Next Wednesday, August 28th, catch Moderat at the Neptune Theatre (8 p.m., $26.50 in advance, all ages).
I needed help from my music-head friend to describe Moderat. Here’s how our text conversation went:
And that, my friends, is just about dead on. Moderat are Apparat (Sascha Ring) and Modeselektor (Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary), a trio hailing from Berlin. Three German producers coming together sounds like a recipe for a hot mess, but the fusion between these three on their latest album II is seamless.
When I initially think of electronic music, I think of Pretty Lights, Skrillex (barf), and other “musicians” that should stay in 2011 — where they belong. I may be in the minority, but I’m still skeptical.
What I like about Moderat is that it’s not all BASS BASS BASS. Their first single “Bad Kingdom” has thick bass lines, but it doesn’t overpower the uplifting, synth based pulse of the track. The following “Versions” is nearly polar opposite — vocal-free and dark. It plays with your emotions, while Bad Kingdom just makes you want to fucking dance. The closing track “This Time” is stylistically interesting, which is often an oxymoron in EDM.
In the 10-minute-long, ecstasy-inducing, stand-out track “Milk,” the beats and spacey rhythms aren’t overworked. It rises just as well as it falls. All I left wanting more of from Moderat was vocals, which you get another taste of on “Damage Done.” Not nearly enough, however.
It’s easy to get lost in the echoes and breakbeats of II — whether that’s on your headphones or on the dance floor. So rather than let your friends play another terrible mash up — or god, “Get Lucky” again — try Moderat out for change.
Readers of The SunBreak will know that here the gondola enjoys most favored status, in terms of public transportation (nothing personal, Monorail.) Nothing smooths out hilly terrain like an aerial tram, and ski-bum Seattleites are already familiar with their high capacity.
Yet proposing their use outside of ski slopes always comes with a chuckle factor. So here’s a non-skiing item where a gondola will link two sightseeing attractions — a precedent that Seattle, as it refocuses its waterfront around car traffic, might be interested in.
Up in B.C., our Squamish correspondent alerts us to “B.C.’s top new attraction for 2014″; the Sea to Sky Gondola is due to open next May, and begin ferrying a hoped-for 200,000 sightseers annually from Howe Sound to the mountains of Shannon Creek, or vice versa. 20 Swiss Doppelmayr gondolas will carry up to 600 people per hour, taking 7 to 10 minutes to traverse about 2,800 vertical feet.
Artist’s conception of the Sea to Sky Gondola development, with suspension bridge (Image: Sea to Sky Gondola)
Visitors can park down below, then take a trip upward for the views, for a walk across a more-than-300-foot suspension bridge spanning a ravine, or for access to back country trails. Up top, there’ll be a lodge with food in case the alpine-style air and promenade stirs the appetite or thirst.
The $22-million development is aimed at outdoors adventurers drawn to the area by attractions like Shannon Falls; it also lets people leave their cars behind, rather than clogging twisting roads up into the mountains.
Seattle gondola boosters have taken this thinking a step further, proposing a system to be used by tourists and commuters alike, since everything is up hill from Seattle’s waterfront, including the city’s hot-spot Capitol Hill. Yet nothing from the waterfront takes you directly there.
Argentina may be looking down from the walls, but the Aragona dinner was all about Spain.
Chickpea salmorejo with anchovy, egg, and mojama. The first bite of the night was a bold one!
Torreznos: deep-fried pork belly (enjoyed with good sherry)
Fried vegetables with leek ash and salsa romesco (broccoli was good, but I especially enjoyed the more delicate zucchini, pictured)
Jason Stratton and crew at work in the kitchen
Salpicon with manila clams, tomato, cucumber, and peppers...bright and refreshing
Chicken wing confit, walnut mayonesa, and Dungeness crab (interesting pairing of proteins)
Albacore tuna en escabeche with chanterelles and pimenton (I enjoyed the onions, capers, and currants that completed the dish)
Black cod suquet with almonds and cherry tomatoes. I expected a lighter broth for fish stew, so I was pleasantly surprised with the heartier flavors. This came with a small salad of young lettuces with cava vinegar and toasted garlic. And lots of bread to sop up the sauce!
