West Seattle, Washington
25 Saturday
The setup continues at Alki Beach, where as many as 30,000 people are expected tomorrow afternoon/evening for the SPF30 mega-music festival in honor of Sub Pop Records‘ 30th anniversary. Interspersed with our photos (the first four are from early Thursday evening – breaking news got in the way of us publishing them sooner) are updates and followups:
ROAD CLOSURES/TRANSPORTATION/TRANSIT UPDATES AND ANSWERS: On Tuesday, we published the map and plan for road closures, transit, parking, and other issues related to getting there and back – if you’re going and you haven’t seen it yet, please check it out. Some readers had questions that we took to SPD Lt. Tom Yoon of the Traffic Unit, which is managing the closures and restrictions:
*Hard closures will begins at 6 A.M. on Alki Ave SW between 57th and 63rd. Absolutely no vehicles will be allowed in this area. This includes residences or business employees. This area will be for crowds to enjoy the concert.
*Soft closures (local access only) will begin at 9 A.M. This will be from California Ave SW / Harbor Ave SW and along Admiral Way (north bound access) to 63rd Ave / Admiral Way.
*Local access is for verified residents and their guests. Make sure the guests know who and the address of the residents.
The closures were also mentioned on a postcard sent to area residents, one of whom sent us this image.
FOOD TRUCKS/VENDORS/NONPROFITS: We’ve updated the list we published Thursday – see it here.
HUSKY DELI ‘SOL’ ICE CREAM: As mentioned here earlier in the week, Husky Deli and C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) will be vendors by the Punky stage (kid music, Whale Tail Park/Alki Playfield). At the Husky Deli booth, a special flavor will support the “Save Our Lots” Junction parking fundraiser: “A luscious blend of rich chocolate with nuggets of exciting and surprising cookie dough.”
(Friday photo by David Hutchinson – the “Great Wall of Honey Buckets”)
JUNCTION AFTERPARTY: SPF30 ends at 10. But there’s still lots of Saturday night left. West Seattle Junction venues invite you to “afterparty” with them. Sub Pop’s shuttles will continue running that way until midnight, notes Lora Swift of the West Seattle Junction Association, so that’s a good safe start for getting there. Anything more special than usual? That’s up to bars/restaurants to decide, but Lora does point out that West 5 (4539 California SW; WSB sponsor) will have a DJ!
P.S. Speaking of music – as you might have noticed in our top photo – the stage banners list the acts and set times, so look for those and other signage at the event. They’re on the SPF30 website, a little ways down the right. And we have them here.
Long before SPF30 … remember the Seattle Music Fest at Alki? That poster is part of a new music-history exhibit that opened today at the Log House Museum, just before music fans swarm the beach for Saturday’s big event.
The display case above includes Nirvana memorabilia on loan from local entrepreneur John Bennett, including a smiley face drawn by Kurt Cobain. An interactive component of the exhibit will take you back decades further:
You’re looking at the house that was once home to Ivar Haglund – whose music you can choose to hear; Woody Guthrie, too. (Ivar’s bio explains the link.) Lots of other memorabilia to browse, too:
The museum (61st SW/SW Stevens) is open noon-4 pm Thursdays-Sundays, and yes, it’ll be open on Saturday during SPF30, too.
6:54 PM: Even on another 90-degree evening, it’s perfect here in the warm shade on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, during the fourth of this year’s six Summer Concerts at Hiawatha. Onstage tonight: General Mojo’s, whose lead singer Heather Thomas told the crowd a few minutes ago that she’s a West Seattle resident too. She and her bandmates “like to have fun,” she added. Right down to her shoes!
(And band co-leader Dune Butler is wearing a cape.) The concert series is presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association with co-sponsors including WSB; tonight’s show (free!) should run until about 8 pm so you have time to get here (Walnut south of Lander) if you’re not here already.
P.S. They’re offering free stickers! (Also selling merch including CDs.) More pics later.
ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: Video!
With three days until Saturday’s SPF30 – Sub Pop Records‘ concert-filled 30th anniversary celebration at Alki Beach – we have four more updates:
SETUP BEGINS: Thanks to David Hutchinson for the photos showing stage setup today on both sides of the Alki Bathhouse. Above, west of the Bathhouse, is the Loser Stage; below, to the east, the Flippity-Flop Stage:
(Photo courtesy C & P Coffee Company)
Who’s playing when/where was announced two weeks ago; you can find it all fast on the right side of the main SPF30 webpage.
