Underage

The accordion is an annoyingly mysterious instrument. To me, it
looks like the easiest thing in the world to play—just squeeze it
a little and hit some keys or something, right? My 1-year-old nephew
could do that. But I tried it once, and the results were disastrous.
Turns out that accordions are heavy and complicated and require a lot
of skill in order to not sound like a beached whale on helium. I
have no idea how they work.

But you don’t need to be able to play (or even understand) the
instrument in order to appreciate it. And this week, accordion
enthusiasts (or even those who are just curious) have a perfect
opportunity to see some masters in action at the Monsters of
Accordion showcase.

Organized by Seattle’s own Jason Webley, Monsters of
Accordion features some of the world’s most animated squeezebox
players, including former Gogol Bordello member Stevhen
Iancu of Japan, whiskey-fueled folk musician Geoff Berner of
Vancouver, Eric Stern of Portland’s Vagabond Opera, and
Jimmy the Pickpocket from local drunken vaudevillian band the
Bad Things. Webley will also be performing.

These musicians attack the accordion with a reckless abandon that
proves the thing isn’t just for polkas (Webley alone is an animal of a
showman who often gets big dance circles and raucous sing-alongs going
at his shows). Monsters of Accordion is Wednesday, August 26, the
Triple Door, 7:30 p.m., $12. I propose someone do a Monsters of Theremin tour next. MEGAN SELING

All Ages Calendar

Fri Aug 21: John Van Deusen, Karl Blau, Goldfinch
at Q Cafe, 7:30 pm, $7.

Sat Aug 22: Black Lodge, the Helm, Sean, Scourge
Schematic at Black Lodge, 8 pm.

Sun Aug 23: The Way of the B-Boy screening followed
by a live viewing of Massive Monkees on MTV’s America’s Best Dance
Crew and music by Fever One at the Vera Project, 7 pm, free.

Sun Aug 23: Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong, Polar
Bear Club, Fireworks, A Loss for Words at El Corazón, 6:30 pm,
$12 adv/$14 DOS.