West Seattle, Washington
01 Tuesday
(Mia Tran painting outside Crawfish House)
5:46 PM: Thanks to Meghan for the tip on this new monthly event launching tonight in White Center and South Delridge! The first-ever Rat City Art and Food Walk – organized by the White Center Business Alliance – is happening right now, continuing until 9 pm and, at some venues, beyond. Here’s the list of participants as published by organizers:
1. 2 Fingers Social – Live Painting, DJ, Tattoos!
2. Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery – Vecinos Art Show
3. Nacho Mama – $5 Mini Native Tacos
4. Misfits Strength Studio – Circus Art
5. Boombox – Karaoke 9 pm-close
6. Lumberyard – Live Art, GameNite 8pm, Happy Hour 4-7 pm
7. Mynt – Gift with Mural Selfie and Social Media Post
8. Alebrijes Oaxacan Kitchen – Kids/Youth Painting & Food Specials
9. Big Mario’s Pizza and Alpine Diner – Live Music & Food Specials
10. Southgate Roller Rink Bar – Karaoke w/ Baby Metten
11. Tim’s Tavern – Live Music W/ Dusty 45s & Tropical Itch Art By Henry Ward
12. Sap Sap Lao Deli – Meatball Skewer Special & Tofu & Gluten Free Sauce Special
13. Que Chevere – Latin Music & Food Specials
14. Crawfish House – Live Painting by Mia
15. Puffy Pandy – DJ, Live Painting, Interactive Panda Mural, Artist Marketplace, $5 Ice Cream Puffys
16. Lariat Bar – Live Art by Nolan Harris & Market by John X Garaizar & Sing in the Ring Karaoke with Christopher Mychael
17. Blu Grouse – Gears N Beers
More photos to come.
6:46 PM: We visited what are essentially the north and south ends of tonight’s zone. Next to the artist in our top photo, MG Creations is at work outside Puffy Pandy:
Across 16th at wrestling-themed Lariat Bar, wrestling-themed art is being created by Nolanium:
At the north end, 2 Fingers Social was jumping – multiple artists, including Rosie Pringle with Super Nature:
Outside, a shave-ice pop-up with White Center’s own Patrick’s Café and Bakery:
You can wander until 9 pm – and make plans for the second Rat City Art and Food Walk on September 19.
(West Seattle Grand Parade 2024 photo courtesy Endolyne Children’s Choir)
Maybe you saw them in the West Seattle Grand Parade, or in The Junction before last December’s tree lighting? The Endolyne Children’s Choir serenades much of West Seattle each year, and young singers interested in being part of it are invited to register for the choir’s fall season. Registration for singers in grades K-12 opens at 10 this morning; here’s what the choir promises:
Our fall session will offer singers a rich experience of the sights and sounds of the season. Students will embark upon an autumnal musical adventure, with songs delving into the traditions and harvests of the fall. The journey continues with singers showcasing the beauty of the holiday season in our spectacular “Winter Fantasy” performance. Along the way, choristers will explore different modalities and diverse musical styles, while making friends, having fun, and honing ensemble skills
You’ll find the registration link on the choir’s main webpage.
6:40 PM: Second Thursdays bring the West Seattle Art Walk, and it’s happening right now! We stopped first at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor), featuring two artists tonight – Mike Henderson (profiled here recently) and Charlie Harries. They collaborated on work including what you see in our top photo.
Charlie is celebrating his birthday (there’s cake!) and Mike showed us his newly published children’s book “Rocks: What Are They Doing?”.
He’ll be leading a puppet-making workshop at WSR on upcoming Thursdays (starting August 15), 4-7 pm, culminating in a puppet show at the August 24th Admiral Funktion street party! Mike and Charlie are at WSR until 8 tonight. More to come – check out tonight’s featured artists and venues here!
6:59 PM: That’s some of the work of artist Matthew D Hoover, at West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW) tonight; he says his work often depicts places he’s been, from Eastern Washington to Tuscany and beyond.
He works in oil and acrylic, primarily. WSG is also one of the three Art of Music venues:
Joshua Dennis is scheduled to play until 7:45, same end time for Larry Murante at Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction and Fae Wiedenhoeft at John L. Scott in The Junction.