A VENDOR FIRST: The other two stages are Harsh Realm, at 57th/Alki, and Punky, at Whale Tail Park, where you’ll not only find kid-geared music but also this familiar vendor:
C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) says this will be its first time with a pop-up outside the shop! They’ll be selling cold-brew coffee on Saturday. And another familiar West Seattle company will be nearby – Husky Deli. (We hope to have a full list of vendors for an upcoming update.)
FUNDRAISING GUITAR: Bidding is open online for this one-of-a-kind handmade guitar produced in commemoration of Sub Pop turning 30:
We got a look at it while covering the SPF30 volunteer orientation earlier this week. You can see it on display all week at Thunder Road Guitars (4736 California SW; WSB sponsor) in The Junction. It’s a fundraiser for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, a beneficiary of SPF30. To bid on it – and to find out more about it – go here.
STREAMING: Can’t (or don’t want to) go on Saturday, but want to catch some of the shows? KEXP has announced a video-streaming schedule, with viewing options including its website and YouTube channel. Go here to see which bands it’s streaming and when.
P.S. In case you missed it – here’s the SPF30 transportation plan (including road closures, parking for motorized and non-motorized vehicles, transit, etc.) as announced Tuesday.
Before we get to SPF30 … there’s Hiawatha 4! You’re invited to the fourth of this year’s six free Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, 6:30 tomorrow night on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center. This week, you’ll see and hear General Mojo’s, whose lead singer Heather Thomas describes their live performances as “high energy and danceable, inviting and empowering.” Here’s a preview:
Stephanie Jordan, who organizes the concert series for the Admiral Neighborhood Association, notes, “On their website, they relate themselves to the Flaming Lips and ‘a renaissance of familiar soundscapes that recall the tradition of long-haired frontmen making fuzzy yet catchy rock sound’.” Go see for yourself Thursday night! Bring your own chair, blanket, picnic dinner; the concert site is along Walnut south of Lander. (Concert series co-sponsors include WSB.)
Just five days until the Sub Pop Records 30th anniversary party at Alki Beach – noon-10 pm next Saturday (August 11th), with 18 bands on four stages (see the schedule here). Tonight, volunteers gathered at the beach for a briefing and T-shirt distribution – here’s what you’ll see them wearing on Saturday:
With the band list and schedule out, the final details yet to come primarily involve the final transportation plan, including road closures, and we’re expecting that tomorrow. It’s been five months since Sub Pop started bringing updates to neighborhood meetings, seven months since SPF30 was announced.
(WSB photo, April 2018)
The Mosquito Fleet mural on the east side of the city-landmark Campbell Building is next up for restoration in the finally launched project to restore all of West Seattle’s historic murals; it’ll be restored by muralist Bob Henry, who recently brought the Morgan Junction mural back to life. While the campaign to save all the Murals of West Seattle has a good start to the necessary funding – thanks to Adah Rhodes Cruzen‘s gift and to the West Seattle Garden Tour, among others – community contributions are requested, too, and that fundraising campaign has officially launched. This video tells the story:
(Video by This Is It Video Production)
More backstory on the murals and the restoration campaign – plus your options for contributing – can be found here.
The photo and report are from Friends of Roxhill:
Artist Henry Luke has started working on the community inspired mural for Roxhill Elementary at E.C. Hughes at the corner of 32nd and Holden. The mural has been designed through a community process, with 75 comments through West Seattle Blog outreach alone. Friends of Roxhill Elementary, the 501c3 booster club for Roxhill Elementary, received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Neighborhoods, which funded both the recent playground for Roxhill at the renovated, updated E.C. Hughes (built by community volunteers) and the mural. Stop by and say hello if you see Henry at work! Questions? Contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com.
Will it be option A …
… or option B?
If you haven’t yet voted on which you would rather see along the Fauntleroy Way end of the West Seattle Bridge, thanks to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s receipt of a gift from philanthropist Adah Cruzen, you have until tomorrow (Friday, August 3rd) to get that done! All the backstory is here; the link for voting is here.
7:29 PM: The sky is gray but the music is bold and bright in The Admiral District tonight, as the third Summer Concerts at Hiawatha presentation features Micaiah Sawyer (above center), her band, and – as you can see in front of the stage – a would-be guest musician. All ages are out enjoying the evening:
Still time for you to get there – the concert (free!) is scheduled to continue until 8 pm.
