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Show Preview: Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris at KeyArena

Stapleton and Morris occupy opposite poles in country music’s ever-expanding tent; you wouldn't pick them for a pair until you realize they are, in fact, perfectly paired

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It’s fitting that Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris’ KeyArena tour stop coincides with the box-office dominance of Beauty & the Beast. The Beast has a soulfulness which eventually translates into sexiness, while Belle boasts an engine that’s just as attractive as her pretty little hood. You wouldn’t pick them for a pair until you realize they are, in fact, perfectly paired.

Such is the dynamic between Stapleton and Morris, who occupy opposite poles in country music’s ever-expanding tent. Stapleton’s got a smoky voice like vintage Gregg Allman and is hirsute to the point where he doesn’t need to buy a costume to dress as Chewbacca on Halloween. Meanwhile, Morris—five feet tall on stilts with shiny, brown hair—tacks far closer to Beyonce than Boeciphus on her smash-hit debut album, Hero. With a very public assist from Justin Timberlake, Stapleton experienced a meteoric rise from respected Nashville songwriter to star performer in 2015, and Morris was the Stapleton of 2016.

Purists who point to Stapleton and say, “Yeah, that’s what REAL coun-tray music sounds like,” might be apt to dismiss Morris’ R&B spin on the genre as a form of noise pollution. But as one of those purists who’s smitten with Hero, I bet she’ll win them over. Sassy and profane, Morris tends to scoff at love—unless it involves an old car (an ‘80s Mercedes is her rig of choice)—and her contribution to the lead track of X-rated satirist Wheeler Walker Jr.’s forthcoming sophomore album proves it’s no pose.

Last time Stapleton swung through town, he played the Showbox. KeyArena, suffice it to say, is a considerably larger venue. But both Stapleton and Morris are powerful vocalists whose compositions challenge them to reach the top of their range. If Squatch descends from the Key’s rafters whilst hanging from on a disco ball on the 28th, this ascendant duo will know they’ve reached yet another summit.

Rearview Mirror: Crocodile Guardians, Late-Summer Potato Salad, and a Halloween Costume Hunt

Rearview Mirror: Crocodile Guardians, Late-Summer Potato Salad, and a Halloween Costume Hunt

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

COOKING WITH ASTER PANTRY A few leaves turn, my inbox fills with fall festival pitches and cozy brunch menus, and suddenly I want to stay home with a glass of wine and cook. I love this nesting season, though I’m not ready to give up summer produce. Earlier this year, I wrote about Seattle chefs…

WALKDONTRUN Returns This Saturday, Turning Downtown Seattle Into a Sprawling Art Show

WALKDONTRUN Returns This Saturday, Turning Downtown Seattle Into a Sprawling Art Show

In its second year, the free festival brings 200-plus artists to a 20-block route September 19, with a secret garden and a former 7-Eleven stocked with art.

Most walks through downtown Seattle involve trying to get somewhere. On September 19, the crosswalk itself might be the reason to stop. Heap Troupe will turn a four-way crossing into a performance, one of dozens of encounters planned for this year’s WALKDONTRUN. The free, all-ages art walk stretches across more than 20 blocks. From 11…

At Two Dot Schoolhouse, Ruth Marie Tomlinson Builds an Artistic Community

At Two Dot Schoolhouse, Ruth Marie Tomlinson Builds an Artistic Community

For nearly 20 years, the Seattle artist and her husband have welcomed artists, writers, and musicians to a historic Montana schoolhouse. Now they’re searching for its next stewards. 

At her solo exhibition last year at The Vestibule, Seattle artist Ruth Marie Tomlinson presented a new series of work inspired by her close readings of British nature writer J.A. Baker’s The Peregrine and Icelandic author Sjón’s The Blue Fox. As if on sheets torn from a sketchbook, her pages included excerpts and outtakes of…

Rearview Mirror: Seahawks Off the Field, Seattle on the Board, and Smoked Oysters

Rearview Mirror: Seahawks Off the Field, Seattle on the Board, and Smoked Oysters

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

HOOKED ON KNOCKS Admittedly, I am late to this one. The Seahawks’ first season of Hard Knocks, the HBO series that follows NFL teams through training camp, premiered in August, but until last week, I had never heard of it. To be honest, my football knowledge starts with knowing what a touchdown is and doesn’t…