Apple had a very big weekend, selling 9 million shiny metallic and glossy plastic next-generation iPhones and cleaning out plenty of store shelves. If you decided to spend last Friday doing something other than camping out in front of a store, you probably also spent the weekend empty handed. At this point, if you’re too anxious to get a new gadget in your hand to wait for one to ship, your best local bet could be an Apple Store.
Perhaps in a move to save their employees from fielding desperate phone calls inquiring about availability, Apple added an online availability indicator to their webstore, and hid it just a bit out of the way under “Personal Pickup.” Fill in your desired configuration and click the link to search for options in nearby stores.
As of midnight on Monday, there appeared to be a rainbow of colors and configurations available for the 5C; but the 5S seems to be a much rarer commodity. When I checked the various permutations, the University Village Apple Store still had a handful of models in “Space Gray” for AT&T (Alderwood had only the 32GB). For Verizon, only 64 GB gray phones were available at the University Village, Alderwood, and Southcenter stores; Alderwood also had a 64 GB configured for Sprint. Silver and Gold look even more constrained, with the lone Seattle-area option being a 32 GB silver Verizon iPhone in Southcenter.
Availability seems to update during the day — I lucked out and found my dream phone via the online store’s and enlisted the personal pickup option to breeze past the crowd at Southcenter to complete the adoption process on Monday evening — so eager shoppers should keep an eye on the site to see if any ideal candidates appear. Or, save yourself some anxiety and gain the patience to wait for your order to arrive in the mail, particularly if you’re heart’s set on the elusive golden phone.
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Music Director Ludovic Morlot opened Seattle Symphony’s new season with an all Ravel program over the weekend.
Ludovic Morlot, just beginning his third year on the podium of the Seattle Symphony as music director, has shown he is a master at programming. This is particularly noticeable in his choices to open this season.
Last weekend, he and the orchestra gave a wildly successful gala performance with pianist Lang Lang; this week began the first of the season’s Masterworks series and, judging by Saturday’s audience, the program brought in a big, enthusiastic, and attentive crowd.
Morlot went with an all Ravel program: two piano concertos with Jean-Yves Thibaudet as soloist in both, and four works all with the Spanish flavor so loved by the composer. With composer, conductor, and soloist all French, how could there not be a sense of complete understanding of the music on stage?
The D major Concerto for the Left Hand was written for one-armed pianist Paul Wittgenstein (he lost the other in World War I), and seemingly makes no allowance for the pianist performing with one hand what would normally take two. It’s fiendishly difficult, yet Thibaudet played with ease, from the first long meditative solo to the colorful cadenza just before the end.
In the program’s second half, playing Ravel’s only other piano concerto, Thibaudet displayed the same ease and innate understanding of Ravel’s music, with both hands bringing to life the composer’s newfound interest in Jazz. This alternated with languorous sections, sensual and relaxed, in the first movement. The quite short second one is notable for its peace and quietude, soft and unhurried, utterly beautiful in the way the music unfolds. You could have heard a pin drop in the audience as Thibaudet caressed the music out of the keys and the orchestra kept with him as support. The third movement is a total contrast, jaunty, fast, and jazzy with many solos from individual orchestra members, who were recognized in the prolonged applause.
In Ravel’s Spanish-inflected music, Morlot chose works with different aspects, from the effervescent yet sultry “Alborado del gracioso” to the swirling, sensual “Rhapsodie espagnole” to the elegant and stately “Pavane pour une infante defunte” —not, as often thought, intended as a dirge for a dead princess, but intended to remember how she might have danced, the young girl in so many of Velasquez’s paintings — and ending up with the mesmeric “Bolero.” In each, Morlot created transparency, so that all the inner voices of Ravel’s masterly use of instrumental colors could be heard. There are many solos for different instruments, showing a particular love, in these works, for the bassoon. Often, Morlot trusted the musicians to phrase each solo their own way, without conducting them.
Morlot starts his new season with community and musicians respecting his musicianship, enthusiastic about his programming and performances, appreciating his venturesome ideas, and enjoying his determination to include musicians of all different stripes. He is consolidating his hold now that he is a more known entity, and we are lucky to have him.
Find out more information on Seattle Symphony’s website, and follow The SunBreak on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more classical coverage like this.
If you’ve followed Beat Connection since their debut EP, Surf Noir, you’ll notice that someone is missing from the bunch. Jordan Koplowitz, one of two of the founding members, left for San Francisco in December. However, if you watch Reed, Tom, and Jarred’s fervor on stage, you’d think it had been these three all along.
Beat Connection has always excelled at making music that moves bodies. Their interplay, accompanied by the Honey Nut Horns, on tracks like “Saola” is mesmerizing to watch. Their reconstructions of the songs are like a live variety show, always on the edge of losing control. They aren’t afraid of making balls-out fun music, rather they revel in the shimmering synths and tropical percussions.
A few weeks before the first day of fall, Beat Connection crystalized the carefree pleasures of summertime. And, in the bass-thumping basement of Branx, I played a Heineken-fueled game of 20 questions with the trio.
