West Seattle, Washington
30 Sunday
Tomorrow night, Belvedere Park is the place to be for the next major outdoor-music event of the summer – the first of three AMP concerts, presented at three parks over the next three Thursday nights by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, all free! The series opens with Steve Aliment and Annie O’Neill – here’s a sample of their music:
6:30 pm start time, bring a chair and/or blanket, and get ready for fun options during the show if you’re interested – a knitting circle, board-game library, and music-related crafts! The park is at 3600 SW Admiral Way, right across from the viewpoint, so best access is on all but the north side.
In front of a sun-dappled field full of people, Jim Edwards celebrated two anniversaries Tuesday night – 30 years for the West Seattle Big Band, which he founded and directs, and 42 years with his wife Barbara.
He even dedicated one of the songs at the band’s annual Concert in the Park to her:
“Someone to Watch Over Me,” featuring vocalist Jenaige Lane, was one of 23 songs the band performed in their no-intermission hour-and-three-quarters set, played in a new setting – the field at Grace Church. The playlist was eclectic – classics like “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” featuring vocalist Sam Henry:
As Jim said, it’s all but mandatory to have something by Glenn Miller:
And from the pop-music vein, two classics by the group Chicago – an instrumental version of “25 or 6 to 4”:
And a duet on “Saturday in the Park”:
After telling an abbreviated version of the West Seattle Big Band’s origin story (eatured here a few days ago), Jim launched the band into another anniversary commemoration – “Stars and Stripes Forever” in honor of the USA’s recent 250th:
On the eclectic side was “UFO”:
And the big-band big-sound continued wth “Mack the Knife”:
Balancing that out was summer-night serenading like “Georgia on My Mind”:
Jim also noted along the way that the timing of this concert is always a little wacky – it’s sponsored by, and a prelude to, the West Seattle Grand Parade, which he coordinated for many years, now leading its safety operation. His daughter Michelle Edwards, who took over as parade coordinator several years ago, was front and center with the band tonight as its longtime keyboardist.
Barbara Edwards is integral to the parade operation too, as its judge coordinator. But the parade is still a few days away, and Tuesday night was a time to make and enjoy music in the warm summer air.
The West Seattle Big Band’s biggest mission is to raise money for school music programs, so watch for their appearance at fundraisers as well as annual events like this and the Fauntleroy Fall Festival.
Less than a year after The Missing Piece moved from 35th/Roxbury to California/Alaska, its old home has a new tenant on the way. We heard from Joey Shevelson, who says he’s opening a music school in the space, as a local franchisee of Bach to Rock. Joey, a West Seattle resident, says he’s a “lifelong musician” but has memories of music lessons that weren’t very fun. He says Bach to Rock – which teaches all ages, not just kids – is “focused on the joy of music.” He told us he doesn’t have a timeline yet as he’s just started the permit process with the city
Again this year, Belvedere Park (3600 SW Admiral Way) is where you’ll go for the first concert of this year’s Admiral Music in the Parks series, free concerts presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. Thursday, July 16, is the night, 6:30 pm is the time, and Steve Aliment & Annie O’Neill are the musicians, promising “rock ‘n’ roll, country, and soul.” Three free concerts, three parks, bonus activities including a knitting circle and board-game library, each of the next three Thursday nights.
(Photos and video by WSB contributor Anne Higuera)
To celebrate the new vinyl release of a 15-year-old recording, The Head and The Heart appeared at Easy Street Records on Thursday night during West Seattle Summer Fest Eve. The “Live at Neumo’s” record is an Easy Street exclusive, and purchase was required for admission to the in-store show during which three of the band’s members performed, with the others joining them for Q&A afterward. That was moderated by Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan, who introduced the band and talked about how they started as a “consignment band”:
Members share a bit of history too – our video below is their song “Down in the Valley,” which singer Jonathan Russell explained was inspired about a night shortly after he moved to Seattle from Virginia, when he was stranded at a bar in Fremont and ended up walking seven hours to the Central District:
Russell, Charity Rose Thielen, and Matt Gervais played the songs, and then were joined by bandmates for the Q&A.
Russell answered a question about how songwriting has changed for the band over time, and mentioned that, though they don’t all live in they plan to gather in Seattle this fall to work on a new album, though he acknowledged it’s hard to just be able to work together for a couple of weeks and have it be productive. “To take a week or 2 and meet up and just hope that things are working and firing and sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes it does … And I think, you know, this band basically merged out of a collective mindset. We’ve remained like a democratic band in terms of, you know, sharing, splitting everything equally … movement within that collective … but at the heart of who we are, we’re a real band (where) everyone kind of contributes and steps up in different ways in terms of the right writing and performance … And so it’s going to be amazing.”
