The Seattle Glee Clubs – based in West Seattle, performing citywide – start a new season next month, so they’re recruiting singers right now:

Seattle Glee Clubs’ two vocal groups — the Seattle Metropolitan Glee Club women’s choir (the Met) and the Offbeats Vocal Jazz Ensemble — both have openings for the 2012-2013 season that begins in September.

The Met, which performs a combination of traditional choral, folk, jazz and popular music, has openings for all female voice types. The group is led by highly experienced musician and director, John Gulhaugen. An audition and some background in music are required. Rehearsals begin Tues., Sept. 11. 2012. For more information, e-mail John Gulhaugen at: The_Met@Seattlegleeclubs.org.

The Offbeats, performing a variety of jazz styles, including swing, bebop, Latin and contemporary, has openings for tenors and baritones. Acclaimed Seattle jazz singer Kelley Johnson directs the group. An audition and some background in music are required. Rehearsals begin in mid-September. For more information, e-mail Kelley Johnson at: Offbeats@seattlegleeclubs.org.

Two more hours to get to C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) for today’s arts/crafts sale – even some plants, if you check out Rose Jarvey and her kale out front (she can even share recipes). Vendors are inside as well as outside. Go see the miniature art of India Spence:

That photo is courtesy of her mom Machel Spence, whose photos you’ve seen here on WSB, as well as many other places, and she’s there too. Back outside, we met Danielle and David Robbins:

Besides arts and crafts, they also have a website – eatingthescreen.com. Go browse and have some coffee or tea, till 3.

Thanks to local artist Stani Meredith for the sunset view from Lincoln Park last night. Lincoln Park is also where today’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar begin:

BREATHE DEEP SEATTLE 5K: Last-minute registration is under way right now for this 5K run/walk in Lincoln Park, benefiting the LUNGevity Foundation. The runners/walkers head out at 9:30 am from the starting line near upper-park Shelter 1. Course map and more info here.

ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR AT C & P COFFEE: 9 am-3 pm, coffee-shop shopping! 5612 California SW.

GIANT GARAGE SALE: More than 20 sellers at Highland Park Improvement Club (12th and Holden), 9 am-3 pm.

ADMIRAL DISTRICT SIDEWALK SALE: Wander the district for flea-market-style sales, 10 am-2 pm.

K-5 STEM AT BOREN PLAYDATE: Going to the new school this fall? Meet other families at the playground south of Lincoln Park for a playdate this morning, 10 am.

BLOWOUT PLANT SALE: 11 am-3 pm, north end of South Seattle Community College campus (6000 16th SW). Details here.

STEAK SANDWICHES AT THRIFTWAY: Barbecue lunch, cooked up outside the south door at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), starting at 11 am – proceeds go to the Humane Society.

VIETNAMESE STORY TIME: 11:30-noon at Delridge Library (Delridge/Brandon) – more info here.

MAGNOLIA CRAWFORD’S SWAN SONG: It’s Magnolia’s last drag brunch at Skylark Café and Club before moving to L.A., noon today, tickets still available per a tweet from Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW).

PICNIC AT THE PRECINCT: Meet your Southwest Precinct police while enjoying food and music at a street-fair-style celebration on SW Webster, alongside the precinct, west of Delridge, 1-4 pm. Come say hi to community-group reps too – and to us; we’ll be there covering it live.

TOUR THE LIGHTHOUSE: When August is over, so is Alki Point Lighthouse tour season – 1-4 pm weekend afternoons till the end of the month.

OUTWEST BAR’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY: Today is the “official” anniversary day, and special celebrations are planned through the night. Open at 4 pm (California/Brandon); here’s the preview published here a week ago.

‘IRON MAN’ AT WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES: Make a night of it in the courtyard next to Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) at 4410 California SW – starting with live music and continuing with “Iron Man” on the big wall screen at dusk. WSB is one of tonight’s co-sponsors (as well as media sponsor for the entire series) and we’ve put together the raffle prizes to raise money for charity, including a bag of big fun with vintage comic books, classic candy donated by Atomic Boys, gift certificates donated by Full Tilt Ice Cream and West Seattle Bowl, and more.

LIVE MUSIC AND OTHER NIGHTLIFE: Sasha Hromyk at C & P Coffee, 6-8 pm … Marley’s Ghost at Kenyon Hall, 7 pm … Candylandia, the monthly dance party at the Benbow Room, 9 pm …

These are just some of the highlights … lots more on the calendar, for today/tonight and months ahead!