Carrie Mashaney prepping the rice course
Slow-cooked Iberico pork ribs with white beans and turnips
Here are the ribs and beans plated with arroz seco (dry rice), spot prawns, peas, and squid ink aioli. I enjoyed this with a glass of Hand of God Old Vine Malbec.
Sheep's yogurt sorbet with raspberries
Topping off an amazing dinner: Carrie's Xuxos. This is a deep fried pastry that's filled with pastry cream that contains a little lemon and vanilla. Mixed in the sprinkling of sugar is a little black truffle salt.
Jon Staenberg and Jason Stratton addressing the dining room
It’s been nearly a year since reporting on one of the first dinners at the VUDE: Velvet Underground Dining Experience. Owner Jon Staenberg calls VUDE “a theater for the Hand of God wines” that he’s producing in Argentina, and his love of food inspires him to bring top chefs to cook in the VUDE kitchen for members of the private dinner club located in South Lake Union.
I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview dinner of Aragona, the new restaurant by Jason Stratton and Carrie Mashaney (soon to be on Top Chef) of Spinasse and Artusi fame. The restaurant is named after Aragon, a kingdom which united with Castile in 1479 to form modern Spain, and is now known as a region in the northeastern part of the country. Its cuisine inspired Stratton so much during recent travels that he’ll be trading pasta for rice when the restaurant opens early fall at First and Union in the former Thoa’s space.
Aragona’s concept is unique to Seattle, and if the preview dinner was any indication, the quality will be what you’d expect from the Spinasse team. What’s in store: escabeches, Catalan fish stews (the black cod suquet was one of my favorite dishes of the dinner), Ibérico pork, and both wet and dry rice dishes. You’ll want to be sure to leave room for xuxos, which up the ante on churros with the addition of a cream filling.
See the slideshow above for a look inside the VUDE and a sneak peek at the food from Aragona.
[Part One of Tony’s 2013 Doe Bay Fest coverage can be found here.]
Courtney Marie Andrews is only 22, but she possesses the voice of an old soul–bittersweet, spare, and evocative. Her somber, lovely songs provided the perfect soundtrack for the overcast but abidingly pretty Doe Bay grounds when she opened up the Otter Cove Stage Saturday morning. The Passenger String Quartet were once more on hand to lend shading to an already-strong batch of songs.
Curtains for You frontmen Michael and Matthew Gervais, officially playing as Mikey and Matty, followed Andrews at Otter Cove. Their winning pop songs received a mini-Pet Sounds treatment by an all-star band comprised of the PSQ, Maldives drummer Faustine Hudson, Seattle Rock Orchestra bass player/mastermind Scott Teske, and Doe Bay headliner Ken Stringfellow. This entire ensemble (including Teske and the Gervais Brothers, three of the tallest guys at the Fest) fit under a tiny awning shielding them from persistent sprinkles, a hat trick that stood as one of Doe Bay ’13’s logistic miracles. Oh, and they sounded great, too.
Dillon Sturtevant and Brian Noyeswatkins of Tomten. (photo: Tony Kay)
Doe Bay’s 2013 programming allowed fans to catch most acts without conflict, but counter-scheduling forced me to miss the very awesome tuba-punk stylings of Orcas Island trio Onodrim in favor of a Field Stage set by Seattle pop band Tomten. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. The latter’s long-player Yesterday’s Childrenspent an awful lot of time on my earbuds last year, and Tomten’s easygoing, irresistible set went down great as the sun began reappearing. Lead singer/keyboardist/songwriter Brian Noyeswatkins’ playful, charmingly odd songs made subtle nods to musical forebears like Ray Davies and Jarvis Cocker without ever descending to simple imitation, and he and his band of unassuming pros knew how to play the hell out of ‘em.
Animal Eyes, a Portland-by-way of Alaska combo, followed Tomten with some impeccably-played, galloping pop that sounded like a more upbeat cross between Devotchka and Ravenna Woods. They’re a young band still working out their identity, but they’re damned impressive live, and the raw materials of brilliance–impressive instrumental chops, complex rhythms and harmonies, and imaginative songwriting–were present in spades. I can hardly wait to hear what they’ve got up their sleeves next.
