So what makes Screwdriver Bar unique?

The spot was particularly popular during the late 80s/early 90s “grunge” era. As a former recording studio and rehearsal space, it housed a plethora of different bands and singers. One of the most notable groups to rehearse here was Nirvana, during the period between their albums Bleach and Nevermind. The basement became a second home for the band and for other rising grunge acts, cementing its place as an early landmark of Seattle’s grunge movement.

At 10 p.m., Seattle music project monocot.zip, composed of longtime friends Ryan Tucker and Luke Pendergrass, took to the stage and began their set. When their first notes hit the speakers, the crowd drew closer, because what was happening on stage was something you wanted to watch just as much as dance to.

The Old Man began to play. 

It was like no music she’d ever heard, tainted and raw and beautiful. 

When he finished the song, he stood, opened the window all the way, and held forth the instrument. “Do you want to try?” 

Five words which dictated the rest of Dunya’s life. 

For the uninitiated, the Triple Door is a longtime dinner-and-a-show venue in Seattle’s downtown that seats some 300, The Sound of Strip is an improv burlesque show set to the music of a live cover of The Cure, and Ruby Mimosa (aka The Effervescent EnterTEASER) is a local star noted as one of the most influential performers in the world by 21st Century Burlesque and the genius mind behind BurlesKaraoke.

Jasmine Joshua and Heather Ragusa’s musical Here & Their, starring Chloe Payne and Meg McLynn, is shaping up to be a new Queer musical classic! With top-tier vocals, witty lines, and songs that are sometimes hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenching, Here & Their brings a fresh perspective on Queer stories that many of us can relate to as well as creates levity during these dark times. This musical is joyous, hopeful, and feels like finally taking a deep breath after a tense and stressful start to 2025.

On a Saturday night in April in the Denny Triangle neighborhood, vintage glamour was present at the doors of Seattle’s Kremwerk complex. DJ duo Théque Support (composed of Hot N’ Spicy Disco and Moonlighter) were bringing their monthly evening of Disco Dust to Seattle, with a set from special guest Heidy P visiting from New York. Moonlighter and Hot N’ Spicy Disco are both from Detroit, the official birthplace of techno and a continuing hub of electronic music innovation. At the duo’s monthly disco parties, hosted in Kremwerk’s newest dance room, Cherry, they go old-school, dusting off vinyl records and using turntables.

If you’re anything like me, then you’re approaching Emerald Street knowing next to nothing about Hip Hop, but Abe has you covered. His approachable and straightforward explanations are easy to follow and even easier to enjoy. Starting us in Seattle’s Century District, we move through time and space, beginning at Seattle’s early Hip Hop days and arriving in the present where the community thrives.

On February 28, Seattle band Deep Sea Diver released their fourth album, Billboard Heart, their first release on the Sub Pop label. As part of their promotion of the record, the band performed songs from the album on release night at Easy Street Records in West Seattle and hosted a record signing event for fans after the show.

Nicole Bearden (NB): In honor of Seattle’s Faux Spring weather last week, I decided it was time to have a confab with one of my personal favorite Seattle Icons: A Sound Garden. Located on the NOAA campus near Magnuson Park, between Piers 15 and 17 on Lake Washington, A Sound Garden reverberates with hauntingly atmospheric intonations as the wind blows through artist Douglas Hollis’ twelve, 21-foot high, steel tower sculptures. Sound Garden, I appreciate your presence today.

A Sound Garden (SG): a chorus of metallic hums breezing through the air We are delighted to converse with you.

Barboza in Capitol Hill is a long, rectangular underground bar. Seventies ballads are playing while pink and blue lines of light beam down from industrial rafters to the dance floor below. People sit tucked away at cozy circular booths lit by flickering red candles while others gather near the stage. In the crowd, I see the opening band milling about and chatting with audience members. This is the band waltzerr, and they are about to perform their opening set before a performance from Kellan, followed by the night’s headliner, Ayo Dot & the Uppercuts. 

It began like many myths do: in darkness. Thin beams of light panned over the space from the back of the house, curious and searching. Nishimura and Kohl descended upon the stage with headlamps strapped to their brows, exploring the space with a playful curiosity. Once they arrived, lighting by Jessica Trundy illuminated the set and established the world of the performance. Transparent projection screens stretched across three points of the set, two of which concealed platforms the performers utilized throughout the performance.

This year marks the second annual performance of what director Valerie Curtis-Newton calls “a re-imagined version” of the show, which was interrupted in 2020 when COVID caused what was to be the almost two-year mandated closure of all theatres and live performances. Curtis-Newton’s mission is to “bring community back to our lives” and find hope in the face of the devastating effects of the pandemic, which, according to the CDC, continue to include mental and emotional health as well as compromised abilities for how we interact socially with each other.

So obviously, when I saw that Daft Punk was re-releasing their 2003 animated film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem and that it would be playing at Seattle’s SIFF Uptown theater, I got a ticket. The animated film sets the 2001 album Discovery to a story about an extraterrestrial band who’s kidnapped and brought to Earth by a power-hungry music executive who makes them massively popular and exploits their talent.

Seattle’s Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble (STANCE) was back again for Trans Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2024), offering a touching choir experience and space to remember those in the trans and nonbinary community who have been lost. In “The Power of Me,” STANCE honored the trans community with gorgeous choral arrangements, touching stories, and powerful words of resistance, healing, and power. 

Co-hosted by the dancers Auto and Orb, these monthly battles are created by HeadSpin Productions and DJ’d by DJ Fever One. The battles are open to all styles, meaning contestants might be paired up against someone who does a totally different street style than them, though they will have the same song. The contestants compete 1v1 for a cash prize. Whoever wins in each battle progresses until there are two contestants left. 

When I discovered Halsey came out with a collection of poetry, I immediately added it to my must-read list. I get enthralled when musical artists or actors release poetry collections and break from their typical art form. Poetry has become more accepted and common among celebrities to make another mark of change on the world.

For an extra special (and extra spooky) Halloween treat, Benaroya Hall hosted a unique double feature presentation of the classic Bride of Frankenstein and Mel Brooks’s parody of the franchise, Young Frankenstein. The hook? Orchestral accompaniment for the Bride! The Seattle Symphony performed Franz Waxman’s iconic gothic score under the guidance of conductor Nicholas Buc, who also conducted the world premieres of the live performances of several of John Williams’s movie scores, so he is no stranger to Hollywood orchestral maneuvers.

Singer-songwriters Charli XCX and Troye Sivan played their final show right here in Seattle, WA. On October 23rd, 2024, the duo performed at the Climate Pledge Arena. The tour kicked off September 14, 2024, in Detroit, MI, making its way through the country with two stops in Canada. As a fan of both musical artists and their latest albums Brat and Something to Give Each Other, I got the fortunate opportunity to attend.

Music is one of the ways in which we can bridge gaps between different communities, cultures, and peoples. Choir especially is a building block to creating wonderful community. Singing can be a vulnerable but rewarding experience, and sharing it with others is a great way to build confidence and bond with the people around you. Singing in an ensemble is the coming together of individual voices to create something whole, to bring a solo piece into a harmonic movement.

Since the dawn of humanity, music has been a vital condition for what it means to be human. From animal skin drums crafted by the neolithic people to every instrument which has followed since, we as a species have sought to give voice to the parts of us words cannot express. We danced to communicate emotion and what little understanding we had of the world. We sang wordlessly long before language bound us to its form. We made music: The thump of the drum like a heartbeat, the trill of the flute like hope, and the deep drawl of the cello like despair.