The Feedback Lounge is a hunk-a-hunk-a-burnin’ musical love for The King tonight, including Roger Anderson – in our video clip above – all the way from Bonney Lake. It’s the second annual El-Fest at The Feedback, organized by Hellon Wheels, who’s in the photo below with Feedback co-proprietor Jeff Gilbert AND her Elvis memorabilia, including an essay she wrote about him in 5th grade!

Not only is The Feedback hosting tribute singers tonight, but they’re also offering Elvis-inspired food and drink specials. This time of year is prime time for Presley tributes, of course, because the anniversary of his death in 1977 at the early age of 42 is coming up – August 16th.

ADDED: From WSB contributing journalist Nick Adams, two views of Bret Wiggins‘ performance, the fan …

… and the spangles:

Wiggins – a West Seattleite – won this year’s Elvis Invitationals.

Another fine Friday night of music at Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor) – The Haggis Brothers were this year’s second act in the four-show summer outdoor concert series at The Mount, bringing along their down-home tunes. Two more Friday night shows remain in the series – the 85th Street Big Band next week (August 17th) with a classic-car show that night too; and Rainbow of Hawaii on August 24th. Music starts at 6 pm (free), with dinner on sale at 5:30 – either the full-meal deal (tacos next time, jerk-chicken sandwiches on 8/24) or hamburgers/hot dogs.

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Nine months ago, they saddled up in the loft at Mission. Three months later, they put on a launch party that soared through the West Seattle Eagles‘ HQ. And last night, the ringleaders of the arts-advocacy posse The West presided over its first fully public event, a West Seattle Art Walk afterparty:

Photojournalist Nick Adams was there for WSB, under the lights and amid the fog of the Heartland Café‘s legendary Benbow Room. Hobosexual was the headliner (top photo); 11 more scenes ahead:

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They’ve been playing together for decades – and tonight, the folk duo of Reilly and Maloney are onstage alongside Hiawatha Community Center‘s east lawn, for the third show in the Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series. They’re just wrapping up a break between their two sets – so you still have time to drop by. It’s free and casual – bring your own blanket, chair, water, snacks; also come say hi to ANA reps and some of us co-sponsors at the tables east of the crowd. Next week’s concert is down the hill at Alki – The Braxmatics, 6:30 pm Thursday night, August 16th; rest of the series is listed here.

(Photo courtesy Camille McDorman)
Camille McDorman is back home in West Seattle for a short visit from Burma/Myanmar, where she works for an education nonprofit she says is “focused on supporting leaders in civil society (aka those who are working for positive change in one of the most isolated and oppressed countries in the modern world).” She brought along 40 paintings by eight Burmese artists who, Camille says, “have been painting for decades but have been unable to show their work publicly due to the political control and sensitivity that had reigned in the country until the recent political changes …” To show and sell the paintings, Camille and her family are holding an exhibition at Alki Arts (2820 Alki SW) this Friday, August 10th, 4-9 pm, with all profits are going directly to the artists. (For more information, check out the Facebook event page.)

There’ll be live music tomorrow night in a Junction venue where you wouldn’t expect it: Singer-songwriter Tyson Meade, former frontman for ’90s glam-punk band Chainsaw Kittens, will be at VAIN for an acoustic performance and to talk about his plans to record an album in China. It will be his first album in almost ten years, a collaboration with high school and university students in Shanghai, where he has taught for the last five years, and he says friends in the U.S. music industry have agreed to contribute too.

Meade will soon head back to Asia, but he is making one last stop in Seattle. We are told he chose VAIN as the venue for his performance due to his friendship with general manager Lisa Matson and several VAIN employees, and because it provides an intimate space to talk about his work in China. More details are on the VAIN website. Meade also launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for his project in China; check out this video on that site. Tomorrow’s free show starts at 7 pm at 4513 California SW. (June 2012 photo; credit: Davrollins, licensed through Creative Commons)

Singing the blues isn’t always a downer – we’ve heard lots of upbeat the first half-hour at Hiawatha tonight with Mark DuFresne headlining the season’s second free concert presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. Still time to get here – the crowd keeps growing, but there’s still room to sit on the grass and enjoy the music – and the balloons! Joyful the Clown is making balloon animals for kids, sponsored by Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor):

And there are bubbles. Lots of bubbles. ANA vice president Karl de Jong couldn’t resist:

Karl led off tonight’s show, introducing emcee Jim Dever from KING 5’s Evening Magazine. C’mon down to the east lawn at Hiawatha if you can, even to drop in for a song or two – they’ll be playing till about 8.

