posts about live music, performance of music, concerts, etc.
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Local music scenes like Olympia’s can’t always support bands built on classical influences. From a purely economic standpoint, not many struggling musicians can afford string or woodwind instruments like cellos or oboes, and audiences tend not to be as inclined to come out on a weekend to hear music …
by Guy Bergstrom for OLY ARTS Art never dies–and nothing sticks to people more than the music they grew up with, no matter how good or bad it was. You can’t kill those memories. Whether you listened to grunge in college or still have a collection of Moody Blues cassette tapes, there’s a band you’ll …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Washington State History Museum’s newest exhibit, “A Revolution You Can Dance To,” opens Sept. 10 in Tacoma. The exhibit focuses on Olympia’s radical music scene, ranging from the late 1980s to mid ’90s. Visitors will learn about local record labels that emerged during this period, such as K Records …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Making the transition from singer-songwriter to a full band can be a challenge for some. For Olivia Rose, the decision to put down her acoustic guitar and form the full-band version of her solo Oh, Rose project was one made out of necessity. “It really started, I guess, because …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS In only five short years, Olympia funksters DBST have graduated from playing downtown dive bars to share stages with the likes of Joe Doria, Monophonics, Blue Lotus, and Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme. This sexy sextet mixes blues, rock and funk grooves to please the most discriminating of …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Keeping with a long-standing tradition, Music in the Park’s season ends with a live concert from The 56th Army Band. Based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the band plays many local and regional venues. Recently, for example, it appeared at Seattle’s Rock and Roll Marathon and performed a concert at …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS The Tickled Pinks, a New-York-based swing vocal trio and band, returns to Olympia as part of the Music in the Park series in Sylvester Park on August 17 at 7:00 p.m. The group, founded in 2009, performs classic tunes in the style of The Andrews Sisters, such as “Straighten …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS The classic-rock band Blind Facsimile, aka Blind Fax, is Deb Rutter (vocals), Lorraine Stensager (vocals, keyboards), Tim Stensager (vocals, keyboards), Brian Ferris (guitar, backing vocals), Evan Ogden (drums) and Vince Chavez (bass). Chavez says the band “captures the heart and soul of classic rock, playing music which defined generations. …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS On Aug. 5, Music in the Park moves to the Port Plaza at Percival Landing for a show from old-style-blues band Blues County Sheriff. Band members say they live to have fun and put on a great show. “Forget the myth that blues is sad music,” they say. “Our …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS The gypsy-jazz band Swing 49 performs for Olympia’s Music in the Park this summer. Self-described as offering soulful vocal jazz, virtuosic guitar solos and funky horn lines, Swing 49 is Jacqueline Schafer, vocals; Tovi Newman, guitar; Forest Wilson, guitar; Logan Bean, trumpet and Joe Eunice, bass. Calling Olympia home, …