Category: Artists

Posts about event artists

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Artist profile: Nosretep

Nosretep promotional photo
Nosretep promotional photo

Nosretep was formed in 2011 by drummer Mike Peterson. He and his cohorts play a unique blend of complex rhythms and heavy riffs that pay homage to both Led Zeppelin and math-rock. Their music is mostly instrumental, though occasional vocals appear.

Personnel:

  • Mike Peterson — Drums
  • Andy Sells — Bass (2011 — 2025)
  • Ursula Stewart — Bass (2025 — )
  • Igor Abuladze — Guitar

Sample:

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

 

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Artist profile: Zubatto Syndicate

Zubatto Syndicate promotional photo
Zubatto Syndicate promotional photo

The Zubatto Syndicate is a new 12-piece ensemble under the direction of composer and guitarist Andrew Boscardin. This exciting new group – a highly original take on the Big Band and jazz orchestra traditions – made its debut on November 5, 2009 at Town Hall Seattle. Featuring a unique synthesis of reed instruments and electric sounds, brass and stand up bass, Zubatto targets the musical place where Maria Schneider meets the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the Roots meet Radiohead by way of Mingus. The music combines detailed arrangements and inventive harmonic ideas with rhythmic settings and idioms atypical of the jazz orchestra, as realized by the some of the top improvising musicians in Seattle.

Personnel:

  • Andrew Boscardin — Guitar
  • Eric Peters — Drums
  • David Marriott, Jr. — Trombone
  • Chris Credit — Bass clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Francine Peterson — Bassoon
  • Jim Sisko — Trumpet
  • Janet Putnam — Oboe
  • Dave Pascal — Bass
  • Tim Kennedy — Keyboards
  • Steve Tressler — Alto saxophone
  • Jim DeJoie — Baritone saxophone

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

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Artist profile: The Pornadoes

Pornadoes promotional photo
Pornadoes promotional photo

The Pornadoes is one of guitarist Jason Goessl’s other projects — quite different from Trimtab, which blew away the Seaprog 2013 audience. This band starts out with instrumental surf guitar music, and takes it several steps beyond, into realms both impressive and just plain fun.

Personnel:

  • Jason Goessl — Guitar
  • Ethan Sobotta — Bass
  • Tom Zgonc — Drums

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

  • Seaprog 2014 — Day Two
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Artist profile: The Mercury Tree

Mercury Tree promotional photo
Mercury Tree promotional photo

This experimental Portland trio, formed in 2006, specialize in creative overuse of their effect pedals. Their latest material includes extensive live looping work, creating huge enveloping layers of sound. At best, they fuse the oddball rhythms and technicality of progressive music with a genuine sense of melody and emotion.

A lot has changed with The Mercury Tree since they played Seaprog 2014. They’ve released an album called Permutations, toured extensively around North America, and morphed into a marvelously cohesive trio. They’ve also been exploring the world of microtonal tuning, utilizing custom instruments built for 17 notes per octave. And they’ve done it without losing sight of what it means to write good tunes.

Personnel:

  • Ben Spees — Guitar, voice, keyboard
  • Connor Reilly — Drums
  • Aaron Clark — Bass, backing vocals (2014)
  • Oliver Campbell — Bass, vocals (2018)

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances:

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Artist profile: Tempered Steel

Tempered Steel promotional photo
Tempered Steel promotional photo

Tempered Steel features Ffej, Frank Junk, and Dennis Rea playing amplified, electronically processed thumb pianos. The trio’s seamless improvisations conjure everything from phantom harpsichords and subterranean percussion to as yet uninvented stringed instruments and vintage musique concrète. Recommended to partisans of Harry Partch, John Cage’s prepared piano music, and Konono No. 1. And if you watch closely, you might catch one of the rare uses of an electric toothbrush in music.

Personnel:

  • Frank Junk — Electrified thumb piano
  • Ffej — Electrified thumb piano
  • Dennis Rea — Electrified thumb piano

Links to artist websites:

Links were good as of when the artist performed. Some may no longer work.

Performances: