WS culture/arts 3001 results

Today/tonight: From Kenney to “Sweeney” to Morgan, and more

At left is The Kenney‘s CEO Kevin McFeely, when we caught up with him at West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction last weekend. This afternoon he’s expected to be at the Municipal Tower downtown as The Kenney introduces its landmark nomination for the Seaview and Sunrise Buildings to the city Landmark Preservation Board (see the document here), a prelude to The Kenney’s redevelopment plan moving forward. 3:30 pm, board room on the 40th floor of the Muni Tower. The rest of the Wednesday highlights happen tonight:

(Photos by Matt Durham of mattdurhamphotography.com)
ArtsWest ‘s “Sweeney Todd” opens tonight. It’s a production of the Summer Youth Musical Theater Apprenticeship Program and plays through July 25; showtimes and ticket info can be found here. Also tonight — three meetings tackling an array of big issues:

NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING: The traffic circle at left is just one example of the many tools that can be used to “calm” neighborhood traffic. If you have questions, concerns, ideas about your neighborhood, anywhere in West Seattle, come to an SDOT public meeting at 6:30 tonight in the South Seattle Community College board room. The Southwest District Council-presented event also includes a Backyard Cottages briefing at 7:30 and an 8 pm version of the briefing that will happen earlier at the next event:

DELRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL: Haven’t made up your mind yet on the bag-fee referendum that’s on next month’s ballot (official city voters’ guide info here)? That’s the measure asking city residents whether to approve or reject the City Council-approved fee for using non-reusable shopping bags. A pro-bag fee rep will speak to the Delridge District Council tonight, among other items on the agenda at 7 pm, Youngstown Arts Center.

MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: We published a preview last night (see it here); tonight’s MoCA meeting, 7 pm at The Kenney, includes a long list of hot topics from The Viaduct to RapidRide to future work at the Lowman Beach pump station.

Video: Mudhoney at West Seattle Summer Fest

That’s our video of Mudhoney‘s first song at West Seattle Summer Fest tonight – “The Money Will Roll Right In” – following the introduction by the West Seattleite who’s running for the biggest job on this year’s ballot, and is backed by many members of the music community, King County Executive candidate (and County Council chair) Dow Constantine. Mudhoney played more than an hour on the Alaska Stage (in the street by Junction Plaza Park). Thanks to Babs (one of many awesome WSBers we were honored to chat with during the festival today – we’re there Sat/Sun too) for sharing photos including this one:

Tomorrow’s Summer Fest live music slate starts at 12:30 pm – see the full schedule here – with highlights including Supersonic Soul Pimps on the California Stage (north end of the festival) at 8:15 pm.

ADDED MONDAY MORNING: Lots of buzz about “bodypassing,” “moshing,” “crowd surfing,” whatever you want to call it, during Mudhoney’s set. Found someone else’s video on YouTube that actually caught it on camera during the later song “Touch Me I’m Sick”- about 40 seconds in:

West Seattle Weekend Lineup: WS Summer Fest edition

July 10, 2009 11:20 am
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 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

wswllicon3.png West Seattle Summer Fest is happening RIGHT NOW! It rules the weekend, 10 am-8 pm today and Saturday, 11 am-7 pm Sunday, but we’ve got more to share too — like the Seafair Pirates Landing on Alki Saturday, swing dancing in Puget Ridge on Saturday night … more than 50 events in all, ahead in the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club … (And good luck to everybody riding the STP!!!!) …Read More

West Seattle designers’ T-shirt tribute to Michael Jackson

With the much-publicized memorial just hours away, Michael Jackson headlines are rampant again. We have just one here at WSB: West Seattle designers/artists/musicians Heart On My Sleeve (profiled here in March) have designed and are selling the Jackson tribute T-shirt shown above.

