CHS Interviews: Hill filmmaker turns to the crowd to make her bid for SIFF

Wonder Russell is an actor/producer who lives on Capitol Hill and is putting the power of crowdsourcing behind a project she hopes will be her big break. Only three days after listing her project at Kickstarter.com, Russell had more than met her original goal of $2,500 to finish production of her short film, Connect To.

CHS traded a few e-mails with Russell, and here is what we learned.

First things first — how’d you come to be an actor, and what brought you to Capitol Hill?

I’ve been on and offstage since I was 2, and I love it. My great grandmother was a stage actor, my great aunt Jane [yes, that Jane Russell] is still acting, and my whole extended family are constant performers — absolutely wacky and overwrought. Only in the last few years living in Seattle, though, did I have the opportunity to knuckle down and work hard at it — taking classes, working constantly in film and theatre. That’s why I moved to the Hill after short stints in Queen Anne and the CD. I was doing a few back to back plays at Balagan and Annex theatres, and it made more sense to be able to walk to my “second job” and live amongst my people.

I’ve been focusing on films recently but I still get recognized from Big Love, that I did at Balagan. I think in general, three captive brides killing their grooms amidst nudity and cake is hard to forget. Some folks may have also seen me wearing pink and pleather in Perfect 10, a feature film that premiered at SIFF last year, created by Capitol Hill dynamic duo Lindy and Kris Boustedt.

Alisa Tyrrill sets up the slate for the next shot

Give us a feel for the life of this film: where did the idea for Connect To originate, how was it made, and what’s next for this project?  

Connect To grew out of a scene with my friend Lisa LeVan. It was our homework for Steven Anderson (who’s worked with Halle Berry among others) class. Steven is based in LA but raised in the Pacific NW, and still comes to Seattle every 3 months to put on extremely intense workshops. I’ve been studying with him for several years now, and when Lisa and I performed the scene in class, we knew it was something special. Steven put the bug in my ear that it would make a great short film, since he knew I was looking for a project. 

Back in Seattle I was totally committed to the project but it was a chicken-or-egg scenario: raise the money and get it made, or just figure out a way to do it and hope for the best? I couldn’t wait any longer, I felt like time was running out and I ended up just flat out making it happen by any means necessary. I reached out to every artist and filmmaker I’d ever worked with and slowly assembled a crew of extremely talented people volunteering their time. For positions I couldn’t fill that way, I asked for recommendations, met new folks over phone and Facebook, and told them about the project. My boyfriend and I spent many hours over many days in the car every night after work, driving around looking for locations and trying to talk people into letting us film there. I had an online bake sale and begged for help in return for homemade lemon bars from everyone I knew. I tried my hand at story boards (I sucked) and shot lists (I made them too long), handled script revisions, tracked down props off of Craigslist, rented equipment I’d never even heard of, cast Extras (aka bribed them with beer), pitching the project to film schools in order to entice P.A.s, and scrambled to find new people for crewmembers when we had last minute cancellations. More than once I felt like I was losing my mind, but I was absolutely driven to see this project through, with the highest possible quality.

CONNECT_TO KICKSTARTER EPK from LEOBRANA MEDIA LLC on Vimeo.

It all came together, shooting 13 pages in 2 days: no small feat. We were lucky — we got it done November 20-21, the weekend before all the snow fell and Seattle came to a halt.

Since then, the project has been in post-production, going through lots of edits, composing the music, finding the right tone for color correction, creating titles, and finishing sound design. If film production is the visible tip of the iceberg, post production is the rest of the iceberg — more massive than you think and quite capable of making or breaking your project. All these elements are conspiring to make Connect To the most winning version of itself possible, so we can submit it on the verylastpossibleday to SIFF via Withoutabox. Then, we all take a break.

 

It’s great to see artists reaching out to their supporters directly and offering neat thank-yous in return – how have people responded, and what sort of nifty goodies are you giving people who help fund this?

Fundraising is hard, and even harder in a recession. This is a fairly new trend that grew out of crowd-sourcing: the notion of micro-financing a project via little amounts from many donors, rather than one large investor — like Harvey Weinsten. If you’re playing in the big leagues, your rewards are going to be in the box office, ideally. But through sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, the whole idea is that you’re involving people in the creation of your film.  It’s about inspiring each other. It sounds corny but that’s what I look for in the art I support, and I doubt that people would support art/music/film that didn’t make them feel uplifted, challenged, or moved. It’s even better when it’s in your neighborhood or city — there’s a friendly bit of conspiratorial ownership that goes along with it, like Yeah. We made this. We’re damn proud of it.

Kickstarter urges you to reward your backers, but how you do that is really up to you. I looked at a lot of campaigns all over the world, and the ones I felt compelled by were really unique or beautiful. I wanted people to feel truly appreciated and excited about what we were making together. I involved local attractions like Hotel Max, made props from the film available, offered a role in my next film, and everything from hand-written postcards to high fives and tea parties. We’ve got the usual swag, like posters and stickers, and things directly from the film like our original soundtrack, the film itself, a signed copy of the script, etc. 

My absolute favorite is the poems we’re composing based on themes backers suggest. We’ve got everything from poems on bacon to Jack Shaftoe that Lisa LeVan is writing, and they’re hysterical. I can’t wait to film them and send them out. Not surprisingly, this seems to the be the most popular option.  I tried to keep it diverse, fun, and “weighted” enough that people will hopefully be delighted by what they receive. I think this style of film funding can learn a lot from non profits from KEXP who understand what a humbling position it is to basically ask for patronage. 