Admission to the performance was contingent on the purchase of the band’s new vinyl album, The Head and The Heart Live at Neumo’s, recorded in 2011. “What prompted the release of a 15-year-old recording?” asked Easy Street’s Vaughan. Several band members took turns answering. They said they felt insecure about it in the immediate aftermath, so “it was put away for a long time,” until they started working on their 15th anniversary package and ended up talking with Sub Pop about making the custom release. “It’s such a fun listen to go back and eel the energy from that time … it was such a hurricane, it was like a whirlwind that was happening in this city around us and it’s such a good document now. So I’m just proud that we kept it …”
Besides the capacity crowd inside, people gathered in the carless-for-the-festival street, and the windows were opened after a while so they could listen in as the music rolled out.
(2025 Fauntleroy Art Show photo by Ana Del Claro)
Here in the heart of summer, planning continues for fall – here’s an alert for local artists:
This fall’s popular Fauntleroy Art Show will be accepting applications through September 4 for the November 13-15 event.
Hosted by Fauntleroy Church, the show has been spotlighting the exceptional creativity and craftsmanship of local artists and artistic crafters since 2008.
Applicants working in any medium must reside in or have studio space in West Seattle, Burien, South Park, Georgetown, or Vashon Island. Find details and the application form at fauntleroyucc.org/art-show.
(WSB photo, April)
Some news today about the future of Harbor Island Studios, the county-owned film-studios facility in the old “grain silos” visible from the West Seattle Bridge. The facility was championed by former King County Executive Dow Constantine; under his successor, Girmay Zahilay, it was targeted for cuts last year. Today, Executive Zahilay announced that the county will proceed with “surplussing” the site in hopes of finding a buyer, but in the meantime they’ve found a firm to lease it for at least a year. Here’s the announcement sent by the executive’s office:
Today, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced a one-year lease agreement with CREATE48 Media Network for the use of Harbor Island Studios, supporting the region’s growing film industry, strengthening the creative economy, and expanding job opportunities for local filmmakers, creatives, and production professionals.
“Harbor Island Studios has been a unique public asset that supports King County’s film industry and creative economy. I’m glad we were able to find a nonprofit partner to continue momentum for the community while we work with stakeholders to develop a long-term strategy that supports access to affordable film and production space in our region,” said Executive Zahilay. “We’re excited that CREATE48 Media Network will activate and operate this valuable studio space over the next year, bringing more stories to life while also while also empowering creatives and creating pathways into film and media careers.”
“CREATE48 Media Network is deeply grateful to County Executive Zahilay and his staff for their leadership, responsiveness, and partnership in reaching an agreement that keeps Harbor Island Studios moving forward,” said Kirk Nordenstrom, Executive Director of CREATE48 Media Network. “Their work helps preserve critical production infrastructure while allowing us to continue building pathways to family-wage careers in King County’s creative economy. We also want to thank Councilmembers Balducci and Mosqueda for their encouragement and support throughout this effort. Together with County leadership, KCFAB, industry partners, and community stakeholders, we look forward to helping shape a long-term strategy that maintains a strong, sustainable production studio presence in King County.”
With programs in Seattle, Montana, Oregon, and the Bay Area, CREATE48 Media Network produces inclusive, career-building opportunities for filmmakers at all stages. Local programs include the Seattle 48 Hour Film Project, which will take place July 10-12, with the kick-off event taking place at Harbor Island Studios, and screenings of all participating films to then be held at SIFF Cinema Uptown July 27-30, 2026. Additional programs include the Seattle 48 Hour Horror Film Project, the Burien Film Festival, Diversity in Representation Fund, as well as co-hosted free networking events with a variety of industry partners, and educational podcasts to break down barriers to entry in film and media.
Harbor Island Studios is an 89,000 square-foot facility with two sound stages and is the only publicly owned soundstage regionally. Since its official launch in June 2023, Harbor Island Studios has hosted over 160 productions from Paramount Studios, HBO, Amazon, and Netflix, as well as number of independent short films and features, commercials, and music videos.
The studio has also hosted short film competitions, industry training events, and student workshops and tours, supporting career development and local trades.
King County recently completed a surplussing analysis on the property, which is owned by the Solid Waste Division in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks Resources (DNRP). Due to the cost of ongoing maintenance needs, the Solid Waste Division plans to move forward with the surplussing process over the next year to determine if there is another government or private entity who would like to purchase the space.