That’s a peek at part of the mural that will soon wrap around the Center for Active Living – debuting tonight at the center’s Community Open House. You can talk to artist Brady Black, who has examples of his other work too:
The mural will wrap around the front and side of the center, facing California and Oregon, and will include images of members. Meantime, inside the center at 4217 SW Oregon, you can also find out about its programs (more than 40 offered every week) and its “well-kept secret” restaurant, Margie’s Café (which you can visit even if you’re not one of the center’s 1,300+ members):
Amy Lee Derenthal is the center’s executive director:
The open house is on until 8, and then the center remains open until 10 pm for an ’80s dance party – free admission, live DJ, beverages (beer, wine, nonalcoholic) available for purchase.
P.S. Whether you stop by tonight or not – as we mentioned a few days ago, the center is welcoming new volunteers!
The Center for Active Living (ex-Senior Center) in The Junction has three things to share:
OPEN HOUSE AND DANCE PARTY THURSDAY: Haven’t visited the center lately – or ever? 5-8 pm Thursday (August 8) you’re invited to a community open house, with tours and refreshments. Then 8-10 pm, stay for an ’80s dance party – no charge, beverages (beer, wine, non-alcoholic) available for purchase, along with “throwback-themed snacks.” Dress ’80s-style if you want to!
MURAL UPDATE: We’ve reported previously on the center’s plan for an exterior mural, and the choice of artist Brady Black to paint it. The center says he “will present his final design for The Center’s mural this Thursday at the Community Open House … He’ll be available to chat with community members and answer questions about his process. He is planning to begin painting the week of August 18.”
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: The center is a nonprofit powered in large part by volunteers. Maybe you can help? Here’s the announcement we were asked to share:
The Center for Active Living is currently in need of volunteers to fill the following positions:
Retail Sales Clerk/Cashier: provide general customer assistance in the retail thrift shop
Chef Assistant: help prepare meals for Community Dining Program; chop, bake and general commercial kitchen help
Kitchen Dishwasher: load and unload a commercial kitchen dishwasher
Café Attendant: Take customer orders and prepare sandwiches and salads in The Center’s onsite café
Westside Friends: provide companionship and support to seniors in their home location in West Seattle
Must be 18 years of age or older, and shifts are generally weekdays during the day, and can be two to three hours in duration. Flexible scheduling options are available. To apply, click this link to complete a volunteer application or email dannyp@wscenter.org
The center is at 4217 SW Oregon.
While we’re talking about dance – West Seattle-based Seattle Civic Dance Theatre asked us to let you know they’re having free, open auditions later this month for its 34th annual presentation of “The Magical Doll Maker.” The open ballet auditions for ages 8 through 18 will be on Sunday, August 25 – here’s the schedule:
Beginning level dancers 12 pm- 1 pm
Intermediate/Advanced level dancers 1 pm-2 pm
Auditions will be held at 15811 Ambaum Blvd. SW, Suite 160, Burien
To Register: Find the link here or email Allison, SCDT Board President, at scdtboard@gmail.com
There’s more information about the tryouts on this flyer.
Thanks to Peter S. Miller for that video from a Morris dance performance at Duwamish Cohousing earlier this week. He explained:
The group performed at Duwamish Cohousing, then went to Lincoln Park and danced around the troll. All for the Celtic Festival of Lammas/Lughnasadh.
First, if you haven’t heard of Morris dancing (we’ll admit, we hadn’t), here’s a detailed history. As for the festival, that too has a long history (here’s a short summary), but is generally explained as a harvest festival celebrated around August 1, also noting the coming transition from summer to autumn.
That’s the mural “Old Mud Hole” – now repaired, weeks after a tagger used red paint to vandalize it. When we reported on the damage last week, West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay was still working to figure out how to restore it, since the WSJA’s graffiti team said they couldn’t do it without destroying the underlying mural. Then on Monday, a reader texted us a photo of someone at work on the mural:
And this morning, we found the tagging gone. It reminded us of what happened seven years ago, when another Junction mural was vandalized by tagging, and a mystery artist appeared to clean it up. Mackay tells us this is the same artist: “We talked last night and she got on it. Her name is Tess Morgan. She is a trained artist and has worked on other WS murals.” (Our archives show this one in 2012.)