West Seattle Weekend Lineup: “Happy 233rd, America” edition

July 3, 2009 10:56 am
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 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

wswllicon3.pngNo fireworks in Elliott Bay? No problem. (If somehow you haven’t heard, the 4th of Jul-Ivar’s show is no more – which means NO fireworks clearly visible from Alki, unless you count fragments of the Lake Union show.) Lots happening anyway, even before you pack up and go see fireworks somewhere else … more than three dozen events ahead in the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and ClubRead More

One week from tonight: New venues join West Seattle Art Walk

July 2, 2009 10:30 pm
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Before West Seattle’s biggest summertime celebration – the three-day West Seattle Summer Fest (sponsoring, and co-sponsored by, WSB) – takes over The Junction, Friday-Sunday (7/10-7/12), the night before is a celebration all its own: New venues have joined the West Seattle Art Walk this summer – and now there are FIFTY-EIGHT participants all over West Seattle! New venues include WSB sponsors Ventana Construction (between Alaska and Morgan Junctions), Coffee at the Heights (in Sunrise Heights), and Endolyne Joe’s (in Fauntleroy). As you can see from the section of the map shown above (click here to download the entire map, which also includes a list of venues and their addresses), it’s all over West Seattle, from Alki to Fauntleroy, but there’s a special feature for The Junction this time around – since it’s the night before Summer Fest, California will be closed, and you can wander in the street (The Bubbleman will be outside Elliott Bay around 7 pm, like last year). Drop by the other spots too – you will often find snacks and beverages, and meet great people, both entrepreneurs and artists. The official Art Walk website continues to add more info about the specific exhibits (and venues’ own sites have info too, like the big three-show extravaganza at Twilight) – keep an eye on it at westseattleartwalk.blogspot.com.

Deadline extended: Delridge art project, skatepark “companion”

June 29, 2009 3:07 pm
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 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | WS culture/arts


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The deadline’s just been extended for artists to propose a project for the Delridge Community Center park (shown in clickable Google Street View above), explained by North Delridge’s Nancy Folsom as “a separate, companion project to the planned Delridge Skatepark. … Youngstown Cultural Arts Center is shepherding this community-driven project.” You have till July 31st to apply; as the application says in part,

The artist will consider the structure’s access and location to the skate park and accommodate its possible use by skateboarders, spectators, visitors, and neighbors. Design and placement of the artwork will focus on its relationship with the skate park and the social environment by serving as a gateway to the Delridge neighborhood.

Get the application here – and get it in by the end of July!

Video: West Side Music Academy’s Pop Rox at Easy Street

When Mike e-mailed to share the news about West Side Music Academy “Girl Band” students performing tonight at a special all-ages Easy Street After Hours in The Junction (here’s our preview), we knew we’d want to share a bit of the show – so here you go – Pop Rox at Easy Street: Danielle Howard, Annie Murphy, Olivia Norberg, Maryellen Fleming, Oly Mosely and Erica Schwartz.

West Side Music Academy students play Easy Street tonight

It’s on our latest West Seattle Weekend Lineup – but we got extra details courtesy of Mike – good thing tonight’s Easy Street After Hours is “all ages” because the lineup includes 9- and 10-year-old musicians! The West Side Music Academy Girl Band is from a class that’s described on the WSMA website this way:

This class is designed for the experienced girl rocker who likes a challenge. This 5 day class includes playing several instruments, working with peers, rehearsing songs, and preparing for a real rock show at the end of the week. SO FUN!

So come cheer them on, during the 9 pm “Easy Street After Hours” show tonight (also with Exploding High Fives and Black Swedes, $5 cover). 5:29 PM P.S. – Mike adds that the WSMA band performing tonight is called Pop Rox and its members are 9-12 years old: “This is the culmination of the last five days of hard rocking by Danielle Howard, Annie Murphy, Olivia Norberg, Maryellen Fleming, Oly Mosely and Erica Schwartz.”

West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Your 1st full weekend of summer

June 26, 2009 11:56 am
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 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

wswllicon3.pngDaunted by that list of road closures elsewhere in the city (including The Viaduct on Saturday)? No worries – no need to leave West Seattle this weekend, with a slate of activities including the Westwood Village Street Fair on Saturday (come see us at the WSB table!) and the West Seattle Farmers’ Market 10th anniversary celebration on Sunday (including WSB sponsor Square 1 Books‘ tent sale at The Market and free berry sundaes!), lots of indoor and outdoor live music (including an all-ages Easy Street After Hours tonight) … more than 40 events ahead in the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More

Happening tonight: Junction music with a survival story

Playing Talarico’s tonight, a West Seattle musician who’s battled his way back from a serious injury.

By Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Trevor Ras knows a little something about perseverance.

Three years ago, this West Seattle resident and musician went out surfing in Huntington Beach, Calif., and twenty-four hours later landed in the hospital with a fractured vertebrae. “When I got out of the hospital five days later,” Ras said, “everything had changed for me at that point. I was in pain everywhere. The next six months, that was the real test.”