Executive Zahilay’s administration will continue to work closely with County Councilmembers, local film industry advocates, arts organizations, and creatives to identify a long-term, sustainable studio model to support film production in the region.
“District 8 is home to some of our most cherished cultural institutions and a thriving homegrown arts scene, and I’m thrilled that we have been able to keep a driver of our arts economy alive at Harbor Island Studios,” said King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. “In partnership with Executive Zahilay, this agreement with Create48 allows for continued film and commercial production, providing a space for our next generation of creators to bring their visions to life, while spurring business at our local shops and employing community members in good union wage jobs.”
”Film is such a rich medium, building community through sharing our stories and our common humanity, both of which we need now as much as ever. Today marks a critical step to preserve Harbor Island Studios as a vital part of our local film industry,” said King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci. “I am grateful to the Executive team and Create48 for stepping up to keep this unique asset alive. There remains hard work ahead, and we will need all hands on deck. I remain committed to working with Executive Zahilay, the County Council, the film community and advocates as we chart a future of long term sustainability and success for Harbor Island Studios and for local film production right here in the heart of King County. ”
The surplussing analysis says the current appraised value of the site is $22 million.
(Artist Deborah S. Baker)
On this drizzly summer night, you have indoor options – like the first night of the West Seattle Art Tour preview at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
(Artist Phil Jones)
Meet some of the artists who’ll be part of this year’s tour and see some of their work! The tour itself isn’t until fall but it’s a great night for art anyway (and wine!).
And if you can’t get here tonight, visit next Thursday on West Seattle Art Walk night.
When you see the phrase “West Seattle music legend,” you might think of, oh, say, Eddie Vedder. But long before grunge, there was Earl Robinson (1910-1991), the subject of this signal-box-portrait tribute in the Admiral District.
Above at right is artist Desmond Hansen, and at left is West Seattle filmmaker B.J. Bullert, whose one-hour documentary about the Admiral resident and West Seattle HS graduate, “Earl Robinson: Ballad of an American” will be screened at Admiral Theater tomorrow night as a fundraiser for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s summer concert series. That series, Admiral Music in the Parks, is just two weeks away – more on that in a moment. First, in case you missed the original announcement, the benefit screening is at 6:30 pm Thursday (July 2), which happens to be Mr. Robinson’s birthday. The award-winning film features “archival footage and performances of Earl Robinson’s iconic American repertoire by Joan Baez, Frank Sinatra, Paul Robeson, Josh White, Three Dog Night, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and of course Robinson himself,” the announcement notes, and will be followed by “a Q&A with the filmmaker, moderated by local historian Clay Eals, to learn more about Robinson’s life and works.” You can get your ticket here, with proceeds supporting the free-to-watch Admiral Music in the Parks on three consecutive Thursday nights starting July 16 – scroll down this page to see the lineup of places and performers!
(WSB photo – All-City Band in 2025 West Seattle Grand Parade)
The Seattle Schools All-City Marching Band is a signature sight and sound of summer. And this year the All-City Band celebrates its 75th anniversary! You’ll of course see them in the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 18. But before that – two events of note, both in West Seattle – All-City Band alumni and supporters are invited to this celebration:
Seattle All-City Marching Band 75th Anniversary Banquet & Auction
Friday, July 17, 2026 | 5:00–11:00 PM
Brockey Center | South Seattle CollegeCelebrate 75 years of music, memories, and tradition at an evening of dinner, fellowship, live and silent auctions, and special recognition of the alumni, directors, and supporters who have shaped the Seattle All-City Marching Band.
Reconnect with fellow alumni, share memories, and honor the rich legacy of the Seattle All-City Marching Band.
Tickets: $75 per person
Alumni: Please register by July 6, 2026, to guarantee your banquet ticket.
Current band members and their families: Ticket sales open July 7, 2026, based on availability.
The band also invites alumni to perform with them in the Chinatown Parade on July 19 and in West Seattle at this year’s Band Jam, which is also free to spectators, 6 pm Friday, July 24, at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
For banquet tickets, and/or alumni-performance registration, go here. (And if you’d like to support the Seattle All-City Marching Band another way, you can donate here.)
Though we’re just barely stepping into summer, local artists invite you to an event Thursday that’ll preview one of the biggest art events of fall – the <strong>West Seattle Art Tour September 19-20! Here’s the invitation for the preview:
West Seattle Art Tour announces its 2026 Preview Event at Viscon Cellars, July 2-September 26! Get a Sneak Peek at art from this year’s West Seattle Art Tour participating artists during preview nights this summer!
