Steve Smith started the Seattle Drum School in a run-down
building in North Seattle with a simple goal of providing a place for
young people to learn to play the drums. As the demand for a more
diverse curriculum increased, so did Smith’s school. Now it’s opening a
supplementary all-ages venue, the Slab, in its Georgetown
location (1010 S Bailey St, 763-9700), making SDS an even stronger
asset for a community in need of resources for young musicians.
Starting things off right, the sparkling new space will be hosting a
grand-opening show this Saturday, June 27, featuring Shotty, New
Faces, the Lonely Forest, and the Kleeners.
Young shredders the Kleeners got their start at SDS, where
they payed their practice-space rental fees by doing light janitorial
work. They’ll be kicking things off with their throwback tip-of-the-ax
to Zeppelin and vintage psychedelic rock. Dust off your metal fingers,
Georgetown, because lead guitarist Quinn Mazure’s fret-board workouts
are seriously vicious—not your everyday janitor rock. Since
winning EMP’s Sound Off! competition in 2008, Port Townsend transplants
New Faces have showcased a great potential for mainstream
success with their dark garage-rock sound. Landing a record deal before
graduating high school, as the band did last year with Seattle’s
Loveless Records, is a pretty good sign for any young act, and with
tonight’s show acting as the kickoff for their summer tour, New Faces
look ready to take off. With indie popsters Shotty and the Lonely
Forest rounding out the bill, tonight’s show should open the Slab in
style.
Fri June 26: Hip-Hop Period at Hidmo Eritrean
Cuisine, 8 pm, free.
Fri June 26: Hoquiam, Loyalty Is Blue, Bryan John
Appleby at Q Cafe, 9 pm, $6.
Fri June 26: Bend-It Festival at Cal Anderson Park,
3 pm, free.
Sat June 27: Shotty, New Faces, the Lonely Forest,
the Kleeners at the Slab, 7 pm, $5.
Sat June 27: BAADD, Forrest Friends, Elephant
Kiss?, Alaskas, Secret Colors at Chilladelphia, 8 pm.
Sun June 28: St. Rainbow, Horde of Two, films by
Clyde Petersen, Doug Arney at Hollow Earth House, 6 pm, $5.
Sun June 28: Bend-It Festival at Vera Project, 6:30
pm, free.