Bloglander

A bevy of tunes to be had this weekend, and here are some of the highlights: 

FRIDAY
Who doesn't like free tunes? And if swing is your thing, you'll want to make your way to the Red Lion Hotel at the Park for the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, an excellent choice for opening the hotel summer concert series. The show starts at 6 pm. This was their big hit: 

The Bartlett hosts two shows by folk-rockers Della Mae, and they're sure to be packed. The Mentors bring old-school and really disgusting punk rock to The Pin!, the Bing hosts Alive She Cried: The Ultimate Doors Experience if you really, really miss the Lizard King. The Holy Broke is joined  by Tyler Aker and Lucas Brown for a gig at The Observatory, and over in Post Falls, the Stateline Music Festival kicks off at Cruisers with a show by Wayward West,  Children of Atom and Coleman Underground. 

SATURDAY
After all that action Friday, it doesn't let up Saturday one bit. 

A powerful duet can set one's soul on edge, the intermingling of voices capable of transcending the power a solo artist is able to find on his or her own. 

Two immensely talented folk artists, Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle, are joining up this summer to release a new album of duets called, appropriately, Colvin & Earle, and they're heading out on the road to support it with an acoustic tour that stops in Spokane in August.

Colvin and Earle will play the Bing Crosby Theater on Wednesday, Aug. 24, and tickets are $47 and $57. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 am through TicketsWest outlets.  

You can hear a little sample of what they sound like together right here: 

ELKFEST
We’re here in the final homestretch of the back-to-back-to-back music festival weekends. We’re finally recovered from Sasquatch! over Memorial Day Weekend, Volume just last weekend and now it’s finally Elkfest. Tonight’s festivities kicked off this afternoon with the music starting at 4 pm. Here’s everything you need to know about the annual Browne’s Addition block party. Hopefully, it doesn’t rain! For a taste of Saturday night's festivities, see the video above. 
CASCADIA PRE PARTY
This Saturday, a month before the Cascadia NW Arts & Music Festival gets underway on the west side of the state in Granite Falls, the Big Dipper hosts three of its artists for a pre-party — a light-filled event sure to include a host of dancers and artists and body paint. Put on by the local production company Old Love Music Group, which works to celebrate something they call Intelligent Dance Music, the event is headlined by Michael Manahan, one of Seattle’s hardest-working DJs and electronic music producers, and includes Rob Noble and Jellyfyst. The show starts at 8 pm and is $10 at the door for those 18 and up.

CONCRETE GRIP CD RELEASE
Metal fans can get their fix this weekend, too, with Concrete Grip’s album release show Friday. The slam metal act has been hitting the Spokane pavement since 2005, and this year they’re finally putting out their new studio album Architect of Havoc. Bill Hempel’s deafening roar surprises with its range, switching to near-singing every now and then, and you can feel all the anguish when in “Tenfold” he screams “Grip your fist when you’re pissed at the world!” The group plans to play the album in its entirety at Friday’s show at the Palamino, which is $8 and starts at 7 pm.

LUSH IN SPACE
Starting Sunday, the Observatory is throwing it’s own mini music festival called Lush in Space. The event runs through the week, but kicks off with Yardsss, Wrtch and Ben Jennings. A whole bunch of indie rock and punk acts play the festival as well as Seattle group Helms Alee (Thursday). Take a look at the entire lineup right here. $20 will get you into all six nights.
Looking for even more music options? Check out the other awesome bands playing this weekend right here. 

The Head and the Heart sold out the Knitting Factory a few years ago, and packed one of the Festival at Sandpoint gigs two summer ago. Now the Seattle folk-rock crew is coming around again in support of their upcoming third album, Signs of Light. 

The Head and the Heart will headline the INB Performing Arts Center this time around, at a show slated for Monday, Oct. 10. Tickets are $36 and $53.50, and go on sale this Friday, June 10, at 10 am, via TicketsWest.com, by phone at 800-325-SEAT, or at TicketsWest outlets. 

The band had a meteoric rise from loose jams in Seattle into a tight live band. The first single on the new album, "All We Ever Knew," has a bombastic vibe sure to go over well with fans. There are a lot of "la-la-las" and some definite Fleetwood Mac vibes (to my ears). You can judge for yourself: 

Also coming to town is roots dude Ryan Bingham, the mighty fine singer/songwriter, for a show at the Knitting Factory on Sunday, Sept. 4. The guy was nominated for an Oscar for the great stuff he gave Jeff Bridges to sing in Crazy Heart, and he's made a bunch of solid albums blending country, folk and rock vibes. 