1. What did you eat for breakfast?
Tom: Ken’s Artisan Bakery. We got a baguette, some cheese and prosciutto. Reed: I had a Bloody Mary for breakfast. It had bacon and shrimp in it.
2. Favorite beach in Seattle?
Jarred: Madison Park.
3. Mickey’s or Old English?
Jarred: Old English.
4. Guilty pleasure music?
Tom: Bluegrass. Old Crow Medicine Show. I could be a Dave Matthews guy, too… Maybe Sade. Reed: Did you just say Sade is a guilty pleasure? Sade is a pleasure! Sade tattooed on my chest. Jarred: Phil Collins.
5. Worst tattoo?
Reed: I have a Lady Gaga tattoo… Me: Really? Reed: NO! (Laughs) Tom: We’re tat-less. Tatless in Seattle.
6. Favorite LCD Soundsystem song?
Reed: “All My Friends.”
7. Favorite bagel schmear?
Tom: I’m partial to sundried tomato. But realistically, I’m a plain schmear guy. And I like the Philadelphia non-whipped version. I like that old school shit.
8. Which foreign county would you retire in?
Tom: France. Reed: Bermuda. Jarred: South Africa. Let’s get weird.
9. Mullet or mohawk?
photo by beat_connection via Instagram
Reed: Mohawk. Or a reverse emo-mullet thing. Tom: I think I have somewhat of a mullet going on right now. Reed: Actually, Tom doesn’t have a mullet. What Tom has is this picture exactly. (Shows me picture of Ryan Adams circa 2001) Total heartbreaker.
10. Strangest Snapchat you’ve ever received?
Reed: When I get a picture of Tom’s hair like that later from Jarred, that will be it. (see picture, right)
11. What band would you most like to open for?
Tom: Toots and the Maytals. Jarred: Tame Impala. Reed: [Tame Impala at Sasquatch] was the best festival show I’ve ever seen .
12. If you had to choose betweenClay and Harrison of ODESZAto be on your team for The Hunger Games, who would you pick?
Reed: I think Clay would do some despicable, evil shit. Tom: He would be the strong arm. But Harrison would, like, plot against you and do some sort of political situation.
Clay walks in the room…
Reed: Hey Clay — we decided if we had to choose between you and Harrison to be on our Hunger Games team, that you would do the really evil shit and Harrison would plot against us. You would be like, “alright I got this,” and just end it. Clay: Uhhh….
13. Childhood fear?
Reed: My parents said I was afraid of clowns. But I don’t really remember that. Jarred: I was really afraid of dogs. I had a bad experience. I was small and I thought these dogs were chasing me… But they weren’t. (Laughs) They were just running with me.
14. Dream collaboration?
Tom: Andre 3000. Reed: Kendrick. Or… Well, Kanye. But I couldn’t even talk with Kanye. I would just be like “oh my god, uh uh uh”…and that would be it.
15. Besides theBoards of Canada thing, what’s the 2ndworst April Fool’s joke you’ve ever played?
Reed: Well yesterday — I’m the super uptight one in the band, by far — we did a KEXP session and we were supposed to be there at 1:30. I was already in Portland and these guys were coming down. I sent them a very excited text message about Kanye and Kendrick [going on tour], and two hours later — no response. I was like, “wow, that’s weird. I thought they would be excited and they should be up by now.” I fell asleep again and then Tom texted me, “oh shit! Your text just woke me up.” Then Jarred said, “oh fuck! I’m leaving right now!” It was like 11:30am. There was no way they were going to make it to Portland in time. First I thought they were joking, and then I thought they were serious. I was like, “God…I gotta call KEXP… We’re going to have to cancel…” And then I realized they were totally fucking with me.
16. Best souvenir from the road?
Tom: Chlamydia. (Laughs) No, no… Reed: That’s where I got it then, huh, Tom? (Laughs)
17. First thing that came to mind when watching Miley’s VMA performance?
Reed: It was just a sigh; it wasn’t even a word. It was just syllables of dissatisfaction.
18. Most expensive thing you’ve bought for a girl?
Reed: Tom’s girlfriend is right there, so I’ll let him answer. Tom: I tend to block those things out and just buy it. So, I’m not sure. Reed: There’s no price tag to our love.
19. Strangest class you ever took in college?
Reed: Evan (horns) essentially taught a class with this dude who just wanted to play jazz music and smile and stand next to the speaker. Evan wanted to do that too, but he was a little bit more professional.
20. Where do you see yourself in 3 years? Is there any specific goal you want to achieve?
Tom: Touring. Jarred: Happiness. Reed: Playing a show on a yacht. Tom: We want to have a roast pig come through the crowd during a show. Reed: Maybe one day we’ll have the whole fucking pig Tom. One day.
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Fall is in the air; show us your side of things. Photo courtesy of Flickr and lwestcoat.
The SunBreak has an Instagram! For years we’ve been flexing our photojournalism muscles with Flickr, with regular contributions from the likes of The Great Beyond and lwestcoat, but we want to expand our reach to everyone with an Instagram account. And we want to invite you to show us your sunny side of Seattle.
As you can probably tell, we don’t have any photos just yet. So to kick off our debut into Instaland, we’re inviting our readers and editors in tandem to show us their side of the city.
