Month: August 2013

Uncategorized
31 Aug 2013

TuneIn @ Bumbershoot

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Readers, I’ve been out at Bumbershoot all day celebrating one of my favorite music festivals in Seattle. It’s one of the reasons why I am just now starting to write posts for y’all. This year’s Bumbershoot is a special one as it is the last big event that I am attending before my move and it is the first time Yow Yow! has acquired a press pass as a publication. I’ve been waiting years for this to happen! Well – truthfully, this is the third time I’ve attended on a press pass, but this was the first year that I applied for Yow Yow! to cover the music festival. If you want something, go after it!

I’ve been attending Bumbershoot every year since I was 17 so I guess we’re going on about six years now. It’s a festival that highlights not only music, but art, design, and comedy as well. This year, I am really excited about one of Bumbershoot’s sponsors – TuneIn. I’ve been using the online radio streaming service since the start of the year and have absolutely loved it. It allows me to listen to my favorite radio stations when I’m at work and even listen to radio stations outside of my area from other cities and states that I might enjoy. Most importantly  though, TuneIn allows their users to stream major music festivals like Bumbershoot this weekend by partnering up with KEXP to bring to you exclusive performances from the KEXP Music Lounge through TuneIn.

Check out their Bumbershoot Radio station to hear music from this year’s artists and bands.

Additionally, if you are at Bumbershoot this weekend like I am, be sure to visit their stage for some incredible acts. Today, I got to watch Seattle’s The Flavr Blue and Beat Connection.

They will also have a tent on-site where they will be handing out prizes (like VIP upgrades, tickets to the KEXP Music Lounge, audio speakers, and more)

If you haven’t checked out TuneIn yet, now is the time to do so. They are definitely a Silicon Valley start-up to watch in the next coming year.

Culture
31 Aug 2013

School of Rock Reunion Concert

[youtube=http://youtu.be/EZJ7oNh-5Fg]

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved School of Rock. Being a band student myself, I always wished that my middle school band would have as much drama as the kids did in this movie. But let’s be real, we could have never entered ourselves into a Battle of the Bands. A friend of mine posted this video which came across my newsfeed of the kids from the movie performing 10 years later! It blew my mind slash it was just plain awesome.

More details on the reunion here.

Uncategorized
30 Aug 2013

PubCakes

I don’t have too many guy friends who will admit that they love dessert as much as women do. Really, when’s the last time you heard your guy order a Crème Brûlée without asking if you wanted dessert first? Exactly. Guys love dessert, but don’t feel like they can open up about it unless maybe it’s a masculine dessert. Cool Material is one of my favorite blogs for guys because it always provides me with a little bit of extra insight into what guys may be looking for in terms of food and products. I once favorited their post on a list of desserts just for men and now I wanted to share this one with you about a dessert product called PubCakes.

PubCakes is a set of dry cake mixes designed with specially made craft beer including Chocolate Stout, Belgian Spice, Cocoa Porter, and Vanilla Ale. YUM! Girls can have a bite of these cupcakes too, right?

[Source]

Uncategorized
30 Aug 2013

Katie Eats Seattle

Hands down, one of the best reasons to live in Seattle is for the food. I have been spoiled all my life by some of the best hamburgers, seafood, and restaurants that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. With just weeks left before my big move, I have been anticipating some of my final meals and I won’t leave until I’ve hit them all – my favorite spots and a few that I have never tried before. That last line is kind of false; I probably won’t be able to make it to all of these places and I will certainly have to leave before I finish, but that’s okay – the restaurants will still be here and so will this city. I’ve been anticipating this move for awhile though so I actually got a head start on my eating frenzy earlier this summer. Here’s a list of places I’ve nommed at and places that I still plan on going to!

  • Dick’s Drive In
  • Joey Bellevue – for their bellinis
  • Taco Time
  • Pen Thai
  • Nordstrom Cafe
  • Coastal Kitchen
  • Oddfellows Cafe
  • Skillet Diner
  • Pho Than Brothers
  • Toulouse Petit
  • Earl’s
  • Pike Street Fish Fry
  • Momiji
  • Crab Pot (for the experience)
  • Ivar’s
  • Jade Garden
  • Mike’s Noodle House
  • Paseo’s
  • Drive-Thru Boba
  • Kona Kitchen
  • RN71
  • Old Frozen Custard
  • Street Meat
  • Marination Station
  • Cronuts at Ba Bar
  • Fresh oysters from Walrus and the Carpenter
  • Homegrown
  • Honeyhole
  • Pizza Bank
  • Honey Bear Bakery

Am I missing anything else?

