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 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 …
WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, there’s no shortage of highly anticipated musical performances, exquisite dance or thought-provoking theater to keep you entertained. Get ready for a full lineup of arts and culture in Olympia! Click here to listen to our podcast version of Weekend Preview, sponsored by Alan …
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 …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Rufus Wainwright has been described as Canada’s most flamboyant man of music. Beneath the flash, though, there’s plenty of substance. Wainwright, who laughingly describes himself as a “gay troubadour,” will perform for a reduced fee at the third annual “Gayla,” a benefit for Pizza Klatch, an organization that supports …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS It’s a sad fact that a lot of people, even those who would consider themselves passionate fans of music, still have a blind spot when it comes to classical and chamber music. Perhaps it’s possible that years of classical music concerts being big-ticket affairs have conditioned people to view …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS When they perform at The Oly Old Time Festival, Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle won’t simply play and sing. They show as much as they tell, accompanying their songs with “crankies,” rolls of fabric or paper with illustrations that move with the turn of a crank. The duo’s music—and …
A longer history, as told to OLY ARTS by festival founders In 2008, a group of people who enjoyed old-time music—music played with banjo, fiddle and other traditional stringband instruments—began jamming in Olympia homes. People played under the band name Grizzle Grazzle, with the inclusive motto, “We are Grizzle Grazzle and so are you!” This motto …