Check Out the New Additions to City Arts Fest
Posted by Tiffany Wan
Shabazz Palaces by Nikki Benson
It’s still mid-September, but I can’t help but feel giddy every time I think about this year’s City Arts Fest. From October 20-22, Seattle will be awash in talent from both around the world and our very own backyard. Although headliners like Ryan Adams, Robyn, Built to Spill, Crystal Castles, and Ozomatli have been public knowledge for a while, City Arts keeps bringing the heat with some awesome additions to the lineup.
At SSG Music, we’re head over heels for spaced-out hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces. They’ve joined the robust roster of talent and will play a set at the Triple Door with Metal Chocolates and DJ Riz Rollins. Ecstatic electropop mavens YACHT will be supporting Robyn at the Paramount, while The Hold Steady and Grand Archives will rock out at the Neptune Theater. Grammy-winning country songstress Shelby Lynne will also play the Triple Door with support from Noah Gundersen, and Freestyle Fellowship will get the Showbox at the Market poppin‘ with Blackalicious, Hi Life, and Don’t Talk to the Cops. Also worth noting are the schedule of evening performances at the Seattle Laser Dome with Man Man, The Helio Sequence, and School of Rock.
But wait, there’s more! Much like Bumbershoot, the City Arts Festival has a number of gears turning in the multi-faceted machine that is Seattle’s arts and culture scene. On the film side, Color Me Obsessed pays tribute to Minneapolis punk rockers The Replacements, who paved the way for innumerable alternative and indie bands. The Comet will also host an all-star tribute to The Replacements during the festival. On the work-in-progress side, Factory at Fred Wildlife Refuge will throw together more than 50 MCs and DJs in a room to be documented in a momentously collaborative event. Several multi-disciplinary artists will be premiering their works in Seattle, including Steve Cuiffo (a New Yorker with a mean Lenny Bruce impersonation), Montreal-based projection artist Daniel Barrow, Portland’s Erin Leddy, and our city’s very own Jose Bold (a recent Stranger Genius Award winner). A slew of literary artists and dancers are participating in Genre Benders showcases, which joins their works with music and visual art for magical results.
Excited yet? I thought so. With three days filled with a dizzying amount of things to see, $69 is a steal for an all-access wristband that will get you anywhere in the festival. If you’re interested in seeing at least three of the events listed above (keep in mind, the full lineup is about 10 times as long), it’ll be worth your while.
Check out some of the rad talent that will be at City Arts Fest this year:
Shabazz Palaces – “Free Press and Curl”
Noah Gundersen – “David”
Blackalicious – “Chemical Calisthenics”