Laura Johnson, music editor 
"I want to see every band. Unfortunately, because of the constraints of time and space (and the fact I don't run fast) I can't be everywhere. Besides, clearly, the 2016 Inlander Bands to Watch: Age of Nefilim, Ragtag Romantics, the Smokes and Jan Francisco, here's the tip of the iceberg of bands on my can't miss list:" 

FRIDAY
Empty Eyes, Baby Bar, 7:15 pm
Mommy Long Legs, Mootsy's, 8:15 pm
Duke Evers, nYne, 9:45 pm
DoNormaal, The Observatory, 12:30 am

SATURDAY
Super Sparkle, the Pin!, 6 pm
Brothers From Another, Overbluff Cellars/Terrain, 10 pm
Shabazz Palaces, Overbluff Cellars/Terrain, 11 pm
Ayron Jones & the Way, Red Room Lounge, 11:45 pm


Dan Nailen, staff writer
FRIDAY
Fun Ladies, Big Dipper, 7:15 pm
Nat Park & the Tunnels of Love, nYne, 7:45 pm
Water Monster, Red Room Lounge, 8:15 pm
Pine League, Big Dipper, 9:15 pm
Kris Orlowski, nYne, 10:45 pm

If you're like many from Spokane, you do things at the last minute. But as this year's Volume is the largest yet, with 10 venues and more than 100 bands playing, there's no way you'll want to miss a thing. Here is our helpful guide to get you prepared and excited for the Inlander's annual music festival going down this weekend. 

How to Get Tickets
Wristbands are required for entry to all venues, and you can buy them at the temporary Volume HQ at Terrain/Overbluff Cellars (304 W. Pacific Ave.) from 5-10 pm Friday and 5-8 pm Saturday. Will call is at this same location, for those who've already purchased tickets. Venues also have some on hand for purchase at the door. Cost is $20 for both nights, if purchased before Friday, but then move up to $30 on Friday for two days and $20 on Saturday for a one night experience. They're available via cash or credit card.

What’s Happening When
The full up-to-date schedule is here. (You can customize your own, which is super-helpful.) Also note this year, you can get to venues more quickly by hopping on the Spokane Party Bus making the rounds downtown throughout the night from 7 pm to midnight. It's free with a Volume wristband. 

Which places are all-ages
The Big Dipper, Terrain/Overbluff Cellars, The Bartlett, Baby Bar/Neato Burrito (until 9 pm) and the Pin! are the five locations available to people under 21. 

The Hashtag: #INVolume
Use the #INVolume hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to share what you’re up to. Follow us on Twitter at @TheInlander and get updates on the Inlander and Volume Facebook pages.

Who’s Playing
Seattle hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces are headlining and the rest of the band profiles are here. Also see our longer profiles on this year’s four Bands to Watch: The Smokes, Age of Nefilim, Ragtag Romantics and Jan Francisco (who is still playing the festival, even with a broken arm). Here are bands from around the nation you should check out.

Still need help deciding who to see?
Here are some curated lists, put together by Inlander music experts. With helpful classifications like: So you have kids, a mortgage and want to let loose? You know you're in good hands. 

Other helpful tips

Hydration - The National Weather Service is calling for especially hot temps this weekend, maybe even spiking into the 90s, so keeping yourself supplied with water will be even more important. While it makes sense that you'll want to drink some alcohol (if you're 21+), do so slowly, with water breaks in between. You have two days; you won't want to miss a thing. Plus, you've still got ElkFest next weekend, so be smart. 

Proper footwear - with 10 venues at this year's festivities, there is plenty of running between places to get to the next show, and you won't want your flip-flops or heels to slow you down. Plan accordingly. 

Earplugs - Boring, sure, but your ears will thank you. Pop those bad boys in and go to town. 

No longer is it only the musicians who get to dress up in fun ways for shows. At Sasquatch! you can fashionably become anyone you want — hippie, hipster, stripper, banana. Unlike other big festivals, such as the more designer clothing-obsessed Coachella or the neon spandex of Paradiso, the annual Memorial Day Weekend festival has its own fashion flavor. This gives many an opportunity to dress in full Halloween costumes (the guys in banana suits made an appearance this year, as always), but also in ways that their grandmothers would most likely not approve of.

Many of the same old looks were there, like the captain hats and rice paddy hats, but some of the bigger trends were new. Here's what we saw:

Bras be gone
There is much conflicting research about the helpfulness of a brassiere, and at this year's Sasquatch! many on the female side opted to let loose in their tanks and halter tops. Whether this is a good look is all based on your point of view. But I do believe there is a way to burn the bra while still finding adequately padded tops (for nippage purposes). Let's work on this for next year.

Double topknots and braids
You can no longer have just one bun or one braid, it's got to be two — and this included some men. Princess Leia clearly, would approve of this trend. 

Tummies and backs were key
The 1990s/early-2000s tummy-bearing days are here. In previous years it's been more about showing off the backs than the stomach, but now you gotta do both. 

