All Tomorrow’s Parties: Bottom 40 @ the Cuff

Posted on May 13, 2012 by admin

NARK’s new Sunday night weekly at the Cuff has been popping off for a couple of months now, and with summer revving up, it’s only going to get better. Every week on the Lord’s day, die-hard dancers congregate at the Cuff for an early evening of booty shaking to some of the best music the city has to offer. For the resourceful patron, the party is free, with Nark sharing a secret password via the Facebook invite every week. The party starts at 6PM, and goes to about midnightish, and has played host to some amazing DJs. This week, Bottom 40 hosts Honey Soundsystem from SF, which is sure to be a wild ruckus.

Seattle Peach caught up with Nark this week to talk about Bottom 40. Get all the details and stay in the know!

How is Bottom 40 different from other Nark events?

Bottom Forty is a release from the weekend. The music appreciation is key. All weekend long you can hop around to be seen, that’s not what we are about. We want to spend our Sundays with you and we want you to be as comfortable being you as possible, because of this we have banned any professional photography from Bottom Forty, and might implement a ban on cell phones on the dancefloor as well. Come to be in the scene, not to be seen- enjoy the space we give you, do WHATEVER you need to do to have a good time and live for the moment, no ones looking or judging. Also, Bottom Forty is the creation of Seattle’s first elite queer DJ collective, it’s more than just an event. You can expect to see Bottom Forty vibes at different parties in Seattle and around the country.

A queer DJ collective, huh? Elaborate on that. Who’s in it? What style(s) of music is encompassed? How do you qualify the members of the collective?

The collective is inspired by other collectives of gays holding down the real power of music around the globe, the queers that would never own a Rihanna track, primarily Honey Soundsystem (of San Francisco, playing at this Sunday’s Bottom Forty) and Horse Meat Disco of London. Right now it consists of myself, Spaceotter, Pavone and Riff-Raff. I keep a very close eye on the gay DJ’s of Seattle, each person so far and in the future is hand picked based off their integrity and musical stylings as well as their motivation, creativity and passion to change the scene. Our styles vary per person, in the middle of the venn diagram is house music and nu-disco, on the outsides is classic club, disco, tech house, funk, soul, techno and more. We all have a love for an occasional pop sound too but from the underground, never top forty style, although we do appreciate our jams of the past such as some 80s Madonna or
Whitney and some Kylie Minogue type 90s, but it’s not what you will hear on repeat that’s for sure.

So you’re modeling your collective off of what Honey Soundsystem has done? You must be really excited for this weekend, then?

In a sense but not a copy, they are a big inspiration for me as a DJ and a party thrower, but Bottom Forty is it’s own seperate entity. I am STOKED for Sunday, them plus Miracles Club and Robot Hustle is a dream lineup! If Horse Meat Disco was in the lineup too I think the world would implode. Plus this may very well be the first time The Cuff has had live musicians playing on the dance floor! And Seattle get’s it for free!!? What!! With the password ‘Emotion.’ You’d be a music hating fool not to be there. And let’s not forget that this isn’t a midnight party, we start the dancing at six, you’re gonna want to get there early especially for this one since there are THREE Honey Dj’s plus two live concerts, and hey enjoy the patio it’s gonna be a warm day!

OMG Crazy. But no photos, huh?

No photography, if you’re not there that’s it. Your loss. You’ll never know.

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Review: Justice at the Paramount

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

*le sigh*

Sorry this review is a bit tardy for the party. Things have been crazy here at Seattle Peach HQ. More to come on that later. The Justice show at the Paramount was nothing short of spectacular. The French duo brought their best selection of bangers to the set in a nearly seamless, absolutely out of this world mash up. Expertly opening with “Genesis” and exploding with energy from there, Justice gave their fans exactly what we crave from them–mind-blowing potency and hard-hitting, body dominating dance tracks.

Just as † and Civilization are immaculately crafted as albums, Justice took care to craft an immaculate set, flowing skillfully from cut to cut, smashing with rapturous intensity at all the right moments, and bringing it down a notch and grooving hard when it mattered, so as everyone can catch their breath. Highlights included the repeated use of “D.A.N.C.E.” and “On’n'On” sprinkled in various incarnations throughout the set, and a totally killer light show, that just kept getting better and better throughout the night.

Justice most certainly redeemed themselves after a disappointing show the first weekend of Coachella, and the Paramount was a stunning venue to host them. This show, and specifically the sound quality and atmosphere of this venue, has made Seattle Peach a massive fan of the Paramount. If only every band could play in a venue of its caliber. Well, maybe not every band….