(WSB photo)
That’s the newest signal-box portrait painted by West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen. It’s at California and Hanford [map]; a reader tipped us about it today. It’s a tribute to Earl Robinson (1910-1991), an accomplished composer who spent his early and late life in West Seattle. His life was chronicled by West Seattle filmmaker, storyteller, and educator B.J. Bullert in a televised documentary, “Earl Robinson: Ballad of an American,” after his death in 1991 in a car crash on Admiral Way.
Earl Robinson Ballad of an American from BJ Bullert on Vimeo.
You can also thank Bullert for the new portrait, as well as Hansen – it’s the result of her winning bid at this year’s Southwest Seattle Historical Society auction (as we noted in our report on that event). After her $1,200 bid scored the right to commission a box by Hansen (his donation for the auction), she said she was envisioning Earl Robinson. She was there today as Hansen worked on the box:
(Photo by Ken Workman)
The location is doubly relevant – Mr. Robinson attended West Seattle High School, around the corner, and, Bullert says, lived at 41st and Manning, blocks away, a few years before his death. Some of his better-known songs, she says, are “Joe Hill” – “Joan Baez sang ‘Joe Hill’ as did many on picket lines. Frank Sinatra sang ‘The House I Live In,’ and Paul Robeson sang ‘Ballad for Americans.’ Three Dog Night made ‘Black and White’ a hit. Lots more. One of his last songs was ‘Message from a New Address’ about death. It’s in the film.” In addition to watching her film, you can learn more about Earl Robinson from this HistoryLink essay.
(Cropped photo – the red-paint tagging extends the full length and to the bottom edge)
If you’ve been to the West Seattle Junction parking lot behind the KeyBank block in the past few weeks, you might have noticed the extensive tagging vandalism on the mural along the south side of the lot, “The Old Mud Hole.” Thanks to Doug for the photos – including this one showing the plaque with the mural’s history:
This is at least the second time in five years that vandals have damaged this mural – here’s one of our 2019 reports – and this time, restoration poses a dilemma. Chris Mackay of the West Seattle Junction Association tells WSB, “Our graffiti team attempted to clean the mural but it’s not possible without destroying it.” So for starters, she’s trying to reach its artist, Mike Svob (who is in British Columbia). This mural is one of 11, mostly in The Junction, created and installed more than 30 years ago as part of a civic enhancement/beautification project. Some were restored through an endowment from the late Adah Rhodes Cruzen, widow of Earl Cruzen, who had spearheaded that original project. WSJA’s Mackay tells us there is some money available to restore this mural – depending on what the cost turns out to be.
6:43 PM: We’re at California Place Park, between a Metro stop and Admiral Church, where Michael Pearsall is playing as the first half of a double bill for the second Admiral Music in the Parks concert, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association.
He’s a veteran musician, playing a self-accompanied set of originals. (He talked about his many years on the road with band Honor by August.) He’ll be followed by the Westside Pretenders. This free concert continues until about 8 pm – come join your neighbors at the park (and if you can, bring non-perishable food to donate).
7:36 PM: The Westside Pretenders have just started their set, opening with the classic “Midnight Rider.”
If you can’t come see this show, the AMP series has one more concert – next Thursday, August 1, 6:30 pm, with The ABBAgraphs, at Hamilton Viewpoint Park.
10:40 PM: Added photos and video.
(Photo by Tom Reese)
As we look at the week ahead, here’s an event to which you’re invited: The closing reception for an award-winning exhibit at the Log House Museum, 6-8 pm this Thursday (July 25). Here’s the announcement:
Join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, photographer Tom Reese, the Duwamish Alive Coalition, and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association on Thursday, July 25 to celebrate the success of t?awi Creek of Hope. The exhibit will be closing at the end of the month.
The award-winning exhibit tells the story of West Seattle’s ancient Longfellow Creek from when salmon first chose to make it their home, through intense urbanization in the late 19th and 20th centuries, through today when the creek and its people are beginning to tell a new story – one of renewed hope.
It features photographs of the creek from award-winning photographer and author Tom Reese and is a collaboration between the historical society, the Duwamish Alive Coalition, and the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.
