Small Change video

Here's another video by Chris of forceweb.com from the SPB Anniversary show this past weekend. This one is of the Small Change, with guest Kurt Bloch, doing the Model Rockets' "This Is a Valentine."

The audio is quite overdriven. But, just pretend that the distortion is from your ears cracking due to standing so close to the PA system. :)

Forceweb on the SPB party (& Andy Werth video)

I posted earlier about the photo gallery of the SPB Anniversary show that Chris put up over at forceweb.com. Well, now he's got a whole post up about the show with lots of videos and thoughts. So, click on the link above and go check it out on his site (and browse around while you're there -- it's a cool site).

I'm going to embed the Andy Werth video here, because it's damn cool. This is Andy's cover of The Color Bars' "Eliza."

More photos from SPB Anniversary Show

Chris over at forceweb.com has a great slideshow of pictures from the SPB Anniversary party online. You can click through his photos for the bottom-to-top rundown of the event. But, here are a few of my faves:


Jim and Carmella from Sgt. Major
(photo copyright Forceweb)


A.J. from The Knast
(photo copyright Forceweb)


Greg from The Small Change
(photo copyright Forceweb)

Photos from SPB anniversary show

As I mentioned yesterday, I was a complete idiot and forgot to take my camera to my own anniversary show. Do'h! However, Dan at Trick Shot Photography snapped a couple of pages worth of pictures.

You can find his full two-page gallery online. Here are a few of my faves in the bunch:


Crowd shot
(photo copyright Trick Shot Photography)


Andy Werth
(photo copyright Trick Shot Photography)


David Bos from Shake Some Action
(photo copyright Trick Shot Photography)


Nick Small Change's hands at work
(photo copyright Trick Shot Photography)

Thoughts on the anniversary show

Whew... now that I'm a little more awake, I thought I'd try to post some thoughts about the anniversary show last night before they faded into a jumbled mess of memories.

First, why, oh, why do I ever think that any kind of rock show is going to start on time? The PDXplore early show at the Sunset was supposed to start at 7pm and end at 8:30pm. Unfortunately I don't think the first band for that show even arrived until 7pm. So, sorry to all you anniversary show attendees who had to stand around outside the venue until after 9pm for them to finish up.

But, once things got rolling, they were cooking! The Knast came out of the gate strong. I had heard their recordings, but this was my first chance to see them live, and they didn't disappoint. I love what they're doing, and I can't wait to hear more from them.

Andy Werth packed his group onto the stage after The Knast. As they set up, I said to Andy that it was a little bit like clowns in a volkswagon. It was quite a sight to behold -- two keyboards, bass, drums, guitar and two trumpet players (and believe it or not, they left their cello player at home!). They cranked out crowd pleasing, catchy songs and did a great job with the Color Bars cover.

The Small Change took the stage next and, as always, didn't disappoint. I don't know if I have anything to say beyond my usual praise for these guys. But, don't let my loss for words fool you -- they rocked the house.

Shake Some Action (with me on bass) was on fourth. I never really like to say much about my own performances. But, I thought it went well, and we received a bunch of nice compliments from folks. I think my favorite was from a fellow who recognized one of the songs we played and it was familiar enough to him for him to think it was a cover. Nope, it was our tune. It just happens that it got a lot of KEXP airtime earlier in the year!

Dept of Energy followed us. I find these guys, and Robb in particular, quite captivating to watch and listen to. There's sort of this inward intensity with their playing that I dig. David Bos and I decided that the guitar riff to their song "Story" is one of the catchiest in recent memory.

To close out the night, Sgt Major gave us a tour de force of rock and energy and pop and past and present and whiskey and pogos and "Lump" and so much more. That was one of the most enertaining and fun sets I've seen in a while. They were on fire, and the crowd was right there with them. Packed up to the very edge of the stage, the audience fed them and vice versa. Damn good time.

After two encores, the lights came on and the recorded music started playing over the PA system. But, after about two-thirds of the room had cleared out and the Sunset staff started making the rounds to clean up, an impromptu, and somewhat drunken, set broke out featuring (at various times) Kurt Bloch, the Sangster bros, Greg Small Change, Jason Small Change, Scott Sutherland, Dustin Riffbroker and possibly some other folks.