His life up until that fateful day?

Read More

Slate set for Admiral Neighborhood Assoc. summer concert series

Two months after first word of the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s first-ever summer concert series at Hiawatha (which WSB is co-sponsoring), concert coordinator Katy Walum confirms the official slate is out. Here’s how ANA describes it:

Thursday, July 23rd – Alma Villegas – An exquisite and passionate selection of Latin standards and favorites.

Thursday, July 30thTom Colwell & The Southbound Odyssey – singing the songs – some you know, some you don’t – for life’s journey. From West Seattle’s “Red Baron” in the 70’s, and more recently from Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration at our own Admiral Theater and the NW Folklife Festival, they are folk-rooted and fun.

Thursday, August 6th – A TWO act night with Swamp Soul and Ragged Glory — Swamp Soul is Cajun/Zydeco foot-stomping music. Ragged Glory is a lot of Neil Young and a little more.

Thursday, August 13th – Elizabeth Carpenter Trio — This trio delivers your favorite jazz standards from the 1930s and beyond.

Thursday, August 20th – Brian Waite Band

Thursday, August 27th – West Seattle Big Band — A local favorite who donates 100% of their earnings to raising awareness of and funding instrumental music programs in West Seattle area public schools.

The Admiral Neighborhood Association’s free concerts will be at 6:30 pm Thursdays on the east lawn at Hiawatha – after that same spot plays host to the July 14th West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park. Elsewhere in West Seattle, Providence Mount St. Vincent will bring back its Friday night concert series in August (the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th), too, so — also counting outdoor venues such as Cafe Rozella – this will be a summer full of outdoor music (not to mention outdoor movies!).

West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Summer Solstice weekend edition

June 19, 2009 6:30 am
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 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

That’s Trio Lucero del Norte earlier this year at Cafe Rozella, where they’re back at 7 tonight – wswllicon3.pngjust hours before Summer Solstice – which will then in turn be followed by big events including the Clean and Green event in The Junction on Saturday (be at the new Genesee/42nd P-Patch site for all the excitement starting at 9 am), the California Place Park celebration later that day, Relay for Life starting tonight, the Lincoln Park wading pool opening tomorrow … more than FIFTY events ahead in the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More

Another big-name addition to West Seattle Summer Fest music

Just got word that one of the final TBA slots on the music slate at West Seattle Summer Fest (WSB sponsor), the three-day festival in The Junction that starts three weeks from Friday: Caspar Babypants, the family-music act launched by Chris Ballew, who you probably know best as lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America. They’ll perform at 2:15 pm Saturday 7/11 (currently listed as “TBA” on the official Summer Fest music-lineup page). They also have a new CD out (more info here; more videos here) and we’re told that this is yet another West Seattle link to the Summer Fest slate – because Ballew has just bought a house in West Seattle. Read on for the list of Summer Fest bands with West Seattle ties (besides Caspar Babypants):Read More

West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Morgan Junction Festival edition

wswllicon3.pngThe Morgan Junction Community Festival on Saturday is this weekend’s marquee event – we’ll be reporting live there all day and hope to see you too – more music, more food (the “Bite of Morgan” freebies!), etc. Also in the spotlight this weekend, … more than FIFTY events ahead in the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More

West Seattle Art Walk: June images, and a look ahead to July

June 12, 2009 9:41 am
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

That’s the Fraternal Order of Eagles Band performing at The Kenney last night during the monthly West Seattle Art Walk. Other sights from along the route:

Twilight Artist Collective celebrated its June group show. (And remember, they’re accepting applications for the Art Dive at West Seattle Summer Fest next month – full details here.) To the south, Curious Kidstuff unveiled its new Curious Art Kids and Curious Party Kids additions:

And in the Admiral District, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) featured Mixed Greens Blog and celebrated 10 years of the West Seattle Farmers’ Market with rosemary/lavender lemonade, homemade crackers with rhubarb and Beecher’s cheese (second photo), and co-proprietor Frances Smersh‘s cork jewelry:

The West Seattle Art Walk (official site here) adds new participants quarterly – here’s a Google Map with sneak peek at who you will find on the next three WSAWs – July 9th will be particularly fun because that’s the night before Summer Fest, so you can visit stops in The Junction while wandering the closed street. And the new participants include venues outside The Junction, too, like Coffee at the Heights (WSB sponsor) in Sunrise Heights.

