Not every great event in Seattle is one that we sponsor, and we want to do our part to support good music no matter who’s presenting it.
Poster for 2026 Psychedelic Spring Equinox event
Coming up on Saturday April 4 at the Blue Moon Tavern in the University District is the 2026 Psychedelic Spring Equinox event sponsored by Sol Disk. The featured artists are our old friends Nosretep along with Power Skeleton, Flame Tree, and the Welch / Keplinger duo.
There’s an event page on Facebook, so get it on your calendar and show up to support the artists!
Nosretep needs no introduction here, but maybe Power Skeleton is not as well known to our followers. They describe themselves as “originators of psychedelic hobo death trance,” which is a phrase that should get your creative wheels turning. They’ve got some music on Bandcamp, so you can pop over there to check it out.
Flame Tree is a long-running psychedelic band that appeared at our 2015 festival as Nik Turner’s backing band. There have been some changes in the ranks since them, but the spirit lives on.
If the names Welch and Keplinger sound familiar, it’s probably because Neil Welch (saxophones, effects) and Gregg Keplinger (drums, percussion) are both luminaries on the Seattle experimental scene, having appeared with many other artists as well as on their own. This duo presentation should be a wild ride from these two powerhouses!
We are very happy to announce a new event, our first at Jules Maes Saloon in Georgetown. On Friday March 13, you can catch Moraine in their first performance in a very long time, along with mind-bending heavy math trio Nosretep and mind-beaming band Mind Beams. Jules Maes Saloon is a venue that’s friendly to original music, and can certainly be called one of the oldest bars in Seattle, if not the oldest. The establishment dates back to 1888, though it was founded under a different name just down the block from its current location. It’s a hub for cultural (and culinary!) activity in the Georgetown neighborhood. It’s safe to say that the patrons of the saloon in 1888 would be disoriented to see how it (and the surrounding area) have changed in the intervening decades.
Moraine in 2025, photo by Danette Davis
Moraine is no stranger to our events, having played at our first festival in 2013 and several times since. But they’ve never been a band to sit still, and they’re now operating as a six-piece with the reintroduction of cellist Ruth Davidson, who was one of the group’s founders, but left for many years. They’ve got some old material revamped for the new configuration as well as new tunes specifically designed for six instruments. Their three albums on Moonjune Records show a band with a unique take on the combination of chamber music with rock,
Nosretep live at Sea Monster 26 Nov 2025
Nosretep has also appeared at multiple Seaprog events, and they’ve also undergone some changes, resurfacing in 2025 after a long hiatus with a new album, and now a new bassist, Ursula Stewart. Ursula has played in other groups on the local scene for many years (Sugar Skulls, The Glutz), and she’s an exciting addition to Nosretep, joining Mike Peterson (drums) and Igor Abuladze (guitar). They play tunes from their two studio albums as well as new material, and they never fail to put on a show that is both intense and precise. They manage a balance of technical virtuosity and hard rock accessibility that’s been impressing audiences for years. Their music is available on Bandcamp.
Mind Beams
Mind Beams has been around for a while in Western Washington, but this will be their first time playing an event for us. They’ve got a sound that draws on psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and more. Meredith Myre (vocals), Alex Stys (bass), Derek Palaniuk (drums), and Dustin Williams (guitar) released an EP in 2025 called Ashes, and you can check it out on their Bandcamp page.
We’re looking forward to this amazing bill, and our first event at Jules Maes. Advance tickets are available now for the mind-bogglingly reasonable price of $10, so save yourself a bit of cash and pick them up now. This is a show you don’t want to miss.
We have important information to share about the upcoming Cascadence event. Ticket sales have been decidedly lackluster, and as we’ve noted in a previous post, putting on a festival like this is expensive. We have come to the conclusion that the Rainier Arts Center, while it is a great room and we hope to work with them in the future, is just too big for our means. Luckily, we have managed to secure an alternative space that suits both our needs and our budget.
Cascadence 2025 will be happening at Water Sines Studios on Alaskan Way South. This beautiful venue has a cozy feeling, with colorful rugs and art on the walls.
With the reduced budget comes a reduced lineup. Gong and the Kathy Moore Super Power remain on the bill, but Rachel Flowers and Khu.eex’ will no longer be performing. If you already purchased tickets, you should be getting an email with information about your options.