What does Capitol Hill offer, as far as advantages to local filmmakers?

Are you kidding? Capitol Hill is the nexus of arts in Seattle. It’s weird, vibrant, sketchy, awesome, dirty, desperate…even in spite of some gentrification…and obstinately independent. There are coffeeshops who will show your short film, there’s NWFF, which is a huge resource for filmmakers and artists, and the best of the fringe theatres. It can also be pretentious, over-precious, and just gross, but those are also some of the things I love about it. Perfection is boring.

Lisa LeVan (left) and Wonder Russell (R)

 

I recently became a member of NWFF, which is a short walk from my apartment, and ended up running into a director for whom I’d auditioned over a year ago. I love those moments. I also joined Women in Film since they met so conveniently at Barca.

I live about 2 or 3 blocks from filmmakers Kris and Lindy Boustedt (Perfect 10) which has been great. They’ve been huge resources of information, and Kris is the editor and post-production supervisor on Connect To, so it makes coordinating our efforts that much easier. I get to do things like walk to Harvard Exit to watch all of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. It’s glorious to even have that option.

There are a ton of actors on the hill, besides myself, and I hope that putting my own art “out there” opens new doors to people I haven’t met yet. It’s an entirely new world once you decide to stop waiting for other people to cast you. (Of course, I still want to be cast ….cast me!)

When and where can we expect to see your film?

We are submitting Connect To to SIFF and a host of other film festivals nationwide. It’s my ardent hope and desire that it has a healthy festival showing. Competition is tough, though, so if we get turned down, we’ll release it on the internet and probably do a showing in conjunction with other locally made shorts.

Wonder & Co. are still fundraising to cover the costs of the film and travel to film festivals.  You can help them out right here and secure your own special reward.

Christmas Eve church services on Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is home to some of the oldest churches in Seattle, and Christmas is one of those occasions when they pull out all the stops and expect people off the street to walk in and take a look. It’s sort of like an open house being held at the neighbors’ place, the inside of which you always wanted to see, only with pews and singing. And since the best way to spread Christmas cheer is getting your Carol Brady on, we’ve got a roundup of church services happening on the Hill. (If you know of anything we missed, please leave it in the comments for us.)


St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on 10th has services all day, starting with a special service for families with small children at 2 pm and ending with an 11 pm Eucharist.  The best bet for the music might be the 7 pm “Festive Gathering Music and Carols,” which looks like it’s repeated at 10:15 before the late-nite Eucharist.

All Pilgrims Christian Church on Broadway has a service of lessons and carols at 6 pm:

Friday, December 24 @ 6:00 pm A Service of Lessons & Carols

Join All Pilgrims on Christmas Eve as we welcome the new-born Christ Child. The service combines readings of Scripture and carols sung by the choir, congregation and soloists. This is a very special tradition at All Pilgrims you won’t want to miss!

Church of the Undignified has a candlelight service, also at 6 pm.  Since they meet at Central Cinema, the juxtaposition of the quiet holiness and the decidedly non-traditional setting might stir the senses (or help if you’ve got an issue with pews and the musty smell of hymnals).

Seattle First Baptist on Harvard and Seneca is planning a Christmas party, complete with potluck dinner, “holiday short film” and, uh, indoor snowball fight. (?!)  They’ve also got a service of lessons and carols for once the kiddies have gone to bed:

Beginning with an extended organ prelude at 10:15 p.m., the Sanctuary Choir sings anthems which set the texts to music including a selection from Handel’s beloved Messiah, a beautiful Gloria and carol arrangements.

Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church behind Seattle Central on Harvard has a family-friendly service of “un-traditional and traditional lessons and carols” at 6 pm.  (I have it on good authority because I’m one of the musicians who’ll be playing then.)

Saint James Catholic Cathedral has Christmas Vigil at 5:30 pm and the Midnight Mass at midnight, appropriately enough.  The real secret (or Christmas bonus, as my party discovered one year) is that  they have a service of lessons and carols at 11pm, before the mass, which is convenient for those who want to avoid communion but still enjoy some seriously gorgeous music in a magical Christmas setting from free

CHS Interviews: Ruth True of NuBe Green and her ‘American-made sustainable products’ of Capitol Hill

Last November CHS alerted you to a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economy as the appropriately-named NuBe Green set up shop in the OddFellows building.  A year later we talked with Ruth True, who founded the store with a mission to carry only American-made sustainable products.

How would you describe your first year on the Hill?  And why is this store on Capitol Hill, in particular?

Educational and a hoot!  I’ve always loved Capitol Hill, so working in a neighborhood that I love made sense.

Have you noticed any trends in your volume based on economic trends (e.g., more people buying repurposed items, or do people view green/sustainable products as luxuries now)?


It’s hard to notice a trend in buying patterns after only one year. Our sales have certainly trended the right direction and people’s response continues to be very positive.

Do you find most of the people coming into your store are familiar with sustainable, green practices, or are they newbies, like you once were?  

I think we get to see like minded and newbies. My hope is that the newbies have a little bit of a new perspective after leaving the store and the like mindeds are just pleased! 

With a store stocking so many storied objects, it seems like the store itself should be a place for stories – people meeting, learning, etc.  Do you have any to share?

