Despite what my friends may have heard, I have never crashed a wedding. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to, it just means I have had the right opportunity. And even if I did crash a wedding, I would be the best non-invited guest to the party, I promise. You won’t be seeing me pull any of the tricks that Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn did in their film.
The Stranger has just decided to open up a new Wedding Crashers column and I am insanely jealous. I wish I could be a part of this!
[Source]
I’ve been talking up two Seattle bands lately – Hey Marseilles and Pickwick. Today won’t be any different. Today, Hey Marseilles released their new album Lines We Trace everywhere and if you haven’t heard it yet, it is a must. I didn’t get a chance to fully listen to the album until I got home from work, but while I was parking my car this evening I heard their single “Bright Stars Burning” on the radio and instantly had a proud moment. It’s amazing to witness people doing the things they love and it’s beautiful! And to hear someone on the radio who you have previously worked with…surreal.
In Pickwick news, I was unable to make it to their in-store shows these past couple of days, but I did want to let you all know that you can stream their entire album set to be released on Tuesday, March 12. here. Working with Pickwick last year on Quadstock was an absolute dream. I’m always so blown away by Seattle artists and their kindness – not that I had any doubt – but in case you haven’t heard, sometimes musicians have a reputation. The members of Pickwick are just as sweet in person as they sound.
I forgot that it was a slow news day today because of President’s Day! …therefore, I barely have anything to report unfortunately. Sorry y’all! However, that doesn’t stop me from staying up to date on everything that I’ve missed. I read The Stranger’s Slog blog every day and sometimes if I don’t read it carefully, I tend to miss some important schtuff like this post right here about how a pizza place in Virginia Beach is giving their customers a 15% discount if they show their guns at the time of purchase. Well, that sounds a bit scary, right?
“All they have to do is show me that they’re carrying a weapon or they can show me their concealed weapons permit and they can get the discount,” says All Around Pizza owner, Jay Laze. So far, Laze says the response has been great. Brendan Kelly openly carries his handgun and says it’s nice to see a business appreciate customers like him.
and what does The Stranger think about all of that?
Of course, this is nothing new. Banks have been offering gun-lovers programs like this for over a hundred years now, in which you show your gun or hand over a statement of gun ownership to a teller and receive all the cash the bank has on hand. Hopefully other Virginia Beach businesses won’t have to suffer through a bunch of customers waving their guns around and asking about their discount policies.
Nailed it. Nice work, you guys.
Boe Oddisey of the Boe Oddisey Scarf Dance and Art Company was spotted in leopard-print lingerie spreading his special kind of magic during Decibel’s sunny Do-Over at the Broadway Performance Hall Plaza last Saturday. Boe, who came to Seattle from Bremerton in 1971, gives out hugs and art and is available for private parties. He said, “Celebrate and seize the day… Exotic and/or all-age scarf dancing, comedy, abstract, acrylic painting, massage for you. Clean, sober, tobacco free, vegan option on life. Just do it. The time is now. We are here.”
The headline read “What’s Crappening?: News, Reviews, and Scarves” and that was all I needed in order to know that what would be outlined in the text below would include the infamous Scarf Man. Those close to me understand that I have a slight “inner Scarf Man” inside of me. Wait…let’s re-do that sentence. That’s definitely NOT what I”m trying to say. Scarf Man attends almost every major Seattle festival or event. He comes wearing very provocative and revealing clothing at times and is fully equipped with the most colorful scarves you’ve ever seen. There was one time when I saw him wearing a fuschia-colored puffy jacket. It was cold that day so naturally he decided to cover up a bit. Scarf Man is not a character, but he might as well be. He is that person that simply has no inhibitions about anything. He is the least self-conscious person I have ever met and even though I don’t fully understand him, I aspire to be a little bit like him. I aspire to someday reach a close level of carelessness (maybe not as high as his, but slightly higher than where I am now.) That excerpt above was from a recent Line Out post and I had to read his quote several times attempting to comprehend it.
