How The Young Have Fallen

I've always really liked the Globes. I first heard them when my friend Will started sending me songs his band For Years Blue was recording. They won a few Battle of the Bands, and were in or around the 10th grade. They were suprisingly pretty damn good. Here's a taste of probably my favorite For Years Blue tune, alas I never saw them play it live:

For Years Blue: D Beam Controller

They continued to get better. Will left the band at some point. I always kind of figured that they'd break up, as most young bands do, move along or go to college in different towns. But somehow, they managed to change their name to the Globes, and move out to Seattle to make it big in rock and roll. Here's a jam off their new EP. Love it.

The Globes: Killers and Saints

Tiny Vipers, The Globes, Kaylee Cole and Grant Olson play the Empyrean on Saturday January 31. 7pm, $7, All Ages.

True Livin'

Portland's Lifesavas make their way to the Casbah tonight. They've crushed Spokane several times before, you may remember Vursatyl's insane rhymes over Jumbo's fire production one a few wonderful occasions at the B-Side. Normally backed by DJ Rev Shines, tonight they'll be backed by Blackalicious' own Chief Xcel.

Here's a track from their first record Spirit in Stone. Note Vurs completely tearing the first verse apart by the letter.

Lifesavas: It's Over

Lifesavas, Jiggywatts, and Som at the Casbah on Friday January 30. 9:30 pm. 21+

Bringing Em Back!

Oh man, one of the funniest videos ever.

Dirt Nasty, ahem, Simon Rex, returns to the BLVD on Friday.

I think this video speaks for itself.

Dirt Nasty, Andre Legacy and Beardo play the BLVD on Friday January 30 for ages 18 and up.

Ughh Ain't Dead!!!

This weekend we get a very special visit from two unique camps of underground hip hop. Sole of Anticon and Myka Nyne of Freestyle Fellowship play the BLVD on Saturday night.

Spokane's had a few different visits from the Anticon camp - Themselves Subtle opened for Minus the Bear a while back and Why? played alongside Wayne Patrick last year, but we haven't had the crew/label's founder Sole visit our fair city. Sole can make some pretty weird music. Here's one of the more accessible tracks from Sole's early material:

Sole: Year of the $exxx $ymbol

Myka Nyne hails from Los Angeles California and is a member of the seminal ground Freestyle Fellowship, who formed at the very famous open mic sessions at the Good Life Cafe in the early 90s. He's got a truly unique voice, check him out on this collaboration with Prefuse 73:

Prefuse 73 with Myka Nyne: Life Death

Myka Nyne and Sole play the BLVD on Saturday January 24. Gun of the Sun opens. 9pm, 21 and up, $7.

Hardcore at the Hop this Saturday

Excuse the horrible title, it's the best I can manage on 3 hours of sleep.

This Saturday (01/24), Seattle's Vanguard returns to the Cretin Hop. In tow are Providence, RI's Soul Control (on Rivalry Records, legit label - check 'em out), Ill Intent (Seattle), More Than Heroes (Portland), and Wound Up opening. More surprises are bound to happen...

If you've been living under a rock, you can find all the bands on myspace. Plenty of singalongs, fun, and limited merch is guaranteed to be had.

Doors at 6:00, $10. Show's a little spendy, but touring ain't easy or cheap.

Anybody Else Remember This?

Can't wait for summer!

Music For All Ages

The state of the all-ages music scene is in a little bit of limbo right now, as there are some potential city ordinance amendments that will:

1. Require concert attendees to be age 16 and up.
2. Require venues to have $1,000,000 of insurance.

While I'm not sure how much that insurance costs, I do know that all ages venues don't really make much money, and mo' money = mo' problems.

And surely there are kids under the age of 16 that would like something as safe, fun and culturally benificial as enjoying live music. Seriously, this age limit makes no sense to me.

In anticipation of a rumble, the Public Safety Committee will be holding a meeting on Tuesday January 20 at 10:30 in City Hall Room 5A.

Please attend.

Give Em Some Slack

On Saturday night indie singer/songwriter Seattlite Damien Jurado plays the Empyrean's 2 Year Anniversary Bash.

To be honest, the closest I've ever come to listening to his music is when I helped a friend list one of his records on eBay. That being said, Jurado's the real deal - as he's been involved with a handful of respectable record labels like Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Tooth and Nail and Made in Mexico.

With a video this creepy, he's gotta be legit, right?



Damien Jurado plays Saturday January 17 with Karli Fairbanks and Kevin Long.

Sommies!

Voting for the 4th annual Sommie Awards is happening right now. Take a second and go vote for your favorite local bands/rappers/singers/artists!

www.thesomshow.com

Tighten Up Them Jeans!

Congratulations to the Empyrean Coffee House, who will be celebrating two years of business with a weekend of great shows.

Friday night features Love You Long Time, the Salt Lake City/LA electro rap dance spandex keytar American Apparelites. The kids have gotta love this.

Love You Long Time: the Power

Love You Long Time plays Friday January 16 with Goodnight Sunrise, Teen Hearts, Jiggywatts, James Pants, Peter Parker and Pegasus Dream.

So Much Inspiration

Apologies for my lack of posts. All I've wanted to do since the snow fell was stay inside, watch Law and Order reruns and dance to David Bowie songs in my pjs.

Souls of Mischief are bringing some much needed sunny golden hip hop to Spokane on Thursday. You may know them as members of the mighty Bay Area Heiroglyphics crew, or maybe you just know them from the still classic "93 til Infinity."

Hip Hop connoisseurs, rejoice.

Souls of Mischief play at the BLVD on Thursday, January 15. Bukue One, the Serendipity Project and Jiggywatts open. Aegs 18 and up welcome.

all ages?

I was handed down a copy a couple days ago of a proposed City ordinance, brought forward by Police Licensing Officer Max Hewitt and City Attorney Tim Szamblen, which could be on the Spokane City Council agenda within a couple of weeks. Bob was able to get Council President Joe Shogan to keep it off the agenda for last monday.

The proposed ordinance makes many changes to the cabaret license law, including creating a new term of "all ages clubs" - or some such term - copies went out to the Inlander and to the Empyrean to share with various peeps there. Among the obvious major changes, it would require insurance to be purchased by the cabaret license holder of $1 million naming the City as coinsured, and sets a minimum attendance age limit of 16 years old, requiring identification checks for all people entering. It would also require all license holders to sign a "Good Neighbor Agreement" - much as RAWK did this summer. As you might know, this mechanism gives the Police Licensing Officer more independent discretion, and reduces the process needed to yank a license. "You can't gather here anymore."

Luke Baumgarten intends to call Max Hewitt and Councilman Apple, to inquire about the purposes behind the ordinance. Bob said that an e-mail he received about it referred to the recent closure of (we are guessing) The Cretin Hop due to a liquor law violation (apparently allowing the public to enter a banquet permit event - but I don't know the details). How that translates into these proposed changes is inconceivable.

Bob Apple has asked for a copy of the proposed ordinance as a PDF, so it can be distributed easily, but has yet to receive that.

I have to assume that the Mayor would not support this language - her son (who attended an all ages show at the big dipper for his 11th birthday) would be unable to attend our shows for the next couple years - but time will tell. A veto could be overridden with 5 Council votes, but Bob doesn't think that any Council members asked for this proposal to be developed - it just magically appeared.

i'll keep the blog updated to any changes that come up in the next week, as well as the city council's date for when this issue should be up for discussion.
support the all ages!