Show reviews
2023-02-17 Hardly Raining Bill Frisell FOUR and the Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet played an introspective jazz double bill at the Moore Theatre on February 17, 2023. Both artists have released their recent work on the iconic Blue Note label. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire opened the evening, joined by Sam Harris (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), and Tim …
2022-11-13 Hardly Raining Seattle’s Freakout Festival returned to Ballard on November 10-13, 2022. This tenth iteration spanned four nights and six venues, along with a new outdoor stage that featured popular Seattle artists. It was a fantastic lineup from around the world, emphasizing bands from Latin America and the U.S. West Coast. On-brand for Freakout, …
09/12/2022 Hardly Raining Cigarettes After Sex returned to Seattle for the fifth time on September 12, 2022. The El Paso-then-Brooklyn-based dream-pop trio includes Greg Gonzalez (vocals, guitar), Jacob Tomsky (drums), and Randall Miller (bass). Like most of the band’s shows, this one was sold out. An hour-long entry line wrapped around the block outside the …
2022-08-26 Hardly Raining Three years after the inaugural event in 2019, the second THING Festival returned to Port Townsend on August 26-28, 2022. THING is sponsored by the nonprofit Seattle Theatre Group. This year’s THING featured a curated lineup of musical artists from around the world, with a focus upon western Washington. Headlining were Connecticut …
2022-06-23 Hardly Raining “We’re playing a show!” exclaimed Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold. In their first time onstage in several years, the Seattle natives sold out the Moore Theatre. The June 23, 2022 performance kicked off their summer tour. Along with Pecknold (guitar, lead vocals), the indie-folk group includes Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey …
2021-12-05 Hardly Raining Thievery Corporation returned to Seattle for two nights at the Showbox Market, after a couple of pandemic years away. (See a review of their 2018 show in Back Beat Seattle.) Founded in 1995, Thievery Corporation offered a precise and high-quality show, with an endearing genuineness and a felt sense of joy in …
2021-11-11 Hardly Raining The Freakout Festival returned to Seattle in November 2021, after a COVID cancellation in 2020. Held in-person at venues throughout the Ballard neighborhood, the four-day festival featured a diverse lineup of U.S. and international musicians. Seattle label Freakout Records sponsored the event, which included their own artists plus 50-ish others with complementary …
2021-09-18 Hardly Raining/Lisa Hagen Glynn Kelly Lee Owens played the show that everybody needed, after so many months pent up because of COVID. The Welsh dream-pop and techno artist took the stage at Neumos for an intense hour-long set. “We’re here to fucking dance, so let’s do this,” she directed. An adept producer and singer, …
Kelly Lee Owens (with Kid Hops and MYXA) at Neumos Read More »
