Bloglander

click to enlarge

If it's after 5 pm on Friday, come find us downtown at Sprague and Stevens.

After months of planning and weeks of telling you about it, Volume is finally here. Our music festival is taking over downtown venues for two nights with more than 80 bands — and yes, it can get a little chaotic. Here’s everything we’ve published so far and everything you need to know.

How to Get Tickets

Wristbands are required for entry to all venues, and you can buy them at the temporary Volume HQ at Sprague and Stevens from 5-9 pm Friday and 5-8 pm Saturday. (For you smart folks who bought them early, Will Call is at the same location.) Venues also have some on hand for purchase at the door. Cost is $25 for both nights or $15 for a single night, and we’re taking both cash and credit card at Will Call.

What’s Happening When

The full up-to-date schedule is here. (You can customize your own, which is super helpful.) There have been two significant changes since the print copies came out — The Flavr Blue is now performing Friday, and the Flying Spiders are performing Saturday.

click to enlarge

The Hashtag: #Volume509

Use the #Volume509 hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to share what you’re up to. Follow us on Twitter at @TheInlander and @Volume509 and get updates on the Inlander and Volume Facebook pages.

Who’s Playing

The band profiles are here. Also see our longer profiles on this year’s five Bands to Watch: Sam Platts & the Kootenai Three, Mama Doll, Normal Babies, Blackwater Prophet, Bloody Gloves. Here are bands from around the region you should check out.

What’s New This Year

Poets, wristband deals, panel discussions, a soul brunch in tribute to Isamu Jordan and more. Details here, and more about the poets here.

What’s Open to All-Ages

In short, those under 21 can see any show at the Bartlett and the Big Dipper, and shows until 9 pm at Club 412 and Neato Burrito. But we’ve also got the full list of all-ages shows here.

What You Should See, According to the Experts

Not sure what to see? We asked local musicians to give us their lineup advice. Here’s what we heard from Karli Ingersoll, Kent Ueland, Dan Ocean and Aaron Bocook. And here are other curated lineups lists for all musical tastes.

What Else You Might Want to Buy

Volume T-Shirts ($15), snacks from the food trucks parked at Sprague and Stevens, drink specials at venues (ask the bartender), band merch.

Related Reading

• What we know about why the Terrible Buttons are calling it quits

• Why one man hasn't taken off his Volume wristband since last year's event

• Profiles on previous years' Bands to Watch

Other Music Around Town

Volume is by far the biggest show around town this weekend, but by no means the only one. Browse our full music listings here.

click to enlarge

We at the Inlander almost don’t remember what it was like to not be old enough to legally drink, but we do know it was a dark and limited time. That being said, there are four Volume venues this weekend that are all-ages touting eclectic and awesome lineups. There are no excuses to miss out on those. This means these locations will most likely be more packed than others — beware over-21 set — so just plan on arriving at the shows of your choice a bit early. If you still haven't bought tickets come on down to Sprague and Stevens this evening after 5 pm.

See full Volume schedule here. See band bios here.

*Current or past Bands to Watch.

FRIDAY

CLUB 412 (until 9 pm)
5:20 pm RaisedbyWolves
6:20 pm Nailbastard
7:20 pm Hard Time
8:10 pm Bloody Gloves*

THE BARTLETT
6 pm The Holy Broke
6:45 pm Poet Mark Anderson
7 pm Cloud Person
7:35 Poet Lauren Gilmore
8 pm Jason Webley
8:50 pm Poet Kurt Olson
9:10 pm The Rustics
10 pm Cami Bradley

NEATO BURRITO (until 9 pm)
6:15 pm Jacob Jones
7:15 pm Feral Anthem
8:15 pm Ian L. Miles*

THE BIG DIPPER
6 pm Teen Blonde
7 pm Heavy Seventeen
8 pm Normal Babies*
9 pm The Pharmacy
10 pm Tweak Bird

SATURDAY

CLUB 412 (until 9 pm)
5:30 pm Cold Blooded
6:20 pm Grenades
7:30 pm Losing Skin*
8:15 pm Deadkill
9:15 pm BBBBandits*

THE BARTLETT
8:30 pm Bristol
9:20 pm Mama Doll*
10:10 Kithkin

NEATO BURRITO (until 9 pm)
3:30 pm Pub Science: Theories on the Future of Music
5:30 pm Sea Giant
6:05 pm Poet Isaac Grambo
6:30 pm The Colourflies
7:05 pm Poet Oliver Lee
7:30 pm Ouija Bored
8:30 pm The Bettys

THE BIG DIPPER
5 pm Bitwvlf
6 pm All Urban Outfield*
7 pm 66beat*
8 pm X Suns
9 pm Hooves*
10 pm Dust Moth

Are you looking at the Volume schedule and feeling your eyes start to cross? Yeah, us too. For a little help, we asked some of Spokane’s favorite musicians to send us their dream schedules — some of which are only possible if you have two bodies. Or if you sprint between venues. We suggest sprinting over dismemberment. — Leah Sottile

click to enlarge

Mike McCall

Performing at Volume in 2013.