Next week (6:30 pm August 9th) it’s “Northwest psychedelic” music with General Mojo’s. (WSB is a series co-sponsor.)
ADDED 10:07 PM: Video from tonight’s concert:
Tomorrow (Thursday) night, Summer Concerts at Hiawatha brings you the sound of a rising star – Micaiah Sawyer. Here’s how the Olympia-based singer/songwriter and her band won this year’s Sound Off competition at the Museum of Pop Culture:
She describes her music as “a catchy blend of folk, blues and rock.” Side note: This will be her last show with the full Sound Off-winning lineup “before violinist Caddie Derby moves on to attend university!” The show starts at 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (along Walnut south of Lander) and is free, brought to you by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with co-sponsors including WSB. Bring your own chair/blanket, bring your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers … see you there!
What a glorious day at the beach – and the first day of this year’s Alki Art Fair is part of it. As previewed here last night, 89 artists and 11 food vendors (from tamales to Thai) signed up for booths along the boardwalk. And you’ll find the first-ever Emerging Artists spotlight just west of Alki Bathhouse.
Inside the Bathhouse, it’s a benefit silent auction, so don’t miss that. Elsewhere at the fair, you’ll find art of many kinds, including jewelry (one artist makes his from chandelier crystal!), yard art, paintings, pottery, wearable art, stickers …
You’ll also find kids’ activities.
Plus community-partner organizations including Seal Sitters, whose volunteers will be happy to answer your questions about marine mammals. Booths are open until 6 today, 10-6 tomorrow, with music continuing until 9 tonight on the main stage (we’re sponsoring the busker stage toward the west end of the boardwalk; here’s the lineup for both stages).
That’s Levi Graves, first up today on the busker stage (photos added 2:11 pm).
In and around the Alki Bathhouse, setup is under way for this weekend’s Alki Art Fair (co-sponsored by WSB). We’ve already published the music schedule, and West Seattle’s own PNTA is on site setting up the main stage:
Here’s the overview from fair organizers, including what’s new:
We have 89 artists and 11 food vendors schedule to attend – over half of our artists are returning vendors! For the first time in 2018, the Fair will have an Emerging Artist Booth. We will be featuring 10 first-time Alki Art Fair artists who are just beginning their career. This booth was made possible by a grant we received this year from the Office of Arts and Culture.
Also for the first time, the Fair will have a Children’s Music Time from 10am to 12pm on Sunday morning. We will have children’s musicians at 10 am followed by Brian and Danika Duo (of Brian Vogan and his Good Buddies) at 11 am. The Little Gym of West Seattle will also be setup doing activities during that time. All weekend long we will have our Children’s Art Activities Booth (located right next to the Bathhouse) and our new Fairy Garden (located at the far end of the boardwalk). We hope to see more families come down and enjoy the event!
The Fair will run a FREE shuttle again from the West Seattle Park & Ride to the Fair. The shuttle will run continuously Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. It will pick up under the West Seattle Bridge at the West Seattle Park & Ride. It will go up Admiral Way, stopping at the Metro bus stop on the northwest corner in front of the Chevron station, and then will drop off in front of the Starbucks on Alki Ave. It will reverse this route on the way back to the Park & Ride. This is a great option to avoid circling the neighborhood for somewhere to park!
We received some wonderful donations from local West Seattle businesses for our Silent Auction which is held in the Bathhouse. Many of our artists also donate pieces of their work to the Auction.
We are also incredibly thankful for all of our sponsors this year which include: Full Circle, Getaround, Gutter Helmet, Office of Arts and Culture, Northwest Art & Frame, Renewal by Andersen of Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Therapeutic Associates of West Seattle, and West Seattle Blog. Our community sponsors are: Seal Sitters, Sea Shepherds, Log House Museum, and Aegis Senior Living.
The Fair goes from 10 am to 6 pm both days, with music until 9 pm on Saturday.
Here’s the full list of artists/vendors (including visiting food vendors).
When we reported on the Sub Pop Records SPF30 event (August 11th, Alki Beach) update at last week’s Alki Community Council meeting, we noted that the label was planning to go public today with additions to the lineup. And they have! Plus, the day’s set times are all out too. From Sub Pop’s announcement (which you can see here in its entirety):
Father John Misty, Hot Snakes, and Bully have just been added to the lineup for SPF30 on Saturday, August 11th. The newly announced groups will join Beach House, Clipping, Kyle Craft, Fastbacks, Jo Passed, Loma, LVL UP, METZ, Moaning, Mudhoney, Shabazz Palaces, Wolf Parade, Caspar Babypants, The Not-Its!, and The School of Rock West Seattle House Band over four stages along incredibly scenic Alki Ave. in the Alki Beach neighborhood of West Seattle.