It was out of tune and filled with missed chords and plenty of off-key caterwauling. And at some point Greg Small Change hit himself in the face with a microphone and started bleeding (which is only funny since earlier in the night he jokingly said they were going to a whole set of GG Allin tunes). But, it was a rough, rugged and right way to end what was the perfect party to celebrate the Blog's anniversary.

I couldn't have asked for more. Here's to another year of great music by Seattle powerpop bands! Cheers.

Post-party thank yous

I want to send a super-duper thanks out to everyone who made the SPB Anniversary Show at the Sunset last night a tremendous success. There was a great crowd, a great energy and a crapload of great music. That was a rediculously fun night!!

Like a complete spaz, I accidentally left my camera at home. So, if anyone has pictures to share with the class, please send them my way. I'd love to be able to post some shots.

A special thanks to the bands: The Knast, Andy Werth, The Small Change, Shake Some Action, Dept of Energy and Sgt. Major. Everyone rocked the house.

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 0

The one-year anniversary show for the Seattle Powerpop Blog is TONIGHT, Friday, June 29 at the Sunset Tavern. It's been a 10-day countdown in which I've told you something about each band, about the venue, and about me.

So, now that the day has arrived, I'm just going to let the poster speak for itself. However, one point of clarification: The running order of the bands tonight does NOT match what's seen on the poster.



The actual running order is:

1. The Knast
2. Andy Werth
3. The Small Change
4. Shake Some Action
5. Dept of Energy
6. Sgt. Major

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 1

Day 1??? That's right, tomorrow is Day 0. So, this is the last blog of the ten-day countdown to the SPB Anniversary Show that is happening tomorrow (Friday, June 29) at the Sunset Tavern.

To close out this countdown, I want to do a thank-you-in-advance to all the bands on the bill. You guys all rock. Thanks so much for being part of it!

Here's a rundown of the schedule (starts at 9pm sharp!):

First up: The Knast. These guys blasted onto my radar back in January with a myspace friend request that had a single song posted called "Sittin' In My Tree." Since then they've played around town a bunch and added three more songs to their site and have been in the studio laying down tracks. I love what they're doing. It feels very NYC, very dirt-under-the-fingernails, but still very catchy.

Second on the bill: Andy Werth. Andy's sunny 1970s pop is a stark contrast to the Knast, but what they share is an undeniable ability to write catchy melodies. I learned of Andy last year with the release of the "Back To the Sun" ep, which immediately brought a smile to my face. I expect the same will happen on Friday.

Third at bat: The Small Change. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- These guys are hands-down one of my favorite bands in town. The energy, the melodies, the retro-mod sounds that are somehow completely modern-day... I love it all. I only wish I had a better camera so that I could actually snap a photo of Greg in mid-air instead of after he lands (stupid shutter delay!).

On fourth: Shake Some Action. I play bass in SSA, so I'll keep the praise to a minimum. But, suffice it to say that James has crafted some incredibly catchy tunes, and I feel lucky to be able to hold down the bottom end for them.

Coming on fifth: Dept of Energy. There's something hypnotic about these guys. I remember first seeing them and thinking Robb had a voice that, while it's sometimes all over the place, you can't stop listening to. Unique lyrics, unique melodies, no bass player. Quirk pop at its finest.

Closing out the night: Sgt. Major. What can be said about this motley crew of rock dudes (and dudette)? Sgt. Major is like the aftermath of a head-on collision between one van full of pure rock energy and another van full of Seattle powerpop history. Kurt gave me a bit ol' tease by sending an email saying "Many surprises... this I know." I can't wait to find out what they are!

And you shouldn't miss it.

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 2

Wow, the anniversary show is day after tomorrow (Friday June 29), and I'm super duper psyched up about it. In today's edition of the countdown, I thought I'd tell you more about... ME! I've met a lot of you in person. But, for those who don't know, here's my story.