The West Seattle Art Tour is pleased to announce that Viscon Cellars (5910 California Ave SW, Suite B) is hosting the West Seattle Art Tour Preview Event, Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, July 3-September 26, 2026!
The fun begins Thursday, July 2, from 5:00–9:00 pm. Stop by for a sneak peek at the colorful, dynamic work of this year’s tour artists. Meet some of the more than 50 artists in person to chat about their work and answer your questions. While you’re there, enjoy a glass of Viscon Cellars’ delicious wine and mingle with other art lovers.
If you can’t make it Thursday, July 2nd, the artwork will be on display Fridays, 5:00-9:00 pm and Saturdays, from 1:00–6:00 pm through September 26th. Or join us during West Seattle’s Art Walks July 9th, August 13th and September 10th, 5:00-9:00 pm. Print copies of this year’s Tour Map will be available on site during the previews.
About the West Seattle Art Tour: The West Seattle Art Tour is a free, self-guided tour that showcases a unique array of art created by exceptional West Seattle artists in the spaces where artists create, live, teach and work. This year sites will be open for two days, allowing more time for visitors to see all of the locations. This year’s tour Information includes a printable map, an interactive online map and artist profiles to help guests plot their own adventure across the West Seattle Peninsula. Maps and more are available on the Tour’s website, https://www.westseattlearttour.org.
The West Seattle Art Tour is organized by local artists and art lovers with support from The West Seattle Blog, Viscon Cellars, Alki Arts, BECU, Susi Musi & Co., Capers Home, West Seattle Garden Tour, C&P Coffee, and Cat Brooks Design.
Bicycle riders to and from downtown likely have seen this already – but if you don’t travel along the northernmost section of East Marginal, you haven’t seen this new public artwork. Here’s how the city’s Art Beat site explained it today:
The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Department of Transportation celebrate the city’s newest public artwork located along East Marginal Way. On the Fence, by artist Will Schlough, is installed along the 1-mile corridor section between S Holgate and S Horton Street, adjacent to the newly built protected bike lanes.
Will Schlough is a Seattle-based public artist whose artwork is site-specific and informed by the community. With a broad portfolio of murals and public sculptures throughout the country, Will aims to create work that is surprising, playful, and thought-provoking, providing moments of playful reflection for passersby.
Intended to beautify and enhance the long corridor, On the Fence is an ambitious panel-based mural inspired by the surrounding environment and designed to visually wrap around the fence to which it’s attached. While on its surface the artwork is a collection of scenes that play out as an illustrated storybook, the work is designed to reflect on our relationship with the landscape, our use of natural resources, and ideas of beauty and value in the context of human industry.
Bicyclists and other visitors will experience a series of vignettes or installations along the corridor. The individual installations are thematically and stylistically connected, presenting flora and fauna that thrive in disturbed and urban areas, as well as human-made elements that help develop an engaging and evolving narrative.
The artist also has a work in West Seattle, shown here on WSB before – in the automotive-technology center at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor).
As we first reported in April, Avalon Glassworks‘ owners are retiring, and June 30 is their final day – so you have two more days to shop their retail store adjacent to the glass-blowing studio, 12 pm to 4 pm Monday and Tuesday.
(2025 photo courtesy West Seattle Glass Float Hunt)
For those wondering what this means for the annual West Seattle Glass Float Hunt, for which Avalon Glassworks has made the floats, we noticed this paragraph in a recent news release about city grants:
$29,100 to West Seattle Chamber of Commerce for the West Seattle Glass Float Hunt, taking place August 7 through August 16, 2026, is a free community art event that invites residents and visitors to explore neighborhoods across the West Seattle peninsula while searching for handblown glass floats hidden in parks, greenspaces, trails, public walkways, and participating businesses from Alki Avenue to Roxbury Street. Created by local glass artists, each float is a small piece of public art meant to be discovered, photographed, and shared. The hunt encourages people to experience West Seattle’s parks, neighborhoods, and small businesses in a new way while celebrating the region’s connection to Pacific Northwest glass artistry. It also serves as a small business activation and economic development effort that guides participants through neighborhood commercial districts and encourages visits to local shops, restaurants, cafés, and other businesses helping support the independent, local business culture in West Seattle. Community match: $29,320
Since the news release specifically mentioned the Chamber, which has partnered with the West Seattle Junction Association on the float hunt, we asked executive director Rachel Porter about its status, and she replied that Avalon Glassworks has already made this year’s floats: “We were able to get them made before they close, so this is our last year with them at the helm of the glass blowing. The goal will always be to use a West Seattle business, and we are hoping the next owners of Avalon will help us keep this tradition alive! We don’t know who we will work with next year, but fingers crossed that someone buys Avalon soon.”
Thanks to Mark Jaroslaw for the clip from last night’s free Seattle Chamber Music Society “Concert Truck” show outside the Alki Bathhouse. As you can see in Mark’s video, it wasn’t just instrumental – an opera vocalist sang, too. The “Concert Truck” series has one more stop in West Seattle this summer, Wednesday (July 1) at 6 pm at the Seattle Chinese Garden (north end of South Seattle College campus at 6000 16th SW) – you can see the performers and program (for last night too) by going here.
Got room on the family schedule for summer camp? Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and Mode Music and Performing Arts have news for you!
Mode Music Studios and Mode Music and Performing Arts are inviting West Seattle families to enroll in our summer music programs, with a commitment that finances shouldn’t stand in the way of art education.
Through our Pay What You Can program and grant-funded scholarships, eligible students can attend half-day and full-day camps at a reduced cost or completely free. We have scholarship funding available all summer and are hoping to connect with more families who could benefit from these opportunities.
Mode Music Studios also offers weekly Summer Rock Band camps for elementary, middle, and high school students. Each week, young musicians form a band, rehearse together with professional coaches, and wrap up the week with a live performance on the Tim’s Tavern stage in White Center.
Our Rock Band camp beginning July 6 will culminate with a special performance on the West Seattle Summer Fest Main Stage on Saturday, July 11.
Families can also visit our booth at West Seattle Summer Fest to learn more about lessons, camps, scholarships, and our nonprofit programs.
We’d love to help more West Seattle kids discover the confidence, friendships, and joy that come from making music and creating art.
–Sign up for rock bands at modemusicstudios.com/camps for ages 6-13 and 13+
–Sign up for half- and full-day pay-what-you-can music and theatre camps at modemusicandperformingarts.org/camps for reduced and free tuition
-Sign up for private music lessons at modemusicstudios.com/sign-up
(WSB photo, 2025 concert crowd at Hamilton Viewpoint Park)
On this first weekday of summer, we’re checking in on some of the big West Seattle events ahead. That includes updates on the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s concert series, Admiral Music in the Parks. We brought you the lineup announcement last month. But you’ll find more than music, as ANA’s Meagan Loftin explains in this update:
Less than a month until AMP: Admiral Music in the Parks returns for our first concert of the season!
In addition to a rockin’ music lineup, we’re happy to announce some returning and new offerings to amp up our concert series. Seattle Yarn is back this year hosting their weekly knitting circle at each concert and PCC Community Markets is also returning this year with snacks and information about the co-op. New this year, we’ll also have a board game library and a music-craft activity for kids next to the Admiral Neighborhood Association booth.
And if you’re planning to bike or stroll to the concerts, Alki Bike & Board is sponsoring a new valet-style attended bike and stroller corral at each park to make sustainable transportation an easier option for everyone. We’re excited for another great summer of concerts in the parks and we hope to see you there!
July 16th @ Belvedere Park: Steve Aliment and Annie O’Neill
July 23rd @ California Place Park: Michael Pearsall and Friends
July 30th @ Hamilton Viewpoint Park: Driftwood Drive
AMP wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and our “Producer” sponsors Far Away Entertainment, the Historic Admiral Theater, WEND Jewelry, and West Seattle Grounds.
If you’re interested in learning more about AMP and our commitment to supporting local musicians or you’d like to learn how you can invest in our mission to provide free and accessible public arts programming to everyone in our neighborhood visit our website, www.connecttoadmiral.org/amp.
You can also purchase tickets on our website to our July 2nd fundraiser; a special screening of the award-winning documentary Earl Robinson: Ballad of an American followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker B.J. Bullert.