KENT UELAND

2012 Band to Watch: Terrible Buttons

FRIDAY

6 pm, Irv’s: Silver Treason
Nobody in this town plays country tunes like this lot. Kevin Cameron is a powerhouse of a frontman, and after a long hiatus, they’re likely to be taking some serious names that night.

7 pm, Irv’s: Cedar & Boyer; The Bartlett: Cloud Person
This is a tough one. Cedar & Boyer are incredible. Smooth, intricate folk tunes with a handsome husband-and-wife duo to boot. Some of my favorite people making beautiful music. Cloud Person is a Seattle crew masterminded by Pete Jordan, another great folk songwriter. They make a big sound, and should get all the love Spokane has to muster. I’m personally indebted to both crews, so I’ll let y’all decide.

8 pm, nYne: Water Monster
Strangled Darlings are playing at the same time, and they throw a helluva show. But Water Monster is something brand-new. Not just new for Spokane, but in a more general and epic sort of way. It’s hard to walk off your front porch without stepping on a synth-pop band these days, but Water Monster defies all those stereotypes. Original, pounding, incredibly arranged tunes fronted by Max Harnishfeger, who is a real staple of this scene.

9 pm… I hope you brought those fancy New Balance sneaks, because…
Irv’s: Marshall McLean Band; 9:10 pm, The Bartlett: The Rustics; 9:15 pm, Club 412: Pine League
These bands all play at almost the exact same time. If you haven’t fallen in love with Marshall McLean yet, you probably don’t go out much. He’s the most renowned songwriter to come out of our town, like, ever (winning 2006 Gibson Songwriter of the Year). The Rustics are earthy, catchy, hippie folk that will make you smile. Try being a grouch; I dare you. Their time as one of Spokane’s best is just beginning, and it’s always smart to get in on the ground floor. Finally, Pine League is f—-ing rock music. Tyler Aker, their fearless leader, has enough soul to capture a crowd by his lonesome on a bad day. But throw in members of Diamond Speedboat and The Lion, Oh My! and you’ve got yourself a kickass rock band. This will only be their 4th or 5th show, and the rawness is the cherry on top.

10:50 pm, nYne: The Camaros
You’ll need a break after the 9 o’clock eargasm you just had. Get some food and liquor up for the always-entertaining Camaros. These guys have been around forever, and you won’t hear a bad word about them. That’s incredibly rare. They just make great punk/rock tunes, they play them spot-on, and they don’t give a shit if you like them or not. Because who the f—- are you?! These guys are in my top 10 Spokane bands for sure. Word on the street is that they’ve got a new record coming very soon, and they still don’t give a shit if you buy it. But you will.

11:15 pm, Red Room Lounge: Dead Serious Lovers
This is the best band in Spokane. If you miss this, I will find you.

11:50 pm, nYne: Terrible Buttons
Lets get drunk and make some mistakes, eh?

SATURDAY

11 am, Boots Bakery: Tribute to Isamu Jordan
I cant say anything about Som that hasn’t already been said. A pioneer for this town and the scene, a great MC, and an even better friend. He is truly missed, and I won’t miss a chance to let the ether know it.

2 pm, INK Art Space: State of the Scene
We’ve all got our own opinions and thoughts about where we’ve been and where we are. But I want to hear what some of the hardest-working scene builders have to say on the subject. INK is also the newest space on a burgeoning block, so come check it out and maybe throw in your two bits.

6 pm, nYne: Scott Ryan
This guy knows his shit. Perfectly crafted songs, perfectly performed. Rumors of some accompaniment for this one, but it doesn’t matter: this guy shouldn’t be missed.

7 pm, Big Dipper: 66beat
Been a while since I’ve seen these guys. It’s dark, it’s heartfelt, and it’s f—-ing loud. Sounds like a perfect reintroduction to The Dipper.

7:30 pm, Red Room Lounge: Bandit Train
Saw these guys for the first time at the Bartlett recently, and was truly blown away. It’s like if you melted down your original Nintendo and that old M83 record, mixed ’em up, and then printed it on a laserdisc. So why the f—- not (and why the f—- haven’t I tried that?!)

9:20 pm, The Bartlett: Mama Doll
These guys are going to be big. Like, Burt Reynolds big. Dark folk stuff, spot-on harmonies, in a very sexy four-piece package. They’re selling out every room they play, so show up early.

9:50 pm, Club 412 mainstage: Blackwater Prophet; 10 pm, Irv’s: Folkinception; 10:10 pm, The Bartlett: Kithkin
I admit, I haven’t seen Blackwater Prophet live yet, so you’ll see me at this one. However, I have heard the rave reviews. Heavy shit with a tinge of blues and a lot of buzz.