My name is Gary Miller. I moved to Seattle from Atlanta at the end of 2003. I was born in the South (East Tennessee, specifically) and lived there my entire life up until my Seattle move. I went from East Tennessee to Middle Tennessee to Chapel Hill, North Carolina and to Atlanta.

I've been a musician since my junior year in high school (1987). I wanted to be a drummer, but my mom was having none of that. Two of my skateboarding pals played guitar and drums, and they told me I should get a bass so we could start a band. So, for Christmas of 1987 (holy crap that's 20 years!) I got my first bass and amp. We played our first show two months later.

Fast forward to Chapel Hill in 1993 where I formed the band Gumption with my friend Kurt (who is now in Portland, coincidentally, and has a great solo record out now called Ten Singles). Gumption had a moderate level of success, putting out a 7" single and a six song EP that we recorded with Chris Stamey (of dB's fame).

After that band came to a close, I went to grad school and moved to Atlanta for work. I wasn't very involved in the Atlanta music scene, which (like most of Atlanta) didn't seem very creative to me. So I took up swing dancing and married a great woman named Theresa. Neither Theresa nor I liked Atlanta, so we decided to move elsewhere, and that place ended up being Seattle.

I now play in Shake Some Action and The Scheme. I work at the University of Washington, where I am the assistant director of the Undergraduate Programs Office in the Business School. And, in case my boss is reading this, I do the blog between my student appointments during the day. :)

So, that's my story. Well, at least part of my story.

Shake Some Action, of course, is on the bill for Friday. So, if you're coming to the show, please come introduce yourself. I'll be the one playing bass.

Oh, and one last thing. I love petting animals. Here's a photo of me with a goat.

SPB gets shoutout in Seattle Weekly

I'd like to say thanks to Rachel Shimp for giving the SPB Anniversary Show some press over at the Seattle Weekly's "The Wire" column (you'll have to scroll down the page a bit to see the post)!

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 4

In today's edition of the countdown to the Seattle Powerpop Blog Anniversary Show (Friday, June 29 at the Sunset Tavern), I'm going to hit close to home by talking about Shake Some Action.

Shake Some Action was formed from the ashes of The Jeunes. Jeunes main man James Hall recorded the SSA primarily at home himself (with some assistance from currently guitarist David Bos). The current rhythm section, comprised of Chris Campbell on drums and yours truly on bass, came into the fold just as the SSA record was being finalized.

Shortly thereafter, the group starting hitting the clubs, and in December they played a show at the Crocodile Cafe, which they recorded. Today is the official release date of the Shake Some Action "Live at the Crocodile." It's currently a digital-only release through iTunes.

We're currently writing material for the second SSA studio album, and we'll be playing a few of those new songs at the show on Friday. But, I'm most excited about our cover of The Heaters' "She Belongs To Me." A few of the Heaters have said they're coming to the show, too. No pressure. :)

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 4

If you've looked at the Blog at all in the last week, you'll know that the one year anniversary show is this Friday, June 29 at the Sunset Tavern. And you'll also likely know I'm doing a daily countdown to the show.

Over the weekend I posted about Dear John Letters, of which two Dept of Energy members were a part. But, in today's countdown post, I'm going to talk about DoE itself. This is a band that is really quite difficult to label, but their knack for melodies and interesting music is undeniable.

The first song I heard by them was the super catchy "I remember what the light felt like" (partial mp3 clip), and that's still a favorite of mine. Their new record is a leap forward. When I reviewed it a few months ago, I said "the collection seems more expressive, more nuanced and, I expect, more long lasting."

With Dept of Energy you get melodies, but you also get a heaping helping of quirky pop that is serious in its delivery. They hit you with curve balls in arrangement and chord progressions. But, at no point to they make you think you're listening to a prog rock act. They're a pop band at their core.