One of this weekend’s major events is happening Saturday inside historic Kenyon Hall – a benefit concert and auction for West Seattle Indivisible, partnering with Southend Indivisible, in support of “defending democracy and building community.” Doors open at 6:30 pm Saturday and music starts at 7 with a lineup of local musicians and singers including Moon Girl:
See the lineup here, where you’ll also find a preview of another highlight of the night: Curated live and silent art auctions, including an original work by a Ukrainian artist living near the front line – here’s that backstory, from WSI:
Yury Vasilyev – WSI member, Russian immigrant, and co-lead of the concert planning team – will perform as HALANSKi at the event. His story was recently published as a Spotlight essay on our website. Yury has a connection with an artist from Ukraine, Itaveli, who created an original painting for the auction. She is from Dnipro, 60 miles away from the frontline. Last time HALANSKi talked to her, she said she stopped going to the shelter during air raids because sleep is more important to continue living than going into the shelter. The painting, “The Voice of Reason” is her favorite painting and it was hard for her to part with it. She will be happy to know it will end up in good hands. WSI plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the piece to the local Ukraine Defense Support organization.
Gift cards donated by local businesses will be auctioned too. Tickets to the Saturday night event are $25 general admission, $125 VIP, available online until noon Saturday; after that, tickets will be available at the door as long as capacity remains at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW). Beverages, including a mock/cocktail “Summer Solstice,” and light snacks will be available for purchase.
That’s the first song the local band Chewing Gum performed at their Easy Street Records show tonight, celebrating the release of their EP “Possum.” Since we had talked about the show with Magen Holgate, who runs their label The Big Dark Records, we wanted to hear their sound, and it was just as billed – classic grungy Seattle, loud, unapologetic. You can catch them at two summer shows – 7 pm Friday, July 10, at The Big Dark Corner stage (California/Alaska) at West Seattle Summer Fest, and 4 pm Friday, July 17, at the Alki Art Fair.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Magen Holgate wants you to listen.
To local music, specifically.
“People don’t realize they could be listening to great West Seattle music,” she laments, as we chat in a local coffee shop.
One great place to start: Tomorrow night’s free in-store show at Easy Street Records (7 pm June 18) by the local band Chewing Gum. It’s a CD release show, and the CD is on the label that Magen leads, The Big Dark Records.
Chewing Gum – four girls, three of whom are high-school students – is the second band on Big Dark Records; the first one, also an all-girl band, is Sad Dad Autumn, who you might have seen at some gigs around town, including last year’s Admiral Block Party.
The three members of Sad Dad Autumn happen to be Magen’s daughters with husband Kellen Holgate, and they’re an integral part of The Big Dark Records’ story. “My husband and I were in California bands … we’re now a family full of musicians … life is music at our house, instruments everywhere … Last year we realized we had all the skills to start a label.” So they did, and started by recording their daughters’ band (here’s the album, “The Great Dying”). “It’s important to us to produce music; Seattle is such a music city.”
For some people, that perception is stuck in the ’90s, and if you ask about Seattle music, they’ll recite a list of grunge bands from back then. But that’s because “sometimes nobody is listening,” so Magen is determined to show them why they should be listening to the new young artists.
Not just the ones she’s recording; she says that since they only have so much recording capacity, so far, she’s intent on mentoring, too, and connecting other local bands to opportunities. She’s also been teaching local musicians about music publishing: “We create a playlist of all-local music … I update it every month” on Spotify. (It’s called SoundCheck – Seattle – here’s the link.)
(Chewing Gum – photo courtesy The Big Dark)
Tomorrow’s Chewing Gum CD-release show “will be our first physical release,” and they’re serious about getting the music out first in that format: “It’s not going to be streamed” for several weeks – “we hope people will support it.” (You can check out their single online in advance – go here.) Believe it or not, Magen says, in the same way that vinyl records have seen a resurgence among adults, “kids are buying and trading CDs.”
She decribes Chewing Gum’s sound as classically Seattle – in the same way that her label’s name is – “It symbolizes our big dark season … the creative season.” (The logo is a crow stealing the sun.) You can spend the fall and winter creating music, and then in the (short) warm season, you can enjoy it.
Toward that end, Magen says, The Big Dark Records will play a role in West Seattle Summer Fest music this year (July 10-12 in The Junction) – the festival usually has a small second stage, and she says they’re programming that one – with local musicians, of course, including soloists on Sunday.
But first, the Thursday show by Chewing Gum (whose CD, by the way, is produced by the Holgates’ oldest daughter). Magen will of course be there to meet and greet the public. They’ll have a merch table, too, and you can talk with her about local music. She’s sure that once you hear more of it, you’ll be hooked. “Our goal is for people to listen to local music again … I want to create excitement about West Seattle music.”
Next stops on that road: Easy Street at 7 pm Thursday, followed by West Seattle Summerfest next month.