Justice are currently in the thick of a world tour, but won’t be back stateside until they play Denver in August. Fingers crossed, we’ll get another Justice show here in the northwest sometime in 2013. Seattle Peach couldn’t get the big pro camera inside the venue for this show, so instead, please enjoy some iphonography!

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The Funhouse on 5th Ave Set To Close?!? NOOOOOO!!!

Posted on March 19, 2012 by admin

News broke last week that some developers have proposed a project to the City of Seattle that would mean the end of the Funhouse, a much beloved music venue/dive bar/adult recreation center across the street from the Space Needle on 5th Ave. Basically, these developers want to tear everything down on that block and turn it into a bunch of condos. Many people are none too pleased with this idea, because if you don’t already know, the Funhouse is fucking rad. It’s the kind of bar that’s not just fun, it’s the most fun. And whether or not the city technically considers it as such, the space is most certainly a piece of Seattle history, having  been originally occupied by Tex’s Tavern, which was erected in the mid-40′s

A couple of particularly motivated people have been rallying the troops via Facebook, trying to get a good turnout at this Early Design Guidance Meeting happening at the Queen Anne Community Center. Basically, it’s the first in a string of opportunities for the die hard Funhouse patrons to express their concerns before the project gets the green light from the city. Erik Leiren, one of the “Save the Funhouse!!!” event page admins, clarifies, “…we will not get a ton done at this meeting. There will be a few opportunities for people to speak, and they are to speak only to problems they see in the plan. These are things like parking (there will be more housing units than parking, so where will these people park?), the view from the Monorail with the new building in place, how the taller buildings will look next to the McDonalds – anything that may not have been planned well. We need to stick to this type of subject as if we speak at this meeting and it is not about this subject, they will just wipe it from the record.” There will be many more meetings in the future and the process of fighting the take down will require a lot of time, effort and diligence. Here’s hoping it all pays off.

The first meeting is at 6:30PM on Wednesday, March 21. Funhouse co-owner, Bobby Kuckelburg, had this to say: ”I want to let everyone know that the Funhouse is not being torn down anytime soon…so if you have a show scheduled or plan on going there sometime soon, we’re open & ready for ya! This IS a reality & yes the building IS for sale, that said, we hope the developers cannot get the funding so we can continue to do what we LOVE doing! I’m truly humbled by the amount of support all of you have showed…WE FUCKIN’ LOVE YOU ALL-” (from Independence Printage on the “Save the Funhouse!!!” event page).

SAVE THE FUNHOUSE!

Photo by Seattle Peach.
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Seattle Peach 100: Tanja Pavićević

Posted on March 6, 2012 by admin

The next of the OG Peaches to find her place in the Seattle Peach 100 is none other than Miss Tanja Pavićević. A Bosnia native who came of age during the war in the 90′s, Tanja is a photorealist artist who moved to the states in 1999 as a refugee. Seattle Peach met her a decade later at a backyard barbeque, and her winning trifecta of sweetness, smarts and sass have won our hearts forever.

Growing up, Tanja was forced to mature very quickly when the war started, and the very real dangers of conflict didn’t leave a lot of room for youthful rebellions. Tanja has been an artist for nearly her entire life. When she was a young girl, her parents noticed that her doodles were quite advanced for her age–she was obsessing about creating perfect circles before she’d reached double digits. When she was 11, Tanja was sent to an art school in Sarajevo and has been studying art ever since, most recently attending Seattle’s Cornish College. Her focus has been with portraits for some time now, using surrealist details in the background of her pieces to help tell the story of her subject.

Seattle Peach is pleased to feature Tanja in the 100, because through her art, Tanja both processes her own history as a survivor of war, and the intimacy of her subjects enable the viewer to put themselves in her shoes for a moment. It gives a concept as massive and daunting as war a relatable narrative. She doesn’t politicize her art, she simply tells her story through the images of her past, and in doing so is inherently political. Art about war doesn’t need to be graphic or disturbing to be heart wrenching, and Tanja’s work is exactly that.

Tanja had her first solo show at the Station on Beacon Hill this summer to commemorate the launch of her official web site. She looks forward to doing more shows in the future, and we at Seattle Peach look forward to them, as well. To learn more about Tanja and her art, be sure to check out her website, and scroll below to check out her answers to the Factsheet.

