All posts in: Pepsi Refresh Everything

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04 Nov 2010

Refresh Everything

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGo4n7Eicpc]

Now that I have planned out your entire weekend for you, I want to bring up something that is actually pretty important to me. Earlier this summer, SuChin Pak visited the Vera Project in Seattle to film a segment for the Pepsi Refresh Everything Project which gives funding to those with great ideas.

SuChin was here to learn more about the all-ages movement project and visited one of Seattle’s most popular all-ages venue The Vera Project. That day for filming, they hosted a show with one of my favorite local Seattle bands Minus the Bear. For more information on the event, check out my previous post.

The All-Ages Movement is a growing network of about 200 organizations all over the country that connect young people to the music they enjoy. Believe it or not, some shows are still 21+ even in Seattle – which is still shocking to me. Why put an age limit on shows? Why are some shows and some music just for adults? I went to my first concert when I was seven years old and have been attending for 13 years now. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I were prevented from going to concerts. It was after attending so many shows that I realized how much I was willing to dedicate my time, efforts, and passion to this type of community here in Seattle. Music should be shared and experienced for everyone and it is hard for young adults to have this kind of barrier put in front of them. I’m almost 21, which means that this will no longer apply to me, but it is something that I care very much about because there will always be those younger than me who will be shut out because of this rule.

The funding through the Pepsi Refresh Project has allowed the All-Ages Movement Project to publish their book called In Every Town. For everyone that has ever wanted to break out into the music industry, this is the book for you. Inside you will learn how to put on a show, how to put on a festival, and how to put out a record all by yourself! The book covers all of the bases. The most wonderful thing about the All-Ages Movement Project is that we are a community of supporters. There are plenty of people out there who will always tell you that your ideas are unrealistic or that something is too big to accomplish. You can do it. It is possible. Do it more than once to rub it in their faces!

Congratulations AMP!

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27 Jun 2010

Let’s Talk Shows: Reviews

Last weekend, I had the chance to see a private performance from Minus the Bear at the Vera Project because they were promoting the Pepsi Refresh Everything Project. I didn’t get a chance to talk about the show in a previous post because I was so pumped about meeting Suchin Pak though! My bad, sowwy!

It’s been a few years since I last saw them perform. The first time I saw them, I was w/ my best friend at Neumos on a school night. Reckless behavior. Before they got on stage, they set up plush white tigers on top of the speakers to set the mood. I can’t remember  if they were promoting Planet of Ice or if it was the album before. I do, however, remember attending  a laser show for Planet of Ice to preview the whole CD before it came out in the summer of 2007. Minus the Bear didn’t need the tigers at their recent performance though.  Since I saw them last, their sound has matured and so did they naturally. They have come a long way since Pachuca Sunrise, which is still one of my favorite songs.  There is more structure and cohesiveness apparent throughout their entire new CD Omni. For Planet of Ice, we heard bionic and futuristic sounds that different from their previous two albums. With Omni, each part within a song – intro, chorus, bridge is emphasized. They’ve also upped their game in terms of performance. This past week, they performed on Jimmy Kimmel and I couldn’t be more proud of them.

Along with a show review, I guess I’ll give you a CD review too.

Best songs:

  • My Time
  • Summer Angel
  • The Thief
  • Into the Mirror feat. Rachel Flotard of Visqueen

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpOfnuUjlOc&feature=player_embedded]

Portugal. The Man

Way to exceed my expectations this past Friday! It had been three years since I last saw them and even back then I had decided that they were one of the best performers I had ever seen. Not much has changed. They have been blowing up all year performing at some of the biggest names in music festivals including this year’s Coachella, Sasquatch, and Bonnaroo. They began their entrance with a thick fog emerging off the stage and into the crowd. It wasn’t long before the lasers appeared, which really got the crowd excited. [myself included]  They performed tracks from their 2010 album American Ghetto as well as last year’s The Satanic Satanist and even songs from when I first started listening to them nearly four years ago.

Portugal. The Man – Thanks for reminding me of what I have been missing from my life.

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20 Jun 2010

All-Ages Movement Project

The All-Ages Movement Project won the $50,000 prize in the Pepsi Refresh Everything campaign earlier this year. As a result, The Vera Project in Seattle hosted a show today from 1-3:30 PM featuring Zephyrs, Naomi Punk, and one of my favorite Seattle bands of all time Minus the Bear. MTV productions were also be present along with Suchin Pak to record footage for a special MTV presentation that will air at a later date.

The All-Ages Movement Project exists in local venues that showcase hip-hop, indie, and punk music. These venues are open to all young individuals of all ages who enjoy seeing live music and performing music. They offer opportunities to learn new skills through internships with the venues, showcasing their art in shows, and recording music through their own recording studio. I have been involved with the all-ages movement since I was 15 years and old and I cannot even begin to express how much it has done for me and the impact that these venues have had on the local Seattle music scene. These venues include the Kirkland Teen Center, The Old Redmond Firehouse, Ground Zero Teen Center in Bellevue, and The Vera Project.

What Seattle bands have had their start through all-ages teen centers?

  • Death Cab for Cutie
  • Common Market
  • Brite Futures (formerly known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head)
  • Danger Radio
  • The Scene Aesthetic
  • Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
  • Minus the Bear

At the end of the show, I had a few minutes to catch up w/ MTV correspondent Suchin Pak who filled me in on the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Basically the project has $1,300,000 that they give away to people with great ideas and the All-Ages Movement Project won their $50,000  grant back in February so they’ve been traveling for three weeks visiting their recipients and documenting footage to be shown on channels like MTV, VH1, Comedy Central etc. Seattle was their last stop!

To learn more about the project click here

To learn more about the all-ages movement click here