I didn’t.
A letter to Clay Bennett.
My friends Megan Leonard and Peter Edlund created this video along with Rachel Klein and were highlighted by The Stranger this week!
Congrats guys!
[Source]
- Alexa Chung has made her Instagram private after several of her followers left comments for her on this picture saying that she was too thin. She responded, “Ok everyone thanks for the teen angst discussions. People are different sizes. I’m not trying to be thinspo for anyone.” [Source]
- Rag & Bone will launch a handbag line this fall. [Source]
- Nicki Minaj will develop her own fragrance. [Source]
- This photo of two models kissing in Urban Outfitters’ latest catalog has stirred up some controversy with the One Million Moms (OMM) Organization.
“The content is offensive and inappropriate for a teen who is the company’s target customer.” And they’re asking supporters to boycott the retailer: “Tell them you will also no longer shop at their stores if you hear this type of advertising continues.”
Whatever, man. There’s always some organization that brings up this issue every month. [Source]
- Marchesa may be launching a contemporary line very soon. [Source]
- I’ve been waiting for this album, but I don’t have to wait much longer since Metric’s “Synthetica” will be out June 12. [Source]
- After debuting Tupac’s hologram at Coachella this past weekend, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg are now considering taking it on tour with them. [Source]
- Zooey totally sold me on the iPhone 4s in this commercial. It was the tomato soup.
- NBC will stream the entire 2012 Summer Olympics in London. I get that it’s popular these days, but it’s gonna be on NBC all day every day. [Source]
- MTV’s Teen Wolf will return in June for their second season. [Source]
- The Seattle Center will partner with Coca-Cola and name them the “official beverage” of the space and will celebrate them at their Next Fifty event. [Source]
- Congratulations to The Stranger writer, Eli Sanders, for his Pulitzer on feature writing! So much of my Seattle news comes from this blog so I think credit should be given when deserved. [Source]
- Tru Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are expecting. [Source]
- Angelina Jolie’s engagement ring from Brad Pitt is reportedly worth $1 million dollars. [Source
- Kanye West apparently broke up with Kim Kardashian via text. [Source]
- Dick Clark has passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was 82 years old. [Source]
- Victoria Beckham’s birthday cake…is not a real cake. It’s fruit. [Source]
Having worked in aspects of booking and promotions for the local Seattle music scene since I was in high school, I often get questions from people asking me what it is that I do. When Quadstock rolls around, people think it’s all gravy and that there really is nothing to it.
False, bro. This job is stressful and anyone who’s done it will tell you the exact same thing. It is, however, a long term project that produces rewards like the moment when it all comes together.
That’s why I’m glad that The Stranger decided to publish an interview today with two talent buyers in the Seattle area. In the post, Melissa Darby and Hunter Motto, who book for the Crocodile, tell it like it is.
Get ready to learn everything you never knew about the booking process here.
If you haven’t gotten on top of your gifts for Valentine’s Day this year yet, then you better get moving. Me, being the V-day rookie that I am, completely dropped the ball this week with my midterms and didn’t even realize that ordering Shari’s Berries later would result in a higher shipping cost. No strawberries for Katie this year unfortunately. Of course, I think my friend Alyssa promptly put me in my place when she asked me, “Can’t you just make those yourself?” Touche, Alyssa. Touche.
I meant to make this post a lot earlier for all of you, but life gets in the way sometimes. If you were relying on me to help you out with what to get for Valentine’s Day this year, then I apologize.
Here’s what you can do though if you’re sluffing:
1. Desserts are great. Shari’s Berries is still awesome and if I could suck up my stubborness, I would dish out that shipping fee, but I can’t. Another alternative is Cupcake Royale’s Deathcake. The deathcake is injected with chocolaty goodness and Stumptown’s espresso ganache. YUM.
2. Another alternative that I wanted to take advantage of this year was making Valentine’s Day cards. This used to be my favorite thing as a child, buying the cutest Valentine’s Day cards to give to all of my classmates and making sure that the best messages went to my best friends while the generic, “You are sweet!” ones went to everyone else. The makers wouldn’t have made more of the generic ones and less of the better ones if that wasn’t their point. As young children, they taught us how to play favorites…Anyways! I wanted to make cards for all of my co-workers this year and since all of us are a pretty silly bunch, I knew they would appreciate it. The valentine above was made by a lovely lady named Beth who has constructed a number of cards for the holiday this year revolving around pop culture subjects.
3. This little item is called the “Smitten Snuggle” and it is designed for the couple that still wants to hold hands with each other while braving the winter weather. It’s pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
- A first look at the Jason Wu for Target campaign! The collection debuts February 5, 2012. Is anyone else as excited as I am?! [Source]
- Vera Wang will hit the ice and show off her skills on April 2nd as an honored guest by Figure Skating in Harlem. [Source]
- Indie singer Lana Del Rey has scored a modeling contract. [Source]
- The Black Keys cover the Rolling Stones’ newest issue. [Source]
- The Killers will release a new album in 2012. I still just love Hot Fuss. [Source]
- The Kardashians are hoping to launch a tabloid – just won’t quit building themselves up. [Source]
- Tim Gunn receives a daytime talk show. [Source]
- Contestants for Celebrity Apprentice have been revealed. Clay Aiken! [Source]
- Twilight will become a Broadway musical for one night on January 16. Proceeds from the event will go directly to charity Blessings in a Backpack. [Source]
- Apparently, the QFC on Broadway skipped three months ahead to Easter even passing on Valentine’s Day. [Source]
- Christine Gregoire will introduce a new bill to legalize gay marriage in Washington state. [Source]
- Michelle Bachman has officially ended her presidential bid. [Source]
- Rumored Britney Spears is shopping for a wedding dress in the direction of Betsey Johnson or Jeremy Scott. It looks like our pop princess is spicing things up by opting out of the traditional gowns that would have been made by Vera Wang. [Source]
- Nick Cannon was hospitalized after suffering from mild kidney failure. [Source]
- Zooey Deschanel has officially filed for divorce from Ben Gibbard…is also a savvy spender according to TMZ. [Source]
- Sinhead O’Connor has called off her divorce after a night of passionate lovemaking with her husband. The divorce was filed after 16 days of marriage. So…Kim Kardashian wins again? [Source]
- Emma Roberts is deferring her college experience at Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville, New York due to her work commitments and budding romance with Glee star, Chord Overstreet. [Source]
- Russell Brand and Katy Perry did not have a prenup. He could end up making $20 million off of her. [Source]
- James Franco has sold his first novel to Amazon Publishing. [Source]
There was so much Seattle news swirling around yesterday that I decided to just make a separate post for it away from the rest of the pop culture news going on in the world.
- During Bumbershoot weekend, Kevin informed me of a new car service named Uber that had just been brought to Seattle that I could use in place of taking a taxi or the bus. So how does it work exactly? Uber is an on-demand car service that will pick you up from wherever you are and take you anywhere you need to go in a sleek black car. Known as “everyone’s private driver,” Uber is a service that is all about convenience and style. If you’re a member of the service, then your payment is just charged to your credit card so no more fumbling at your dolla dolla bills! This service is great for a night out, but is also the safer bet in place of a taxi or bus – - as suggested by Kevin.
“In Seattle, pricing currently starts with a $7 base, plus $3.75/mile distance and $0.75/mile time fees with a $12 minimum and $50 set rate for Sea-Tac.“
To learn more about the service, click here to visit their website.