Uncategorized
30 Aug 2013

JAY Z’s “Made In America” Documentary Will Premiere On Showtime

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6zQ1MmdfGw]

When I first learned about JAY Z’s “Made In America” festival, I was blown away by the lineup. Of course, I was surprised by it though. When you’ve got a name like JAY Z tied to a music festival, the acts will come on their own. For most people a music festival is just one incredible weekend. For the people that have to plan it, however, it’s a years’ worth of hard work that no one will ever understand. The documentary on this Philadelphia music festival will appear on Showtime and I think it will be an eye opening experience for audiences.

Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) is in the director’s chair, while Jay Z, Howard, and Brian Grazer serve as executive producers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will make its television debut on Friday, Oct. 11 following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 7.

The documentary features performances and interviews with artists including Kanye West, Rita Ora, Run–D.M.C., Odd Future, Pearl Jam, and more.

[Source]

Culture
30 Aug 2013

Palo Alto

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RF4C124ibQ]

I am so excited that the trailer for this movie was released because after watching it last night, I couldn’t wait to share it with you all. Palo Alto is the directorial debut of Gia Coppola – niece of Sofia Coppola and stars Emma Roberts and James Franco. The film is based on a collection of short stories about suburban teens penned by James Franco. The film is hitting some major film festivals in the next coming weeks, but we hope we have a chance to watch it in the US as well. I love the atmosphere that has been created for it and of course – talent runs in the family so we have high hopes for Gia!

[Source]

Uncategorized
30 Aug 2013

Gratafy

homescreen

Last month, Veronica and I attended an event sponsored by two Seattle startups that we are becoming fast fans of. We have previously introduced you to Postmates and now we’d like to do a special write-up for Gratafy.

How many times have you found yourself missing a very important celebration with no way of making it up to your friend or family member? It happens to all of us. Things come up unexpectedly and we feel like an awful friend for not being there for them. It’s not the same as being present, but Gratafy allows you to take some of the heat off from your absence.

How exactly does it work? Say you’re missing a birthday party at a restaurant or a bar downtown – with Gratafy, you can still buy them dinner or an extra round of drinks even if you can’t be there! Everyone loves gifts so why not surprise your friend with one? After all… you owe them one, right?

To redeem a gift, all your friend has to do is make their usual order and when the bill arrives, your friend will open up their Gratafy app and show the server their personal gift code. Pretty simple, right?

Gratafy is available for use NOW in Seattle and as of this week – Los Angeles! Founded by two University of Washington alums Ryan Halper and Brian Erke, Gratafy plans to expand beyond these two cities and into several other major US Markets later this year.

Gratafy not only allows users to buy a bottle of Prosecco to commemorate a friend’s recent promotion, or thank a co-worker for a job well done, the app also enables merchant partners to open up a new revenue stream by selling merchandise without the buyer having to set foot inside of the establishment. “In a digital world where everyone craves more personal connections, Gratafy offers a new adventure in personal gifting and a sense of camaraderie for pure, simple-to-give fun for life’s moments: big, small and embarrassing,” says Ryan Halper, Gratafy co-founder and COO. “The process of giving, receiving, and redeeming is effortless, and can happen anytime from anywhere using a smartphone.”

Gratafy has also gone to great lengths to ensure that the gift redemption side of the product is an easy and seamless experience for both consumers and merchant partners.  “Gratafy’s technology and simple-to-use interface allowed us to get up and running in a matter of hours,” notes John Howie, owner of John Howie Steak and Seastar. “Training staff is quick and painless. The guests love it! It’s a no brainer for any restaurant.”

The app is free to download and available for iPhone and Android in the App Store or on Google Play.

*Because we love Gratafy so much, they are gifting Seattle and Los Angeles Yow Yow! readers with $5 credit. All you have to do when using the app is enter in our promo code YowYow

Happy gifting!