“The exhibit has provided a unique opportunity to talk about the natural environment in highly urbanized and industrialized areas. The photos by Tom Reese stunningly describe both the power of this creek to support wildlife and persevere, but also how human impact – both negative and positive – can effect change,” says Elizabeth Rudrud, programs and outreach director. Rudrud also acknowledges the leadership of Sharon Leishman, Executive Director at Duwamish Alive Coalition, and Caroline Borsenik, Environmental Programs Director at DNDA, in creating new connections between the historical society and environmental leaders and educators across the region.
This partnership also resulted in extensive community-wide programs including guided hikes led by DNDA Environmental Education Staff and a sold-out panel discussion hosted at the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center that featured researchers from the University of Washington Center for Urban Waters and City of Seattle Public Utilities, authors Kelly Brenner, The Naturalist at Home, and Tom Reese, Once and Future River: Reclaiming the Duwamish, and several community partners.
Last month the exhibit won an Award of Excellence in Exhibits from the Washington Museum Association. To register for the free event, go here!
The Log House Museum is at 3003 61st SW.
6:37 PM: Happening right now at Belvedere Park, the first of this year’s three summer concerts presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. They’ve given a new name – Admiral Music in the Parks – to what was for many years Summer Concerts at Hiawatha (which isn’t a viable venue currently because of the community-center overhaul). Each of this year’s concerts will be at a different park in Admiral. Tonight’s series-opening show is a double bill, Troy Aylesworth (who’s up first) and The Potholes. Get here before 8 pm if you’re not here already – bring a chair and/or blanket and/or picnic.
7:17 PM: A bit of Troy Aylesworth’s music (more video when we get back to HQ):
He is wrapping up his set now – classic Seattle-style sound (you won’t be surprised to hear he’s part of a Stone Temple Pilots tribute band). Meantime, the crowd has grown – lots of young families, some kids romping around even some bubbles if you look closely at this view:
Potholes up shortly.
7:26 PM: While The Potholes set up, ANA president Joanie Jacobs is talking about next week – at California Place Park, next to Admiral Church (which she says is providing power and restroom access for the concert – bring donations for the church food drive if you can). Next week’s music is another double bill – Michael Pearsall and Westside Pretenders.
7:36 PM: The Potholes are performing now.
Miles, Mitch, Hugo, and Jimmy, with Lucy singing.
8:22 PM: The Potholes concluded their set with the Hendrix classic “Fire,” and that’s it for the first Admiral Music in the Parks show. See you at California Place Park (we’re the series media sponsor) next Thursday (July 25), 6:30 pm!
11:50 PM: Added two more photos and two more videos.
More on Don Armeni Boat Ramp signage. First, temporary signs:
Thanks for the tips about these no-parking signs, both inside the park and on Harbor Avenue along the park. They’re for Saturday, July 20, entire day, in the name of MJ68 Productions, for “filming.” The company’s credits, listed online, would suggest the strong likelihood of a car commercial; we have a message out to try to ascertain.
Also at Don Armeni:
(Photo by Stewart L.)
When we reported Monday on that new signage, some commenters wondered how the stated exception for people going fishing would work, especially considering a salmon season is coming up. We asked Parks, and spokesperson Rachel Schulkin told us no exceptions: “The gates will remain locked until 6 AM. This is a short-term response to mitigate crime and dangerous activity taking place along Alki and at this parking lot.”
That’s Paragon, the 20+-year-old bones-of-a-boat sculpture at həʔapus Village Park and Shoreline Habitat on the Duwamish River in West Seattle. On Sunday night, we reported on the request for community support, from its artist Don Fels. He had contacted us to sound the alarm that after years of neglect, the city Office of Arts and Culture is now contemplating demolishing it because of deterioration, and he asked for notes of support before a scheduled Tuesday meeting with an A&C rep. Fels has since updated us – while also taking issue with a city statement that we added Tuesday morning to the original story, saying that “Seattle’s rainy climate (and) the passage of time” are largely to blame for the sculpture’s condition:
That is blatantly untrue. The City paid an engineer to examine the sculpture in light of the current debacle, and in his report he very clearly states that if there had been a maintenance plan, and had it been followed, the boat would have lasted many more years.
