Reverb Fest

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Reverb Fest Oct 4th, 2008

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The Seattle Weekly’s Third Annual Reverb Fest is sure to blow the barn doors off of downtown Ballard while showcasing the talent of 65 Seattle bands at ten different venues.

The weekend of Saturday Oct. 4th is sure to be a raucous one on the cobbled downtown streets of Ballard, with festivities starting at 3pm and a variety of acts, ending with Moondoggies at the Sunset Tavern.

Bands on the rise and, in the humble opinion of Seattle.net, worth checking out include Mono in VCF, Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden, Truckasaurus, Lonesome Rhodes and the Good Company, Diminished Men, The Curious Mystery, Madraso, Shim and Moondoggies.

Last year’s lineup proved to be a launching point for a lot of talent. Almost unknown last year, the Fleet Foxes, whom have blown up on the national and international scene, graced the festival along with other now big names such as Das Llamas, The Pharmacy and the Maldives.

All this goes down in Ballard on Saturday, October 4, with five all-ages stages for the minors out there (who also get a discount on admission).

Tickets- Minors- $5 advance, $7 day of show; 21+- $8 advance, $10 day of show.

by Jared Nelson

Mono in VCF
9 p.m. -- Salmon Bay Eagles (all ages)

When contacted for information about their Seattle Weekly show, Mono in VCF's songwriter/guitarist Hunter Lea said I could do an interview or just make some stuff up. Here are some scenarios the reader himself can judge as truth or fiction: 1) Mr. Lea once snuck backstage at a Strokes' concert and he and a friend downed the entirety of Julian Casablancas' 12-pack of Heineken. At the end of their show he came back stage demanding to find his drink and Hunter simply smiled, waved the last beer in the air, put it down, and walked out of the room. 2) Mr. Lea owns one of the largest collections of Lee Hazelwood vinyl known to man. He is attempting to convert it all to digital format to release a comprehensive collection of Hazelwood's music in the future. 3) When opening for Jarvis Cocker at the Showbox, Mr. Cocker requested that some members of Mono in VCF join him for a sing-a-long on stage. The band refused, stating, "This Is Hardcore was unforgivable." 4) In Mono in VCF, the “VCF” stands for "Very Cool Friends," a reference to an obscure British children's show with the same title. 5) Hunter once managed to sneak backstage at a Coldplay show and sold the band a broken down Wurlitzer keyboard. He didn't even have tickets to the show.

Fact, fiction, or myth -- no matter. Mono in VCF play some seriously swanky, grooving, and dark mystery pop that's definitely worth checking out. A true fact: I saw them play the Crocodile Cafe once. Their keyboard being absent, Hunter simply played all the keyboard parts with the headstock of his guitar without missing a beat on either instrument.


The Curious Mystery
10 p.m. -- Mr. Spot's Chai House (21+)

I hope that when the Curious Mystery's album drops on legendary K Records that the critics have enough tact to avoid simple blanket statements that critics love to make. I pray that they do not simply get clumped in with whatever the new indie crowd calls "Americana." I hope that the references to Cat Power are few and far between. The Curious Mystery's brew is organic, dark, and heartfelt. Shana Cleveland's brooding, disconnected vocals are offset by some genuine rock & roll stage antics and multitasking on guitar, banjo, autoharp, and melodica. Nicholas Gonzalez plays eerie slide and prepared guitar, sometimes running his axe through a contraption that looks like he converted some baking utensils into a pre-amp. Drummer Faustin B. Hudson is a mop of hair and zoned out groove on the drums. Manic post-apocalyptic Appalachian rave-ups, film-noir doom, and Velvet Underground-esque folk-prog are all to be expected.


The Diminished Men
11 p.m. -- Mr. Spot's Chai House (21+)

A few weeks ago I saw Diminished Men at The Funhouse on a Monday night. Their fog machine was so intense that when someone propped open the door to the smoking porch outside, the entire area was filled with impenetrable fog almost immediately. The entirety of the club was engulfed in green light and clouds. Many people complained, but forget that. The fog sucks you into their psychedelic surf take on Spaghetti Western soundtracks, uneasy Red Light District jams, and Can-esque throw downs. If you have a chance (and still own a cassette player) definitely pick up one of their cassettes -- American Volume Swells 1 and 2. On these they kick some crazy-ass garage jams, get into some deep, spaced out dub, and even have some dual saxophone solos to digest. There really is n o other band in this city out on the same trip as Diminished Men. And it is a trip you should be on.