There are so many but I’ll give last nights story a shot. A Finnish woman came into the store and browsed. On her way out she mentioned she saw something made in China. I responded that it must have been a repurposed item of clothing that originated in China but has been reworked. She was adamant that that was not the case so I kindly asked her to show me. It turns out that one of the companies we work with had put in some “green” glue that was made in China! I was mortified and pulled them all to send back to the company. It turns out my customer used to have a store of all Finnish made products and one customer called her on a made in China item many years ago. We had a blast talking and she ended up purchasing a couple of toys for her grandchild. I can’t wait to call the company this morning.  

You’ve featured a number of local artists at Nube Green.  How has that worked out?  Are there plans to host more?

I have more artists’ work than I can sell but I’ll never stop adding. I love the artists and their creativity.

Do you have any plans to bring your store to other cities?

 Yes. I do have plans to expand into other cities. The idea is that each store will have about 50% the same products and about 50% immediate local to where the store is.

I love that your website is loaded with sustainability tips and I’m wondering if there’s something in particular you think Capitol Hill residents could address in order to be more green?  Or what’s one thing you tell a lot of people who come in to your store?

Support Local. Some people wonder why our things are so pricey, but the basic cost of living in our area is quite high. But then I pose the simple question if they want to live in a community with artists, and they respond, “Of course!”  This is simple math in my opinion.

CHS Interviews: Entrepreneur wants you to pay him to wash your Capitol Hill dog — yourself

Capitol Hill dog owners may end up finding  a new level maintenance thanks to Jeff Judas, the man behind Rex, the new dog-grooming center set to open in the Trace building February 2011.

The Hill’s pet culture is strong and there are already some great businesses dedicated to it including dog walking start-up Dogs on the Hill, East Pike’s Feed Bag, and Pine’s Mud Bay. Competition in the dog grooming space is heavy with 15th Ave East’s City Paws, 10th Ave East’s Kristi’s Grooming, Denny’s Downtown Dog Lounge and 12th’s Dogfather Grooming. There almost as many stylists for dog’s on the Hill as for humans.

CHS caught up with Jarvis and asked a few questions:

Starting with the basics, why are you opening this dog-grooming center on Capitol Hill?

With such a high concentration of dogs on Capitol Hill, we felt that the market is ideal for offering a comfortable, warm and social environment which can provide one-stop shopping for Fido…or Spot…or Rex.  We’ll be offering eight custom-designed wash bays, a retail area focused on eco-friendly, active lifestyle and decent quality dog supplies, toys and food, and professional grooming.  But at the core of our concept is the self-service dog wash. There’s no other businesses in the area that offer this.

Who else is working with you on this? Rumor has it that this is somehow involved with “the Olson-Pardo Capitol Hill empire”. . . 

Actually, Chris Pardo and I have teamed up to launch this venture.  Our backgrounds and areas of expertise complement each others.  It was one of those times in one’s life where paths converge — via mutual friends — and we discovered that we both have had an almost exact idea of the concept, which we individually had been formulating for several years.
(Rex is a partnership between Judas and Pardo, who is part of the team behind Po Dog and Auto Battery (CHS advertisers))

What can we expect at Rex?  And what makes Rex “warm, open and civilized,” exactly?  

Our commitment is to blend in with the community.  Our location — at Madison & 12th in the Trace Lofts — is ideally suited for our vision.  The warmth of the idea starts with our lounge area when you first enter.  Coupled with the rich, reclaimed furniture and woods, dogs and their humans will feel very comfortable.  We are committed to paying attention to all the senses…from a signature “scent” to the right music to interesting & unique visual details.  This is not your parent’s dog store.

Self-service and pro grooming seems great, but what if I don’t know what’s best?  Is it rude to stare at people who are washing their dogs first to get an idea?

Our wash bays will be situated and designed to encourage flow & interaction within the store.  Gone are the sterile metal tubs.  We’re using organic materials throughout – and the actual custom-desgined wash bays will allow for clear sight lines and collaboration.

Do you expect clients to take their dogs in, potentially drop them off for grooming, and head to Tavern Law for a drink?  Because I think that’s what I’d end up doing.

Absolutely!  And with Barre3 opening on one side of us, we fully expect their clients to drop their dogs off as well while working out.  With High 5 Pie opening on the other side of us, we feel we have a great blended suite of businesses which can share customers.

So you’ll get the superfit dog owning population working out at the gym on one side while the rest of them have some pie on the other.  But when exactly are you opening?  

We’re targeting early February.  Chris and I are excited to bring a much needed business concept to Capitol Hill.  We have every intention of keeping our finger on the pulse of the neighborhood, with a goal of seamlessly integrating with the needs of the great folks (and their dogs) who call Capitol Hill (and surrounding areas) their home.

Opening a business on the Hill? Been in business and want to talk about it? We’re looking for interesting Capitol Hill stories for more CHS Interviews. Send mail to [email protected].

CHS Interviews: Capitol Hill women who tackle, block and score touchdowns

For women who love football, The Seattle Majestics are a dream come true. As a part of the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL), the professional women’s team boasts “real women” playing “real football” — this isn’t your homecoming powderpuff game. The team is gearing up for the 2011 season with tryouts this Saturday at Franklin High School, and CHS had a chance to interview a few of the players who live and work on the Hill.

“There aren’t many examples when an individual can actually say out loud, ‘I was able to live the dream,'” says Majestics part-owner Camille Head. “Knowing that we can now give this opportunity to young girls & adults alike is a reward in and of itself.”

Head should know; She became part-owner after the 2006 season after a year of playing and continued to play through 2010. She co-owns the Majestics with teammate Heather Gallemore and graciously answered our questions, along with linebacker Jenn “Favorite thing about football: Hitting people” Brown.

