SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
See what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
The songs immerse the singers as their voices entwine with one another and then expand. Sparse arrangements create an open bed for two, three, and four part vocal harmony, while instrumentation that ranges from a guitar to an upright piano to a Theremin and a marching drum, allow Alialujah Choir to sing their stories in ethereal allure.
Alialujah Choir came about when three well-known members of Portland, Oregon’s notable music scene took time away from the comforts and constraints of their primary bands (Weinland, Norfolk & Western, M.Ward) to focus on the natural beauty they found when singing songs from their more personal artistic quivers.
Photo © Tarina Westlund Photography
With the enlistment of a few local luminaries from Blind Pilot, Hook & Anchor and Neko Case’s band, Alialujah Choir now boasts an extended lineup that reflects the majestic sounds of the new album while preserving the intimate sensibilities the band was founded upon.
Special Hot Off The Press Note: Alialujah Choir members Adam and Alia joined M. Ward on stage and screen of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Feb 2nd 2016!
Briana Marela, is from Seattle and Olympia, and her music is kind of dreamy and ambient pop. Lilac is from Seattle and her music is a bit more beat driven but still ethereal and beautiful.
Briana’s lyrics are forceful, and throughout her second album, ‘All Around Us’, traditional song structure gives way to plainspoken declarations that pull back the record’s shroud. Her first single,”Surrender” is musically delicate at first, with flickering blips and chords that float into earshot like fireflies. “Take Care of Me” is the album’s brightest and most immediate song, a buoyant celebration of friendship with a skittering beat and a warm, sweet melody. And title track “All Around Us” is a stark but inspiring beauty, built on the memory of a family member of Briana’s who passed away, and the sadness of not being able to say “goodbye” or “I love you” one last time. It is the balance of the abstract and the intimate that makes Briana Marela and ‘All Around Us’ so special.
Lilac aka Madeline Franks is a dreamy electronic solo musician who currently resides in Seattle, WA. Born in the Midwest, she grew up playing piano and singing before adding electronic instruments as a young adult. Her first solo EP Dream Journal was released in early 2015 and she is currently working on a second album.
Three For Silver represents a curious hybrid of acoustic music. The twin melodies of Willo Sertain’s vocals and Greg Allison’s violin glide atop of chugging polyrhythms of Lucas Warford’s homemade bass instruments and the idiosyncratic style in which they are played.
Described by Baby Gramps as “The acid baby of Tom Waits ad Vicgtor Wooten”. Three For Silver combines a gritty aesthetic, world folk traditions, and virtuosic technique with a modern songwriting sense.
Flash Update! Flash Update! Ask Matt Love about a “free slot in the class (meaning they don’t pay me) for a visitor who stays at the Sou’wester. A little carrot.”
Fri April 1 7pm – 8:30pm
and continues on
Sat April 2 9:30am – 3:30pm
Have you wanted to start writing but seem unsure how to begin? Do you want to write the story of your life or your family’s for possible publication or private documentation? Do you have a great idea for a novel, script, blog, column or an area of expertise that you want to share with others?
Many people aspire to write for themselves, publication and multiple other reasons, but can’t seem to get started. This frustration often results in the aspiration disappearing. Don’t let that happen. Get the writing going! All you have to do is start.
Writer, Nestucca Spit Press publisher and educator Matt Love, the author/editor of 14 books about Oregon is offering a “Getting the Writing Going” workshop on Friday evening and Saturday, April 1-2, at the Sou’ Wester resort in Seaview, Washington. In this workshop, participants will experiment with innovative techniques to define an editorial voice for fiction or nonfiction writing and address the barriers that prevented the writer from starting. “I believe it is essential for all aspiring writers to meet other aspiring writers in a relaxed workshop setting with real writing outcomes, and I can’t think of a better place than the Sou’ Wester,” said Love. “It will be a great place to think and write.”
The workshop will be begin Friday evening from 7:00pm – 8:30pm and continue Saturday, April 2 from 9:30am -3:30pm The class costs $75 and will cap at 14 participants. Workshop participants who stay Friday and Saturday night at the Sou’ Wester will receive a 15 percent discount.
To register for the workshop, email Matt Love at nestuccaspitpress@gmail.com or call 503-812-1524. To book your stay at the Sou’ Wester, visit www.souwesterlodge.com or call 360-642-2542. The Sou’wester Lodge, 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
Join us in welcoming this interdisciplinary night at the Sou’wester! Spoken Word with Author Matt Love and then the alt-country/phychedelic sounds of Portland band Drugstore Cowboy!
Drugstore Cowboy “Melancholy and saddness on a dirt road, when you refuse to look back, when you realize you’re nothing in the scheme of things, haunted and lonely, small, left with the resonance that you have screwed it all up again. She isn’t waiting anymore, she yells at you “Go ahead follow another dead country singer, Waylon or Hank will have to hold your hand.” No warmth left on that broken tour bus, only brittle bones bleached in the high western sun. You get high and forget how lonesome you feel, go ahead, take another pull from the bottle, psychedelic countryboy dreams…” L.K.L. 09
Matt Love “I will present from my latest project, a spoken word CD/download called ORegon Tavern Age. The guitar player in the band is the producer and we’ll actually be recording some of these tracks live in the lodge.”
