Welcome, winter! Brrrr.
By the time you read this, I will have completed my first half-marathon on November 28 here in Seattle! I could not have done this without the random musical assistance of the following folks: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, Sammy Hagar, Kelly Osbourne (I said random!), Brad Paisley (I know!), and Rihanna (yesssss!). Real-life support courtesy of my Mom, Dad, sister Erin and pals, you know, also irreplaceable. Thanks!
Away from the self-serving…
Facebook photo-tagging recently alerted me to a lovely cross-state pairing between MON CHÉRI and KORY KRUCKENBERG. You’ll remember Kory from that faaaantastic Karli Fairbanks album a while back, as well as his band Pablo Trucker, and his years spent in Spokane (Mead School District, holla!). Now at the helm of Spokane’s favorite lil’ pop quartet’s latest recorded effort, the results are sure to delight!
The band—CAROLINE FRANCIS, PATRICK MCHENRY, KURT OLSON and BRANDON VASQUEZ—agrees. As front-lady Caroline explained recently via e-mail, “Kory is not only extremely talented, he is so friggin’ nice, and hilarious, and fun to hang out with… When he found out we wanted to record with him he seemed so willing and excited!”
Recording with Kory means travelling to his Seattle studio and changing the dynamic of previous experiences for the band—in most cases, cramming a whole lot of work into a smaller amount of time. But up to the challenge, they were: “The biggest difference [between this time and last time] is how far we travel to record, which means recording A LOT in two days (usually Saturday and Sunday),” Caroline explained. “I love having that timeline though of having to get so much done in two days; it makes us all work hard, but doing it together makes it so much more fun.”
The band, which was recently highlighted on MTV’s music blog following a competition win, hopes to release the album in the spring (recording should be wrapped within a couple weeks). They have two December appearances on the books at the moment: one on the 18th at Huckleberry’s, and another on the 23rd at A Club, as one of Platform’s Thursday nights (highlighted last month, ‘member?).
Speaking of Platform, Patrick Kendrick & Co. bring JAMES PANTS to A Club on New Year’s Eve for what is sure to be a paaarty. But before you NYE-it-up, celebrate some holiday fun-times at the Knitting Factory’s NOIZE 4 TOYZ on December 3 with Lucid, 18 Shades, Character Flaw, Josh Pryor and Vial 8. A new toy gets you in, and the collection of ‘em at the end of the night goes to bringing some BIG SMILES on Christmas morning. Orrrrr, there’s mainstay the OAK RIDGE BOYS, whose show includes classics annnnd a magical Christmas set—also December 3, across downtown at INB Performing Arts Center. WHITE CHRISTMAS runs through the 19th at the Civic Theatre. Local boy MYLES KENNEDY returns to town on the 30th to perform with his band ALTER BRIDGE at the Knitting Factory.
LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST (I hope you’re still there, this is gettin’ good…), on the subject of local boys, Spokanite BRIAN WHITE and honorary-Spokanite ANTHONY STASSI have dropped out of Hockey and are collaborating again with… wait for it… their former SEAWEED JACK band-mate Geoff Doolittle! I will surely keep you posted on the results, and wish the dudes the best on whatever they might be cookin’ up!
Happy Holidays to all!
