Bee-speak

by Mike Corrigan


This has got all the makings of a regular thing. On Friday night, the second annual BIG FUN FESTIVAL OF SOUND -- a showcase of local and regional musical talent -- lifts off at the Met. The festival is the brainchild of Don Goodwin and his band mates from the Spokane-Seattle transplant psycho-funk outfit, BeeCraft. And aside from all the cool sounds (courtesy of BeeCraft, Soup of the Day and Paul Brasch), the event also seeks to benefit the community. A portion of the show's proceeds will be passed on to a couple of worthy local music organizations, namely, the Spokane Youth Symphony and the Spokane Jazz Society's Youth Outreach Program, which provides kids from low-income families with tickets to local orchestral and jazz concerts.


"We do this for a couple of different reasons," says Goodwin. "But the important one really is that we want to raise money for youth music organizations in Spokane. Three of us in BeeCraft were in the Spokane Youth Symphony when we were young, so it's definitely appropriate for us to be helping them with this."


Opening the show will be local singer/songwriter Paul Brasch, with his authentic delta blues guitar and vocal stylings and the funky, groove-based Soup of the Day.


Headlining band BeeCraft is riding high these days on the strength of its most recent album, a seven-track funk rock fusion opus, Dark Matter. The group is comprised of Goodwin on piano, keyboards and vocals, his brother Scott on drums, Sabu Miyata on bass, Jamie Zyskowski on guitar and vocals and Bob Rees on percussion.


"We've been playing a lot of fun shows lately," reports Goodwin. "And we're already working on our next album."


The evening's big fun will also feature special guests DJ Discophile of Rebel Alliance Productions (based in Coeur d'Alene) and rapper/Master of Ceremonies, Isamu Jordan.





The Big Fun Festival of Sound with BeeCraft, Soup of the Day, Paul Brasch, DJ Discophile and Isamu Jordan is at the Met on Friday, Oct. 12, at 8 pm. Tickets: $10 advance; $12 at the door.





Femme Power -- Punk rock has always been the power tool of choice for the disenfranchised. And it's not hard to see why. It's relatively easy to master -- all it takes is an instrument, a little practice and a force of will -- and the execution of it can be extremely empowering. With it, you can cut through status quo, grind down wooly thinking and shape perceptions. Or at least kick up a lot of dust. But contrary to popular opinion, punk is not so much a rock subgenre as it is an attitude and a belief in self. Hate the current state of music/politics/TV/sexual attitudes/fashion/religion/frozen desserts? Well, grab a piece of wood, get busy and make some noise.


Formerly members of the pioneering Portland, Ore., queercore outfit, Team Dresch, THE BUTCHIES singer/guitarist Kaia Wilson and drummer Melissa York conceived their current project (with the help of bassist Alison Martlew) in 1997. Wilson co-founded her own record label (the Durham, N.C.-based Mr. Lady) and the band released its first album, Are We Not Femme? in 1998. The Butchies will headline an all-ages, all-female punk rock blowout supporting their new album, 3, featuring another North Carolina band, Erase Errata and Portland artist, Tami Hart at (fittingly enough) the Women's Club this Friday evening.


While their appearance onstage -- featuring matching suits or perhaps mechanic's coveralls -- flirts with and challenges traditional gender stereotypes, their songs are more often than not (the occasional rad feminist or lesbionic anthem aside) intensely emotional and straightforward ruminations on common themes: love, lust, alienation, heartbreak, hope. Add brisk tempos, catchy melodies and spare arrangements highlighted by fuzzy guitar and firm bass lines and you've got a recipe for thoughtful, sensitive and vibrant rock 'n' roll that neatly defies easy categorization.


Oh and did I mention that it's fun as well? Yeah, the Butchies are all that.





The Butchies perform with Erase Errata and Tami Hart at the Women's Club, 1428 W. 9th Ave., on Friday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $5. Call: 838-5667.