posts about live music, performance of music, concerts, etc.
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS March 21 is the 332nd birthday of composer Johann Sebastian Bach, and Olympia organist Curt Sather will spend the day—the whole day—celebrating. Sather, the music director at St. John’s Episcopal Church, will play all of the composer’s organ works—nearly 300—in a 24-hour marathon performance he’s calling Bach Around the …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS For the third year, Caspar Babypants is back to perform at a fundraiser for Apple Tree Productions’s acting class for special needs students of all ages and abilities. Proceeds from the concert benefit the students of the Showcase program. Apple Tree hosts the showcase every summer. Casper Babypants, now …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS On March 18, the human voice takes center stage at the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival. This popular event brings the vocal acrobatics and stage flair of the a cappella scene to the public in a high-energy sing-off. By the end of the evening, one group will be selected …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS A riot is coming to town! Russian activist band Pussy Riot’s own Marina Alyokhina and Pussy Riot Theater will present the world premiere of their new, live, musical-theatrical performance, Revolution, at the Capitol Theater. Alyokhina, recounting her experiences with Pussy Riot, based Revolution on her book of the same …
by Nora Kovacs for OLY ARTS Northwest favorite Tom Rawson is part folksinger, part storyteller and all about bringing people together. Rawson got his start as a peace activist, and that positivity still shines through in his work. Whether he’s singing a classic folk tune, recounting an old story or simply cracking a joke, Rawson …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Humans, of all animals, are encoded with the unique ability to be as connected or as separated as they choose. In these days, it’s not so easy to differentiate between the two; the internet, among other modes of communication, has enabled us to be more involved with each other, …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Jake Shimabukuro is a ukulele artist whose YouTube channel has been viewed tens of million times, yet many people still can’t pronounce his last name. It’s “Shee-ma-BOO-koo-roh,” and born Hawai’ians refer to his instrument as an “oo-koo-LAY-lay.” Otherwise, it’s just the humble uke, a lute instrument that dates to …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS The Oly Old Time festivities on Saturday will include a square dance with Portland-based band Uncle Wiggily. Originally formed by the late Bill Martin and friends, Uncle Wiggily’s sounds encapsulate the music of old-fashioned square dances of the 1920s and ’30s. Today Uncle Wiggily consists of Amy Hofer and …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Olympia’s Bow Weevils are returning to The Oly Old Time Festival, the site of their 2016 debut. Prior to forming The Bow Weevils, Ruby Neatherlin (bass, fiddle, washboard), sisters Annie (fiddle, songwriting) and Ellie Davis (fiddle, guitar) and brothers Hatcher (guitar, mandolin) and Rizley Cox (banjo, fiddle, mandolin) played …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Music history is lined with family bands, with qualities spanning the good (the Everly Brothers), the bad (the Jonas Brothers) and the indescribably weird (the Shaggs). Those examples are all sibling acts, and that avoids the potential sleaziness of parents promoting their children as music acts. It’s easier to …