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 Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Ben Folds—he of the clever and oh-so-revealing lyrics and piano skill that’s earned the respect of Billy Joel and Elton John—will perform Oct. 26 in Olympia. And he’ll take requests. “People have been throwing paper airplanes with requests on them for the second half,” Nashville, Tennessee’s Folds said in …
Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation. He’s spent over a decade sharing the stage with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras–from Sydney, Australia to the Kennedy Center–performing his pop hits and his critically acclaimed concerto for piano and orchestra. For five seasons he was a …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS The band name Evolfo is a shortened version of its original, longer form, Evolfo Doofeht, which is itself a reverse spelling of “the food of love.” Having formed as college students in Boston, of course there’d be some pretentious designs on creating a band name, but those instincts have …
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 In an indie music culture which, in the past decade or so, favors stripped-down bands that offer no-frills music and disaffected live shows, Molly Raney’s Poppet project is thrilling in its efforts to craft a performance that truly leaves an impression. That the music stands on its own is …
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 Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Olympia loves Arts Walk, when businesses become galleries and people who crave culture stroll the streets. This Saturday, the city gets another walk: the first Olympia Jazz Walk, a fundraiser for JazzClubsNW, a North Bend-based nonprofit that aims to keep jazz alive and well through performance and education. Eleven …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Sharon Stearnes, the organist for the Seattle Mariners from 1985 to 1990, will play the 1924 Wurlitzer organ at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts in a free concert Thursday, Aug. 18. The Andy Crow Mighty Wurlitzer was originally made for the Liberty Theater, which was torn down …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS The Terry Twins, Lesa and Mona, will play music for stringed instruments at Salon Refu. The gallery is displaying landscapes by Olympia-based artist Barlow Palminteri as well as sculptural works in progress by textile artist and sculptor Lucy Gentry. Refreshments will be served, and the twins’ music CDs will …