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Peachy Q&A: Chris Like A Rockstar

Posted on March 2, 2012 by admin

Forget moves like Jagger, Like A Rock Star‘s got suits like Jagger. This fashion forward mens wear brand operated by Seattle-via-LA-via-Wisconsin designer, Christopher Jones, offers one-of-a-kind tailored suits, blazers, trousers and vests that can add edge to a business look or gussy up a grimy one. The line is inspired by the psychedelic glamour of late 60′s/early 70′s era rock ‘n’ roll, when depraved dogs in suave suits ruled the radio waves. Chris has always favored this look for his personal wardrobe, and the brand grew organically as he started designing suits for himself when he couldn’t find just what he was looking for in retail stores.

Fusing bohemian chic with professional sleek, Chris takes great care in fabric selection, using the most luxurious materials he can find ensuring that his clients feel fancy in his designs. The cuts are classic, timeless, and dead sexy while the prints are romantic, whimsical and playful. Specializing in both reproductions and original designs, and keeping the price point extremely reasonable, if you are going to own a suit, make it a Like A Rock Star. Stepping out in these threads will make you feel like a total bad ass.

Since we know that Chris loves rock so much (he is a HUGE Rolling Stones fan), we gave him a shout to see if he’d answer a little Peachy Q&A. Here’s what he had to say:

1.) What 5 artists are you listening to the most right now?
Been listening to a slew of the 2000′s NY rock like Cheeseburger and Diamond Nights of late; but my tastes lie in the guitar so I always go back to the kings…..Stones, Stooges, Elvis and Dolls with Freddy and Brian pouring drinks, Handsome Dick serving and DLR bar backing!

2.) What music do you put on first thing in the morning?
Anything PSmoov is involved in works because he’s still up so he knows the right song for 7am.

3.) What do you jam out to while prefunking for a night out?
Iggy is a perfect moral compass for any given moment

4.) If you could pick any band/artist to perform for your runway show, who would it be and why?
Iggy, Keef, Roth, the Stew n’ Ronnie, Jackson White, Buffalo Madonna with Trent Moorman on drums paying tribute to Queen. I’d wait in line for that show.

5.) What band/artist best represents your (design) style?
The New York Dolls; sashaying the line between the gutter and Veuve.

6.) What musician/band would you most like to style or design for?
Andy Wood.

7.) What musician/band are you most excited to see play that is coming to town in the next few months?
I’m genuinely excited for any band that has the nuts to play a stage and have a go of it. Who’s playing tonight? Plug in, man, and lets have a soda pop on me and howl at the good times; I’ll be there!

Photos Credits in order of appearance: Kelly O; Matt Grossman; Like A Rock Star; Blush Photo.
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January Snow Mixtape

Posted on January 16, 2012 by admin


I made a little mixtape for January to share I share with you all. I hope you enjoy!
January Snow 2012 by bksparkle
Tracklisting:
1. Air France — No Excuses
2. Nicolas Jaar — And I Say ft. Scout LaRue and Will Epstein
3. Poliça — Violent Games
4. Korellreven — The Truest Faith
5. Body Language — At A Glance (Toro y Moi Remix)

Photo by Seattle Peach.

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Get Glam: Surrealist Lips

Posted on January 12, 2012 by admin

First use this: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in Moulin Rouge: A bold and vibrant red, this color is a bit too much for me even for a casual evening look, but for performance or a special occasion, it is absolutely perfect. Create the shape of your lips using the lipstick, which will glide more easily and will be a cinch to touch up if you make a mistake. It is highly pigmented, however, and I recommend keeping some makeup removing toilettes on hand.

Then use this: Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight Black: This handy little black liner comes in a pot, allowing you to choose the brush you use for application. When using the liner on your lids for an everyday look, your standard angled eyeliner brush is recommended. For this look, I used a slightly thicker lipstick brush with this dark, velvety liner to outline the lips.

To white out the rest of your actual lips, use whatever concealer you have laying around. I recommend lathering up with some chapstick before you start because the concealer may dry out your lips. Cement the whole thing in place for the night by spraying some sealant over your lips and patting with sheer powder after it’s dried to set.

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Seattle Peach Recommends: Lisa Dank @ the Jet

Posted on January 9, 2012 by admin

My bestie is celebrating a quarter century of existence this month, and in spectacular Lisa Dank fashion, she will be throwing a show up at the Jet in Mill Creek to mark the occasion. The date happens to coincide with the dawning of the age of Aquarius, marking a cosmic shift in favor of the dreamers out there. Helping to ring in the celestial occurrence will be Nark and Mack Long on the decks, and well as live performances from Steph and Latin Rose. Cover is $10 at the door for boys, $5 for girls after 10:30PM (it’s free for ladies before that, so get there early).

As an early birthday present to Dank, Seattle Peach created a poster for the event using a photo I shot for some gifs I made for the Tumblr. Feel free to repost at will and we’ll see you all at the Jet on Jan 20.

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