Today/tonight: Crochet a river; do the Art Walk; congratulate grads

That’s Mandy Greer in a shot we captured on Delridge Day May 30th, as she continued adding to the crocheted river she’s creating as part of Mater Matrix Mother and Medium, art to be installed later this month at Camp Long. And that’s where you’ll find here today, noon-4 pm, as she invites anyone and everyone interested to join her in crocheting more of the rest of her work. That’s not today’s only art event:

WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits is one of the 40-plus stops on tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk, 6-9 pm, with a “fresh” theme – read about it here. For the full list of Art Walk stops, check out the official website; here’s a direct link to the printable map. And while you’re in The Junction, remember tonight is the grand opening for Curious Art Kids and Curious Party Kids at Curious Kidstuff (WSB sponsor), 6-8 pm (with cupcakes!) – read more here. Finally, for hundreds of West Seattle teenagers and their families – this will be remembered as graduation night:

sashes.jpg

That’s a photo from the 2008 West Seattle High School graduation at Memorial Stadium (Seattle Center downtown). That’s where WSHS’s Class of 2009 will graduate at 5 pm tonight; then at 7:30 at the Seattle Lutheran High School gym, the SLHS Class of ’09 has its commencement. (Here’s a full list of West Seattle-linked graduations taking place over the next week.) This is just part of what’s happening today/tonight – check out the WSB West Seattle Events calendar for more (including the Alki Idol finals!).

Admiral Neighborhood Association: Concert series takes shape

June 9, 2009 9:38 pm
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 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(video lost due to blip.tv shutdown)

From tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting: The ANA’s first-ever summer concert series (first reported here in April) is taking shape – with two bands lined up, four to go (and 20 possibilities from which to choose!), according to Katy Walum, who’s coordinating the series. The series of concerts on the lawn east of Hiawatha Community Center is set to start July 23rd, continuing every Thursday night through August 27th; the bands lined up so far are Tom Colwell and the Southbound Odyssey – who headlined the recent Pete Seeger 90th-birthday celebration at the Admiral Theater – and the West Seattle Big Band (shown above in a WSB clip from their performance at last year’s summer concert series at The Mount). ANA also is busy lining up sponsors to cover the costs of the free series, and is about three-fourths of the way to its goal (if you’re interested in being a sponsor, you can e-mail katy.walum@gmail.com). The working name for the concert series: Admiral Neighborhood Association’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, and you’ll hear a lot more about it as the summer progresses. (More later on other topics the Admiral group discussed tonight.)

Music notes: WS wins KEXP Hood-to-Hood; Easy Street on Twitter

WEST SEATTLE WINS KEXP HOOD-TO-HOOD: Thanks to a note from Beth, we were able to share the news here last week about the KEXP radio pledge-drive Hood-to-Hood Challenge, offering a special event to whichever neighborhood had the most pledgers by the end of the drive last Friday night. Today we get word (thanks to David for the first word, confirmed on the KEXP home page) that West Seattle won! Working now to find out (a) by how much (not sure if this is the final tally), (b) who came in second, and (c) when/where that event will happen. 4:21 PM UPDATE: (a and b) answer, $70,000+ with Ballard in second at $65K+, (c) answer, sometime in the first quarter of next year, though many details remain to be worked out.

EASY STREET RECORDS ON TWITTER: The latest West Seattle business to hop onto Twitter is the legendary music store that started in the heart of The Junction. You’ll find them at twitter.com/easystrecords. (If you “follow” us at twitter.com/westseattleblog, you know we also send word when we spot any other West Seattle business/institution turning up – over the weekend, for example, Westwood Village restaurant Eats Market Cafe got on board – twitter.com/eatsmarketcafe – other West Seattle eateries on Twitter include WSB sponsors @skylarkcafe and @caferevo.) In addition to our human-powered, interactive account at @westseattleblog, if you just want links to WSB stories, follow us at twitter.com/westseattlenews. You can also see our “tweets” and others mentioning West Seattle on the WSB Twitter page.

Today/tonight: RPZ vote, Pigeon Point Council, Alki Art Fair signups

June 8, 2009 6:30 am
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 |   Pigeon Point | Transportation | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

RESTRICTED PARKING ZONE VOTE: The proposed changes in Restricted Parking Zones come before the City Council for a vote during its meeting at 2 this afternoon; if you have anything to say, there’s a public comment period as the meeting begins.