By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
For a second year, performers spanning generations will take the stage together in BAYFEST’s Intergenerational Theater Project show this Friday and Saturday in West Seattle. We attended one of the final rehearsals to get to know the cast and learn about the age-defying connections that have blossomed since the group began rehearsing in February.
Unique to this program is the intentional age differences between cast members – six high-school students and six older adults. The spring show, titled “Verses, Voices, and Visions,” works to explore collective experience across generational lines through poetry and personal testimony.
“I’ve always been interested in this intergenerational connection, and noticing more and more that young people are disconnected from older people and vice versa,” said Robert Shampain, the founder and executive director of BAYFEST Youth Theater program. Shampain has been directing this specific project since he introduced it in West Seattle last year.
The poetry selections featured in the show were hand-selected by cast members, who work to deliver vivid, engaging recitations.
“We are doing acting, but at the same time analyzing poems,” explained Lucy Hostetter, a member of the teen cohort. “It also kind of feels like an English class.”
Shampain began Saturday’s rehearsal with a group working on a performance of “Filling My Purse with Commas” by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. He directed the mixed-age group with a certain passion and sincerity – tweaking details as the rehearsal ran, to align the cadence of the spoken word with the actors’ movements.
“Robert is very intuitive, and he’s very good at what he does. It is amazing to see what he sees, what he decides works, what doesn’t, and how beautifully he expresses it,” said Virginia Pellegrino, a member of the senior cohort.
When rehearsing “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein, Robert urged the cast to take the poem line by line. They considered which words Silverstein intended to lay emphasis on, and how this could be conveyed through performance. He read a line aloud, “What does this suggest to you?” he asked the actors.
“I’m giving them feedback like I would when I direct a professional production, and they respond. You don’t need to be a professional actor to really respond to the idea of what it means to perform honestly,” Shampain said.
A real sense of connection develops through the later half of the show, titled “The Personal Writings.” Cast members were each asked to describe an experience that any part of the poem selection invoked. The accounts will be read in the first-person by a member of the opposite cohort, oftentimes with teens reading of circumstances that they wouldn’t otherwise relate to.
“There’s a real magic in saying somebody else’s words as if they are yours in the first person. It sort of automatically makes you honor them,” Shampain explained.
While this sense of connection will unfold for audiences watching the performances next weekend, what they won’t see is the behind the scenes camaraderie that develops as a cast works towards their common goal.
“We are all working on the same thing and are being asked to be vulnerable in the same way,” Pellegrino reasoned. “My preconceived notion was that they (teens) wouldn’t really show up and want to engage, and that was not the case. I found it really joyful.”
“We don’t have the ‘teenage audacity’,” Lucy explained. “We’re not always on our phones,” her friend Sloane Pothier added. “I kind of expected there to be a cutoff dynamic between the older generation and the younger generation. We have definitely become more of a community than I thought we would,” Sloane continued.
“Half of them ride motorcycles!” Lucy exclaimed jokingly.
The two students were joined by fellow cohort member Eve LeBlanc, who explained that she was participating alongside her grandparents. Not only will she be bridging a generational gap, but doing so with members of her own family.
Shampain emphasized his intention at keeping the program small as it develops. Specifically, keeping it local to West Seattle. “It’s not something that we want to expand too much. Keeping this community based in West Seattle really, it feels right.”
“Verses, Voices, and Visions” will be performed, free admission, this Friday and Saturday (June 12-13) at three different locations. Friday’s show will be at 4 pm at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). Saturday’s shows will be at 2 pm in the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church, and 7 pm at the West Seattle Golf Course Clubhouse Banquet Room (4470 35th SW).
Got a musical instrument you don’t need any more? A local student is organizing a donation drive, and asked us to share the request with you:
My name is Julian, a 7th grader who lives in West Seattle, and I have a Bar Mitzvah coming up on June 20th. As part of that, I am doing a Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) Project. It is a project where you give back to the community in a way that is meaningful to you.
I am helping organize an Instrument drive to Ted Brown Music Outreach, because they give a lot of instruments to people who can’t afford them, and I want everyone to have the opportunity to play music…. I think it would really help if the West Seattle community got involved.
If anyone has instruments to donate, they can drop them off at the School of Rock West Seattle (4701 41st Ave SW) or any Ted Brown Music location. Those without instruments can also donate money toward instrument repair and distribution.
Here are details of what can and can’t be donated:
What can you donate?