We’re happy to announce a new Seaprog Presents event that will happen in conjunction with Cascadence 2025. The night before, Friday June 13, we’ve arranged for an evening of great music featuring names both familiar and new. Join us at the Substation to see Moon Letters, Julie Slick, and Kitsune for a warm-up to get you into the mood for Cascadence.
Moon Letters at Seaprog 2019, photo by Danette Davis
Moon Letters likely needs no introduction to anyone who’s ever been interested in one of our events. They played on Day Zero of Seaprog 2017, and then on the main stage at the 2019 festival. Since then, they’ve also toured around North America, and they’ve got European dates coming up this summer. When it comes to progressive rock from Seattle, they are at the top, and their modern take on the classic style — not to mention their theatrical performance style — has won them fans around the world. With two acclaimed albums under their collective belt, they’ve been working on their third album, and this show will serve as the release party. Even people who aren’t into prog rock have been won over by their musicianship and blend of fun and serious chops. Definitely not something you want to miss!
Julie Slick solo performance
Julie Slick’s name has also appeared on our bills before, both with her band EchoTest (2019) and as a member of Troot (also 2019). Aside from that, she’s toured and collaborated with Adrian Belew, Crimson ProjeKct, Béla Fleck, Robert Fripp, Alice Cooper, and many more. On her own, she’s recorded a number of solo albums (three or more, depending on how you count) and has developed a captivating live solo set, augmenting her formidable bass skills with electronics and loops. The music blends experimental elements with accessible melodies, and has been known to feature adaptations of songs by King Crimson, EchoTest, and others, along with improvisations and storytelling.
In addition to these two familiar names, we’d like to bring attention to a much newer group, though it too has connections to some of our past events.
Kitsune, photo by Danette Davis
Founded in 2016 by Kiyan Fox, Kitsune began as an exploration of planetary energies through guitar experiments in magical intervals. Over time, the project evolved, incorporating drums, butoh dancers, and a diverse array of instrumentalists from Seattle’s avant-garde and progressive music scene. The result is a sound that’s neo-classical, lush, and evocative — sometimes delicate and pretty, other times dark and bombastic. The current lineup consists of Alicia DeJoie (guitar, violin, vocals), Charlie Bowlen (electronics, percussion), Jeff Jackson (bass, Mellotron), Kiyan Fox (guitar, samples), Lyam White (vocals, saxophone), and Scott Adams (drums). They’re working on their first album, but their live shows around town have been gathering fans. We’re thrilled to be part of their journey, and feel confident that you will agree they’ve come up with a unique approach to making music.
Note that this is a separately ticketed event at the Substation. Advance tickets are $15, and it will be $20 at the door, so buy them now.
Play: to produce sound on a musical instrument. Play: to engage in activity just for fun. Light: to illuminate the darkness. Light: to be without weight. All of these apply to the musical concept that is Gong, playing music full of light since its founding in the late 60s. The Seaprog Central Committee is happy to announce that Gong will headline our new venture, which we call Cascadence, happening June 14, 2025 at Water Sines Studios.
Gong 2023, photo by Layla Burrows
Seaprog started in 2012, the somewhat unrealistic vision of three Seattle musicians who wanted the Northwest to have a showcase for creative, experimental, and progressive music. The first festival was presented in 2013, with five further installments until 2019. The 2020 festival ran afoul of a global pandemic and had to be cancelled. Now in 2025, the organization is reinvigorated and ready to give it another go, and we’ve found an outstanding band to anchor the event.
Gong was founded in 1967 or 1968 (depending on how you look at it) in Paris by Daevid Allen (Australian) and Gilli Smyth (Welsh), and over the decades has gone through many changes in style and personnel, even for a time without Allen and Smyth. Guitarist Kavus Torabi joined in 2015 shortly before the deaths of both Allen and Smyth. But Allen had expressed his wish that the band carry on without him, and so it has, cementing its legacy as both an originator and a torch-bearer for psychedelic rock in all its forms. Their most recent album, Unending Ascending, came out in 2023.
The current incarnation of the band features Torabi on guitar and vocals along with Fabio Golfetti (guitar, vocals), Dave Sturt (bass, vocals), Ian East (saxophone, flute), and Cheb Nettles (drums). Their live set includes music from throughout the band’s existence.
Opening the show will be several other artists to be announced in the weeks to come.
