LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: March 6-9

by Maggie Molloy

This week’s music calendar features a multitude of musical genres and artistic mediums!

Genre Bender 2015

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This weekend Seattle musicians are bending the rules. They’re bending the rules of functional harmony, they’re bending the rules of performance—in fact, they’re bending the very constructs of the music medium itself. City Arts Magazine’s annual Genre Bender event pairs innovative artists working in different media, inviting them to collaborate with one another to create the ultimate genre-defying performance.

This year’s artistic duos include conceptual artist C. Davida Ingram and composer/multi-instrumentalist Hanna Benn, rapper Raz Simone and multimedia artist Justin Roberts, photographer Steven Miller and actress/singer Sarah Rudinoff, vocalist/poet okanomodé and aerialist Lara Paxton, and last but not least, poet Sarah Galvin and musician/filmmaker/philosopher David Nixon.

Genre Bender 2015 is this Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 at the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. A party in the lobby will follow the performance on Saturday evening.

Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs Beck

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Beck shocked audiences around the world when he beat out Beyoncé for the Album of the Year at the Grammys last month. The lowly singer-songwriter who first made it big in 1994 with a song titled “Loser” (you know the one: “I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me?”) proved that maybe, just maybe, he’s not such a loser after all.

This weekend, Seattle Rock Orchestra is paying tribute to this musical underdog with a retrospective of Beck’s lengthy career. With his 12 studio releases, they definitely have a lot to draw from. From the lo-fi folk releases of “One Foot in the Grave” to the funky party music of “Midnite Vultures” to the pensive ballads of “Sea Change,” Beck has never written the same album twice.

The performance is this Saturday, March 7 at the Moore Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m.

Seattle Composers Alliance’s 2015 Spring Fling

As the winter months melt away and the beautiful blossoms of spring begin to bloom, it’s always nice to get out of the house and go celebrate the new season. And what better way to do it than with an evening of new music?

Next week Seattle Composers Alliance is presenting its 2015 Spring Fling, featuring live music by a wide range of local musicians. From the jazzy jams of Industrial Revolution Trio and the Tim Carey Quartet to the folksongs of Alchymeia and Aslan Rife, this concert has it all! The evening also includes a silent auction and generous door prizes.

The performance is this Monday, March 9 at the Royal Room at 7 p.m.

FREE Summer Concerts in Seattle

by Maggie Stapleton

Most Seattleites will agree that our mild, beautiful summers completely make up for the cool, grey, drizzle that we deal with for ¾ of the year. Downtown Seattle is completely in touch with this, offering “Out to Lunch,” FREE outdoor lunchtime (12-1:30pm) concerts July 9-September 5.  The concerts take place at parks all around town (e.g. Freeway Park, pictured below) and are a great excuse to brown bag it, soak up some vitamin D, and hear great tunes. Image Second Inversion recommends:

Wednesday, July 9: March Fourth Marching Band @ Westlake Park

Thursday, July 10: Industrial Revolution @ City Hall Plaza

Friday, July 18: Portland Cello Project @ Occidental Square 

Wednesday, July 23: Tubaluba  @ Wells Fargo Center 

Wednesday, August 13: Kris Orlowski @ Two Union Square 

Friday, August 29: Jovino Santos Neto @ Columbia Center

Friday, September 5: Hey Marseilles @ Freeway Park

Check out the complete lineup and use these as a great excuse to get away from your desk during the lunch hour!