What happens at a typical Majestics game? 

CH: We win some, lose some, we play hard, we fight for each other, we argue with one another, we take one play at a time, we hit hard, we overcome adversity, we sweat, we bleed, fans tailgate, cheer and boo – We call it FOOTBALL!!!

How did you decide to play football? Did you have any football experience prior to this?

CH: I learned there was a team/league when I moved here from San Francisco, contacted the owner, attended a team meeting the following week, and didn’t miss a practice for years. I played flag-football here and there throughout my adult years, though nothing formal.  Growing up with four older brothers helped thicken my skin, learn the backyard rules, and fend for myself as my size didn’t exude “powerhouse.”

JB: I have always wanted to play football, but growing up in the Midwest, there was no opportunity for me while I was in high school to play. I went to a smaller college, so there was no chance there either. When I moved to Seattle almost nine years ago, I heard about the Majestics but did not think I could play on the professional level, having no experience. So three years ago I was looking for a rec team to play on, but there were no rec teams and the only other football team in town was the Majestics. I emailed the player rep at the time to see if she knew of any rec teams. Through the course of a few emails, she convinced me to come to tryouts. It was that day that ignited a passion for the game and opened the door for me follow a dream I never thought I could have.

Tryouts are this week, and the site says that no experience is necessary.  Can an untrained athlete learn football well enough to play in just a few months? 

CH: Good coaches can teach anyone the game, the desire & heart lives inside the athlete.

JB: Absolutely! We teach the entire sport to newcomers every year. The game is complicated, but we spend tons of time on the basics. We teach everyone how to hit, run, catch, throw and kick. No experience is needed! You just have to have heart!

You’re professionals, yet you have to pay to play.  That seems to demand a tremendous amount of personal sacrifice. How have you been able to do it? 

CH: It’s unfortunate that in women’s football, athletes are burdened with overcoming the financial hurdle, while our counter-parts negotiate obnoxious salaries.  That speaks volumes for just how passionate these ladies are just to have the opportunity to suit up and walk those white lines. We fundraise, give players tools to raise money for their expenses, and continue to look for sponsors to help fund for the team’s success.

JB: It does take a lot of sacrifice, for sure. The team has numerous ways of helping individuals through fundraising ideas, tickets sales, etc. The physical demands are always very high. Practices are three times a week, and this includes two weeknight practices and one Saturday practice. I work full time, am getting married in seven months, am in school and will still commit to upcoming season (AND CAN”T WAIT FOR IT!!!). It take a little determination in the spirit, to say the least. I tell people all the time, “I can teach you how to play football, but I cannot give you the passion to play.” That has to be in the person already. You gotta have heart. Football is violent. It takes a lot of time and money. There has to be something driving you to sacrifice that much! I take the game very seriously. And on that field I will do whatever it takes to help us all succeed!

As a Capitol Hill resident, have you had much support from the community? 

CH: We’ve established a good relationship with The Wildrose & The BottleNeck Lounge through cross-promoting and fundraising.  Expanding support is definitely on our radar, even it’s just creating awareness and becoming fans of the Seattle Majestics!

JB: We have a small fan base. We have struggled to get the word out every year, about the team and about the season. We are heading into our milestone 10th Season as the Majestics organization, and commonly we hear, “I didn’t know there was a professional women’s team in town.” We would love help in getting the word out! Our practices start in January with games running from April through June. 

What does it take to be a Majestic? 

CH: Hard work, dedication, and the desire to play tackle football – the rest falls into place!  I encourage all interested ladies to give it a try, if it’s not for you, you will know right away. Otherwise, you will fall in love with the game all over again – just like I did.

JB: Well, you need to have some sort of athletic drive in you. Practices are long and hard. Many a tear has been shed during a practice. And you have to have heart. There needs to be a fire in you that drives you to not only to succeed, but come alongside your teammate, pick them up when they are down, help them tape up their injuries, encourage them when they think they can’t go on, and stand beside them when we lose. It takes a lot physically, but most definitely it takes a lot emotionally and mentally. The team becomes your family every year. My closest friends are my teammates. I have, and continue to stand beside them through the thick and thin, battered and bruised, always pushing towards victory.

To register for Saturday’s tryouts/training camp, visit http://seattlemajestics.eventbrite.com. For more information about the team, including game schedule, ticket and sponsorship info, visit http://www.theseattlemajestics.com. Home games are played around the Seattle area. Stay tuned for the 2011 schedule.

CHS Interviews: That guy you see painting with a canvas and easel all over Capitol Hill

Spend enough time on Capitol Hill and you’re bound to see him at work. Plein air artist Christopher Martin Hoff documents the changing spaces of urban landscapes, from the construction at the World Trade Center in New York to the radio towers on Capitol Hill. He’s been spotted painting on the Hill again and took some time out of dodging milk cartons and bungee-cording his easel secure in the back alleys of Capitol Hill to answer a few questions for CHS.


What is the name and focus of your current project?  Some of your past work has had literary connections — is there any such inspiration or idea behind what you’re painting now?  

Since the last series of Seattle paintings I worked on was inspired by Moby Dick I decided that I’d create a body of work which looks at the built environment in “formal” terms; primarily what I’m thinking about here is ‘symmetry’ and ‘asymmetry’. The idea is still in a somewhat nascent phase but, like all of my work, it grows out of spending countless hours walking around and observing things that are incredibly ordinary. Lately what has interested me most are the spaces around and between buildings; alleyways, sidewalks, streets etc. I’ve also been fascinated by similarities between cracks in the street and the bus power-lines directly above. For me, they mirror one another in a really interesting way. Don’t worry though, I’m currently working through Don Quixote, so who knows what I might be enchanted with next?

