Jesse Kivel with Ex-poets and Sophia Knapp at the Bootleg Theater

My first 2018 residency night adventure was a drive to the Bootleg Theater.

The night started out pretty solid with Ex-poets. It isn't too much to say that their music does sound like poetry. They had just started off as I walked in and I was loving their sound immediately.

Ex-poets

Sophia Knapp did a Hotel Cafe style set.

Sophia Knapp

Jesse Kivel is doing the residency. He mentioned that he had taken a multi-year break from performing. It is good he's back at it.

Jessse Kivel

Brass Box, Egrets on Ergot and Spirit In The Room at The Satellite

This was a fun night.

Egrets on Ergot went crazy with the stage show. I swear one could think pirate, West Asia, random and any number of words and that would explain their show. And given all that, there was one fan who sat on The Satellite floor throughout the set.

Egrets on Ergot

Spirit In The Room wore the black for an all out rocking set.

Spirit in the Room

Brass Box also wore the black for ethereal sounds.

Brass Box

Low Volts and Stephen El Rey at Harvard & Stone

It was a free week of music during the first week of January. I started things off at Harvard and Stone. It was a night of blues/rock. Stephen El Rey started things off with Johnny Cash style. He gets the quote of the night when he said: I'll pass a box of razor blades around for you all.

Stephen El Rey

I saw Low Volts three years back. It was nice to catch this one man show again. There were some amusing moments where he had conversations with his fictional bassist and second guitarist.

Low Volts

Ever So Android with The Great Sadness and Aud Mammal at The Hi Hat

It was a final 2017 show for me. For this final show, I went off to The Hi Hat. There was a nice variety of music.

The Great Sadness opened things up with a two-piece buzz saw. It was a rush. 

The Great Sadness

Aud Mammal's lead singer was celebrating her birthday. In fact, the whole night was her night. She has some deep vocals that make you swoon.

Aud Mammal

Ever So Android is a band that I put on my Top 15 New Band List for 2017. They did not disappoint with their Seattle punk.

Ever So Android

Travis Peery residency at The Satellite

There was some nice diversity of genres going on at The Satellite for Travis Peery's last residency night.

First up was Mason Summit who would have fit in nicely at a Hotel Cafe line up.

Mason Summit

Then Alaeddin X brought some power rock.

Aladdin X

Travis Peery ended the night with good old Americana sounds.

Travis Peery

Cover Night at The Hi Hat

It was a cover night at The Hi Hat in support of WFSU Fest.

Starting things off was New Evil doings great imitations of Billy Idol.

New Evil

Inti Wawa did some great rendition of No Doubt songs.

Inti Wawa

Cass Cravens did a one woman show of Tegan and Sara covers.

Cass Cravens

WASI did Le Tigre covers in colorful style.

WASI

Shannon Lay with Laena Geronimo and Night Shop at the Echoplex

A special night at the Echoplex. The night started off with Laena Geronimo from Feels doing a solo set. "Open your heart to me," she sang in the quite chamber of the Echoplex. It was so quite one could hear her clicking on the pedals.

Laena Geronimo

Night Shop provided another singer songwriter. While he tuned his guitar, he said, "A band member of mine used to get so nervous when tuning that in the middle of tuning he'd say, 'That's good enough."

Night Shop

It was a Feels night. Shannon Lay did her final stint of a short December residency. I swear there were moments where I thought I was listening to Enya. So wonderful.

Shannon Lay

Saro with Banoffee and Stormi Bree at the Resident

I had this night circled for awhile. Saro was playing and I hadn't seen him since early January.

Banoffee opened up the night with a look that had me thinking Mad Max. Of course, she is from Australia so maybe that helped the reference. She played her synth with aplomb.

Banofee

Stormi Bree did a short set. She's a former Miss USA. She had her keyboard and sang a few songs. Her friends were out in force.

Stormi Bree

Saro was anything, but sorrowful. Though, I will say, his eyes can convey a multitude of feelings.

Saro

At The Hi Hat: MetronOhm, Taleen Kali, WASI, and Lucy and La Mer

It was a diverse night of music at The Hi Hat for the first night of WASI's residency.

MetronOhm brought an air of Basia.

MetronOhm

Taleen Kali brought some punk sounds.

Taleen Kali

WASI brought the fun with plenty of folks playing with balloons.

WASI

Lucy and La Mer brought the cherry sounds against a backdrop of awkward dances.

Lucy and La Mer

Nightgown and Spare Parts for Broken Hearts at The Satellite

It was off to The Satellite to catch a couple bands. Nightgown opened the night by providing some stylish glamour

Nightgown

Spare Parts for Broken Hearts ended the night for me by providing some rocking sounds.

Spare Parts for Broken Hearts

At Hotel Cafe with Cody Crump, Cashew and Cleary and Sounding Arrow

I headed off to Hotel Cafe as I was invited to see The Smoking Flowers. I also got to see three other bands/musicians. Cody Crump, Cashew and Cleary and Sounding Arrow.

Cody Crump gave a solo performance. The crowd was small, but filled with love from friends.

Cody Crump

In terms of Cashew and Cleary, I learned later that Cashew used to be part of the Kiss or Kill music scene.

Cashew and Cleary

Sounding Arrow gave The Hotel Cafe audience some downright awesome sounds with a fashion sense that screamed Northwest country.

Sounding Arrow

SUR and Liz Huett at The Hi Hat

I guess it was an Interscope night at The Hi Hat. Both SUR and Liz Huett are signed by Interscope. SUR gave the crowd some power vocals as well as some rap freestyle. Liz Huett provided the pop sounds. I couldn't help but notice one thing while searching through Liz Huett's Instagram account. One of her photographers is Sarah Barlow who happens to be the cousin of my friend Jodie (who used to front The Shakers). Just so random.

SUR

Liz Huett

Jenny O and Salar Rajabnik at Zebulon

2017 is coming to a quick end and I have to say it has been a solid year of music. That includes the end of 2017. Why? Well, one reason is that I usually only get to see Jenny O once a year; however, this year I got to see her twice. I just love her sound. And one of her backup musicians for this particular set was Rachel Goodrich. First, I couldn't help but notice how Jenny O played a significant portion of her set with one foot lifted just inches above the ground. It was almost like she was practicing some The Karate Kid moves. And then there's Rachel Goodrich. I do love how she plays her bass. She makes it look so cool to play.

Jenny O

Salar Rajabnik opened up the night with solid singer songwriter skills. For one song, he brought out the harmonica.

Salar Rajabnik