Monika will be starting these shows off with a 30-45 minute female-lead music experience, followed by seasoned musician, and all around-charmer Misè.
A little about Misè
Original music in the psych rock/folk vain. This project, lead by Cooper Trail, just released sophomore album “Arts & Crafts” and is already in the midst of working on the next album.
“Mature, worldly folk…brimming with wise and soft-spoken lyrics.” Portals Blog
“…has a shoegaze vibe to it, but also holds a 90s grittiness. Halfway through, you may be tricked into thinking you’re listening to a Nico track.” Urban Outfitters Blog
A little about Monika
Monika is an asymmetrical experimental pop band that uses guitar-heavy, lo-fi tones to father fractured, dreamlike compositions. Monika is made up of two regular members, Caitlyn Faircloth and Kai Dakers, sometimes accompanied by Cooper Trail and Nevada Sowle.
“Kingsbery’s guitar and Sherman’s piano roll languidly along like a tumbleweed passing through town as the pair takes turns singing lead and duetting. Their voices shine on their own, but together there’s added soul to the rich tales they tell.” -Seattle Weekly
“Evening Bell is Ballard honky-tonker Davidson Hart Kingsbery’s twangy new venture with pianist Caitlin Sherman. Together with drummer Jason Merculief, the group perform classic country duets that sound something like Tammy and George dubbed over the soundtrack to a Sergio Leone spaghetti western.”
– AMERICAN STANDARD TIME
Evening Bell’s dark and haunting songs have all of the passion and tragedy of a broken howl under the high desert moonrise. Part western psychedelia, part northwest rock ‘n roll, Evening Bell is the new collaboration between Ballard-songwriters Hart Kingsbery (Davidson Hart Kingsbery) and Caitlin Sherman (Slow Skate). The duo quickly became a full band with Jason Merculief (Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Sera Cahoone, J. Tillman) on drums, followed shortly by Aaron Harmonson on bass, and newest addition Olie Eshleman (Corespondents) on pedal steel. They have recently shared the stage with established roots acts such as Ha Ha Tonka, La Luz, Barna Howard, Banditos, Howe Gelb, Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Moondoggies and Alela Dianne.
This Round Robin Showcases:
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Ike Fonseca has been engulfed in the Pacific Northwest music scene for almost 2 decades. With his own brand of americana mixed with folk and rock Ike has been described as “good time’n whiskey drinking music for all ages”. An upcoming 5 state tour is scheduled starting in April in support of the new album. The self titled record will be featured on vinyl with digital download.
“[SHOEGAZIN’ COUNTRY] The term “shoegazer country” is hardly the first thing that comes to mind when talking niche music genres, but it remains an apt description of the warped soundscapes and distorted tremblings underlying Hearts of Oaks’ latest LP, New England. Though much of the record teems with the countrified familiarity introduced in quaint opener “Used to It Now”—from the gentle fingerpicking and delectable pedal steel to frontman Nate Wallace’s Dylan-like delivery and apparent relationship struggles—later tracks bludgeon you with heavier elements.” – Brandon Widder-Willamette Week
The band Denver: Paste praised their 2012 self-titled debut’s “perfect tunes,” while KEXP hosted a live session and proclaimed, “sweet harmonies and tight arrangements abound.” Statements like these become all the more relevant with their upcoming release, Rowdy Love, as Denver teamed up with Earley and Adam Selzer (M. Ward, Norfolk & Western) for their first trip to a proper studio. Recorded live in just two days at Selzer’s Type Foundry Studio, Rowdy Love certainly showcases all the endless chops at Denver’s disposal.
This workshop is currently full with one person on the waitlist. Thank you.
Join us for a brief nature walk along the beach to gather natural items (shells, & rocks) for our weaving. Return to our lodge to learn about handspun Japanese paper cords, koyori, and then coil, twine and loop cords around stones and beads to create a small shallow bowl or wall piece. Also learn Japanese knots and basketry embelishments to decorate smooth water worn rocks. Bring your own rocks or come gather them with us!
Donna Crispin has been weaving baskets and other fibers arts for almost 30 years, and has taught workshops all over the Northwest. She hopes to pass on her basketry experiences to as many people as possible, and inspire others to pursue a craft or artistic form of expression to enrich their own lives.
All art supplies provided. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
Suggested donation $30 – $40 and includes materials – what a bargain!
Workshop for students ages 16+ and geared for beginners and beyond. Max # of students:12.
Please RSVP souwesterlodge@gmail.com or 360 – 642 – 2542
We are located at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
Donna Crispin will be joining the Sou’wester for a week as an Artist-In-Residence before her workshop in April.
image © 2011 Ben Moon
Welcome Lost Lander!
Before she died, Matt Sheehy’s mother used to tell him about a dream she had about Lost Land Lake—a place she spent part of her mid-western childhood. That dream inspired the name of the Juneau-born, Portland-based songwriter’s band, and her memory is imbued in Medallion, their second album. If DRRT, the group’s first independently released album, was about the confluence of nature and technology, Medallion, its latest, concerns dualities – experiences of love and loss, impermanence and longevity, death and rebirth.