The directors are disregarding that information, just as for years they disregarded the advice of their own conservator. I have a file of emails, going back several years, saying that she knew the boat needed pressure washing and recoating and intended to get right on it. Then each time, she followed those emails apologizing for not doing so, saying that she was told not to. I understand that the city has many artworks in their care. But as Chuck Graydon, a master boatbuilder in Tacoma, who built the wooden structure, and knows how wooden boats fare in our climate, said in a recent letter to the City, “The city of Seattle assured us, when the sculpture was installed, that they would maintain the structure. Looks like that didn’t happen.”
I am greatly buoyed by the support I have received by West Seattle residents, other artists in the area, and by several important regional entities including the Duwamish Tribe. I am confident that working together, the City and I can find a way forward that will result in a renewed Paragon, and its rebuilding will include significant community participation. But the process is not furthered by the city spinning untruths. I have worked a lifetime as an artist and as a person trying to do the right thing. I would expect the city would be doing the same.
We’re following up with Arts & Culture regarding both Paragon’s maintenance history and what happens next. Fels, meantime, says letters of support are still valuable – email kelly.davidson@seattle.gov and cc him at donatofels@gmail.com.
Here’s a reminder about another big West Seattle summer event this weekend – the Alki Art Fair! It will line the promenade, from Alki Bathhouse westward, with artist booths Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (July 19-21), with live music on Saturday and Sunday (the main stage is on the lawn east of the Bathhouse). Hours are 2-8 pm Friday, 10 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday, for artist booths, noon-7 pm Saturday and 11 am-5 pm Sunday for live music. More than 90 artists are participating this year – see the lists (grouped by their specialties) here, plus a lineup of almost 20 “emerging artists.” The festival is free, with the help of donations and volunteers (check at the booth by the Bathhouse for ways you can support – often there are fundraising silent auctions or raffles during the festival).
P.S. An interactive Kid Zone “featuring hands-on art and music activities for all ages” plus a dozen food vendors, too!
It’s a 27-year tradition for the West Seattle Big Band – the midsummer Concert in the Park. Here are some of the people who showed up tonight to enjoy the free concert at High Point Commons Park:
They were treated to more than an hour and a half of music from the WSBB, directed by Jim Edwards, with vocalists tonight including the band’s newest singer, Sam Henry:
Longtime vocalist Jenaige Lane, too:
And a guest return appearance by former vocalist Jeff Carter:
The concert was sponsored by the West Seattle Grand Parade (this Saturday!). During the school year, you can catch the WSBB performing at fundraisers for student musicians; you’ll often see them at other big West Seattle events too, like the Fauntleroy Fall Festival in October.
Ready to take a chair, blanket, and/or picnic dinner to the park for a free concert? You have two chances in the next three nights:
(WSB photo, 2022 Big Band Concert in the Park)
TUESDAY – BIG BAND CONCERT IN THE PARK: 7 pm tomorrow (July 16), High Point
Commons Park (Lanham and Graham) fills with the swinging sounds of the West Seattle Big Band, directed by Jim Edwards. The park concert is a midsummer tradition, sponsored by the West Seattle Grand Parade. This is the 27th year!
THURSDAY – ADMIRAL MUSIC IN THE PARKS, CONCERT #1: 6:30 pm Thursday (July 18), one of this year’s three new venues (plus a new name) for the concert series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association – this show is at Belvedere Park (3600 SW Admiral Way), with Troy Aylesworth and The Potholes. Also new, you can order a picnic spread in advance from Soirée, to be delivered to the park!
The artist who created an iconic West Seattle sculpture is asking for support in his quest to save it from being demolished instead of replaced.
(Photo courtesy Don Fels)
That’s the Paragon, installed more than 20 years ago at what’s now known as həʔapus Village Park and Shoreline Habitat (formerly T-107 Park) along West Marginal Way near the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse. We heard from artist Don Fels over the weekend – he explains that this dates back to when he was the lead artist on the West Seattle Cultural Trail on Alki 25+ years ago – and continued it down West Marginal Way. He picks up the story from there, in the email he sent us explaining why he’s asking for community words of support:
I created three sculptures there, including the Geo-Slice, which tells the geomorphic history of the site, and the Paragon, which features a scaled-down wooden framework of a halibut schooner designed and built in Seattle in 1923. The sculpture is now in mortal danger!
The sculpture was a broad ranging collaboration between me, the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, the Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle City Light and people from the Croatian community of West Seattle. I obtained the plans for the original Paragon, which is still fishing up in Alaska, and then Michael Vlahovich, a third-generation boat builder, whose grandmother lived on the site, built the wooden ‘boat’ with his boat-building students at Bates Technical College.