Are you working on pieces throughout the area?  What draws you to the radio towers?  What are you doing in that Denny/Olive intersection?

I try not to give out specific areas where I’m working but most of the work I’ve done lately is along Olive. I haven’t started another painting of the radio towers yet, hopefully I’ll come up with a challenging compositional idea that will allow me to tackle those again. I’m not sure what draws me to them exactly. I find them incredibly beautiful to look at and very interesting as an idea as well – the idea of communicating with others, something I think all art strives to do.

What is it like to paint plein air in such an urban environment?  Does Capitol Hill present any unique hazards (or stories)?

There are always hazards working outside. The sunny weather we’ve had lately has caused me to stop working on my ‘cloudy-day paintings’ and pull out paintings I started early last summer. It can be a little confusing. In addition to weather I’ve found some other difficulties working in an alleyway off Olive. It’s a particularly trashy alley and there have been several days where the wind has been so strong that I had to bungee chord my easel to a brick wall to keep it from blowing over. Unfortunately for me however, on one day, the wind was so strong that it lifted pieces of trash thirty feet away from my easel and pelted me several times. I distinctly remember being hit by a Dairygold 2% milk carton. Definitely took me off guard.

Where and when can we see your completed work?

It will be in an exhibition at Linda Hodges Gallery in Pioneer Square sometime in the Fall of 2011. She’s represented me in Seattle for about 6 years now. 

Learn more at http://christopherhoff.com

CHS Interviews: Just another rock star living on Capitol Hill

Dave Einmo is the man behind electro-pop party machine Head Like A Kite, whose live shows are known for confetti, dancing panda bears, and a round of guests joining Einmo and drummer Trent Moorman onstage, including Tilson, Asya from Smoosh, and now, the burlesque dancing of The Atomic Bombshells. HLAK is arguably the biggest Hill-based band playing these days and is one of the honest-to-goodness local acts headlining this week’s big beer-backed Seattle City Arts Festival. CHS caught up with Capitol Hill’s Einmo between classes at Seattle U. for our burning questions.

First the big news: since you signed with Roll Call Records last week, what’s it like to be on a label and have that level of support?


It’s exciting.  It’s funny, I’ve been so busy – I’m back in school right now, I’m studying nursing, and I’ve just been so busy with school that I haven’t really been able to be out there tooting my own horn about all the new stuff that’s coming out.  The cool thing about that is that’s what Roll Call will be doing.  It’s going to be really positive.  I think they’re doing a really great job and I’m excited to have someone taking over the marketing.

Music critic Chris Estey once wrote that your music “takes you to a party filled with people you only half-know.”  It feels a little dangerous – like anything could happen. That sums up for me life on Capitol Hill – that it’s fun, but there’s also this unpredictable edge, this something-might-happen-to-you vibe.  It makes sense, then, that you’d live on the Hill.

I think that’s a great description, and that translates to our shows.  When I’m doing HLAK show, I try to keep the shows unpredictable, even to the point that I rarely write a set list… I’ve probably written a set list about three times.  The main reason I do that is that I like to be able to move the songs around depending on what kind of a show it is and how the crowd responds.  Maybe if I’m not getting the kind of response that I think we should be getting, I can adjust songs to bring people in.  It also has this interesting effect of creating a bit of uncertainty among the guests that come onstage.  So it creates a little bit of chaos, but it becomes this controlled chaos, and I think Chris’s description fits well.  It is dangerous, even for the band members.  When you can create that kind of energy, the people watching it and the people listening to it can really relate to that.  I think it’s fun for them, too.

Head Like A Kite has several obvious connections to Capitol Hill – there’s the partnership with Caffe Vita for your own coffee blend and white vinyl release, the many shows at Neumos, some of them free, and of course, the killer video for “She’s Wearing That Costume.” 


 

You filmed another video last weekend on the Hill, this one for the new single from the re-released album, Dreams Suspend Night.  Can you tell us what that might look like and when the video for “Diamond Paint” will drop?

Yeah, and that is going to be the new track on the re-released version of  Dreams Suspend Night, which just keeps leaning more and more towards the festive, dance-type personality.

What’s it like to film on the Hill?

It was really fun.  It’s produced by Stephan Gray from Gray Matter Productions and Asya flew in from New York – she lives in New York now — specifically to do this video, which is great because she’s never been in a HLAK video which seems like it was long overdue.  She’s guested on several HLAK songs, so it was really cool to have her, and especially since her vocal hook is such a prominent part of the song, we thought it was necessary.  So we brought her in, Tilson’s in it, and we shot it on Capitol Hill in a house built in 1906 kind of near Volunteer Park.  Kind of by Aloha.

That video and “We’re Always on the Wrong Side of Sunrise” was also shot on Capitol Hill, you just can’t tell because it’s a white screen behind us.  The majority of our stuff has been shot on Capitol Hill, and almost all the albums are recorded on Capitol Hill, then brought to Electrokitty in Wallingford.

How long have you lived on Capitol Hill, and what brought you here?

I moved to Capitol Hill in 2000, so I’ve lived here for ten years, but I’ve always lived in Seattle.  I think specifically what brought me is the diversity that’s on the Hill and the energy.  I found myself pretty much every day I was on Capitol Hill, it kind of made no sense to live elsewhere.  So it was just a matter of waiting until there was an opportunity to get a place, and once that happened I moved.

