I took in live jazz at Jazz Alley

From K.

I've meant to visit Jazz Alley for eons now. Well, at least since the early 90s. And now I wish I'd gone earlier, before The Triple Door opened and spoiled me.



Don't get me wrong. Jazz Alley is a fine spot to take in live music, like the John Patitucci Trio, which played a set that veered between melancholy and vibrant last night (I was mesmerized by his bass fingering and the versatility of the drummer). It had an intimate atmosphere and decent acoustics. But I couldn't help comparing the two. Both have swell desserts, though Triple Door's gelato banana split wins hands down. The Triple Door is lucky enough to offer a menu from Wild Ginger, which sits just upstairs. Jazz Alley's cuisine is just OK. Then, there's the view. Jazz Alley has a handy, open-air balcony that offers great views of the stage, if you don't mind waking up with a crick in your neck the next morning, as I did today. Triple Door lets most of its guests have a straight-on view of the musical action.

At least I loved the music :)

I heard great music at the Capitol Hill Block Party...

From N.

I spent my weekend navigating Capitol Hill Block Party, when the intersection of 11th and Pike gets shut down, stages put up and thousands of people show up. Many are tattooed. It's a thrill to wander familiar streets without worrying about taxicab drivers mowing you down in the crosswalk, to check out new bands, get crushed by Sonic Youth fans and be sad that you didn't snag kimchi fried rice at Marination Mobile when it was there on Friday night.

There were a lot of people there.

Friday was about new music and the small Vera stage, where I saw two of my favorite performances of the weekend: Starfucker and Micachu and the Shapes. Starfucker, a group of guys from Portland, showed up in dresses and had the entire audience pulsating along with its danceable music and cool hooks. Their energy was contagious and their music knocked me out. Micachu is a UK band with a sweet singing voice and a banjo that allows for cuteness yet quashes any categories by mixing in intensely raw, edgy sounds. It was creative and awesome.

I think I would have really loved Deerhunter if I could have seen them. Friends L., M. and I didn't venture to the front of the pack at the main stage on Friday night and so couldn't see a thing. Deerhunter sounded great, but I realized it really is about actually seeing the band. My mind was already overstimulated and it wandered when I couldn't focus on the stage. (Although I don't think seeing Black Lips would have convinced me to get into their music.) They Live! also killed Friday at Neumos. They've really brought their stage performance to a new level since I first saw them not that many months ago, this time performing with two Massive Monkees (who are such a fun part of the show), lights and a thundering stage presence.

Saturday was about determination. I wanted to see Gossip up close and personal on the main stage. We pushed our way into The Thermals crowd, then surged forward when they finished so we could get thisclose to Beth Ditto. I thought we did pretty well.

Beth Ditto is a force on so many levels. She was adorable in her black and white striped dress and is so fun, sassy and charming, I could see how the fashion world has gone gaga. And then there's her voice - thrilling and huge. We had to cope with a few surges of frantic, dancing fans pushing past us, but mostly just loved hearing Beth Ditto's outrageous voice, be wooed by her ("Cheers, bitches!") and get swept up in her music and aura.

We decided not to wait the next hour for Sonic Youth so attempted to leave the front of the main stage. Attempted. We nearly got trampled as Sonic Youth fans swarmed the front and Gossip fans tried to get out. Some order or organized way of getting people in and out of the claustrophobic narrow chute that opened to a large space in front of the stage (a fence divided the street for 21+ and all ages) would have been nice. It was enough crowds to last us quite a while.

It was too hard to focus during Sonic Youth since we couldn't see, so we ended the night at at the Sport'nLife showcase in Neumos, which felt like a real show. Got to see D. Black, Spaceman, Fatal Lucciauno and even Grynch do their thing. It was a familiar and soothing end to a great festival.

I saw Seahawk Craig Terrill at The Triple Door

From K.

You never know what you're gonna get with athletes-turned-musicians. Shaq's rap comes to mind. So you'll understand my trepidation when J persuaded me to accompany him to a recent show starring the Seahawk's defensive tackle.



I'd heard Craig live before, singing a mournful song a capella. It was very different on this night to watch his 6-foot-2, 295-pound self wail and yell and boom through his Americana rock set on stage, backed ably by his Craig Terrill Band. He has a serious voice and serious stage presence. I really admire people who excel in more than one area of life -- how many people do you know who can claim an NFL career *and* a viable music career? And an adorable family. What am I doing wrong? ;)

This night out also reminded me how much I adore The Triple Door. It calls to mind those great supper clubs of the 20s/30s/40s. Rows of tables rise in front of the stage, lined with candles and any number of wine glasses and cocktails. Food comes from Wild Ginger upstairs; we enjoyed the Seven-flavor Beef and Pad Thai. Order the banana split for dessert. With scoops of gelato it's almost insanely decadent. A great date spot if you want to impress (and you have a good inkling of your love interest's musical tastes).