(WSB video)
In a weekend full of holiday concerts, this was no doubt the biggest, boldest, brassiest sound to be found … the West Seattle Big Band performing this afternoon at Admiral Church. We recorded most of the first half, in case you missed it. Above are the first three songs – a medley, “The Christmas Song,” and “Home for the Holidays“; below, “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Marshmallow World”:

Jenaige Lane and Sam Henry sang with the Big Band today; they teamed again during “Let It Snow.”

Jim Edwards directs the West Seattle Big Band, whose musicians donate their time and talents, often for students, but in this case, as a fundraiser for Admiral Church itself, getting ready to move out of its longtime home, after choosing to replace it with 21 housing units (primarily affordable homeownership) and a new church.

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This is a big week for holiday-season/winter concerts in West Seattle (you can see the list in our Holiday Guide). Among the groups performing are the ensembles within West Seattle Community Orchestras; two presented their free winter concert on Monday night, and two more are performing tomorrow (Wednesday, December 11), 7 pm at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle). Above is a clip sent tonight by Dawn Hepburn, a member of the WSCO Concert Orchestra, from its performance of “Sleigh Ride” on Monday night. No tickets required for tomorrow’s concert – just show up! (Here’s more info about the WSCO.)

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Bayfest Youth Theatre‘s Robert Shampain says his students in the Chief Sealth International High School drama program are about to open “one of our best shows ever”! We stopped by last night for their dress rehearsal of “The Rake’s Progress” – here’s how they’re inviting you to come see:

What do Mozart and Lady Gaga have in common? Their music is great, they both like to have a good time, and they’re both featured in our fall play, “The Rake’s Progress” – a modern 18th century fable about Love, Temptation, Greed, and the wages of sin.

Sound heavy? IT’S NOT!!!!

It’s fun, sweet, rollicking, funny and a little devilish (at times…) With great costumes, sets, and lights in our newly-upgraded Performing Arts Center, this is fun for the whole family, and by buying tickets you will be supporting the Sealth Drama Program, which has lost a huge amount of funding this year due to school district budget cuts. Come and support our very hard working teen actors, designers and techs, and crew, who have been putting this show together since September.

Showtimes in the CSIHS auditorium (west side of campus, 2600 SW Thistle):

Thursday, December 5th – 7:30 PM,

Friday, December 6th – 7:30 PM,

Saturday, December 7th – 2:00 PM,

Saturday, December 7th – 7:30 PM,

Sunday, December 8th – 2:00 PM

You can buy advance tickets online here – $14 adults, $9 students – or at the door, $17 adults, $12 students.

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11:58 AM: Thanks to teacher Vincent Della Pella for the photo! That’s the newly installed street mural on SW Dakota in front of Genesee Hill Elementary. The mural features fox tracks in honor of the school’s mascot, and we’re told the tracks were all designed by GHE students! (Students at GHE have been involved in a mural before, too – here’s our report on a 2023 project.)

12:45 PM: Just talked to GHE principal Liz Dunn by phone, and we learned the mural has quite a backstory – “three years in the making,” she says. It’s part of a “School Street” – closed to through traffic during school hours – she’s long been working toward, in collaboration with SDOT. After that was settled, principal Dunn says, she asked how she could get some art on the street, and SDOT worked with her on that too. The mural components are actually thermoplastic applied to the street, not paint (so we updated the original report to “installed” rather than “painted”). In addition to the fox pawprints, other aspects of the school’s logo – trees, books, music – are incorporated into the mural. Overall, Dunn says, it’s intended to help bring more joy to the school and its students. “This really frames the school beautifully!”

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If you’ve been to ArtsWest to see the holiday musical “Snowed In (Again),” that’s playwright Corinne Park-Buffelen at left in our photo. Corinne visited HomeStreet Bank (4022 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) to celebrate the conclusion of ArtsWest’s monthlong showcase at the bank; she and HomeStreet’s Andrew Tento drew two winners for pairs of tickets to see “Snowed In (Again).” Every month HomeStreet’s West Seattle branch showcases a different community business or organization, concluding with a prize drawing – you can enter just by visiting the branch, which is open Mondays-Thursdays 9 am-5 pm, Fridays 9 am-6 pm. The featured business for December is Meeples Games.

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The floor and the loft at Easy Street Records were packed tonight for hometown faves The Dusty 45s, celebrating their new album “All the Beauty in Between.” We couldn’t stay for the whole show but caught several songs including, above, “One Girl,” and below, “Cash in Her Soul“:

Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan introduced Billy Joe Huels and his band as “relentless” (and might we say, Vaughan knows a thing or two about relentlessness). Huels, for his part, told the crowd, “I’m Billy Joe, I live right down the street.” He explained the songs were largely written “during the COVID break,” including “Thursday Afternoon,” recalling the simple pleasure of going out for a walk during pandemic times. You can get the album via links here (and listen to clips from the rest of the songs). And if you want to see the band again, albeit outside West Seattle, they have a show at Tractor Tavern next Wednesday.

