SOUND OFF! Round 3

Last Saturday was the 3rd round of EMP's Sound Off! Battle of the Underage Bands. For my second time volunteering for the event my role was to give away cool Sound Off! buttons, informational handouts, and persuade people to head upstairs to sign up for The Sound Board. (Which anyone reading this should certainly do, because its free and its success is directly related to the success of EMP programs.) The Sound Board is devoted to the northwest's all ages music and arts scene. It serves as a kind of forum for all ages to discuss the younger Seattle music scene. It is a useful way to give and receive information about music and arts from all ages in the pacific northwest.
I daresay that I enjoyed this week of Sound Off even more than the first. The lineup was filled with young talent and the audience had grown substantially since the first Saturday of the event. The music started with SEACATS, a fun punky band ages 14 - 19. Their sound really caused people to move and their between-song-banter was adorable. The tiny, 14 year old, bass player even took a moment to address the audience with a very serious statement:

"Can I tell you guys something really personal right now? I have been having this reoccurring nightmare where my amp is taller than I am." (He turns behind him to look at the amp, which coincidentally IS taller than he is.) "Oh God I think its really happening."

Then there was Subtle Like a T-Rex, which despite the clever name, brought back war flashbacks of my x-boyfriend dragging me to multiple Perpetual Groove shows in various locations around NC. I am not a fan.

Then like a bright and shining star from out of nowhere came Great Waves. 4 guys and 1 girl ages 19 - 20 who were stunning musicians. In addition to the typical instruments that are included in most of the bands, one member also played a violin and a mandolin. The lead singer, Ashley, channeled vocals the likes of The Sundays, The Cranberries, Sinead O'Connor, and Sia. I kept starring at her, convinced that at some point she would reveal herself as someone who was actually closer to age 50 than 19. Her voice was soulful, knowledgeable, and mysterious and far outshone all others. They announced to the audience that they had been playing together as a band since they were in the 8th grade. And it showed. The sound was crisp and polished and while listening I was at a loss for words. I just kept saying to the volunteer next to me, "My God, this is beautiful." Beautiful. Not a word that I use often, but it certainly applied in this case.

The final band was a Seattle local called Us on Roofs and certainly a crowd favorite. The lead singer, though very attractive, reminded me a lot of Death Cab For Cutie, even in his flat footed dance moves. Music, lyrics, and even the dedications were emo beyond words. The crowd certainly loved them but I accredit that to the fact that they were local.

In the end Great Waves arose as victorious with SEACATS winning the wild card and the opportunity to compete in the finals. Saturday the entire competition will wrap up with a battle between Candysound (1st round winners), Hooves and Beak (round 2), Great Waves (round 3), and SEACATS (wild card winners). Of these, my love and support goes to Great Waves. Though I have not heard Hooves and Beak I am just not seeing how anyone could steal my affection from Great Waves at this point. They generously passed out some burned cd's with 5 of their songs on them. I have been listening to them all week.

Click on any of the Great Waves links to hear/download their music for free.