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Thread: Seaprog 2019

  1. #1
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    Seaprog 2019

    Official announcement:

    Hark, aficionados of adventurous rock music in the Pacific Northwest and beyond – Seaprog is elated to announce our 2019 festival headliners: Trettioåriga Kriget, Marbin, and District 97! Read on for the tantalizing details. Festival passes are on sale now. (Single-day tickets will be available after all bands have been announced; nontaxable donations are also welcomed anytime via Seaprog's nonprofit fiscal sponsor Shunpike at the same link.)

    Trettioåriga Kriget (Friday, June 7)
    Trettioåriga Kriget (“Thirty Years War”) is a Swedish progressive rock band formed in 1970 in Saltsjöbaden, southeast of Stockholm, while they were still teenagers. Their first album came out in 1974, and from then until they temporarily ceased activity in 1981 they were one of the most prominent bands in Scandinavian rock. In 2002, the members got back together for some reunion shows and to record a couple of new songs for a planned Best-Of album, but found that they had more to give. They came up with a full album of new material, and have been working ever since. Seaprog is proud to present the third U.S. appearance of Trettioåriga Kriget, and their first on the West Coast.

    Marbin (Saturday, June 8)
    Marbin is an incandescent Chicago-based progressive jazz-rock band with a unique story that stands out in today’s music world. With a do-it-yourself approach, Marbin started touring extensively in 2011, bringing their original instrumental music to every part of the United States. Through word of mouth, Marbin has gained the attention of thousands of devoted fans all over the world, and has sold tens of thousands of albums. The band regularly plays in clubs all over the U.S. and in jam and jazz festivals around the world, and has released nine albums to date on MoonJune Records and other labels.

    District 97 (Sunday, June 9)
    District 97 was formed in the fall of 2006, drawing upon influences ranging from heavy metal to avant-garde jazz. After working instrumentally for a time, the group decided to add a vocalist, and recruited the powerful Leslie Hunt. With their hard-hitting melodic sound, they’ve been thrilling audiences at festivals in both North America and Europe. The band also collaborated with John Wetton, first in the studio and then recording a live album with him in 2013 that contained classic King Crimson tracks.


    Seaprog 2019 tickets / donations:
    https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanc...spx?wid=136227

    Seaprog 2019 Artist page: http://seaprogfest.org/artist/index/2019.html

  2. #2
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    I wouldn't mind seeing Dist 97.

    You live in Bothell? You've probably seen my work, yellow and red paint on the ground.

  3. #3
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    I wouldn't mind seeing Dist 97.

    You live in Bothell? You've probably seen my work, yellow and red paint on the ground.
    So YOU'RE the guy that paints the Fire Lanes in the parking lots?.....
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

    "It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat

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    Trettioåriga Kriget! Wow. That is quite a score for the fest. They had a nice renaissance in the 00s with some strong albums possibly their best ever. I admit they've fallen off my radar more recently.

    Now if I could just get out of that conference I agreed to attend in North Carolina that weekend! So sorry, I seem to have gotten on a plane to Seattle by accident...
    Last edited by arturs; 02-08-2019 at 11:42 AM.

  5. #5
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    I wouldn't mind seeing Dist 97.

    You live in Bothell? You've probably seen my work, yellow and red paint on the ground.
    Impressive!

  6. #6
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garyhead View Post
    So YOU'RE the guy that paints the Fire Lanes in the parking lots?.....
    Nope. I locate underground utilities, namely gas and power

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    Nope. I locate underground utilities, namely gas and power
    I worked with one of those guys when the fiber optic cable was being put in. He taught me water dowsing/divining.

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    Nope. I locate underground utilities, namely gas and power
    Ever work the Greenwood district?

  9. #9
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    water dowsing/divining.
    I use a transmitter/receiver set. I've played around with "witching" or "divining" but never for an actual locate job.