They also put out lots of videos on You Tube. The one for their track "Story," from the latest disc, looks like something Devo would've released in 1981:




Robb Benson - Dept of Energy

SPB Anniversary Countday: Day 6

Howdy and welcome to Day 6 of the countdown to the SPB Anniversary Show, which is happening on Friday, June 29 at the Sunset Tavern. In today's countdown edition, I've decided to talk about the Dear John Letters. While the Dear John Letters are, of course, not on the bill of the Anniversary Show, two-thirds of Dept of Energy were in DJL (and I'll talk more about Dept of Energy in a few days).

The story of how Dear John Letters came into being and operated as a band is really interesting, and while it might be lazy blogging, they have the whole story told very succinctly on their myspace page. So, I'm hijacking it here. You can also download four songs from their myspace page.

Front man/guitarist/songwriter Robb Benson has been writing and playing songs for over 10 years in the Seattle area. During that time, his former band The Nevada Bachelors released two pop records on the Popllama record label. Soon after the release of Hello Jupiter the band went different directions citing artistic differences.

Robb immediately focused his attention on building a stripped down acoustic EP. He went in to Egg studios and recorded "Songs about Songs", with the help of Producer Johnny Sangster (The Makers, The Posies). The E.P. was officially released in October of 2000 on Roam Records.

On the EP, Robb had collaborated on three songs with, Writer/Poet Michelle Price-Auer. Her music business adventures began on the other side of the market in the press industry. Working for 'Plain Jane PR' she found herself promoting the likes of RadioHead and The Posies, before getting burned out and taking time off to work on her writing.

Michelle's realist and emotive subject matter and musical vision/style strayed from Robb's former happy go lucky poetic approach, and allowed him to channel a much deeper more moving style of Pop. Together they began recording an album at home for the band that they wished to create under the name Dear John letters, on suggestion from Michelle. (Named after her future husband Jon Auer of The Posies)

All song lyrics were penned by Michelle Price-Auer, the music was Robb's creation. Cassady filled out the beats, and Johnny Sangster helped with both his production skills and his lending his lead guitar and keys skills wherever it was needed. Soon after the record was mastered, Bass player Richard Davidson of Radio Nationals came on board to fill out the group.

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 7

The SPB Anniversary show is exactly one week from today! Hurrah. Did I mention it's June 29th at the Sunset Tavern?

In today's edition of the daily countdown to the show, I'd like to chat a bit about a side of the music community that I probably don't spend enough time talking about: The glam/powerpop scene.

There is a side of powerpop that is grittier in its approach to songwriting and image, and that side is well represented here in Seattle. I'm talking about groups who are more influenced by Slade, The Ramones, Nikki Sudden, The Heartbreakers, as well as pieces of 60s Motown, garage and early British rock like The Small Faces.

Across the Pacific NW, you've got bands like The Greatest Hits, The Pop Machine, The Neat, The Nice Boys, Avenue Rose, The Soda Pop Kids, and most importantly for the purpose of this blog, The Knast.

When I received a friend request via myspace from The Knast at the beginning of the year, I was really excited by their sound. They dabble in all the above referenced sounds, but they are also very adept at catchy melodies and hooks.

They will be kicking off the SPB Anniversary show with a prompt 9pm start time. I have to admit this will be my first time seeing them live, and I'm excited about it. Is it dangerous to book a band you've never seen? Maybe, but I like what I hear enough to take that risk!

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 8

Only eight days left in the countdown to the Seattle Powerpop Blog Anniversary Show. The event is happening at the Sunset Tavern on June 29 and features a bevy of cool folks doing their own music plus music from another bevy of cool folks.

In this countdown, each day I'm picking something related to the show to talk about. Today, it's Andy Werth.

To be straight up honest, I don't know that much about Andy. I know he's a transplant from Colorado to Seattle. I know he put out a three-song EP of ridiculously catchy music last year. And I know he's second on the bill at the Seattle Powerpop Blog Anniversary show.

I also know I did an interview with him for the blog that I posted back on January 8 in which I learned that he planned to do more Christmas shopping throughout the year so as to avoid piling it all up in December. Andy, how's that going so far? It's June, you know!

Here's a partially clipped mp3 to give you a taste of his tunes. This one is called "You're Going To Be a Star" and it demonstrates Andy's Brian-Wilson-meets-Burt-Bacharach style.