The Quit
11 p.m. -- Lock & Keel (21+)

The Quit have recently been getting attention from 107.7 The End, KEXP, Three Imaginary Girls, and Seattle Sound. The hype is all around their new album Minus Tide, produced by Scott Colburn (Sun City Girls, Climax Golden Twins, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire). A power-pop album almost completely devoid of modern indie-rock pitfalls, the Quit keep it pretty real, old-school style. Scott Shoemaker's songs are all blurred windows from moving vehicles and romantic laments devoid of the self-pitying, suburbanite cowardice that passes off as lyric matter in the modern indie-rock world. No tongue-in-cheek posturing here. Minus Tide's opener, "Manchester," is an undeniably catchy slice of classic rock-pop. "Dark Days" sounds like it could be an outtake from the Replacements' elegant and weary swan song, All Shook Down. Shoemaker's vocals are those of a singer who actual sings as opposed to preen and pose. Drummer Chuck Pinnell plays void of the disco-rock repetition dominating airwaves now. And when Nash McBride does rip into a lead, it's Bob Stinson meets Mike Campbell as opposed to...well, wait -- do modern indie-pop bands even know how to play a guitar solo? Case in point.

Full Schedule

THE SUNSET 5433 Ballard Ave NW
12:30am - The Moondoggies
11:30pm - Grayskul
10:30pm – Madraso
9:30pm - Team Gina
8pm – Police Teeth (live on 90.3 KEXP Audioasis)
6:30pm - Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth* (live on 90.3 KEXP Audioasis)
5pm - Sage
4pm – Blood Red Dancers
3pm - Thee Sgt Major III

THE TRACTOR 5213 Ballard Ave NW
12am - Shim
11pm – North Twin
10pm – Massy Ferguson
9pm – 17th Chapter
8pm – See Me River
7pm - Lonesome Rhodes & The Good Company
6pm – Michael Vermillion
5pm - Kate Tucker & The Sons Of Sweden
4pm - Zach Harjo
3pm – Elder Mason

MARKET STREET ATHLETE (ALL AGES) 2232 NW Market St
10pm - Orbitron
9pm - Onry Ozzborn & The Gigantics
8pm - Piece
7pm - Wizdom
6pm - Kublakai
5pm - Ripynt

SALMON BAY EAGLES (ALL AGES) 5216 20th Ave NW
10pm - Aqueduct
9pm - Mono In VCF
8pm – Boat
7pm – Black Whales
6pm – The Lonely Forest
5pm – Panda & Angel
4pm – The Monday Mornings
3pm - C-Leb & A-Bro

MR SPOT’S CHAI HOUSE (ALL AGES until 10 p.m.) 5463 Leary Ave. NW
11pm - Diminished Men
10pm – The Curious Mystery
9pm – Man Plus
8pm - Pufferfish
7pm - Husbands Love Your Wives
6pm - Arbitron

HATTIES HAT (ALL AGES) 5231 Ballard Ave NW
6pm - Ian Moore
5pm - Herman Jolly
4pm - Sweet Potatoes
3pm – Kim Virant

LOCK AND KEEL 5144 Ballard Ave NW
12am – At The Spine
11pm – The Quit
10pm – Trombone Cake
9pm – Red Jacket Mine
8pm – Gatling Gees
7pm – The Little Penguins
6pm – The Braille Tapes

CONOR BYRNE’S 5140 Ballard Ave NW
7pm - The Rainieros
6pm - Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies
5pm - The Crying Shame
4pm - Hazelwood Motel

THE BIT 4814 17th Ave NW
12am - Dragstrip Riot
11pm – Neon Nights
10pm – The Valkyries
9pm – Guns N Rossetti
8pm – Emeralds
7pm - Bacchus
6pm - Keg

TRIPLE (ALL AGES) 5227 Ballard Ave NW
9pm - Truckasauras
8pm - Canary Sing
7pm – Knox Family
6pm - DJ B-Girl


Related links
• Ticket Giveaway