Author: BRIDGET BENEDIVES
I am so excited to be expanding my Seattle music venue horizons as I head to The Neptune Theatre today, February 27th to see Bahamas. The Neptune Theatre opened in 1921 and was a modern-day theater with seating for approximately 1,000 patrons on the main floor and balcony. Designed for the best motion picture entertainment, it contained a short stage for occasional live performances. The Neptune Theatre continues its tradition of presenting fresh, new, local, national, and international performing artists. Programming includes concerts with a broad spectrum of musical genres, independent film, comedy, lecturers, Fine Arts performances, education and community programs, and many free public events.
Image courtesy of Seattle Music News
In 2014, Bahamas—the indie-rock solo project of Toronto-based Afie Jurvanen—rocketed into the mainstream on the back of its most-known song to date, “All The Time”. The down-tempo track delivered soft and tender lyrics against a sharp and electric sonic backdrop. Now, four years later, Bahamas is back with a new album, Earthtones, released on January 19th, which builds on Jurvanen’s easy-listening energy, and also introduces more up-tempo tracks, “to play at outdoor festivals and feel like we have some stuff to throw out at those big crowds,” Jurvanen said in an interview with Billboard last month.
Artists similar to Bahamas include Lord Huron, Gregory Alan Isakov, and The Head and The Heart. The music is relaxing folk, relying heavily on acoustics and vocals to create its sound.
Image Courtesy of Inyourspeakers
Since the release of his last album, Jurvanen admits he grew tired of the endless cycle of touring but found inspiration when working with some of D’Angelo’s rhythm section. “Every time we play, it serves as an opportunity to make a connection with the musicians I’m playing with and the audience—it really is a living, breathing dynamic,” says Jurvanen, who kicked off the North American leg of his tour in Brooklyn on Friday, Jan. 19th, the day the new album dropped. Much like the other changes he has introduced to his life, from his writing process to letting loose in the studio, he has adjusted his onstage mentality, too: “I’m starting to really enjoy being a part of it, as opposed to being in control of it.”
Bahamas will be performing with The Weather Station, a Canadian folk music band fronted by Tamara Lindeman, formed in 2006. Lindeman and her band have toured extensively in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan, both as a headliner and as support for artists such as The War on Drugs, The Mountain Goats, Damien Jurado, Bahamas, and Basia Bulat. You can check out the band here on their website!
Image Courtesy of BrooklynVegan
I am super excited to have a night to slow down, listen to Bahamas (of whom I am a new and enthusiastic fan), and visit a new part of Seattle. Bahamas is coming to The Neptune Theatre on Tuesday, February 27th. The show starts at 8:00 PM and doors open at 7:00 PM. This show is SOLD OUT, but you can keep an eye on available tickets here. Connect with Bahamas on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify.
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | Lost in the light | KXSU Music Reporter