Markus Reuter, Trey Gunn, and more join 2019 lineup

Seaprog is pleased to announce the final performers to take the main stage for the 2019 festival: the duo of Markus Reuter and Trey Gunn, Northern California prog band Farmhouse Odyssey, Seattle’s own Moon Letters, and The Sheen from Bellingham. In addition, we’ve booked a couple of artists to play the front room of the Columbia City Theater between main stage sets. Space rockers Dust Mice, and spaced-out improv group Yesod will keep you entertained while the changeover happens in the main room.

Markus Reuter/Trey Gunn promotional photo
Markus Reuter/Trey Gunn promotional photo

It seems almost pointless to try to summarize the careers of Markus Reuter and Trey Gunn, but here goes… Trey first came to wide attention when he joined King Crimson in the 90s, though by that time he already had an impressive set of releases behind him. In addition to his Crimson efforts, he’s led his own bands, collaborated with a wide array of other musicians, and performed as a solo artist. Markus Reuter has become a one-man music industry in the last decade, touring and recording with Stick Men, Centrozoon, Tuner, the Crimson Projekct, and almost too many guest and production spots to count. He’s also written pieces for chamber orchestra and string quartet. We are beyond thrilled to put these two masters on stage together — it’s bound to be amazing. They’ll also be running clinics while they’re in town.

Farmhouse Odyssey is a young band who have taken advantage of their small-town location to develop their own distinctive take on classic progressive rock, infusing it with modern touches and their own sensibilities. Moon Letters wowed the audience when they played our Day Zero show in 2017, and they’ve continued to build on that base. They’ll take our stage fresh off recording sessions for their debut album. And The Sheen will bring a bit of unpredictable noisy art to Seaprog. This is a band that seems to embrace change, both in personnel and in sound, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they’re up to now.

Dust Mice promotional photo
Dust Mice promotional photo

Seattle’s Dust Mice have been tearing it up among local space rock fans for a few years now, so it’s time we got them on board the Seaprog caravan of stars. Prepare for blast off with these masters of the trippy groove. And speaking of trippy, we’ll be continuing our tradition of variety with the appearance of Yesod. This improvisational group brings together Western and Middle Eastern instruments and sounds in wonderful ways, as can be testified by anyone who’s seen one of their performances.

Weekend passes are on sale, and we’ll be selling single-day tickets soon if you can’t make it for the whole thing. You’ll find purchase options at the Tickets link above.

Troot and EchoTest join 2019 lineup

The Seaprog Central Committee is elated to announce two major additions to the 2019 festival lineup: Troot (Friday 6/7) and EchoTest (Sunday 6/9)!

Troot promotional photo
Troot promotional photo

With the release of Constance and the Waiting last year, composer Tim Root and his all-star cohort of collaborators stunned listeners the worldwide with a complex and sophisticated set of compositions that bridge modern classical music and avant-progressive rock. We are beyond thrilled to present the first-ever live performance of this material, which will feature many of the album’s original participants, including Seaprog alumni Bill Horist (Class of 2013) and Steve Ball (Class of 2018).

We’re also pleased to bring EchoTest to our stage, and not just because the three members of the band are also in Troot. Julie Slick has an impressive resume that includes Adrian Belew’s Power Trio, the Crimson ProjeKct, and solo albums, and she formed EchoTest with fellow bassist Marco Machera, originally working as a duo, then adding drummer Alessandro Inolti.

Three headliners for 2019 are set

District 97 promotional photo
District 97 promotional photo

With the addition of Chicago’s District 97, all three headlining slots for the festival are set. We’re excited to be bringing this band to Seattle — they’ve been winning over crowds all around North America and in Europe, and are sure to fill the Columbia City Theater with their blend of new and classic sounds.

They join the previously announced headliners, Marbin and Trettioåriga Kriget, to build a lineup that exhibits the diversity in sound that Seaprog has always been known for. The other slots are being finalized now, and we should have more announcements in the near future, including several gems from right here in the Northwest. We’ll have three bands on the mainstage each evening, plus performances in the front room during the mainstage setup intervals.

Full weekend passes are one sale now for the bargain price of $90, which will work out to less than $10 per band. Once the full lineup has been announced, individual day tickets will be made available, space permitting.

Marbin joins the 2019 lineup

Seaprog is delighted to announce one of our headliners for the 2019 festival (June 7-9): incandescent instrumental quartet Marbin!

Marbin promotional photo
Marbin promotional photo

A high-octane progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, Marbin has a unique story that stands out in today’s music world. Taking 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. Marbin has released seven albums on MoonJune Records and their own Marbin Music imprint: Marbin (2009), Breaking the Cycle (2011), Last Chapter of Dreaming (2013), The Third Set (2014), Aggressive Hippies (2015), Goatman and the House of the Dead (2016) and Israeli Jazz (2018). Marbin regularly plays in clubs all over the US and in jam and jazz festivals around the world.

Check out the Event page for videos and more details. Marbin will perform at Seaprog on Saturday, June 8, 2019 — tickets are available now at the Tickets link above.

Seaprog 2018 is history!

As the last echoes of a sublime weekend of music reverberate off into the cosmos, the Seaprog Central Committee wants to extend our inexpressible thanks to all of the musical mages, deep listeners, photographers, volunteers, Columbia City Theater crew, and Shunpike staffers who made this the most successful Seaprog to date. Indeed, after losing significant amounts of money on each past edition of this labor of love, we’re exhilarated to announce that in 2018, Seaprog finally broke even for the first time, thanks entirely to your support. We love you all for it and pledge to keep the progressive banner waving in Seattle for years to come (yes, we’re already setting dates for next year).

A special shout to exhausted volunteers Julie Barnett (MVP), official Seaprog photographer Danette Davis, Alicia Rinehart, Eric Amrine, Brendan Leber, and Charley Rowan for keeping the locomotive on the rails; Mike Pollack and Patrick Alexander for the generous radio coverage; Debi Byrd, Helaine Burch, Jennifer and Gillian Fisher, and other friends who traveled great distances to attend the festival, and of course every one of the extraordinary musicians who gifted us with your magic.

—Dennis, John, Jon, Joe, Dave & Tom
Yer ever-lovin’ Seaprog Central Committee