Like Animal Eyes, The Torn ACLs are a band whose youth practically bursts from every note they play, but unlike their mainstage predecessors, The ACLs pound out a more straightforward variety of pop (think Ben Gibbard fronting Weezer or Vampire Weekend, and you’re about there). Unashamedly awkward and energetic as hell, they brought a sense of pogo-inducing energy to the laid-back Field Stage crowd.
Alice Sandahl and Shana Cleveland of La Luz. (photo: Tony Kay)
Seattle quartet La Luz use vintage sounds (in this case, the lo-fi sting and swing of garage rock and surf music) as their starting point, and then like any good rock band, they run with them. The Seattle quartet provided one of Doe Bay ’13’s most bad-assed sets, tearing through their songs with the concise coolness of a James Dean-era motorcycle gang and even inducing one audience member to do The Worm onstage. Guitarist Shana Cleveland fired out some mean surf licks, and the entire quartet contributed seductive, glacial harmonies.
Cumulus have been netting some serious local buzz lately, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign and their recent signing to Chris Walla’s Atlantic subsidiary label Trans- Records. But by the end of their propulsive Field Stage set, all I cared about was hearing them again, and soon. The band presented their winsome, insanely catchy pop with a twist of shoegazing shimmer, and sported just enough tweaks to more than justify all the hype. ‘Tis a foolish mortal who’s not utterly band-crushing on them after their performance.
Sometimes, all you need for a party is some good-time blues and soul, played to perfection. That’s precisely what Quinn Deveaux and the Blue Beat Review delivered, strutting through a smooth and charming set of covers and originals with enough snap to render ‘em much more than just a competent cover band.
The sounds made by Portland quintet Radiation City defy easy categorization (the Andrews Sisters fronting Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys while playing new wave covers, maybe?). Then again, a lot of luminously beautiful things in life can’t be easily pinned down. Graduating from last year’s Otter Cove to this year’s Doe Bay Field Stage, RC made the most of their increased audience, delivering unbridled energy and showmanship to match their songwriting brilliance (then again, that sense of fun shouldn’t surprise anyone who read their interview with Kelsey a few weeks back). Best new-ish band in the Northwest right now? Could be…
Built to Spill: Built to rock. (photo: Tony Kay)
Built to Spill provided an appropriately epic capper to Doe Bay’s official onstage roster. The Northwest indie rock godfathers hauled out a virtual greatest-hits collection culled from their sizable catalog, with band leader/singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Doug Martsch amply demonstrating why he’s worshiped by peers and acolytes the world over.
Simply put, he’s indie-rock’s Neil Young–a songwriter of clarity and depth who plays his instrument with a combination of technique and restless ferocity that remains a beauty to behold (fellow axe-wielders Brett Nelson and Jim Roth are no slouches, either). Fittingly, the band closed their set with a blistering cover of Young’s “Cowgirl in the Sand,” joined by at least a half-dozen guitarists from other acts who’d shared the Doe Bay Field Stage over the preceding 36 hours.
It wouldn’t be a Doe Bay Fest without unofficial festival house band The Maldives playing a full-fledged set of their own. This year, they tore up the Yoga Studio for a late-night session that once again steamed windows and put the rock in roots-rock.
Saturday night segued into Sunday morning with several secret shows popping up hither and yon at the resort. Sadly, I missed Doug Martsch fronting the Passenger String Quartet. But a late-night acoustic set from Star Anna, Quinn Deveaux, Bobby Bare Jr., Ken Stringfellow, and Seattle singer/songwriter Vikesh Kapoor more than made up for it. Star Anna’s astonishing, mournful cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” just might’ve stood as the most transcendental three minutes of Doe Bay 2013.
