking of Love as Laughter, frontman Sam Jayne is leaving our fine community behind, soon to take up residence in NYC. While those of us whose abused ears have become ultra-sensitive to treble won't miss Jayne's predilection for playing live CDs during his shift at the Cha-Cha Lounge (his farewell stint behind the cocktail well featured Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy, TWICE through in its entirety), Seattle will once again say good-bye to another talented member of its rich music community. Jayne played a quiet farewell performance last Saturday night at the Breakroom when he opened for Thalia Zedek and Tara Jane O'Neil and, as always, his "Miss Direction" (off his latest Sub Pop release, Sea to Shining Sea) was a standout.
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Things have been a little dull around here in terms of touring acts, but the rest of the month promises to be bright. Here's a sampling of bands making a tour stop in our locality: Blonde Redhead and Unwound play the Showbox on Fri, Oct 12, while Black Rebel Motorcycle Club sings in the shadows that same night at the Crocodile, and the Strokes play the Temple Theatre in (gasp!) Tacoma. Track Star plays the Crocodile on Fri, Oct 19; the lovely Jenny Toomey plays songs off her new double album Antidote at Sit & Spin on Sat, Oct 20; Smog appears at the Crocodile on Wed, Oct 24; Ray Davies graces the King Cat on Thurs, Oct 25; Fri, Oct 26 presents the tough choice between Pernice Brothers and the Kingsbury Manx at the Crocodile or Stereolab at the Showbox. The Breakroom, which has been boasting some pretty good shows lately, hosts Heroine Sheiks--featuring Shannon of the Cows--on Mon, Oct 29. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead finishes out the month we love to refer to as Rocktober with a show at the Crocodile on Tues, Oct 30. And on a local note, do not forget the last Murder City Devils show, on Halloween at the Showbox. Sets by Visqueen and the Ho-Ho's, an all-male Go-Go's tribute band, will follow their performance.
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As for Courtney Love's latest lawsuit, this time against Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Geffen Records in pursuit of the rights to all Nirvana material, the nicest thing I can say is that woman's got some motherfucking nerve.
