Week 6 of winter quarter has come to a close, so students at Seattle University are over half way done with their classes. With four weeks until finals (whatt!!!!) tensions may be high with the constant flow of knowledge into our brains, but fear not, because more concerts are on the horizon. An easy cure to any and all anxiety of daily life is live music.
Image courtesy of pezcame
Next week, on Tuesday, February 20th, Karla Bonoff is coming to The Triple Door in Seattle! The Triple Door is a spacious, self-contained lounge that seats 150. The Triple Door is dedicated to music and visuals and is personally my favorite venue in Seattle (that I’ve been to this far). They were voted the “Best Bar” in Seattle by Seattle Metropolitan in 2007 and have won many awards for their impressive drink and dinner menu.
Born and raised in Southern California, Karla Bonoff was a songwriter by the age of 15. She had already fallen in love with the guitar and studied with Frank Hamilton of the famous folk group, The Weavers. Karla’s passion was always music. She became friends with other singer-songwriters and musicians [in the ’60s] who were creating their own unique sound. There were some other writer-singers who became friends of Karla’s, and eventually, they decided to put a band together. They were Kenny Edwards, (who had started the Stone Poneys with Linda Ronstadt and Bobby Kimmel), Wendy Waldman, and Andrew Gold. Something powerful in their combined sound drew them together. Thus, the band Bryndle was born—one of the early songwriter groups, even before the Eagles.
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Bonoff was signed to Columbia Records as a solo artist in 1977. Here she made many albums and went on several tours. In 1999, Sony/CBS Legacy released All My Life – The Best of Karla Bonoff, a 16-song fully remastered collection spanning Karla’s entire career. An extensive article by Billboard Editor-In-Chief Timothy White and an interview with Karla were included with the CD.
In a 2000 magazine article, Karla described herself as “semi-retired” – content with going out on short tours a few times a month. But she’s also talked of recording a new album as well, perhaps at home. “I’d like to make a record completely for myself, one that isn’t governed by what other people in the business think it needs to be,” she said.
Karla continues to perform all over America. Often after her concerts, Karla talks with fans and signs CDs and well-worn LP covers people bring to her shows. Japan has also been very supportive of Karla’s music and she’s toured there twice in recent years. An expanded version of her Best Of CD collection as well as Bryndle’s House of Silence were released in Japan in 2002.
Image Courtesy of karlabonoff.com
Karla’s legacy as a writer and perseverance as a performer are spoken best in a Billboard Magazine review of Karla’s All My Life recording. “Long before Alanis and Jewel, there was a breed of singer/songwriters whose earthly anthems of soul-searching, heartache and joy touched souls in a way few can muster today.”
Karla Bonoff is coming to Seattle next Tuesday, February 20th! For tickets to see this timeless artist, visit The Triple Door website here! You can connect with Karla on her website or on Spotify.
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | “I don’t need it to be easy, I need it to be worth it.” | KXSU Music Reporter