It was sartorial serendipity that as we were putting together next week’s fashion-forward Worn Out edition of The Stranger I heard that Pretty Parlor proprietress Anna Lang (AKA Anna Banana) was having a party on Friday night at the store’s soon-to-be-demolished Phinney Ridge location (fear not, Parlor fans, Anna’s already moved ops to Capitol Hill and the new store is open at 119 Summit Avenue East). Anna has a knack for festivities as well as fashion, so it was no surprise that it was a bash to remember. Stranger Big Shot winners Speaker Speaker were on hand to rattle the rafters, while Anna (wearing a skin-tight, floral-patterned ’70s jumpsuit) roller-skated about the nearly empty store, handing out icy PBRs to her guests—a lively bunch who wasted no time adhering to her requests that everyone feel free to “trash my parlor.” While some folks gleefully kicked in walls and danced around in clouds of plaster dust, others (including members of the Divorce and the Catch) took advantage of the few remaining items of clothing and accessories that remained in the store, particularly the wigs—a temptation El Chupacabra owner James Hardy couldn’t resist (he was still wearing a fetching set of fuchsia-hued braids when I saw him at a poker party later that evening).
Back on Capitol Hill, Marcus Lalario and his crew celebrated the one-year anniversary of the War Room, home to some of this city’s most creative and progressive programming and the location of the Hill’s most attractive summer deck (personally, I’m hoping for full-tilt margarita weather soon). Dave Segal reports: “FourColorZack warmed up the early arrivers with his usual smart and era-spanning array of hiphop and club heaters. At 11:30 p.m., legendary NYC radio jock Kool DJ Red Alert took over, commencing with Art of Noise’s timeless ‘Closer (to the Edit),’ and then trawling through rap’s early days and golden age with suave nonchalance. The Stranger‘s Charles Mudede represented, and even Stranger Public Editor A. Birch Steen could be seen on the outdoor deck nursing a Manhattan (which made a refreshing change from the frail curmudgeon being attended to by nurses). The near-capacity crowd responded respectfully to Red Alert by (break)dancing, nodding heads, schmoozing, and flirting. Overall, it was a sweet toast to the War Room’s successful first 12 months.”
Earlier that week, I had the pleasure of catching that rarest of bills—three bands, three stellar sets, and one idyllic evening. Local band Madraso kicked off the night with rumbling, discordant rock that sounded like the racket of a hyperintellectual teenager living in a foster home under the watchful eyes of Dale Crover and Ian MacKaye. Admittedly, sound issues meant that some of that low end was more bowel loosening than the band intended, but their rhythm section still has the weight and dexterity to propel this band to more prominent billing soon. Snitches Get Stitches continue to impress me with their watertight sets and penchant for adding subtle hints of melody to their otherwise whiplash-worthy, classic punk structures. Headliners Black Eyes and Neckties nearly missed their cue, racing into the club at the last minute after being delayed in their hometown of Bellingham. Watching a band that so closely mirrors the work of another Seattle band (the Murder City Devils) in both aesthetics and sound is unsettling, but it brings up some interesting (and perhaps rhetorical) questions. When does homage cross the line to rip-off? Because I was never a huge fan of MCD back in the day, I might be more accepting of their act, but the bottom line is that BEAN are exceptionally talented kids with obvious, over-the-top passion, and their performances are so feral and fearless you can’t turn away from them. Last Thursday’s show at the High Dive was the inaugural night of a national tour; you can judge them on their own merits on May 26 when they’ll play an all-ages homecoming show at El Corazón.
On a quieter note, I’ve been growing increasingly fond of the gracefully executed solo debut from local wunderkind Jeff Fielder. Tracked at Chroma Sound with owner/engineer Brad Zeffren (and so far without a proper label), Last Disguise is full of Fielder’s skillful, multi-instrumental talents and his rich, warm vocals—imagine a more optimistic and child-like version of Jay Farrar with a fine sense of humor and a way with Leonard Cohen covers. 