  10. #10
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Ever work the Greenwood district?
    sure, but not recently. Mostly the 405 corridor lately

  11. #11
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    I use a transmitter/receiver set. I've played around with "witching" or "divining" but never for an actual locate job.
    Oh, they used the locators too. But when things were inconclusive, they broke out the clothes hanger pieces.

  12. #12
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    Oh, they used the locators too. But when things were inconclusive, they broke out the clothes hanger pieces.
    I'd be fired if I admitted to using that 'method' of locating

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    Member Plasmatopia's Avatar
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    My grandfather had a few stories of hiring dowsers. One was hired to find the best place for a well and was able to predict the depth and flow rate. On a couple other occasions a dowser was hired to find leaks in underground water pipes. The more notable one involved chipping a 6-inch hole in the concrete barn floor, confirming the leak was in the spot indicated by the dowser.
    <sig out of order>

  14. #14
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    sure, but not recently. Mostly the 405 corridor lately
    Maybe my reference was too obscure.

  15. #15
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Oh I understood. Even though PSE tried to throw their locating company under the bus it was baseless. PSE changed the locating contractor anyway, insinuating blame, but like I said, baseless. PSE resented that then contractor USIC had the gaul to defend themselves and not eat the fault so that PSE could save face.

    Turned out that it was an undocumented stub (a portion of a gas service or main that has been capped and sealed but not abandoned). It was not in the prints and even certain old services that were listed as abandoned were still under pressure. Many stubs and abandoned lines are plastic and devoid of tracer wire.

  16. #16
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    The Seaprog Central Committee is elated to announce two major additions to the 2019 festival lineup: Troot and EchoTest! Festival passes are available now at https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx…

    Troot, the brainchild of Seattle composer, pianist, and conductor Tim Root, is quite simply the most impressive new Pacific Northwest progressive musical offering we've heard in ages. Trained in composition by some of the mavericks of the avant-garde, Tim also received piano instruction from a student of Rachmaninoff. His writing for his international ensemble Troot weaves together complex rhythmic constructs, slippery melodies that never seem to settle onto a pitch center, and unique harmonies that can defy understanding while sounding grounded in tradition. For his debut album, he recruited an all-star cast of musicians from around the world (including a number of Seattle standouts), many of whom will be joining him for the Seaprog performance, which will be their debut live outing.
    http://trootmusic.com/
    http://troot.bandcamp.com/

    EchoTest was formed by two bassists, Julie Slick (of Adrian Belew’s band) and Marco Machera, who started working together as a duo and then expanded the project into a full band with the addition of drummer Alessandro Inolti. (All three will also be performing with Troot.) With their extensive touring schedule, they’ve won over audiences around the world with a unique mixture of sophisticated music and clever songwriting that is simultaneously challenging and accessible.
    http://julieslick.com/
    http://julieslick.bandcamp.com/

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    Good Afternoon!

    The Troot release is relatively new to my collection and gets a BIG nod of approval from me. If they are now playing live... Perhaps they would enjoy playing the ProgDay stage. I am quite sure there would be many who would enjoy seeing them perform!

    Hmmmmmm…. never have been to the North West!


    Carry On
    Chris Buckley
    Last edited by winkersnufs; 02-20-2019 at 03:54 PM.

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Thanks for the HU on the Troot. Dat shit is da troot! I bought a CD, I think there's a lot of people here who would like that one, but it looks pretty limited, so act fast!

  19. #19
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    More lineup announcements:

    Markus Reuter / Trey Gunn

    Members:
    Markus Reuter — Touch guitar, electronics
    Trey Gunn — Warr guitar, electronics
    Markus Reuter and Trey Gunn are two musicians whose names are well-known in the world of progressive and experimental music. Gunn was a member of the 90s incarnation of King Crimson, and has worked extensively as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. He has recently been touring with Security Project, interpreting the music of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. Markus Reuter has been a member of Stick Men with Crimson alumni Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto since about 2011, and has more other collaborations and projects than can be counted, ranging from compositions for chamber orchestra and string quartets to electronic improvisations and production work. We are thrilled to be putting these two together on the Seaprog stage, and eagerly anticipating what they’ll come up with. Reuter and Gunn are two of the world’s most prominent proponents of tapping instruments, and will also be doing a seminar while in Seattle.