How would you describe Capitol Hill to someone who’s never been to Seattle?

If you’ve never been to Seattle, first of all you’d want to come to Capitol Hill because if you didn’t have a chance to see a lot of different districts or sections of Seattle, coming to Capitol Hill would be a great way to get a taste of all of the different parts of Seattle.  Not only with the population that’s here, but also geographically.  If you walk up to the top of that Water Tower at Volunteer Park, you quickly get a 360 degree view of the whole are, from the Olympic mountains to the Cascades, just visually you can see a huge section of the Puget Sound area.  That’s also a big attraction to me.

What annoys you about the Hill?

I think the only thing that annoys me is seeing parts of it change in a way that is reminiscent of the way New York has changed.  There is sort of a Bridge and Tunnel element that comes into the Pike/Pine corridor sometimes on the weekends and changes the feel of it… but you know, when you asked me the question originally, I cited diversity.  Diversity is not exclusively for just cool people.  Diversity is diversity.  If you start picking diversity, then that’s not really championing the whole concept of diversity.

I think maybe there’ll be some positive things that could come from that, too.  One positive thing I think could come from that is just people from different backgrounds, say the east side versus the west side, maybe coming to some common ground on things.  Certainly when we play festivals like Bumbershoot and even Capitol Hill Block Party to a certain extent, you get some people that maybe wouldn’t normally come out to a show – it’s a great opportunity for us to get to turn some people on to HLAK.  So when I say “having some of those folks come over,” I don’t mean that as a bad thing, I just think it’s kind of changed the look sometimes of Capitol Hill, brings in some restaurants that maybe aren’t as interesting as some of the more ethnic, old-school Capitol Hill restaurants.  But you can’t decide which diversity you want.  If you want diversity, you’ve got to be open to that exact definition.

Where’s the best jukebox on the Hill? 

I think the jukebox at Smith on 15th . . . although honestly, I haven’t looked at it recently, so maybe I should  look at it before I go up there and find out that the whole thing is Bee Gees.  250 tracks of Bee Gees… which would actually be kind of fun, now that I think about it.

Best place to have a party?

The Green Room at Neumos – I’ve had some parties there that involved some serious dehydration the next day.

Favorite place to play (on the Hill)?

Neumos, with also a big up to Chop Suey and the Comet. 

Favorite place to catch someone else playing a show (still on the Hill)

Those three are the ones I tend to go to the most.  Sole Repair is a smaller room, so when they have things it seems like they’re more like parties, so those have always been really fun.   Another place is Caffe Vita – they have occasionally, very occasionally, shows in that back bean room.  I’ve seen some amazing stuff there.  Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth played there during CHBP a couple years ago.  KEXP broadcasts live from there.  That bean room, when you think about it, when you look at who has been in that room, has been pretty epic.  I really love being able to see a band or an artist perform in a smaller venue.  Sometimes the bigger venues, you don’t get that intimacy and that sort of unpredictability you might get in a small room.

Another fun place is the Victrola on 15th.  Occasionally they’ll have some jazz stuff happen – some of my more fun experiences have been just stumbling in there in the morning, grab my coffee, and some guy walks off the street and starts playing that old out-of-tune piano in the back.  I love moments like that.

Favorite Hillebrity to spot on the street?  

Most of the celebrities I see on Capitol Hill tend to be musicians.  There are an unbelievable amount of musicians on Capitol Hill.  I’m going to Seattle U right now, which is also on Capitol Hill, and I ride my bike every day to school, and it’s not uncommon to go flying by and see someone from the Fleet Foxes or Champagne Champagne  or another band.  It’s cool to live in such a rich environment with musicians.

Saturday night on the Hill.  You are:

Enjoying a beverage at one of the wonderful establishments that we have, very often at Smith.  I’m also enjoying Unicorn a lot lately… Neumos, Chop Suey, the Comet.

Do you ever take advantage of Sunday brunch?

I haven’t.  I need to take advantage of that.  This Sunday.  I don’t know why I haven’t done that.  See, there always an opportunity to do something new.  Which is another reason I like Capitol Hill because there is that opportunity to see something, experience something that you didn’t really think that you were going to do.

The thing that I love so much about living on Capitol Hill is, going out and doing something, you have this plan and you say, I’m going to see this band or go out to this club and meet some friends, but then the night takes this massive left-turn that you had no idea was going to happen and you end up in a completely different environment.

A great example of that – and this is something that could only work on Capitol Hill – is that I went to go see Prefuse  73 at Chop Suey – this was maybe five years ago now — and I was walking back with a friend and we noticed there was this birthday party going on in somebody’s apartment on the ground floor.  You could hear all these people talking and having a blast, and we just walked in as if we knew the people.  It was pretty obvious whose birthday it was, because he was just all happy and everyone was telling him happy birthday, so we come up to him and we high-five him – “Happy birthday!” – and they just immediately invited us in, gave us beers, and we’re just all talking.  We must have been there for three hours, having a great time, and it was just so cool that they were so inviting, for us to come in.  And there was no weirdness about being afraid of us being dangerous or something.  That was just such a classic Capitol Hill experience and a good example of what it’s like to be able have this plan of what you’re going to do and then something completely random and different ends up happening, and I think that happens a lot on the Hill.

Any other favorite places around the Hill or quintessentially Capitol Hill activities?

