The Radio8Ball Show, or The Pop Oracle

Michael Upchurch of Seattle Times says "You'll have fun at this show." I wholeheartedly agree, though I might be just a wee bit biased since I've been live-tweeting for them all season. Then again, if I didn't like the show, I wouldn't still be running Radio8Ball's Twitter for them, now would I?

Check Upchurch's article for a good explanation of the show, but the one I nicked off the Radio8Ball Blog works too: it's the show "where questions are answered by picking songs at random and interpreting them like musical tarot cards". It's also group therapy, intentional/unintentional comedy, really New-Agey meaning-making and a really intimate acoustic basement show all rolled into one. It's not for everyone (especially if you're allergic to words like "synchronicity" or "feelings"), but if you're into it after one show, you're hooked.

I certainly am, anyway. And now so is my S.O. after I towed him along to celebrate my upcoming birthday and got my question picked(!) - "Question #5 (me!) How can I help my S.O. realize his dreams? Song answer: Say you love me [by Jenny Jenkins]". It was really the cutest damn thing ever. If you really feel like reading how that particular musical question & answer went, backwards, see below. I gotta warn you, it's pretty mushy.

(happy birthday to me!)

John sez: I love you too - you are my dream.

I say: I love you John Sepulveda!

Andras sez that sometimes all you need is to realize your dreams and get thru life is someone who believes in you and loves you

trying to understand her S.O.'s language of love

Jenny sez that this song is about

I dont' know much about being stable/ but thanks for cleaning up after me /sorry I'm not making any money

When you're gone I go neurotic/ now you're back it feels exotic about

Question #5 (me!) How can I help my SO realize his dreams? Answer: Say you love me

Grand Openings: Inauguration Day Seattle, Kraftwerks Night, Salvage Marsupials, Radio8Ball Show

This Monday's pretty momentous if you're a massive local politics nerd like I am: at 2pm, Mayor-elect McGinn, City Attorney-elect Pete Holmes and the Councilmembers-elect Sally Bagshaw, Mike O'Brien, Richard Conlin and Nick Licata will be sworn in down at City Council Chambers. I'll be there, shaking hands and taking pictures. Slideshow coming soon :)

This coming Tuesday night is going to be much more interesting than the average Tuesday night because it will be the grand opening of the weekly craft night at Metrix: Create Space and of my wee Etsy store, Salvage Marsupials. Kraftwerks Night (hee hee) will go from 6pm till midnight, and the grand opening of Salvage Marsupials will occur once I show up to Metrix with celebratory cookies.

This coming Sunday evening will be extra exciting too because it's the first Radio8Ball Show of the season and my first time twittering for said show. It should be interesting posting tweets about a "show where questions are answered by picking songs at random and interpreting the randomly chosen songs as the answer to the questions, like shaking a musical 8ball." Wish me luck!

Busy week for the Community Council

This week is going to be a busy one for the Capitol Hill Community Council: the CHCC Holiday Benefit Bash is on Tuesday (12/15) and the December General Meeting is just two days later (12/17). I will have the pleasure of attending both.

If you find your holiday schedule too tight to handle this much civic participation, I suggest the Holiday Benefit Bash: it's more laid-back, you still have the chance to find out about what's going on in the neighborhood, and there's jello shots. They are asking for a ten dollar suggested donation (i.e. we understand if you're poorer than we are), but it's a good value for live music, pizza, Rock Band with your neighbors, and the charm and wit of the officers of the Community Council :)

UPDATE: Turns out that the Holiday Benefit Bash was THE event of last Tuesday night - about 100 people came, the Council raised about $400, and everybody had a good time (and possibly a few jello shots).

Coming right up: Chill 'n' Grill on the Hill

The neighborhood is invited Tuesday evening, August 4th 2009 to attend the newly renamed “Chill-N-Grill on the Hill,” formerly the Fifth Annual Olive-Howell Street Block Party. The event is organized by volunteers from Unpaving Paradise (that's me!), the Capitol Hill Community Council (hey, that's me too!) as well as local residents. The Chill 'n' Grill is sponsored again this year by City Market, Metropolitain Café and the Crescent Lounge.

It will be an evening of awesome, with free hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks and a line-up of diverse and talented local bands including Mighty Tiger, Eagle Seagull, Norey, Viva la Villain and The Autumn Electric. Local Artists are invited to participate by bringing pieces for display.

This is an all-ages event. Set up of the stage will begin at four p.m., and the event will start at 6:00 pm and run until 10:00 pm.

The event will be held on E. Howell Street, between the intersections of East Olive Way, and Bellevue Avenue E. For more information go to: http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/events/2009/08/04/chill-n-grill-on-the-hill/media/picture706.png/medium

$10K + 500 Pine = Big Ass Block Party

I read this three times before I could believe it: those crazy mofos at Cap to the Hill are going to have a $10,000 party resurrecting the lost 500 block of Pine on what is now the empty 500 block of Pine. And they want your help to do it.

What is amazing is not just what they want to do, but how they got the money to do it. I can't believe they have contests/grants for this kind of thing. I can totally believe they won, though. Massive street party and neighborhood revitalization all rolled into one... it is genius.

Man, the uses of that empty lot just keeps getting better and better. First the Capitol Hill Garage Sale, then the Park(ing) Day bonanza coming up in September, and now this.

Our neighborhood mantra: Have space, will party.




* 500 Pine - RIP *

Happy Bastille Day, assuming you're not a monarchist

There's not much to do on the Hill that's Bastille-oriented, except for Faire's Bastille Day Party: free cake at 5 or 6pm, free jazz starting at 6. Seattle Metblogs has a good listing of all things liberty-democracy-fraternity today around the city.


(picture courtesy of the Seattle Bastille Day site)

Belated Announcement: Noise for the Needy

Never going to shows is no excuse for not talking up a charity music event for a great cause (in this case, mental health care services via Transitional Resources). Noise for the Needy started yesterday, and the shows will continue all over Seattle through the weekend. Do not be afraid - there are plenty of shows on the Hill for those who do not wish to leave their beloved neighborhood.