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Band of the Week: Star Anna

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With so much happening in Seattle’s bustling music scene these days, how do you even know where to start? Allow the highly trained culture curators of Seattlemag.com to help with Band of the Week. This week, we catch up with sultry singer/songwriter Star Anna, whose haunting, noir country-tinged vocals have been called “the real deal” by none other than Duff McKagan. Star Anna plays Charles Smith’s 1st Annual Georgetown Holiday Bash at Jet City this Friday, with bands from her Mike McCready-owned and operated label, HockeyTalkter Records. 

In three sentences, tell us the story of your band: I was a drummer in a punk band in high school. Heard Elliott Smith for the first time when I was 16 and picked up the guitar. This next phase involves much less guitar and much more singing.

What have you been working on these days? My main focuses right now are recording a new album and preparing for a tribute show for one of my favorite artists, David Bowie. I’ll be performing the entire Bowie album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust with a band and orchestra at the Neptune Theater, January 8th. I’m recording the majority of the new album in L.A. with my keyboard player, Ty Bailie. There will be a lot of keyboard sounds, some marching band drums and zero acoustic guitar. Release date undecided, we’re just taking our time with it and enjoying the process.

What does being an artist/musician/band in Seattle mean to you? There is a huge sense of community among Seattle artists that I cherish. I grew up in Ellensburg, and moved to Seattle in my early 20s for music, so being welcomed and embraced by that community has really meant a lot to me.

 

What BIG question should we ask, and what’s the answer? Q. Who’s your celebrity crush? A. William Petersen (Manhunter, CSI, To Live and Die in L.A.)

What’s next? Next up is the first-annual Georgetown Holiday Bash on December 16 at Charles Smith Wines Jet City followed by my Bowie show, new album, music videos, songs for films, mentoring young girls interested in music and maybe this year I finally form my trash rock band, The Soft Offs.

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way. 

What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common?  According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot.  “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture.  This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.

Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…