[Source]
- PBS is making a documentary that will highlight Seattle’s thriving music scene. The program titled “Seattle Music…something in the water” isn’t all that clever, but will feature some of your favorite local bands including The Head & the Heart, Shabazz Palaces, Pickwick, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and a few others. The show will air on October 21st. [Source]
- Storefront installations will be returning to Broadway this fall/winter! The last time this happened was back when I was a freshman and back then I don’t think I was able to fully appreciate it. Storefronts Seattle will take over vacant store fronts on Capitol Hill stretching from Pine Street to Roy and will be decorating them with creative and visually pleasing installations. [Source]
- Food trucks are rolling up with a sweet surprise! Street Wheels, a new hot pink truck parked on 2nd and Pine, will be dishing out their treats every day from noon-6. Their menu features a number of ice cream sandwiches, chocolate dipped ice cream bars, and a handful of your favorite classic desserts. [Source]
- Molly Moon’s has been named the King County Executive Small Business of the Year! [Source]
- After one man stiffed a bartender last week at one of my favorite bars in Capitol Hill and then criticized her weight on the receipt, the locals went nuts. Something you should learn of the day: If you’re going to stiff a bartender, don’t pay with a credit card. Capitol Hill locals harassed the guy via his Facebook to let him know that he is just not welcome back to our neighborhood ever again. This story got around so quick, I even found out on The Frisky shortly after the incident. Read more about what happened here and here.
Just because I wake up before nine in the morning doesn’t mean that I am able to fully comprehend any type of news or announcement until at least ten. It had to have been around 8:00 AM that morning when I received the news from my best friend that she had managed to snag a ticket to the secret Death Cab For Cutie show for the following Wednesday evening. Surprised to find that I wasn’t informed of this earlier, I googled the poo out of this news only to find out that at that second (well within minutes) the tickets had just gone on sale. I found myself on Ticketmaster debating with my best friend whether or not I would go for the next five minutes. As I tried to piece out my schedule, I came to the conclusion that I just couldn’t sacrifice an evening for this. Within that hour, tickets had sold out.
So I either made a really bad decision or… but there was no good alternative for me. I most likely had missed out on a fantastic show – the first show in Seattle from Death Cab in two years, the most anticipated show in the entire city, a secret show that I have always wanted to be a part of.
I can’t exactly describe what my relationship to Death Cab is like or explain to anyone why I like them so much. I have not been a fan of them since the beginning. I don’t even own their first album. Just because I haven’t been there from the start doesn’t mean that I have to like them any less. I discovered the band through the boyishly handsome Seth Cohen after he announced that they were his favorite band on the OC and when they later appeared on an episode to perform “A Movie Script Ending.” I didn’t attend their first show nor did I see the photos from it. They did, however, play their very first show at the venue that I used to work at – the venue that I considered a home. They built themselves up from a little known band to a band that can sell out a show in less than an hour. It’s been a long time coming for them, but they make me so proud to say that I am from Seattle. Over the years, they have been THE band for me and I’m not exactly sure what that means, but they are more than just the soundtrack to my homework and study seshes. Their performance three years ago moved me to tears with my best friend and it’s not just because we were forced to crowd surf from the first row at Bumbershoot right before the performance started. It’s an indescribable feeling and emotion and one that I cannot describe in words that are more honest and true than Stranger writer Megan Seling. So with that, I’m going to direct you to her review, which embodies everything that I am feeling.
Not gonna lie…I’m totally listening to all of the Death Cab For Cutie songs in setlist order straight from Wednesday night. [Source]
- Matthew Williamson’s collection for Macy’s is now out and it is packed with beautiful party dresses and prints for the spring/summer. View and purchase the collection here.
- J. Crew will open their first International store in the UK at the end of the summer. [Source]
- Last season, Miu Miu’s appliqued dress made on the cover of nearly every magazine. This season, it is Prada’s entire Spring collection that has earned 48 covers. [Source]
- FOX News makes a huge deal over a J.Crew ad in which creative director Jenna Lyons is painting her son’s toenails pink. [Source]
- Incubus will release their new album “If Not Now, When?” on July 12th. [Source]
- Glenn Beck has been using Metric’s music and Emily Haines is weirded out. [Source]
- Taking Back Sunday’s new self-titled album will be released June 28th. [Source]
- My favorite former boy band member Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees has decided to join the Chippendales dance crew at the Rio in Las Vegas from May 12 thru June 5. [Source] The little girl inside of me is swooning.