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 9

So, here we are with nine days left until the SPB Anniversary show (June 29th at the Sunset Tavern), and I was trying to decide what random bit of information I could provide for you about a band or band member on the bill. Then it hit me... I've never written anything about Muzzle here on the blog.

Muzzle was the 1990s rock juggernaut that featured Ryan and Wesley from Young Sportsmen and Greg from The Small Change, who are on the anniversary bill. I'm drawing a total blank on the fourth member of Muzzle... anyone help?

These guys released an indie album before putting out "Actual Size" on Reprise in 1999. After their demise, it's not altogether clear to me if Greg immediately started the Small Change or if some times passed. But, what I do know is the first record by The Small Change was released in 2003, and it was followed by their latest release in 2005. Both of those are absolute gems, and you'd be well served by picking them up. In fact, you can buy the first one via CD Baby right now for only $5.99.

Due to their perfect combination of melody and energy, The Small Change are among my favorite bands -- and I don't mean locals only. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I think the Small Change are powerpop incarnate. I mean, have a listen to Mexico City" or I'm Too Busy Lovin' You and tell me that's not good stuff.

They're third on the bill for the Anniversary Show and will no doubt be a tough act to follow.

SPB Anniversary countdown: Day 10

I'm going to do a 10-day countdown about the upcoming SPB Anniversary Show, which is taking place at Sunset Tavern on Friday, June 29. So, good day and welcome to day 10 (Bob and Doug Mackenzie reference anyone?).

Rather than just making the same announcement ten times in a row, I'm going to include something about one of the bands on the bill, or one of the bands being covered, or, heck, the venue itself.

For today's countdown item, we start with the man at the top: Mr. Kurt Bloch, who will be headlining the show as part of Sgt. Major.

Some interesting things happen if you google Kurt.

You can find an old production/engineering resume that was created in 2000 and includes the work that he did between 1992 and 2000. That includes working on albums by Once For Kicks, Flop, Supersuckers, John Wesley Harding, Tad, Gas Huffer, Overwhelming Colorfast, Pure Joy, and more.

His wikipedia entry is surprisingly brief. It says only: Kurt Bloch (born August 28, 1960), is an American songwriter, guitarist, and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of The Fastbacks. He has also been a member of The Young Fresh Fellows and recorded tracks for Robyn Hitchcock, The Venus 3 and more recently the Tall Birds.

I did not know he played the role of "Chuck, the engineer" in The Year of My Japanese Cousin. But, the Internet Movie Database says it's so.

And, in case anyone is interested, there is also a fellow named Kurt Bloch who is a Harvard Medical School professor, who apparently does some interesting research. He published a paper called "DISCHORD IN THE INNER EAR," which I find completely appropriate for our own Kurt. ;)

Two weeks until SPB anniversary show!

You've probably all seen the graphic over there --->

But, perhaps you've not paid very close attention. Well, now is the time to start paying attention, as the one-year anniversary party for the Seattle Powerpop Blog is in 12 days!

The show is taking place at the Sunset Tavern and has a rediculously cool line up. But, as if the line up wasn't cool enough by itself, in addition to their own music, during their 20 minute sets each band will be paying tribute to (at least) one other Seattle pop band by performing a cover tune. So, while you'll be seeing six bands, you'll be hearing the music of over a dozen!

Here's the scoop:

FRIDAY, JUNE 29

Midnight -- Sgt. Major, paying tribute to: Young Fresh Fellows, Model Rockets, The Sonics and The Fastbacks
11:25pm -- Dept of Energy, paying tribute to: Harvey Danger and/or Western State Hurricanes
10:45pm -- Shake Some Action, paying tribute to: The Heaters
10:10pm -- The Small Change, paying tribute to: Green Pajamas
9:35pm -- Andy Werth, paying tribute to: The Color Bars
9pm -- The Knast, paying tribute to: Screaming Trees

Now if that's not a fun evening, I don't know what is. Go ahead and mark your calendar for the night. Only a fool would miss such a party!!