I love Jamjuree – I’m a big Thai food fan.  Jai Thai, I go there once in a while, but I tell you my favorite Thai food is Jamjuree on 15th.  Something that’s really cool about Capitol Hill, in addition to the nightlife is great food.  New places keep opening up, like towards the end of Capitol Hill, Taco Gringos – that’s such a great thing to be able to do so late at night.  That’s a little Williamsburg vibe of be able to go out late at night and find good food.  I love that there’s so much of that right now, with Mario’s opening up on Pike – it’s just great to have more of that kind of stuff, as well as the fine dining.  There’s a lot of really good fine dining restaurants too, but for those late nights when you’re out at the club and you need something to eat afterwards, it’s cool that there’s something besides crappy fast food.

What’s your favorite thing about playing a live show, and when can people come out and dance at your next one?

The next show is Friday, October 22, part of the City Arts Festival at the Crocodile, and it will be super fun!  We’re going to have burlesque dancers with us, the Atomic Bombshells are going to get up onstage, and Brent Amaker and The Rodeo are playing with us and it’s their CD release show, so they’re going to be extra-amped, and Ra Scion from Common Market is going to be opening the show.  It’s going to be a crazy fun time.

My favorite thing about playing is when I feel like I’m equally as entertained as the audience.  That’s why I always try to really up the ante for our shows and really push the envelope and jump off the stage and get into the crowd so I can experience it from all different levels instead of just being the guy playing music.  I like to be part of the show from all angles, not only as performer, but also as part of the crowd, too.  And that’s another reason we don’t tend to do set lists, is that I like to keep things on edge and try different things.  What I really enjoy about playing live is that experience of really creating something and pushing the envelope.

Are you a Capitol Hill-based musician?  Want to be interviewed by CHS?  Send an email to anika.smith (at) gmail.com and we’ll make it happen.

Decibel: Electronic music festival takes over Hill this week but no more db in Volunteer Park

No Decibel in Volunteer Park this year (Photo: @dbfest)

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Decibel Festival, which starts and ends on Capitol Hill.

Organizers estimate that the festival has grown 30% each year, from starting back in the old Capitol Hill Arts Center and a handful of other venues on the Hill to this year’s expansion to Seattle Center, Benaroya Hall, and a boat (cue T-Pain joke).


One big change is the move of db in the park, a day of outdoor dancing and good times that even the unlikeliest of electronic music fans can check out, has moved out of Volunteer Park for 2010.This year’s fun moves downtown to the Seattle Center’s Broad Street Park where the event will be able to include a beer garden in the festivities.

Capitol Hill is still the locus for the action, with headliners like Flying Lotus and Modeselektor taking stage at Neumos and artists like Scuba playing label showcases at the Baltic Room, where West Coast debuts abound.  More is also happening at Sole Repair, Chop Suey, HG Lodge, and Pravda Studios.  (Check out the full schedule here.) Pravda hosts the free dB Opening Gala Wednesday night. Doors open at 5 PM. The Unicorn will also be throwing a free party Wednesday night to celebrate the start of the festival.

According to DJ and festival promoter John Judge, “This is a chance for Capitol Hill to stand on a world stage.  Decibel has artists representing 14 countries – this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Seattle’s music, food, and culture in front of a world audience, as well as an opportunity for Seattlites to experience some of the world’s best music right in their backyard.”

The nonprofit music and art festival was founded by Sean Horton, whose work curating cutting-edge electronic music has gotten international attention for the scene in Seattle (and got Decibel short-listed for the Stranger’s Genius Awards).

In addition to the live performances and other events, the festival also features a free educational conference for musicians who are interested in learning advanced production and artists wanting tools to better promote themselves.  It turns out the 7th Annual Decibel International Festival is sponsored by Windows 7, appropriately enough.  Microsoft is partnering with DJs and producers to show it’s possible to make music without a Mac by training musicians on PCs.  That’s happening at Pravda Studios, Wednesday through Friday, from 1-7 PM.

Education and collaboration are strong themes for Decibel.  “Overwhelming community support is how the festival was able to grow,” said promotions director Erica Toelle.  “This festival is an umbrella that helps people work together who wouldn’t normally… it’s a really strong, collaborative community, known for having the most passionate crowds.”

CHS has it on good authority that those enthusiastic crowds will be rewarded by artists planning a few surprises to make it over the top.  This might include (but definitely is not limited to) special additions… maybe even a four-piece band.

Shows (particularly at Neumos) are likely to sell out, so check the Decibel website for ticket availability.

CHS Interviews: Jay Cox of The Sea Navy and, yes, Capitol Hill

Jay Cox is a CHS neighbor and frontman for The Sea Navy, a local band with furiously catchy pop tunes. According to facebook, the curious monicker comes from a time when Jay was trying to tell a story about the Coast Guard, but CHS has always been curious to know just what story he was telling and what his favorite Capitol Hill haunts might be.  Fortunately, Jay took the time out of his busy schedule to answer CHS’s burning questions with a healthy dose of snark and a neighborly warning about Jason Finn’s crazy bike-riding. We’re getting back into the artist interview rhythm here at CHS, by the way. Info on how to get involved with the conversation can be found at the end of this interview. Now, let’s talk to Jay.


First, some origin lore for the fans.  What story were you telling involving the Coast Guard when you came up with “The Sea Navy”? 