-Funds to support the program and repair instruments
-Working/salvagable band and orchestra instruments
-Playable/needing minor adjustments guitars
-Functional amps, pedals and other electronic equipment
-Professional keyboards and synthesizers
-Weighted-key fully functional digital pianos
-Complete name brand drum sets in good conditionPlease do not donate:
-Student instruments needing major repairs
-Acoustic pianos or organs
-Pianos built into furniture
-Keyboards with visible damage
-Sheet music or method books
-Non-functional electronic gear
-Empty cases
-Benches and stools
-Music StandsYou can donate funds at this link. Have questions or need us to pick up an instrument? Email my dad at chad.young@gmail.com
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
Frank Gross says the century-old Ashcroft Building in Admiral is the forever home for his Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) shop, where the neon sign is now up and where the official opening follows a 9:45 am ribboncutting Saturday (June 6). We stopped by this morning for a peek inside.
“I’m not moving again,” he laughed – after three moves in 11 years – as we looked around the new space for his shop and co-housed The Bass Shop (also a WSB sponsor). Frank said he’d underestimated how much had to be moved – he got the “biggest possible U-Haul,” feared it might be overkill, but then wound up making multiple trips. But moving the merchandise was just the final touch on the painstaking process of converting a former pet-supply shop (now in a new home nearby) into a big new music shop. Lots of details:
That’s an existing support beam covered in reclaimed Douglas-fir lumber obtained from EarthWise. And then there’s the brick veneer added to the rear walls of the two rooms that are centerpieces of the shop:
The one above is dedicated to acoustic guitars, including the enabling of sound quality that allows a customer to try one and really hear what it sounds like. Next to it, a room for “premium and vintage” guitars:
And then of course there are the guitars and basses hanging on the walls lining the rest of the space.
Design Well Spent designed the space, and both Frank and Bass Shop proprietor Chad Beeler are thrilled with how it turned out.
The branding and other art inside and outside is the work of Thunder Road’s longtime collaborator Aaron Johnson of Pixel & Quill. But the new shop isn’t just about the looks, it’s also about the location – the proximity of schools including West Seattle High School and Lafayette Elementary. And they hope to be an inspiration to younger musicians.
Speaking of the next generation – joining them and the shop team (above, and if you haven’t met Frank and Chad, they’re third from left and left, respectively) for the 9:45 am Saturday ribboncutting will be Frank’s kids, ages 10 and 8. He’s hoping that’ll be an enduring memory for them. And that the new shop space will endure, too.
GOING TO THE GRAND OPENING: Hours both days this weekend will be 10 am-6 pm; highlights are in this preview from earlier this week.
Story and photos by Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“In a budget crisis and a country which centers capitalism above all else; arts tends to not be the focus, and is the first thing to get cut. But here, we still believe in its continued importance and ability to bring community together.” These were the words of South Seattle College‘s Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Dr. Eileen Jimenez. She spoke today to a crowd which, despite unsettled weather, showed up for the college’s unveiling of its new mural.
The presentation of the mural, designed by Seattle artist Tori Shao, marked the culmination of this quarter’s ART204 (Mural Painting) class at South. Students in the class worked on the project throughout the entirety of the spring quarter.
(Tori Shao and Scott Méxcal)
“We are always looking at underutilized spaces here at the college, and bringing them to life.” said Scott Méxcal, the professor who taught ART204 this quarter. Two of his students from the class, Millie and Dream, spoke about the mural and how it brought them and their classmates closer together through the intensive process of collaboration.
Many of the speakers also talked about the larger themes of the mural, and the way they relate to indigeneity and the Northwest environment. The mural depicts a nurse log; a decayed log from a fallen tree which provides a fertile place for new seeds in the forest to grow, representing the cycle of death and rebirth.
The ceremony opened with drumming by Willard Bill Jr., Tribal Government Liaison to Seattle Colleges, and member of the Muckleshoot Tribe. After the drumming, he spoke about how he was inspired by the portrayal of ferns on the mural, and how he was looking at restarting practices of bringing indigenous food sources such as ferns back into his diet after years of colonization. Professor Méxcal spoke about the way in which nature seemed to echo the themes of the mural itself during the painting process, telling how the trees shone their shadows on it during long spring afternoons, and one day in which two eagles circled overhead while the class was painting outside.
And artist Shao told her story of the mural:
These themes are carried over in the college’s ongoing commitment to offer more murals. The college told us that this is their second of seven planned murals, with a new one planned to be unveiled around this time each year. The number, they said, represents the ‘seventh generation’ principle in many lines of indigenous American thinking – that one must consider the impact of their current actions on the seventh generation after them.
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