PIGEON POINT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 7 pm, Cooper School cafeteria. Not sure if you’re in Pigeon Point? Boundaries are described here.

ALKI ART FAIR VENDOR SIGN-UPS: Last registration/site-selection event for next month’s popular artist showcase at the beach – 6:30-8 pm tonight at Alki Community Center.

Today: Viaduct closure for R4TC, bike ride, Cooper, orcas …

VIADUCT CLOSURE AND RACE FOR THE CURE: Different agencies have offered different times but suffice it to say — the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed from early this morning (7-ish) till 11 am, for the Race for the Cure. You can register at Qwest Field if you haven’t pre-registered; that’s what your procrastinating editor here will be doing — we’ll also be there to catch West Seattle middle schooler Adam Westerman (left with mom Eddie Westerman, a breast-cancer survivor) serving as Kids’ Run Grand Marshal. If you’re interested in a few updates from R4TC as it happens, check our Twitter feed (twitter.com/westseattleblog) – possibly Facebook too (where you’ll find us as WS Blog). One more Viaduct note: Remember the open house at Madison Middle School this Wednesday, 6-8 pm (see ad in WSB sidebar), for you to get info about the tunnel plan and offer comments on what should be studied for official reports.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm as always; here’s the “fresh sheet.”

TIDE GUIDES: It’s not a mega-low-tide today but low enough for the Seattle Aquarium to have uniformed Beach Naturalists at Constellation Park and Lincoln Park (south of Colman Pool), 10 am-1 pm

PLANT SALE/PET ADOPTION: Furry Faces Foundation‘s plant sale is 10 am-4 pm today, 3809 46th SW, with pet adoption on-site noon-4 pm.

NO SKILLET: Skillet Street Food will NOT be in West Seattle today – they’re taking their Airstream to the Mariners’ game instead.

HOLY ROSARY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION BEGINS: First major event – 11:15 Homecoming Mass followed by a special luncheon (full details here).

BIKE RIDE: Tour West Seattle’s historical spots on two wheels with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society; meet at the Log House Museum at 12:30 pm.

INGRID OLSEN-YOUNG CELEBRATION: 2 pm at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center, as the beloved preschool teacher says goodbye to SSCC; see our story about her here.

COOPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FAREWELL: 2 pm, looking ahead to the scheduled closure of the school “program” later this month. Full details here.

“ORCA TRAIL” OPEN HOUSE: 4-7 pm at Alki Bathhouse – details here.

Even more events — including Day 3 of SIFF at the Admiral Theater — in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup.

11:22 AM UPDATE: The Viaduct did reopen before 11, in case you were wondering.

SIFF at The Admiral, day 2 (with more from night 1 party)

June 6, 2009 3:58 pm
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 |   Admiral Theater | Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(photo by Christopher Boffoli)
The party’s over but more than 20 screenings are yet to come, as West Seattle makes its Seattle International Film Festival debut — this is day 2, and many are no doubt still recovering from day 1:

Shortly after cutting a ceremonial ribbon last night during the open house/party celebrating the Admiral Theater‘s debut as a SIFF venue, SIFF director Carl Spence (with Admiral entertainment director Dinah Brein-McClellan at the start of the clip) was ceremonially “kidnapped” by the Seafair Pirates. But that was just the conclusion of their visit – as always, they made an entrance that could be heard for miles around:

(They’ll be landing on Alki on July 11th, by the way.) And while at the theater, they helped cut the cake in pirate style:

That photo’s also by WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, as are all the others you’ll see just ahead – more scenes from the party, and information on the rest of SIFF’s run at The Admiral:Read More

Camp sign-ups continue: Volleyball, martial arts, music

June 6, 2009 8:41 am
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 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

We’ve been publishing summer-camp invitations on the new Announced page – including West Seattle High School Volleyball Camp for middle- and high-schoolers (read about it here) and martial-arts camps at Lee’s Martial Arts (read about them here). This morning, Jane Harty from Music Northwest e-mailed to say, “We still have room in our Chamber Music Camp for one more group of students, ages 8-18. The dates are Aug. 18-22, and our coaches are Marcus Tsutakawa from the Garfield Orchestra, Leonid Keylin from the Seattle Symphony and several other outstanding coaches.” The camp’s at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle; the registration form and other info can be found online.