- And in case you haven’t heard yet, Nicki Minaj will be touring with Britney Spears this summer. [Source]
- LCD Soundsystem will be releasing their final show on DVD. [Source]
- Nickelodeon has renewed iCarly for a fifth season. [Source]
- ABC is cancelling All My Children and One Life to Live. [Source]
- AJ Cook is planning her return to Criminal Minds full time again. [Source]
- Cannes has announced their film festival line up. [Source]
- Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, and Alec Baldwin have signed on for Woody Allen’s new film set to be shot in Rome this summer. [Source]
- Monte Carlo starring Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, and Leighton Meester with an appearance by Cory Monteith. I don’t think anyone actually believes that all of them are supposed to be just graduated seniors.
- Moe bar will be streaming live coverage from Coachella this weekend for free! Still not the same experience, but it’s the thought that counts. [Source]
- This Saturday is Record Store Day! Tons of record stores in Seattle will be having special events including band signings and special band performances. For the full schedule, check out The Stranger here. Also, a new record store called Spin Cycle is opening TODAY on Broadway at 321 Broadway on Capitol Hill.
- Yogurtland’s opening is tentatively planned for this weekend! [Source]
- A man is auctioning off a jelly bean that looks like it has an imprint of Kate Middleton’s face. [Source]
- NBA has fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 for his offensive slur at a ref. [Source]
- Seann William Scott has checked out of rehab. [Source]
- Catherine Zeta-Jones is currently being treated for bi-polar disorder. [Source]
- Scarlett Johansson has moved in with Sean Penn. [Source]
- Emma Roberts is covering the May issue of Seventeen Magazine. [Source]
- Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright is engaged to Jamie Campbell Bower. [Source]
- A two-year old boy was given sangria instead of orange juice at a Florida Olive Garden. [Source] rookie mistake
- Learn how to be a jetsetter with Refinery 29′s useful infographic. [Source]
- The world’s oldest man, Walter Breuning has passed away at age 114. [Source] Damn.
Hooray. This is the longest In the News…posting I have ever made.
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting the band members of Champagne Champagne – Mark, Pearl, and Mr. Thomas as I have decided to nickname him. Local celebrities on the hill, the trio is known for their beats, raps, and unpredictable antics. They gave a performance at Seattle University like none I have ever seen before. Immersing themselves throughout the crowd and performing alongside students allowed the audience to be completely involved with the set. Plus, the guys were super nice and at the end of the night, Thomas had even offered me the job of becoming their music manager. Oh someday…
On Saturday, Champagne Champagne and local group Mad Rad left for their tour and the bands have been blogging about their travels through The Stranger’s Line Out blog. Unfortunately, the tour van recently got pulled over in Arizona, but not wanting to spoil to you what happens next – I’ll let Thomas spill the details for you here.
Good luck guys! Safe travels and stay out of trouble!
Subpop Records in Seattle recently signed Mister Heavenly, a band that apparently no one has ever heard of. I didn’t have much time to research them when the news hit yesterday, but this new blog post from The Stranger’s Line Out definitely got my attention.
Earlier this evening, Mister Heavenly opened for Passion Pit at the Moore Theater and will continue touring with the band for the next ten days. The band is made up of Nick Diamonds, (Islands/Unicorns) Honus Honus, (Man Man) and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse). Cut to tonight’s performance, the audience found Mr. Dreamboat Michael Cera playing bass on stage!
WHAT?!
First of all, can we just take a second to appreciate the names of the band members. If I were unfamiliar with them at all, I would’ve thought that the band was going to be a big secret featuring all-star players. In a way, it kind of is. MICHAEL CERA. I can’t get over it, sorry.
The Stranger is taking a poll on their blog right now to see how many people would
a) not eat it
b) eat the shit out of it
So far, 82% voted against eating the can of french toast puree. The other 18% is just making me nervous.
