The kick off to the Seattle Peace Concerts this
year didn't open with a bang by anyone's standards. The famous Seattle drizzle kept
people at home, and of those that did come out, there was competition down the road at the
Fremont Solstice Parade a couple of miles down the road. Even still, there were a
few hundred people that braved the weather, brought umbrellas or hid under the cover of the trees for a
awesome free concert put on by some of the best bands in Seattle. The event
was also filmed professionally by Fog City Productions and
HotBands for use in upcoming promotional events, and will be aired nationally on the music
television show Rising Stars. Unfortunately,
I got there shortley after the show started, so I missed most of Reckless Pedestrian. I was
able to see a few of their songs, and as a brief note, they seemed to be a good, solid
band with lots of potential for growth. I didn't have the opportunity to really hear
their lyrics or more of their music to give a better critique, but from what I heard, they
sounded good.
Luke Painter's band Happy
Savage was, on the other hand, an unexpected suprise. I've known members of this
band for over 10 years and have seen them come and go with other players. This mix
of musicians seems to be the right one...or at least, the best one I've heard from them so
far. Lead singer Beth Collins was an addition since the last time I saw them, and
was not only an attractive front person with a voice, but she also had the presence of a
real professional. The groove was the defining sound created by the band.
Somewhere between psychadelic space jams, and rolling grooves, they had that Grateful
Dead/Little Feat sound about them that made you want to dance. Happy Savage is really a band that will do well on
the larger venues and tours. Definately a lot of fun and worth checking out.
I'll be very brief on the next two bands of them because I'll
be writing a more in-depth feature review soon.
The third band of the day was The Puddle Jumpers.
This is a very polished band with a wide appeal to all age groups and different music
genres. They classify their work as "Classic Rock of the Next Decade" and
can really gain appreciation from a more mature audience. Their sound and direction
is obviously influenced by Jethro Tull, but their originals are truely original...both in
sound, hooks, lyrics, and freshness. If you want something NEW to listen to, this
band is a good bet. They currently have two
self produced CD's out with more in the making.
The day finished with Randy
Hansen , a local Seattle guitar hero best known for his Jimi Hendrix impersonation.
Sounds kind of cheezy?....No way! Randy is really out there....like he really
IS in some way channeling the spirit of Jimi Hendrix. His playing, stage presence,
voice, looks...EVERYTHING! It's almost like after years of studying Hendrix, he's
metaporphised into him! He is the only person recognized and authorized by
Jimi Hendrix' family, was even given Jimi's clothing by Jimi's father. and is
nationally known for tracks on Apocalypse Now. Writing and
performing his own music as well as classic covers by Hendrix, Randy Hansen is the answer
to the question...."What if Jimi lived?".
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