support live music Archives - Page 8 of 19

May 30, 2025 Jason Shrum

The Journey with Inclement Weather Department

I met Cam, Joey, Trevor, Brian, Connor and TJ before even knowing that they were a band. I co-owned a small batch brewery in north Seattle, in a neighborhood know as Ballard (don’t let anyone tell you it was Fremont). About 2 blocks up the road, in Fremont, sat an unmarked building, with no windows and no plaque out front even though it was once the home of Reciprocal Records until the early 1990’s. Why is that important? Well, it is where Nirvana, along with producer Jack Endino laid down the band’s first album, Bleach. Other bands like Soundgarden, Death Cab For Cutie, Green River and Tad, among others, would also record here. I didn’t know this at first and I soon realized that I near a pretty special place in music history.

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May 27, 2025 Cretin

Metallica Causes Quake

I had never heard of Metallica, and this, their second album was my first exposure. I scanned through the album in my headphones while another tune played across the airwaves. Probably Deep Purple – they were my “go to” at that time. As a DJ in the 80’s you sampled an album by lifting and placing the needle ten times and hearing the beginning of each song. The first one to catch my attention was “Trapped Under Ice.” Harder than most stuff I listened to, but it was fresh, aggressive, and damn good music. It became my theme song for that show, and eventually was my opening song every Friday night. It seemed the perfect segue from the guitar-laced classic rock played before my shift started.

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May 20, 2025 Jason Shrum

Billy Idol & Joan Jett Still Crushing It

Billy Idol followed about a half hour after Joan and her Blackheart mates finished their set. Idol, now 69, also looked fantastic and I wondered how he would sound. I have been a long-time fan of both musicians since I was about 12 years old. I knew about Runaways and was also listening to Billy’s former band Generation X thanks to the older kids that I knew when I was in middle school. Again, these formations broke-up long before I was listening, but I had catching up to do.

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May 16, 2025 Carson Webb

Fontaines D.C. w/ Jadu Heart @ The NorVa

Diva-Sachys vocals were SO dreamy against the heavier guitar riffs in this song. In ‘Mild to Moderate Pain’ there was a heavier use of drum/beat machine which again, really helped you get lost in this melancholic setting they created as you quite literally feel every beat go through you no thanks to how close we were to the speakers. ‘Metal Violets’ is already one of their faster paced songs without being too in your face but in a live setting you can see it’s one of their favorite songs to play as their energy, especially in the ending breakdown, really amps up. Long story short: these guys are under appreciated and deserve their roses.

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May 10, 2025 Jason Shrum

Spinning The Black Circle Of Life

I was beyond thrilled that I was in the right place at the right time to complete this journey of mine. I still have my Lollapalooza ticket from 1992 and I was sure to get an actual ticket from this show as well (it’s in the mail-hopefully). I write about many shows, as I go to a lot of concerts, but this one rang special. I do not know if I will ever see the band live again, but I got to see them when they were just starting out and now, I have visited them as one of the biggest bands in the world. I am glad we all got to live this long and navigate this floating rock together.

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May 4, 2025 Jason Shrum

Free Gaga! Yes Please

Lady Gaga isn’t going anywhere and nor should she. In fact, she may be doing her best work most recently. I have seen Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta AKA Lady Gaga in concert twice and she is nothing short of stunning. It wasn’t until I first saw her in Orlando, Florida years ago that I realized what an amazing singer and talented musician she was. I knew she was an artist. I knew she was a performer. I knew she had an act. However she has all the depth to back than up and she is showing that side more and more. Her new album, Mayhem, is a prime example of that. If you haven’t heard it yet, you are doing yourself a major disservice. Another toss-away descriptor, but I am lacking otherwise- it is brilliant. Her seventh studio album is what the kids would consider to be a banger. It is a maximum effort of all things Gaga, if that is at all possible. To date, however, I feel, its is her best work. You can hear all the knowledge that she has absorbed over the years poured into this record.

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April 28, 2025 Jason Shrum

Gentry Blue Immerses Audiences in Sound

I find myself in East Nashville once again amongst a row of “Dive Bars” and independently operated live music venues. I find the area to be a great section of the city where you can find hard working bands grinding out passionate sets on any given day of the week. Downtown on Broadway you can certainly find an amplitude of fine musicians doing the same thing and the music is fantastic, but sometimes the tourists can be too much. You won’t find a gaggle of bachelorettes in sparkled hats and boots sipping blue drinks from penis straws. East Nashville is a little rawer and more local driven. The strip includes famously great joints like The Underdog, The Cobra, The Basement East, The 5 Spot and so many more. Tonight, I was patronizing The Cobra that not only offers cheap drinks but three different areas for music to happen. There’s a spot near the main bar, an outside space and “The Venue” which is just off to the right when you enter streetside.