    Moon Letters

    Members:
    Michael Trew — Vocals, guitar, flute
    Dave Webb — Guitar
    Mike Murphy — Bass
    John Smith — Keyboards
    Kelly Mynes — Drums
    Moon Letters is a Seattle-based band with a lineup featuring members of Autumn Electric, Wah Wah Exit Wound, Panther Attack!, Bone Cave Ballet, Cumberland Big Band, Bill Green Quartet, Cantrip, Chaos and the Cosmos, Spacebag, and probably a few more that we missed. Suffice it to say these guys know what they’re doing, and they’ve come up with a style that hearkens back to the classic days of progressive rock without merely copying the sounds. Their music is a test case in how to write songs about knights and mythical creatures without sounding twee and foolish. They proved to be a big hit at Seaprog 2017, and they've got a lot of new material to share for a return engagement.

  20. #20
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    Farmhouse Odyssey

    Members:
    Aaron Laughlin — Guitar, vocals
    Alex Espe — Keyboards, vocals
    Alex Pepe — Guitar
    Ian Taylor — Bass
    Thatcher Holvick-Norton — Drums
    Farmhouse Odyssey was formed in 2012 in a small farmhouse in the small town of Arcata in Northern California by a group of college students. Inspired by some of the classics of progressive rock as well as many sounds beyond that, they developed a style that blends complexity and accessibility. Seaprog is happy to be bringing this deserving and under-recognized band to our stage.

    The Sheen

    Members:
    Brock Muench — Drums, percussion
    Justin Benz — Bass, synthesizer, vibraphone
    Kellan McLaughlin — Guitar, percussion
    Riley Reasor — Guitar, synthesizer, vocals
    Jonathan Sherman — Drums, percussion
    The Sheen is a band from Bellingham that has been very active lately, releasing two albums in 2018 despite having turnover in personnel. Their sound encompasses math rock, noise, improvisation, and a touch of insanity for a unique style that Seaprog fans should enjoy.

    Dust Mice


    Members:
    Pat — Keyboards, vocals
    Robbie — Guitar
    Nate — Sax
    Lewis — Bass
    Zane — Drums
    No Seaprog would be complete without a dose of space rock. OK, maybe it would, but we’re glad to have skilled practitioners of the cosmic art on board. Dust Mice is a Seattle space rock band that was formed in 2016

    Yesod

    Members:
    William Wolford — Guitar, banjo, ukulele, percussion
    Ahmad Yousefbeigi — Percussion, trumpet, violin
    Jon Davis — Stick, percussion
    Bill Wolford and Ahmad Yousefbeigi have been collaborating in various configurations of Yesod for more than ten years, producing spontaneous soundscapes blending sounds from around the world, both ancient and modern. Over the years, they have collaborated with a number of different musicians, but the esthetic of exploration free of the confines of jazz, rock, or any other specific genre has remained constant.

    Tickets

  21. #21
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    It's been a week now since Seaprog 2019 ended and I thought I'd post a few of my thoughts / observations of the event. I hope some fellow PE'ers I saw there will chime in to add some perspective. I am not in any way tied with the festival....just a fan.