The stage names and set times are:
LOSER STAGE (@ Bathhouse West)
1:30 – Moaning
3:15 – Bully
5:15 – Fastbacks
7:00 – Wolf Parade
9:00 – Father John MistyTHE FLIPPITY-FLOP STAGE (@ Bathhouse East)
12:45 – LVL UP
2:30 – Loma
4:15 – Clipping
6:00 – Shabazz Palaces
8:00 – Beach HouseHARSH REALM STAGE (@ 57th Street)
12:00 – Jo Passed
1:45 – Kyle Craft
3:30 – METZ
5:15 – Hot Snakes
7:00 – MudhoneyPUNKY STAGE (@ Whale Tail Park)
1:00 – Caspar Babypants
2:00 – The Not-Its!
4:00 – The School of Rock West Seattle House Band
Also at the event, Sub Pop is selling four limited-edition singles – details on those are in the full announcement too.
Thanks to Carolyn for the heads-up on those “no parking” signs placed today alongside Harbor Avenue SW by Don Armeni Boat Ramp and stretching toward Duwamish Head, as well as several in the Don Armeni lot (southeast side) itself. It’s for “filming activity that will be happening at Luna Park (Duwamish Head) and the Don Armeni Boat Launch this upcoming Friday, 7/27,” according to the location manager, who adds that “A film crew will be over in the area filming a variety of scenes in the afternoon and evening. One of the scenes involves a jogger running along the path, which will involve intermittently holding both vehicle and bicycle/pedestrian traffic when filming is underway.” So if you’re planning to be in that area Friday pm, now you know. We’re hoping to find out a little more and will update with any additional information we get.
Multiple opportunities ahead to enjoy outdoor music in West Seattle!
THURSDAY NIGHT: Good Quiver – listen to their debut EP via the embedded YouTube clip above – performs tomorrow night in the second show of the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association (with co-sponsors including WSB). It’s free, on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (along Walnut south of Lander), starting at 6:30 pm. Bring your own chair/blanket!
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: Music is a mainstay of the annual Alki Art Fair, happening on the promenade/boardwalk at the beach all weekend.
(Alki Art Fair 2017 aerial by Long Bach Nguyen)
Today, we have the music schedule – see it here (PDF). Main stage music east of the Alki Bathhouse is scheduled 10 am-9 pm Saturday and 10 am-5 pm Sunday; there’s a “busker stage” 10-5 both days further west, too. The fair is offering a free shuttle bus again this year, with pickup both at the park-and-ride under the bridge and at the Admiral Junction – details are on the festival website.
Photos and video by Leda Costa for West Seattle Blog
This year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha have begun! That’s Ural Thomas and The Pain, up from Portland, shaking the stage tonight for the first of six free Thursday night shows.
The Admiral Neighborhood Association has presented the concert series since 2009, and we’ve been co-sponsoring it since the start. Lots of other community businesses support the series, too, keeping it free.
As usual, the littlest concertgoers were the most prone to getting up and moving to the music. If you missed it, here’s a snippet of sound:
OK, some grownups did dance too:
Next Thursday (July 26th), 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha, the concerts continue with Good Quiver – see you there!
7:21 PM: Not on the Hiawatha east lawn yet? You have time to get here and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band‘s only local outdoor concert this summer – the annual Concert in the Park, on until about 8:30 pm, with a special West Seattle Grand Parade-related presentation at intermission around 7:45. The band’s second number was “Warm Breeze,” perfect for this night, as WSBB director Jim Edwards noted.
Bring a chair/blanket and come join the 100+ people already enjoying the music – free!
7:35 PM: Ever seen the legendary CC at Chelan Café on Monday nights (6-9 pm)? She’s a special guest tonight:
And she’ll be back before the show’s over!
8:43 PM: The concert’s wrapping up with “New York, New York.” More to add when we’re back at HQ!
ADDED: More photos! Vocalists Jenaige Lane and Jeff Carter:
The band:
Yes, some people danced!
The program was mostly classics – plus an old rock song, Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.” CC was back for songs including “All of Me“:
Jenaige sang “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing“:
Watch for the West Seattle Big Band’s performances at a variety of venues around the area – especially school benefits, a special focus of this group that has its roots at West Seattle High School.