Please send us your view of things by hashtagging your art #seattlesunbreak. We’ll be enjoying, and liking, and tagging your work from this end, and saving it up for our new photostream series. Every Thursday, we’re going to be publishing some of the best snaps we’ve seen from the week, with the chosen-by-the-editor best as our featured and credited photo!
“First Hill.” What’s your view of the city like? #SeattleSunBreak Photo courtesy of brianv78 and Flickr.
Meanwhile, we’re going to be curating our own photos — some behind the scenes, most Seattle centric — under the name TheSunBreak. The point of the venture is to connect more easily, so don’t be a stranger. Grab your iThings Seattle, it looks like it’s going to be a perfect day.
The title says it all. For the second year running, the Auburn Symphony Orchestra opened its season with “Music Especially For You,” a special concert of short, favorite works, guaranteed to please a diverse audience and draw people in who wouldn’t normally make the trip to hear classical music.
These aren’t pop concerts—no, the music is all classical. Sunday afternoon’s program included a suite from Handel’s Water Music, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, ballet music from Delibes’ Coppelia, and two favorites from Leonard Bernstein: his Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and his Overture to Candide. Much of it was familiar; all of it was enjoyable.
There was also music by Grieg, Suppé and Verdi, plus the third movement from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, which was included, said conductor Stewart Kershaw from the podium, to whet the appetite for the first of the season’s regular subscription concerts in October, which will include the entire symphony. It was a good choice, arrestingly interesting to those who had not heard it before, as Tchaikovsky was inspired to have all the strings plucked rather than bowed, so the music sounded like a big hive of bees.
Two solo pieces by Massenet rounded out the program. For his Meditation from the opera Thais, concertmaster Brittany Boulding seemed to merely release the notes from her violin, allowing them to float out with a relaxed and lovely tone. In his rarely heard lullaby-like Last Sleep of the Virgin, solo cellist Brian Wharton drew out an equally relaxed warm sound, though he had a momentary memory lapse at one point. Thoughtful phrasing marked both performances, while Kershaw and the orchestra partnered them sensitively.
This is the 17th season of the Auburn Symphony, and over those years, Kershaw has developed and nurtured an excellent orchestra with a particularly fine sound. He allows the orchestra to sing, the music to expand and flow. But this isn’t to say that it can’t play with lively energy, as in Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture, or with all the thrill implicit in the Ride of the Valkyries, or the jazzy syncopation of Candide, as played Sunday afternoon.
This orchestra is made up of professional freelancers who play in myriad other venues around Seattle, from the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera to more pit work for Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Fifth Avenue Theatre. They haven’t been together as a group since last April, and with only two rehearsals, this distance showed in Sunday’s performance. The horns had a few glitches in the Suppé, and the trombones didn’t have enough brio to begin with in Valkyrie. West Side Story started out with insufficient impudence, needing a brasher approach and more oomph, but it was there by half way through.
To balance that, many brief solos shone, from the harp, piccolo, clarinet and other wind principals, to stellar playing from the trumpets and percussion. Auburn is fortunate to have a group of such a caliber, and the orchestra is fortunate that it is firmly supported by the city administration, led by mayor Pete Lewis, who was present Sunday.
The orchestra’s regular season begins October 12-13 with Beethoven and the afore-mentioned Tchaikovsky, and more details can be found on their website here.
All puns aside, Seattle welcomes its first parklet on Wednesday. What is a parklet? It’s a mini 24-hour public park that takes up the place of otherwise usable parking spaces.
The pilot program is in the first stage of its three-fold trial run (Belltown and International District, you’re next), and if people like what they see, we can expect more to pop up all over town. The construction for the first of the park babies began on Monday, and yes, already by Wednesday we’ll see the beginning of these tiny, shiny park benches and foliage, with this one on East Olive Way, between East Howell and East Denny. Specifically, right in front of Montana Bar.
Here you go, E Olive Way. Yes, right on the street.
The idea comes from San Francisco circa 2009, a city that now has 40 functioning parklets since they began, with more being constructed every year. The phenomenon has gone global at this point, and if Seattle follows suit after our first three, we might start seeing a lot more of these.
The SDOT are behind Seattle on this, but it’s worth mentioning that every iParkMini is privately funded (Montana Bar’s got this one), so there’s no telling what design angle private funders might take. Costs hover around the $10,000-$15,000 range, excluding expensive liability insurances and annual permits, but some have taken to Kickstarter to get parklets up and running and have done so successfully.
To be able to apply to be a parklet, your space has to be and do a number of things:
Accomodate drainage
Be smoke-free and booze-free, of course
Comply with all specs from the Americans with Disabilities Act
Have some barrier between traffic and park users
Not be higher than 8 feel tall
Be on streets where traffic doesn’t exceed 30 mph
Be on streets with existing permanent parking lanes
All we know right now on the East Olive location is that there is a ramp, stairs, “landscaping” that needs to be done, and that it’s open for business tomorrow night.
Swing by East Olive at 5 pm tomorrow and see the smallest park in Seattle for yourself. Here’s hoping Leslie Knope approves. What about you?
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