In a cutthroat nightlife scene like Seattle's, talent buyers look for any edge and leverage to bring in thirsty bodies to their businesses that they can find. Ergo, the relatively new spin on cover nights that presents local musicians in the guise of important/popular/cult artists versus other important/popular/cult artists in a competition before a panel of savvy judges.
The outcome is typically fun as hell for the musicians, who can escape their usual identities and throw themselves into their idols' personas. Crowds benefit, too, as most of the bands impersonated are either defunct or are so massive, it would cost three figures to hear their tunes in a basketball arena or football stadium. Superfans of the bands can experience the frisson of experiencing their favorite songs as interpreted by other superfans. Most everyone in the house knows and loves all the songs, generating an infectious bonhomie. These nights abound with sonic comfort food, but it's spiced with more odd flavoring than most such fare.
A sterling case in point is Showdown, a semi-regular contest held at Chop Suey and instigated by that Capitol Hill venue's talent buyer, Jodi Ecklund. Starting last April with David Bowie vs. the Velvet Underground, Showdown moved to Heart vs. Fleetwood Mac and then Black Sabbath vs. Led Zeppelin (disclosure: I judged the latter one and received drink tickets for my efforts).
Showdown's fourth edition will pit Fugazi vs. Descendents on January 15. Members of Minus the Bear, Heiress, Schoolyard Heroes, Treepeople, BlöödHag, Android Hero, Thrown Ups, Swallow, Skeleator, Don Peyote, Sayonara, Glitterbang, X Suns, and Universe People will pour their talent and sweat into the output of those brainy '80s/'90s post-punk and punk icons.
Showdown arose out of a conversation Ecklund had with Fastbacks bassist/vocalist Kim Warnick early last year. "I had mentioned to Kim that I was frustrated that other venues started hosting tribute nights on the same nights as ours," Ecklund said in an e-mail interview. "Kim suggested that I pay tribute to two bands. Kim and I would message one another different ideas. There really was no end to the lists we would compile."
Ecklund says that attendance for Showdown has been great; I can vouch for the Black Sabbath vs. Led Zeppelin gig, which was filled to near capacity. "The best part is that attendees show up right at doors, so there really is no crappy slot," Ecklund says.
Part of Showdown's success stems from the familiarity factor; Ecklund obviously strives to appeal to a wide audience. "I want to do several different genres, so there is something for everyone," she says. She often relies on crowdsourcing ideas on Facebook to gauge what match-ups people are excited to see. "It's also important not to pick bands that are too terribly complicated." Sorry, Yes and ELP fans.
What's on the horizon for Showdown after Fugazi vs. Descendents? Ecklund has posited many possibilities, and most of them look intriguing. Some ideas include Beatles vs. Stones, Depeche Mode vs. New Order, Blondie vs. X, Thin Lizzy vs. T. Rex, Brian Eno vs. Bryan Ferry, Stooges vs. MC5, Siouxsie and the Banshees vs. Bauhaus, Lene Lovich vs. Nina Hagen, TLC vs. Salt-N-Pepa, George Jones vs. Merle Haggard, Hall & Oates vs. Toto, Blur vs. Oasis, and Pink Floyd vs. Hawkwind. There's also hope to do Motörhead (RIP, Lemmy) versus a worthy opponent to be determined. "See," Ecklund concludes, "the list just goes on and on."
In addition to Showdown, some other similar nights are looming on the horizon. School of Rock is hosting a goth-blessed Siouxsie and the Banshees vs. the Cure battle January 10 at Nectar Lounge and Lo-Fi holds a shoegaze-rock buffet January 21 with My Bloody Valentine acolytes going effects pedal to effects pedal with Slowdive worshippers. The last show—which is presented by Strange Moon Productions—features a strong bill that includes Blackpool Astronomy and Red Martian. This event is not so much a competition as it is a fundraiser to benefit Popnoise PNW, a shoegaze/dream-pop festival slated for this summer. How better to do that than to pay homage to two of the subgenre's most revered UK legends?
The relative proliferation of these sorts of events doesn't necessarily mean there's a dearth of original musical talent in Seattle; there is, to put it mildly, an ample supply of exciting musicians here. What it means is that nostalgia still rules almost everything around us, even among serious music heads.
It also means that in an age where it's incredibly difficult to lure people away from their dwellings and Netflix/Hulu routines, promoters sometimes have to embrace tried-and-tested material that's already gained widespread adulation—albeit performed by hungry locals with a lot to prove.
Reflected glory is still glory, and the chance to hear beloved classics in an intimate setting with a writhing crowd of gung-ho aficionados almost always beats staring at a small screen in your pad. Unless it's Louie., of course.