Folkinception, contrarily, I’ve seen, like, 100 times, and I’m not even close to over it. These guys are pure passion and it’s better every single time. It’s country, it’s jam, it’s folk, it’s badass. Buy that record. Kithkin is my very favorite of the current “buzzworthy” Seattle bands. They practically burned Mootsy’s to the ground last time they were here. If you’re looking for the most entertaining live show at Volume, look no further.

11:30 pm, nYne: The Hoot Hoots
Think Blue Album-era Weezer on a Bukowski-level mixture of coke and LSD. Matching costumes, singing about dinosaurs and videogames and, dammit, stealing my little heart. If you know me, I’ve probably told you how much I love this band. And they’ve done Terrible Buttons a lot of favors, so help me pay them back, eh?

See the full Volume schedule here. See all the band profiles here. See other lineup picks here.

A couple weeks ago, the Inlander profiled local hip-hop collective Flying Spiders, who had just returned to playing live after the death last year of their front man, Isamu Jordan.

With the band back in action, they've been added to the lineup of Volume, the Inlander's music festival which kicks off tonight in downtown Spokane.

Flying Spiders are set to take the stage at the Red Room Lounge at 11:50 pm on Saturday night. Find the full up-to-date schedule here.

If you don't have tickets yet, you can get them until 5 pm at Inlander headquarters (1227 W. Summit Parkway in Kendall Yards) or visit the Volume tent at the corner of Stevens and Sprague from 5- 9 pm. Will call pickup is available at both locations, too.

click to enlarge

OK, so we don’t exactly know why the immensely popular horror-folk act Terrible Buttons are breaking up — they’re staying silent on the subject. What we do know is the seven-piece is breaking up and their final show is tomorrow at Volume at the nYne stage at 11:50 pm. (Purchase your tickets at the booth at Stevens and Sprague tomorrow).

The news broke three weeks ago, just one day after a packed Bartlett show on the band’s Facebook page. It read:

It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the end of this little experiment known as Terrible Buttons.

"Wild ride" is too tame a phrase to describe our time together. We will NEVER forget the support we've recieved from all of you, and we trust that the tunes will live on! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to The Bartlett last night, and come see our last show at Volume: Inlander Music Festival eh? We'd also like to say a big "I'm sorry" to the fine people of Alaska for being little teases and cancelling our plans to head back up there this summer.

We've truly had the time of our lives these last 5 years, but the circus gotta leave town eventually.
See you at the next stop,
Terrible Buttons (RIP)
Kent, Sarah, Kris, Tyler, Jon, KB, Ryan

For bandleader Kent Ueland, who answered our questions via email, the termination of the band is bittersweet.

“This is the end of what has been the focal point of my life, and the lives of all us T Butts, for the past five years,” says Ueland, who will now concentrate on his solo project the Holy Broke, which plays Volume at the Bartlett Friday at 6 pm. “But there's also a sense of freedom and excitement for what's next.”

The much beloved band was named Best Local Band in the Inlander’s Best Of readers poll the last two years running, and was a 2012 Band to Watch. After five years exciting and igniting the Spokane scene, it will certainly be sad to see them go.

So what’s going to go down at the last Buttons show ever? Many might cry, as singer Sarah Berentson (also of Mama Doll, a 2014 Band to Watch) says she will most likely do. But as Ueland suggests, the best way to prepare would be to just bring your dancing shoes.

“Expect to f—- some shit up,” Ueland says. “If you gotta lose your home, might as well burn the f—-er down.”

Are you looking at the Volume schedule and feeling your eyes start to cross? Yeah, us too. For a little help, we asked some of Spokane’s favorite musicians to send us their dream schedules — some of which are only possible if you have two bodies. Or if you sprint between venues. We suggest sprinting over dismemberment. — Leah Sottile

click to enlarge

Kristen Black

As a Band to Watch in 2011.

DAN OCEAN

2011 Band to Watch, BLVCK CEILING; Cloak&Dagger and Brothers Ov Midnite DJ

FRIDAY

6:30, Mootsy’s: Clusterf—-?!?
8:10 pm, Club 412, all-ages stage: Bloody Gloves
8:35 pm, Mootsy’s: Shades

SATURDAY

7:30 pm, Club 412 all-ages stage: Losing Skin
7:30 pm, Red Room Lounge: Bandit Train
9 pm, Big Dipper: Hooves
9:30 pm, Red Room Lounge: Boy Eats Drum Machine
10:15 pm, Neato Burrito: Twin Towers
10:40 pm, Red Room Lounge: Psychic Rites

See the full Volume schedule here. See all the band profiles here. See other lineup picks here.