Under the boat are several panels giving the history of the site- telling how the Native people who lived and fished there were forced out by destruction of the habitat, how immigrants from (the then) Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy moved in, often squatting, to live and build boats. The Port bulldozed down their settlement, which even though the Port arranged to have the sculpture created on the site, they let me acknowledge in the text I produced for the sculpture.
Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture was charged with maintaining the wood boat structure, which they failed to do. There is now considerable rot and it is infested with carpenter ants. Suddenly, their solution to years of their neglect: tear it down. To counter that very real threat, I am organizing a rebuild of the wooden boat (the steel and concrete structure is sound). In very short order I have garnered support from the Center for Wooden Boats, the Burke Museum, the Port of Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, Allied Arts, and thanks to the great help from Ken (Workman), the Duwamish Tribe. I continue to reach out to other potential partners, and am certain there will be many others.
At present we are planning for a community rebuilding of the boat next year. I would WELCOME volunteers, donations of materials, etc etc. But for now I’m looking to get letters from the community sent to the Office of Arts and Culture from people who want the sculpture to remain and be fixed up. They can be directed to the Deputy Director, Kelly Davidson. Her email is Kelly.Davidson@seattle.gov.
Fels is meeting with her on Tuesday morning and adds, “If anyone feels compelled to write her, it would be wonderfully helpful if they did so before then, so that she sees there is real support to save the sculpture. I want them to take ‘deaccessioning’ (i.e. destroying it) off their agenda. This is very important ASAP, because once they officially stamp it ‘deaccessioned,’ the sculpture goes from being an artwork to a corpse.” If you can spare a moment to email Kelly Davidson, Don adds, please cc him, at donatofels@gmail.com.
ADDED TUESDAY MIDDAY: Here’s the statement we received from the Office of Arts and Culture:
The Office of Arts & Culture envisions a city driven by creativity that provides the opportunity for everyone to engage in diverse arts and cultural experiences. Deaccessioning artworks is always a last resort. The first priority of any public artwork commission is to ensure that there is no risk to the public if the structure were to break apart or collapse.
Don Fels’ Paragon has stood at həʔapus Village Park & Shoreline Habitat since 2001, honoring its surrounding communities. It is one of 400 art works in the Seattle Civic Art Collection, each of which requires maintenance. The Office of Arts and Culture has maintained the structure over the years, however, Seattle’s rainy climate, the passage of time (23 years) and the original materials used in Paragon have resulted in this very natural outcome. We look forward to meeting with Mr. Fels this week to discuss the options for potentially saving the current structure. (Indeed, we will be meeting with Mr. Fels later this morning). That said, the structure is currently a significant safety hazard that must be addressed as soon as possible.
Anytime people are moved by art, we consider our mission successful.That you all feel passionate about this artwork to write to us and save it makes us proud.
Gülgün Kayim
Director, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
Two reasons not to stay home Thursday night!
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK, WITH THE ART OF MUSIC: First reason, it’s the first West Seattle Art Walk of summer! From North Admiral to Morgan Junction, dozens of businesses welcome you to stop and see art and/or enjoy food/drink specials.
To find out who’s where and when, browse the venue-by-venue previews on the Art Walk website! Most Art Walk events start at 5 and continue until 8, a few later. In the heart of that, you’ll find three Art of Music mini-concerts this month: Norman Baker @ WEND Jewelry in the Admiral District, Birch Pereira & The Gin Joints @ Verity Credit Union in The Junction, and Marco de Carvalho @ Pine Lake Cellars north of Morgan Junction.
They’re all playing 6 pm-7:45 pm Thursday at their respective venues. Learn more about the musicians – and check out video samples of their work – by going here.
SUMMER FEST EVE: In The Junction, Thursday night is more than Art Walk night – it’s also West Seattle Summer Fest Eve, the night before summer’s biggest party, when you can wander the closed-to-traffic streets as festival setup continues. In addition to the aforementioned Art of Music performance at Verity, Easy Street Records has a 7 pm in-store concert with The Dip, and what’s becoming a Summer Fest Eve tradition – Jennifer Cepeda‘s DancePowered dancers will practice this year’s flash-mob-style performance (we’re still checking on the time for that don’t-miss event). You might find other surprises as you roam The Junction’s streets Thursday evening (like early-setup sidewalk cafés where you can dine out at your favorite Junction spots while enjoying the summer night air).