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Four months after playing at West Seattle Summer Fest, a beloved West Seattle band has a new album out! The Dusty 45s have released “All the Beauty In Between,” produced by West Seattleite Johnny Nails. Saturday night, they celebrate with a live performance at 7 pm at Easy Street Records (free, all ages, as always) plus a vinyl release of the new album. Billy Joe Huels of The Dusty 45s tells us you also can stream the new album at thedusty45s.hearnow.com/all-the-beauty-in-between.

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As highlighted in today’s event list, the Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) is on until 2 pm. And if you stop to talk with the artists, you’ll find everyone has a story. For painter Cleopatra Cutler, this is her first time at the fair:

For painter Jennifer Carrasco, it’s her last time. She is offering cards, as well as prints of fanciful scenes showing horses she had painted on a Spokane carousel come to life, from an unfinished children’s book she wrote – telling the story of their wild times after hours:

Angie Marcelynas from The Little Merle has jewelry that’s recycled art, transforming tidbits of items that once had another purpose:

Corie‘s Hello Image wood art is created with lasers:

And Molly Donovan‘s Cashmere Creatures are billed as “emotional support” – eminently huggable:

Other artists are there too – with holiday gift possibilities, or maybe just something to treat yourself to.

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That’s a rehearsal photo from the next student production at West Seattle High School, opening tomorrow (Thursday, November 14), “Ophelia.” The student cast and crew are hoping you’ll be part of the audience during one of the performances. Here’s what it’s all about:

Ophelia
Book by By Jeff Wanshel

Directed by Allison Irvine, this play imagines a world where, rather than being relegated to an unceremonious offstage death, Ophelia takes center stage in the story of Shakespeare‘s most famous brooding prince. Join us for a night of swords, vengeful ghosts, and perhaps more than one person hiding in the curtains…

The show dates are November 14th, 15th, 16th and 20th, 21st, and 22nd at 7:30.

Here is the link to get tickets.

$10 adults and $5 students

The performance venue is the theater at WSHS (3000 California SW).

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Individual artists and venues are spotlighted in this preview on the Art Walk website. Highlights this month include Afro SPK‘s reception, 4-8 pm at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor). You’ll also want to roam between the three Junctions to catch this month’s Art of Music performances:

North to south, the Nathan Roz Duo is performing at Soprano’s Antico in Admiral (2348 California SW), Jean Mann is at The Beer Junction (4511 California SW), and Cyd Smith is at Whisky West (6451 California SW). All performances are 6-7:45 pm with a 15-minute midpoint break, no cover. Learn more about the musicians here!

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After nearly 17 years in the role, Fauntleroy Church Music Director Bronwyn Edwards plans to step down in June. Fauntleroy Church is casting a wide net in search of a new director, who will tie music to a theme for each service and work with volunteer musical talent to promote joy and connection. To review the job announcement, visit www.fauntleroyucc.org/jobs.

“Visitors to Fauntleroy Church often mention three things that help them feel at home—our mission, our focus on children’s programming, and our vibrant music program,” said Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski, the church’s senior pastor. “Our music program is powerful, thanks to a great director, our choir, and vocal and instrumental ensembles and soloists who present a wide range of sacred and secular music in many different genres.”

The Music Director position is part-time (on average 28 hours per week) and includes benefits. Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume on or before Tuesday, Dec. 31, per directions found at the link above. Fauntleroy Church is a member congregation of the United Church of Christ.

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Here on the first day of Pacific Standard Time, summer feels like a long way away. But local artists are invited to have summer in their hearts and come up with creations to submit for the West Seattle Garden Tour‘s annual art competition – one week until the deadline, Sunday, November 10:

We welcome your submissions for our 2025 event and look forward to seeing your art!

Each year West Seattle Garden Tour, a 501(c)(3) organization, seeks out other nonprofits whose goals fit our mission—to promote horticulture, education, and artistic endeavors within West Seattle and neighboring communities. Your submissions and the winning art, along with the generous support of our sponsors, allow the West Seattle Garden Tour to fund projects in our community that align with our mission. Our 2024 tour raised and distributed $57,700 for 11 local nonprofits.

Submissions should be reflective of the following narrative with a focus on use of color, composition, texture and contrast to excite interest in the tour.

Gardens are personal statements that reflect the passions and creativity of their gardeners. They may be places of refuge and retreat or active environments that invite engagement. The gardens featured in our tour exhibit those qualities as well as an artful mix of design, rich color palettes, texture, contrast, creative and inspiring use of plants, art, and hardscaping.

You can find the rules/guidelines here, and send in your entry here. Think bright and beautiful during these long dark nightd, looking ahead to next year’s Garden Tour, set for June 22nd.

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Thanks to Mark Jaroslaw for the video! On Saturday, La Chingona Taqueria (2940 SW Avalon Way) celebrated Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) with performances including Aztec dancing and mariachi musicians, plus a procession to remember those who’ve gone before.

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Thanks to West Seattle photographer Holli Margell for the photos of the new mural wrapping around the Center for Active Living in The Junction. She says she happened to find out that muralist Brady Black was wrapping up his work while she was in the area on Thursday.

Holli notes, “Fun note is that all of the people in black and white on the mural are referenced from photos of members and employees of The Center.”

You can compare it here to the concept the artist showed off during the center’s August open house.

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We didn’t have time to stop and talk with the mural crew but last we heard they were planning to wrap up by tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22).

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