After limping along for a couple of years, we’ve recruited some new members to the Central Committee and renewed our commitment to provide a showcase for creative music to the Northwest.
Cascadence 2025
In that spirit, we have a new venture we call Cascadence, and our first event under that banner will take place June 14 at the Rainier Arts Center in Columbia City and feature Gong and Khu.éex’ — plus Rachel Flowers and the Kathy Moore Super Power. Check here for more details, and tickets are on sale now! And to get you warmed up, we have another event slated, on June 13 at the Substation with Moon Letters, Julie Slick, and Kitsune.
Gong comes back to Seattle
Presenting Gong is a great opportunity for us. as far as we can tell, the only time the band has ever played in Seattle was in 1996 at the Backstage. That’s a long time ago!
Obviously, there have been lots of changes since then, both for Gong and for Seattle. The band has seen 100% turnover in membership, and the Backstage has been closed for years.
But Cascadence is here, and with the blessing of Gong’s original founder, Daevid Allen, so is Gong. This version of the band has a couple of albums under their collective belt, and have been thrilling audiences around the world on the many legs of their current tour.
Khu.éex‘ brings the local flavor
And adding Khu.éex‘ to this bill may seem incongruous, but we think it works amazingly well. This group plays a kind of cosmic funk-jazz that is infused with the languages and cultures of the peoples who have lived in the Northwest corner of North America since long before the European people showed up.
They’ve thrilled audiences at all of their performances, and they’re up for an Earshot Golden Ear award for the best concert of 2024. Since the founding of Seaprog, we’ve been about bringing the incredible variety of creative music to our attendees, and this band fits in with our mission in a big way.
Welcome Rachel Flowers to Seattle
Rachel Flowers is a singular talent who’s been getting a lot of attention lately (all of it good), and we’re very happy to have her take the stage with a solo performance. She’s so versatile, it’s hard to know where to start describing what she can do. Both Greg Lake and Keith Emerson sang her praises, and she’s become known for her one-woman renditions of ELP classics. But she’s also drawn attention in the jazz world, garnering the attention of Herbie Hancock and others, and also draws on this repertoire. Add in Classical music, along with pop covers (check out her Soundcloud page) and you’ve got a musical phenomenon. Whether it’s covering Frank Zappa’s music onstage with Dweezil Zappa’s band, or engaging in international online collaborations, Rachel Flowers never disappoints.
Kathy Moore’s Super Power
The final performer for this event is Northwest mainstay Kathy Moore, with a new group she calls the Kathy Moore Super Power. She’s been active on the scene for quite a while, and those who have seen her perform know that she’s not just an excellent guitarist. She brings an infectious mix of punk energy and progressive rock into her music, and she’s even been known to toss off the occasional Pink Floyd cover.
Kathy has promised to make this a very special performance, and to that end she’s assembled a band of top-shelf players for her band. On bass will be the inimitable Julie Slick, whose dexterous and powerful playing has accompanied Adrian Belew, the Crimson ProjeKct, Béla Fleck, Robert Fripp, Jon Anderson, and many more. Jessica Lurie will be playing sax, and she’s another musician who’s got a long and impressive resume, such as The Living Daylights, Tiptons, and her own Jessica Lurie Ensemble. Luca Cartner will be playing drums — his name may be less well known, but he’s been earning a reputation as someone who can step into any situation and provide just the right touch. Check out this recent post for more details.
Watch this site for further announcements, and connect with us on Facebook and BlueSky using the little icons on the sidebar.
As always, humble gratitude is due to the good folks at Shunpike, our fiscal sponsor. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do anything. And big thanks to everyone who has attended one of our events or donated to our cause. We hope to keep scouring the corners of the musical world to expose some joy and cause to celebrate.