Blankets as panchos
I assure you this isn't fashionable, wearing a blanket around your shoulders as one would with a poncho or cape. But with temps nearing 50 degrees at night, I found the keeping-warm look especially heartening. One guy even had a sleeping bag he sewed together except at the arm holes. 

The day after Sasquatch! is often filled with aching and longing. Your bones ache and you long for two extra days of sleep to get over what you’ve just experienced. But Tuesday is here, meaning many packed up their campsites this morning to get back to work this morning. What matters is that this year’s annual festival, for all of its faults, was still supremely entertaining and enlightening. Here is the best and the worst of what went down over Memorial Day Weekend at the Gorge Amphitheatre.

Where were the people?
The views were there, the music was there, but for some reason, Sasquatch! 2016 saw about 10,000 less people than the year previously, according to Live Nation festival workers. This of course made camping far roomier than in years past, and stages were often surrounded with people who actually wanted to see a certain band (read: fewer bros). It’s uncertain if this outcome was a result of festival oversaturation, if the lineup wasn’t as stellar as years past, the outrageous expense of it all ($350 for a ticket, $150 for a basic campsite — food, drink and the gas to get there not included), the fact people can’t do one-day passes anymore, or probably, a mix of all of the above. It just shows that next year festival promoters will have to step it up. No doubt this year was a learning experience for them.

Safety response time was on point.
This year, someone in my distant friend group imbibed a little too much without drinking enough water. Sunday night, he was near the front of the stage for the Big Grams (Big Boi/Phantogram) show and fell over. Scary. His friends rushed him out of the crowd and went and found someone from Live Nation. Within two minutes, paramedics rushed to his aid with a golf cart. As he couldn’t walk at all, they got him to the medical tent and gave him an IV. He wasn’t that bad off. Two other girls inside the tent were waiting to be airlifted to the nearest hospital. Heart paddles were at the ready as their pulses were low. To the men and women who have to look after festival-goers each year, you deserve major props.
Band cancelation updates were not on point.
It's always windy at the Gorge, but not like this. Sunday saw winds of more than 50 miles per hour, which meant five bands on the main stage were displaced, and more than one campsite was completely decimated by tornado-esque gusts. As a wildfire raged through part of Central Washington (smoke permeated the sky), people inside the festival raged because there was seemingly no information. The Sasquatch! Twitter page and app weren’t updated fast enough and finally when Alabama Shakes got the green light to go on, many were still left in the dark. Luckily, Tacocat and Chewelah native Allen Stone were rescheduled. 

Pig Out in the Park recently announced its big headliner for the annual long Labor Day weekend event — the one and only Sir Mix-A-Lot, which is seemingly an unusual selection as it feels like the artist was just here. The Seattle rapper played a sold-out Sandpoint Halloween show two years ago and also September’s Perry Street Shakedown. The latter brought out hundreds of loud fans spilling into nearby roadways.

While Sir Mix-A-Lot is a perfect addition to the Pig Out lineup, hopefully people won’t soon tire of the MC’s talents. As Sir Mix told the Inlander in a 2014 interview: “Unlike a lot of rappers, I embrace capitalism, otherwise it's a life of struggling.”

And perhaps that’s a look into why the performer wants to come back to the area on an annual basis. We, so far, like coming to his shows, and he likes getting paid. In recent years the artist has seen a resurgence in popularity after Nicki Minaj's huge hit "Anaconda," heavily sampled his 1992 No. 1 track "Baby Got Back.”

Of course, Sir Mix isn’t alone. Plenty of artists like Hell’s Belles and Tech N9ne, come through on the regular to the delight of their fans. It shall be fascinating to see where Sir Mix-A-Lot performs next.

The rest of the Pig Out in the Park lineup includes: Mark Farner, formerly of Grand Funk Railroad, Cowboy Mouth, Heart By Heart, featuring original members of Heart, the U.S. Navy Band and also local favorites Peter Rivera & Celebrate and Too Slim & The Taildraggers. The free three-day food/music will bring in more than 90 bands to three stages for this year’s family-friendly festivities.

Also, with the construction on Riverfront Park, take a look at the new festival map below. 

After a seemingly nonstop flow of good news when it comes to the summer concert season, along comes word that Tears for Fears won't be playing in Spokane after all. 

It's nothing personal — the band postponed its entire summer tour, posting this statement to their website: 

Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith regrettably announce today that they have to postpone their summer run of dates in the US to include theatres and festivals, due to family illness.

The band says in a joint statement: “It’s with great disappointment that we have to postpone our US summer dates due to unforeseen and unhappy circumstances. We thank our fans for their understanding and hope to get back on the road soon."

The INB Performing Arts Center, where the band was to play, has an announcement on its website that any tickets bought via phone or online will be refunded automatically. If you bought your tickets in person, head to the TicketsWest office at Spokane Arena for a refund. 

We'll let you know if and when the band reschedules a Spokane show.