ADDED 8:02 PM: Video:

Next Thursday night at 6:30 pm, it’s Reilly & Maloney with folk music – be here!

Even bigger crowd at the Alki Art Fair during the early afternoon today, by our comparison – good reason to try the shuttle from WSHS if you’re driving. It runs till 6, which is how long the vendors are supposed to be open, but music continues till about 8 (six more acts to go, including at 5:45 pm, “Elvis rock/punk review” Graceland Five). The main stage was briefly idle during our visit, but the small “acoustic stage” toward the west end of the fair wasn’t:

That’s Choro Tocando, often seen and heard around West Seattle. If you’ve never been to the fair and are still pondering whether to go before day’s end, note that it features art that’s wearable and otherwise functional, not just great paintings and prints and photos for decorating your home. We even found checkbook covers:

The cat and dog images are creations of Phoenix Chiu. And if you take along your real-life pet, the Seal Sitters booth has water that’s “under guard”:

(We checked in with Seal Sitters volunteers, who say no pup has turned up since “Georgie” earlier in the week – here’s their Art Fair report! If you see a seal on the shore, call them at 206-905-SEAL.)

P.S. This is the second year the Alki Art Fair has been an all-volunteer production, since city budget cuts took away the staff support it used to get from Alki Community Center.

The Alki Art Fair continues today – 10 am to 6 pm for vendors, same as Saturday, with the shuttle from West Seattle High School‘s parking lot running those hours too; music continues till about 8 pm. Our 1st Saturday report is here, but there’s more…

Yet another beautiful sunset last night as people gathered for Saturday’s final musical act, Matt the Hoopla:

MTH is a West Seattle band specializing in ’70s-rock covers, with a focus on “glam rock.” The song on the clip is “One of the Boys,” by the band that inspired their name, Mott the Hoople. We met one of the band’s members, Don Bazemore (screen left), while he was volunteering at the West Seattle Summer Fest Info Booth (our festival HQ), and resolved to check out their AAF performance. Today’s full music lineup, from MoZo at 10 am to Burley Mountain at 7 pm, is here.

The fourth season of Summer Concerts at Hiawatha is under way! The Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented series began Thursday night with The Local Strangers (video above), emcee Marty Riemer, and outdoor music fans young and old:

Scenes from the sidelines, and a look ahead to next week, after the jump:Read More

The date is set and the call is out for Elvis Presley-tribute performers: “Get your King on” at the second annual West Seattle El-Fest: E Meets West! coming up 8 pm August 10th at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), whose Jeff Gilbert shares the official announcement:

Calling all Elvis tribute singers/performers – we’re paying tribute to the King of Rock & Roll and we want YOU to take part. We’re looking for guys and gals, 21 & older – to put on your Elvis gear and belt it out during our annual Elvis tribute show on Friday, August 10th, 8 PM at the Feedback Lounge.

Created by Jeff Gilbert (co-owner of the Feedback) and Helen Anne Gately (Elvis tribute singer/collector/die-hard fan), our 2nd Annual El-Fest puts you on stage with backing music tracks by Saraoke for a chance to win a custom handmade cape and crown worthy of the King himself (courtesy of the famed costume designer K.D. Schill).

All performers will get an Elvis gift bag and a Feedback Lounge gift certificate. Elvis fans will get a chance to vote for their favorite tribute singer and get their pictures taken with a number of Kings!

To sign up to perform, contact Helen at hag68@yahoo.com to reserve your spot in the spotlight.

We’ll also have a vintage Elvis memorabilia display (courtesy of the lovely Ms. Gately), Elvis food and drink specials, party favors, music and more for El-Fest: E Meets West. The event is free to participate or just watch. Come get your King on!

Beach Drive residents and visitors are familiar with artist Lezlie Jane‘s waterfront work – including the distinctive installations at Weather Watch Park, Constellation Park, and Cormorant Cove. She is working on a new creation that’s been discussed at the last two Alki Community Council meetings, and when ACC met last Thursday night, she revealed the boardwalk east of Alki Bathhouse is the new proposed location for “Luna Girls on Alki,” seen in her rendering above.

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