Doe Bay Fest doesn’t so much end as coast away on a mellow vibe of sunshine and relaxed, off-the-cuff music sessions throughout Sunday. This year’s festival was no exception, with several acts bringing their A-game to the modest environs of the Doe Bay Yoga studio. Before heading back to the mainland, I caught stirring sets by Kapoor (whose eerily Dylanesque delivery and strong songs sorta induced chills) and OK Sweetheart mastermind Erin Austin (whose soulful singing sent her set of addictive Brill-Building flavored pop songs into the stratosphere). If you had to return to the mundane necessity of the real world, you couldn’t have asked for a better send-off.
Left to right: Tom Limberg (W Seattle General Manager), Tiffany Derry, Ernesto Fuentes (scholarship winner), Scott Carnz (AIS Dean of Academic Affairs), Sergio Santillanes (scholarship winner), Elden Monday (AIS President)
A unique culinary collaboration between Trace restaurant at W Seattle and The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Seattle began paying financial dividends last night, as two AIS students netted scholarships totaling $5,000 to further their studies.
Following an essay competition that whittled the field to five students, Ernesto Fuentes won a “Black Box Competition” (a la Food Network’s Chopped program) and a $3,500 scholarship, while Sergio Santillanes was runner-up and recipient of a $1,500 scholarship. In his essay, Fuentes, formerly in the Navy serving as a cook on a submarine, cited the importance of teamwork in the kitchen. Clearly caring about his comrades at the school, upon receipt of the scholarship he immediately requested that the money be shared by the other competitors, as the GI Bill is funding his education.
The new collaboration between Trace and AIS is more than financial. W Seattle gives the students mentoring and internship opportunities beyond what was previously available at the school’s Portfolio restaurant. Both W Seattle and the students also benefit as successful education and exposure can open the door to an immediate job at the hotel after graduation.
Cheerleading the cause has been Tiffany Derry, a former Top Chef contestant (and winner of Fan Favorite) who happens to be a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston. Derry was part of the judging and implored the students to “take advantage of opportunities like this, which were not available when I was a student…I had to struggle and make my own opportunities.”
Derry worked with Trace chef Steven Ariel and AIS students to create last night’s “South Meets Pacific Northwest” celebratory dinner, with proceeds going toward the scholarship fund. One of my favorite dishes of the night: Surf and turf of scallop and pork jowl with salsa verde. And while I took a break and admittedly didn’t watch either season that Derry appeared on Top Chef, you can bet that I—and likely the AIS culinary students—will tune in this fall when Carrie Mashaney of Spinasse and soon-to-open Aragona competes on the show.
A few weeks ago, just before mixologist Sean Michael Johnson was selected as the Seattle finalist for Bombay Sapphire’s Search for the Most Imaginative Bartender, I was in Canon trying to decide what to have besides a Toronto. Nothing jumped to mind, so I punted to the bartender, which happened to be Johnson.
Fernet Branca, meet apple cognac. (Photo: MvB)
“What’s a good Fernet drink for someone who likes a Toronto?” I asked. A little while later, Johnson reappeared with a drink containing Fernet Branca, apple cognac, chocolate bitters, and a “little bit of simple.”
A savvy bartender, wary of Fernet Branca’s tendency to overpower a drink, will try to dial it back into balance, or match it with a bearded, barrel-chested alcohol that can go a few rounds.
But Johnson had doubled down on the low notes in the drink with his chocolate bitters, while the apple cognac felt light as a hummingbird in this context. In musical terms, it was a bit like pairing a double bass with a piccolo; my tastebuds were jostling themselves trying to shout out the flavors.
That’s the kind of thing that’ll get you noticed by a jaded U.S. Bartender’s Guild judge, so it’s not surprising that Johnson’s heading to Vegas for a September 8 bid at a national title. The winner gets, among other things, a cover feature in the December 2013 GQ magazine “Men of The Year” issue, and a shot at the Global Finals in 2014.
Here’s the drink Johnson poured that won him his Vegas title shot.
The Julius Henry
Julius Henry
1 1/2 ounce Bombay Sapphire Gin
1/2 ounce Aperol
2 dashes lime bitters
Cognac/Coriander Whip Cream Float*
-Combine Bombay, Aperol and lime bitters in a mixing glass, add ice and stir until cold. Strain into a cocktail/couple glass and top with Cognac/Coriander Whip Cream