    VENUE
    This was the 6th incarnation of Seaprog and I think it now has firm roots in the PNW. Ticket sales / attendance has been increasing but not to the point of straining the resources of the venue....it is still an intimate setting. For those of you on the East Coast who attend ProgFest in Rahway, NJ I can attest that the venue / neighborhoods are remarkably similar. Both are in neat little neighborhoods where choices of dining and bars are great. The only difference I see is Columbia City (just South of downtown Seattle) doesn't have nearby lodging choices.....nothing a short (3mile) transit ride / Uber ride can't solve. One advantage might be since lodging isn't nearby....festival goers tend to stay around the venue more and that makes ample opportunities to visit with your fellow prog-heads! Another thing I noticed is the varied audience at Seaprog....It seemed ALL ages were there....not just us "old farts". Unisex restrooms hid the usual....Long line for Male....express line for Female... and it was good to see more women here. Maybe it's just Seattle but I attend Monthly Modular Synth concerts and the crowd makeup is mostly 20-30 something couples....so, there might be hope for non-mainstream music in the PNW.

    I saw Reps. from both PROG and Progression Magazines at this event so expect professional reviews / photos later this year.

    ACTS
    Remember to keep in mind IMHO as you read this.....It's OK to not agree with me.....it's just my observation.

    Day 1 - Friday

    The Sheen - A bit hard to listen to. Especially the Vocalist....I couldn't tell if he was trying to be annoying or just out of tune. Overall, you just got the impression you were peeking through a window of the Garage they were rehearsing in. They Never interacted / acknowledged the audience were even in the room.

    Dust Mice - I stepped out for a bite but caught the last few tunes of the set....as I entered the venue all I remember was an assault of profanity from the vocalist in a tune...They finished with a Black Sabbath cover.

    Troot - Wow! I will admit I was overwhelmed with this set! There was Too Much going on. I was a little Put Off by it....but you know....while laying in bed trying to fall asleep at 2:30AM....I suddenly "Got It"....The first thing Saturday when I arrived back at the venue I picked up their CD at the merch table and I plan to unpack Troot over the next few weeks of listening....Isn't that cool when something clicks hours / days later? This performance was augmented with more people than were recorded on the CD. Five Men & Five Women were at this performance...(I hope you can now see why I was having a hard time tracking 10 parts!) Once again....no one spoke to the audience....It just seems strange not to have this interaction....or to acknowledge the performers. Go to the Seaprog website for personnel before it is removed.

    Trettioariga Kriget - This was the highlight of the Festival for Me. I saw them at Nearfest years ago but somehow....their set was lost to me in the Assault of great performances that Nearfest used to pummel you with! They came on around 11PM and played till 1:30AM! Everyone brought their best game to the set.....no mean feat for guys that have been together 49 Years! (formed in 1970 - first recording 1974) This was their first performance on the West Coast of the USA. It was fun to see 3 of the 5 members of Moraine breaking out into a little dance at the bar during the performance..
    The Band also brought a Projectionist to add visuals....alas...he was detained in a holding cell at SeaTac Airport and deported the next day. So, no visuals. Welcome to the new World....where 70+yo Scandinavians are detained / deported at the Airport. (I'll stop here.....and hope you will too to avoid a TOS breach)
    Here's the really Cool part! The Band performed for FREE and paid their own way to the festival! That freed up more funds to spend elsewhere this year. They also brought 7 of their albums and 2 solo projects to sell at the Merch table. At $15.00 a pop.....you cannot beat that price anywhere online or in stores.

    Day 2 Saturday

    Moon Letters - They played at the pre-fest in 2017. Fun old-skool Prog! Complete with capes / swords. It was an enjoyable start to the evening. Picked up their CD at the merch table and need to listen further.

    Yesod - Missed this bunch.....waited 15 minutes past their start time and they were still sitting there....came back 30 minutes later and they were gone.....someone else please fill in the blanks!

    Markus Reuter / Trey Gunn - Played spacey atmospheric stuff. It was a bit difficult staying awake right after eating a meal.....I was expecting a little more from such storied performers. Markus attended all three nights of the fest.

    Marbin - I stayed for the first three tunes....well executed but not really my thing.

    Day 3 Sunday

    Columbia City has a Street Festival this day every year....so the area is FULL of music and people! Previous years had HonkFest wandering about.....you cannot miss them. The Tubas really carry far in the city streets!