(Video courtesy West Seattle Big Band)
Tomorrow (Tuesday) night, the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center is the place to be – you can stay cool(er) in the shade while enjoying a free concert by the West Seattle Big Band! 7 pm Tuesday will be the start time for this year’s WSBB Concert in the Park. It’s co-sponsored by WSB and the West Seattle Grand Parade, with a special tie between the parade and the concert – again this year, the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community will be presented during the concert. As noted here last week, this year’s trophy recipient will be recently retired West Seattle High School baseball and golf coach Velko Vitalich – that means he’ll be riding toward the start of the parade (which begins at 11 am Saturday, southbound on California SW from SW Lander in The Admiral District to SW Edmunds in The Junction). But first, be on the Hiawatha lawn tomorrow night to enjoy great music – with special guest vocalist CC! – and community spirit; bring a chair/blanket to sit on, and look for the stage along Walnut south of Lander.
(2 young Anna’s Hummingbirds, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Monday! Here are highlights of what’s ahead today/tonight:
SOUND STEPS WEEKLY WALK: 10 am in Lincoln Park. If you can’t catch this one, see our calendar listing for how to participate in future walks! (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
WADING POOLS: Open today in West Seattle – Lincoln Park (11 am-8 pm; 8011 Fauntleroy Way SW); Delridge (12 noon-6:30 pm; Delridge Way/Genesee)
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: 1 pm-7 pm blood drive at Our Lady of Guadalupe (closed 3-4 pm for a break), open to the public. (35th/Myrtle)
LIGHT RAIL STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP: The Sound Transit West Seattle/Ballard light-rail project’s Stakeholder Advisory Group meets 5-8 pm at ST’s board room downtown. Open to the public for observation, but there’s no comment period. (401 S. Jackson)
IF YOU SEE THE ALL-CITY BAND AT SEACREST … tonight is on the calendar as their annual photo night, not a formal performance or public event but always quite the spectacle so we’re mentioning it. And you of course can catch them in the West Seattle Grand Parade next Saturday! *Just got word this is postponed until NEXT Monday
MUSIC UNDER THE STARS, WEEK 3: Third of four Monday nights for the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s free series at Delridge Community Center Park – at 7:30 pm, a student ensemble plays live, and then at 8 pm the sound system carries live audio from the SCMS Summer Festival concert at Benaroya Hall. (The live music returns during the concert’s intermission.) Bring your own blanket/chair! (Genesee/26th SW)
MONDAY QUIZ: Every Monday at 7:30 pm, all ages, prizes – longrunning quiz night at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
BIG WEEK AHEAD … preview our complete calendar (with more updates added every day) here!
(WSB photos/video. Above, band leader Shannon Shaw)
Up from the Bay Area to headline the second night of West Seattle Summer Fest, behold Shannon and The Clams! We recorded video of parts of the first three songs in their Summer Fest set:
The group’s bio notes they’ve toured and recorded extensively in the near-decade since they formed. They were introduced – as were Friday night’s headliners The Briefs – by West Seattle musician Brent Amaker.
No late-night concert for Summer Fest’s final day – when the festival wraps up Sunday at 5, that means everything. But it’ll be going out in style with the always-popular Dusty 45s at 4 pm (see the full schedule here).
Before we get to the big list of what’s up today/tonight, yet another summer-fun countdown reminder: We are now exactly a week away from the first of this summer’s six Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association (with co-sponsors including WSB). Here’s the lineup as announced back in May for these six free 6:30 pm outdoor concerts on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (along Walnut south of Lander). First up next Thursday (July 19th) – Ural Thomas and The Pain. Bring a chair/blanket – see you there!
(WSB photos)
After 176 hours spread across 22 days, the Morgan Junction mural restoration is complete! (See a “before” image here.) We stopped by this afternoon as restoration artist Bob Henry met with project masterminds Dan Austin – who first hatched the idea more than 2 1/2 years ago – and Lora Swift.
We also got a tour of the “Easter eggs” you can look for in the finished work (west wall of the building on the southwest corner of Fauntleroy/California) – like a license plate honoring a key figure in the West Seattle murals’ creation and restoration, Earl Cruzen:
And another one in honor of this particular mural’s co-creator:
The restorer added a self-portrait too:
Next up in the quest to restore the murals – the Mosquito Fleet mural on the east side of the Campbell Building in The Junction.
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