In addition to the upcoming music-laden multi-day festivals – West Seattle Summer Fest this weekend, Alki Art Fair one week later – we have three more outdoor-concert updates (all free):
(WSB photo, July 2023)
BIG BAND CONCERT IN THE PARK: 7 pm Tuesday, July 16, is the night you can see, hear, and dance to the swinging sounds of the West Seattle Big Band, directed by Jim Edwards, at High Point Commons Park (3201 SW Graham), sponsored by the West Seattle Grand Parade.
The next two updates are for the concert series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association – we had dates and times but not the bands, until now.
ADMIRAL MUSIC IN THE PARKS, CONCERT #1: Double bill for this 6:30 pm July 18 show at Belvedere Park (3600 SW Admiral Way) – Troy Aylesworth and The Potholes.
ADMIRAL MUSIC IN THE PARKS, CONCERT #2: Another double bill for this 6:30 pm July 25 show at California Place Park (California/Hill) – Michael Pearsall and Westside Pretenders.
(The third AMP show was previously announced as ABBAgraphs, 6:30 pm August 1st at Hamilton Viewpoint Park.)
Hot ticket at Easy Street Records last night – West Seattle’s own THEM packed the house, celebrating their first EP “Girls Mind.” After making their entrance down the stairs from the Easy Street loft, greeted by raucous cheers, they launched right into the title track:
The EP is “the first physical copy of our music we’ve ever had,” the musicians enthused. It arrives midway through a year that started auspiciously, with THEM performing at the Space Needle on New Year’s Eve. We first featured THEM – formed at Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) – after ” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>their debut 2 1/2 years ago. Other songs from THEM’s CD on last night’s set list included “Sophia”:
Besides being known for hosting in-store shows with rising stars as well as long-established musicians, Easy Street has extra reason to take pride in THEM – band member Hudson works there. She and Ellie, Thompson, and Maia have more big summer gigs ahead, including the Capitol Hill Block Party. (Last night friend Brandon sat in on drums.)
That photo is from WSB contributor Jason Grotelueschen, who also posted this YouTube playlist of more music from the Easy Street set, which THEM followed by signing “Girls Mind.”
By Christopher Boffoli
Special to West Seattle Blog
When one considers how important utility poles are to modern life, we really don’t give them much thought, until a driver plows into one of them and the lights go out. Nearly 100,000 poles stand around the city, carrying power, communication, and providing light to streets. When I was a kid we simply called them “telephone poles” for the landlines they carried. These days they’re much more likely to be strung with fiber-optic cables than the twisted copper of old. However, while most everything at the top of the pole has gone digital, the communication at the lower reaches of these tall, straight wooden posts remains refreshingly analog.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli unless otherwise credited)
Walk up to any utility pole along West Seattle’s main arterials and you’ll likely find a pincushion of metal staples, nails, and tacks, the remnants of decades of informal, community advertising. Beneath official street signs that direct (or restrict), you might find yard sale posters, lost pet fliers, color photocopies advertising a random assortment of services – from tango lessons to gutter cleaning – and maybe stickers that still remind us that Andre the Giant had a posse. It was also on a utility pole, in the 3400 block of California Avenue SW, that I first encountered a series of enigmatic posters that, while aesthetically executed, left me with so many questions about their meaning and origin.
The first one I noticed could have been a one-off for all I knew; three pieces of white paper with a simple but distinctive red block typeface, which began faded but grew darker as the text descended: “WE ARE LOST STILL WE ARE DEVOTED”
It was restrained in its presentation. Even the punctuation was omitted. The few random words barely comprised a thought. It was not at all provocative, though it did compel my interest. In the days and weeks that followed, as I walked past the pole while running errands, I found myself looking forward to what new piece might be posted there, eager to see if more of the story would be revealed. I was disheartened whenever I would see that the posters had been ripped to shreds, but then was always buoyed by every new installation, which happened with impressive frequency. The forces of destruction were doing their best, but creativity was winning.
The writer in me wondered if there was an overarching story, as a narrative purpose is generally a pretext for art.
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