Seattle hasn’t heard much lately from “Awesome,” the seven-piece theater/art-rock/garage band that, over the past five years, has threatened to redefine the American musical as a place of moods and textures instead of high jinks and wocka-wocka-wocka. (Still: They never forget the importance of being funny.) Their Delaware: A Subtle Spectacular was (obliquely) about a mermaid, loss, and whether Delaware exists. Their noSIGNAL was about bees, suicide, and office workers. Now The West, directed by Matthew Richter, is about horizons, restlessness, and an ideal destination that does not exist. What’ll it be? Who knows? I can’t wait to find out. (On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. 8 pm, $18. Through April 25.)
Brend an Kiley has worked as a child actor in New Orleans, as a member of the junior press corps at the 1988 Republican National Convention, and, for one happy April, as a bootlegger’s assistant in Nicaragua.... More by Brendan Kiley
Well, I love Awesome (absolutely one of my favorite Seattle bands of all time) but the show is a snoozer. We couldn’t see half the show with the heavy handed direction (and those damn boxes in the way!) The shining moment was the third act where the band stood in a V formation, sang their hearts out and ended with bunch of glowing bouncy balls falling from the sky. Fun! You could SEE the band actually playing their instruments.
There is some great new Awesome music in the show but for the most part the audience (what the hell was that blind spot second act all about?) couldn’t see the band perform. And sorry to pour it on, but I love band and care enough to let ’em know – but what happened to being fun and funny and actually smiling once in a while?
Awesome: please come home. We want to hear (and see) you sing and play your instruments. Go ahead and interact, have fun and be funny. Your recent self-directed show at the Seattle Center was killer! Please come back West where you belong. We miss you.
xo
your fans