 It was the morning of October 15th, 2000 My old band THE IVORY COAST had just played a show at Princeton University with The Dismemberment Plan & Sweep the Leg Johnny. All the bands were sitting around having breakfast and I started to re-tell a story involving DREW O’DOHERTY who played guitar in the IVORY COAST. He grew up in Cape Cod and his father has a direct connection with the story the book THE PERFECT STORM is based on.The Perfect Storm is a creative nonfiction book written by Sebastian Junger and published in 1997. The book is about the 1991 Perfect Storm that hit North America in October 1991, and features the crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, who were lost at sea during severe conditions while longline fishing for swordfish 575 miles out. Also in the book is the story about the rescue of the three-person crew of the sailboat Satori in the Atlantic Ocean during the storm by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa (WMEC-166).  

Is there a new record in the works?  It’s been only a year since your last album (Memory Matches), but there’ve been rumbles already of something on its way… 

We have about a dozen songs we are polishing. The goal is to have them ready to record in the near future.  

Your band has evolved from you opening for Ted Leo with just a CD of pre-recorded drum tracks, to friends playing with you, to what seems like a more cohesive unit.  How has that changed your sound (if it has)?  And what does the Capitol Hill Block Party have to do with The Sea Navy’s storied history? 

I have been using the SEA NAVY name since 2001 and in that time there have been many lineups. Each member brings their own spice but the main ingredients are the same. Since 2007 we have had the same lineup which I think this is the longest running lineup in the band’s history. Jordan Cumming (drums) and Stuart Fletcher (bass) are both excellent musicians with golden ears who have helped THE SEA NAVY become a regular band and with that consistency has lead to a more a “sound” In 2006 we played the Capitol Hill Block Party (TW Walsh (Pedro The Lion) was on bass, Andrew Rudd (Aqueduct) was on drums. We played the VERA stage. At the same time we went on BAND OF HORSES were playing the main stage. BAND OF HORSES had just played on Letterman (for the first time) the week before and were blowing up and becoming the household band they are now. Needless to say we had a smaller crowd. It was a great experience and we had a blast and more importantly we felt lucky to have been asked to play.  

In addition to a video trailer for the last album, The Sea Navy has a couple of great music videos using vintage films.  Are there any video plans with the next record? 

I’m always looking for new ways to promote the band and the music. After working at record labels for years, my mind often thinks of the marketing idea far ahead of the actual finished product. Those videos were created using Creative Commons footage. One of the beauties of CC footage is that it is free and many people use it. Once of the same clips we used was also a featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.  

How long have you lived on Capitol Hill, and why did you move here? 

 I moved to Seattle (from Boston)  in 2003 with my girlfriend (now wife). We have lived in Captiol Hill since our arrival in Washington State. Why? We love the lack of sun and the rain and the amazing drivers. Oh and the transportation is first class — Seattle has the best subway system. And as a sports fan I cannot believe how great the Sonics and the Mariners are. I think Seattle is the first city to win the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals in the same year. Too bad the Storm keep losing — I really hope the rumors are true that they are moving to Oklahoma. 

How would you describe Capitol Hill to someone who’s never been to Seattle? 

(jokingly) Capitol Hill is where you live after you spend your 20s in the University District but before you start having kids and move to Ballard. 

(seriously) Capitol Hill has the closest pulse of the neighborhoods I lived in while in Cambridge, MA and on the Lower East Side. What I mean to say is there is great outdoor space (Cal Anderson & Volunteer Park), an eclectic mix of neighbors, very walkable and has a great nightlife and restaurant scene.  

What problems do you see on the Hill? 

(jokingly) There are not enough places to get coffee on 15th between Harrison and Republican. 

(seriously) Bus wise there should be an easy way to get to Fremont or Ballard.  

Where’s the best jukebox on the Hill? 

Does any place really have a real Jukebox? The one that was/is in Smith was stacked with good stuff. The Canterbury has one but I can’t remember what is on there. I think there is one at the new Pizza place, Marios, and I’m sure that will be a good one. 

Favorite place to play or catch a show? 

Neumos and The Comet  

Favorite Hillebrity to spot on the street?  

File under people I recognize : Jon Auer (Posies) and Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger) and I shop at the same supermarket. For some reason whenever I see former UW football player Joel McHale it is always as he is crossing the street towards the Hopvine. Also I have come close to death numerous times as Jason Finn (Presidents….) rides dangerously close on his fancy bicycle. (I hope when Jason’s google alert for his name brings this article to his attention he drives a bit safer around the hood!)  

Saturday night on the Hill.  You are:

deciding if I should get a slice of pizza at Marios or eat at Oddfellows or walk up to La Spiga due to being tired and hungry after shopping at Elliott Bay and looking at the goods at NuBe Green.

Sunday brunch finds you at:

Volunteer Park Café waiting for the banana brioche french toast to be brought to the table. 

Any other favorite places around the Hill or quintessentially Capitol Hill activities? 

Shakespeare in the Park during the summers at Volunteer Park. Spending hours admiring the amazing collection of books at Elliot Bay.  

What’s your favorite thing about playing a live show, and when can people come out and dance at your next one? 

Hopefully you are playing with bands you enjoy and there is a good group of people hanging out and having a good time. However, you have no control over any of that so you should just enjoy playing your songs.

Our next show will be in Ballard as part of the Reverb festival. We play at 9pm at the Salmon Bay Eagles place.

Speaking of which, you can send The Sea Navy to Iceland as part of Reverb’s Battle of the Bands.  Click here for details.

Are you a Capitol Hill-based musician?  Want to be interviewed by CHS?  Send an email to anika.smith (at) gmail.com and we’ll make it happen.