Are you looking at the Volume schedule and feeling your eyes start to cross? Yeah, us too. For a little help, we asked some of Spokane’s favorite musicians to send us their dream schedules — some of which are only possible if you have two bodies. Or if you sprint between venues. We suggest sprinting over dismemberment. — Leah Sottile

click to enlarge

Karli, left, when the Bartlett was named Best New Nightspot in the 2014 Best Of poll.

KARLI INGERSOLL

Co-owner, The Bartlett; guitar and vocals in Cathedral Pearls

FRIDAY

6 pm, Big Dipper: Teen Blonde
7 pm, The Bartlett: Cloud Person
8 pm, nYne: Water Monster
9 pm, Irv’s: Marshall McLean Band
9:10 pm, The Bartlett: The Rustics
9:15 pm, Neato Burrito: Mallows
10 pm, nYne: The Digital Wild
10:15 pm, Club 412 mainstage: Secretary
10:55 pm, Red Room Lounge: Dead Serious Lovers [See related update here.]
11:50 pm, nYne: Terrible Buttons

SATURDAY

11 am, Boots: Soul Brunch: A Tribute to Isamu Jordan
3:30 pm, Neato Burrito: Pub Science: Theories on the Future of Music
5:30 pm, Neato Burrito: Sea Giant
6 pm, nYne: Scott Ryan
7:30 pm, Red Room Lounge: Bandit Train
8 pm, Irv's: Lures
9:20 pm, The Bartlett: Mama Doll
9:50 pm, Club 412 mainstage: Blackwater Prophet
10:10 pm, The Bartlett: Kithkin
10:50 pm, Club 412 mainstage: Rose Windows
11:50 pm, Red Room Lounge: The Flavr Blue [In a last-minute schedule switch, this performance is now happening at 11:45 on Friday.]

See the full Volume schedule here. See all the band profiles here. See other lineup picks here.

click to enlarge

Due to a scheduling error, The Flavr Blue's appearance at Volume has been moved to Friday, May 31 at 11:45 pm, at Red Room Lounge. That just means Dead Serious Lovers will take the stage beforehand, at 10:55 pm, slightly earlier than originally scheduled. See the full schedule here.

This is what the full schedule looks like on the Volume site: volume.inlander.com/schedule

The Flavr Blue features the talent of Hollis Wong-Wear, who you might remember from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ hit song “White Walls.” She'll take a break from hanging out with Macklemore and being on the Tonight Show for a sec to play Spokane with her electronic dance pop band. Prepare to have your mind blown.

With our Volume festival just days away now and the summer music season already underway, we thought we'd recognize one of the most familiar faces in all of Spokane's nightlife scene.

Yes, it's the Spokane Tambourine Man, whose real name is Michael Ransford, and if you've been to a local show you've likely seen him dancing his heart out and shaking his tambourine like his flowing mane of hair depended on it.

Local actress and filmmaker Rachel Cox made a documentary about Ransford, and take a look at it below. But first, we'd like to recognize Ransford with a lifetime achievement award for all the dancing he's given us over the years. That award is worth a free pass to Volume and we're happy to have him there!

Since you're not a famous tambourine player, you should go buy your passes here.

Are you looking at the Volume schedule and feeling your eyes start to cross? Yeah, us too. For a little help, we asked some of Spokane’s favorite musicians to send us their dream schedules — some of which are only possible if you have two bodies. Or if you sprint between venues. We suggest sprinting over dismemberment. — Leah Sottile

click to enlarge

On the right, with the hair.

AARON BOCOOK

2013 Band to Watch, 66beat; 2014 Band to Watch, Bloody Gloves

FRIDAY

Even if I didn’t have to be at Club 412 to play bass in Bloody Gloves, I would have to be there to watch Hard Time, who I consider the best new band in Spokane. They just don’t stop. It’s brutal. I may go early to see Nailbastard. Maybe I can find a couple of VHS copies of Speed for Ryan.

The only other venue that would hold my attention for longer than it would take me to leave is the Big Dipper. What a lineup! 7 pm: Heavy F—-in’ Seventeen. Nobody plays guitar like Matt Lakin. They are the return of college rock.

I will also be sad to miss Normal Babies. They are the right kind of ugly.

Topping it off is Tweak Bird, which has one of the most professional-sounding drummers I have ever seen. Special place in my heart for the two-piece. They rock.

SATURDAY

I’m glad my band 66beat is playing an all-ages crowd at the Big Dipper. Not even because I want the all-agers to see us — which I do. However, who would want to compete with Flee the Century? I still don’t get it after seeing them countless times over the past decade, and I don’t want to get it. I just want to dance. And I don’t dance.

I’m glad Flee is playing late too, so other bands I enjoy, like H(eavyasf—-)ooves, and Ouija Bored don’t have to compete with the Synth Lords.

See the full Volume schedule here. See all the band profiles here. See other lineup picks as we roll 'em out here.