    Farmhouse Odyssey - I enjoyed them at the time.....but a week later? I cannot recall a single thing they played so had to go to the website to refresh my memory! Maybe we can attribute it to the Third-Day-Festival-Overload? Would like to go see them again sometime away from a festival onslaught.

    Immensity Crumb - My biggest OOPS of the Festival! I stepped out for a quick bite and missed a bit of their set. I REALLY liked what they were doing but I came back late so had to sit in the back of the bar with the "short-attention-span" festival goers who cannot go 30 minutes without talking. Most of what was going on was drowned out by talking. The group was made up of folks from the band Clearly Beloved with the augmentation of a string quartet. I hope someday they record the tunes as I would love to hear it uninterrupted.

    I'll add here a little about the Venue. There is a Main Stage at Seaprog and between these sets (teardown / setup / soundcheck) there is a group performing at a little stage at the end of the adjacent bar near the street. It can be a little hard to hear this act. The days tend to be warm...so windows open to street noise / buses passing by. Sound system is adequate but the bar is open to the street so non-festival goers are also welcome to come in....I would imagine the performances are not what they were here for...so more crowd noise.

    Echo Test - It was fine. Lots of effects. It just came off to me as a File-Sharing Band. IMHO YMMW etc.

    District 97 - Once again...stayed for the first three tunes then left. Wasn't familiar with their style but got that Dream Theater chunka chunka vibe. I'm sure many in the crowd enjoyed this but not my cuppa.

    Overall - this was my 3rd SeaProg but Not my last! I've been to Nearfests, Rosfest, ProgStock and the Three Days of the Strawbs last April....It's really a Lot of information to absorb over three days but well worth it. You also cannot beat the company of fellow-fans of this music.....
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

    "It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat

    I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo

    (Zamran) "that fucking thing man . . . it sits there on my wall like a broken clock " - Helix

    Social Media is the "Toilet" of the Internet - Lady Gaga

  22. #22
    Only managed to catch Troot and Trettioriga Kriget:
    -Went in thinking Troot might be some sort of an ensemble, somewhere between Kronos Quartet and Hamster Theatre, (was not an accurate assumption). They were more electric and rock than I expected. They were tight as hell in small spurts, going in cold it did seem that some of the playing got congested and/or buried at times (maybe unavoidable w/ 10 fairly loud musicians going at the same time). Some of the violin stood out pretty well. Julie Slick (Adrian Belew bassist) squirted out some novel and very dialed in effects. She had a really spiffy Lakland 6 stringed instrument that looked something like a jazzmaster ...it generally sounded very un-bass like. Vocals were sparse and also under the influence of a mind altering bag of tricks. Agree that it was a lot to take in without any pre auditioning of their stuff. Some of it hit me like Happy The Man fused w/ RIO elements. Some of the recurring hummable stuff may be a bit heavy on the corn syrup. Compositionally, it's possible that they're not peers w/ Hollenbeck, FZ or Mingus. Kinda hope I'm wrong on that and will check out the cd a few more times.
    -Trettioriga Kriget IMO put themselves in an odd position. The first album is a unique slab of prescient hyper kinetic science fiction. It came after Inner Mounting Flame, but significantly predates and at least equals the most cataclysmic high velocity metal elements of Slayer, Mercyful Fate and many of other peddlers of psycho active rock pestilence. The other TK albums have flashes of brilliance but are generally much more subdued and much less challenging as a listen. I believe they played four tracks from the first album and certainly did a passable job on them. They all (except maybe the guitarist) looked and moved like men who are 10 to 20 years younger than anyone who could have put out a record 45 years ago. They had their own sound man who obviously knew his stuff. The sound quality was head and shoulders above the norm for Seaprog. Still much of the set was like a really good bar band doing pedestrian material. Maybe it's a case of flying too close to the sun or driving carefully after blowing up the engine on your first car.

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