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The Top 4 Reasons to See Dawes at the Showbox on Friday

Dawes, quite possibly America’s finest rock band, is playing the Showbox on Friday. They’re fronted by Los Angeles’ groovy Goldsmith brothers, Taylor and Griffin, and there are several extremely compelling reasons to see the quartet perform in person

Dawes

Gloria Estefan isn’t gigging in Seattle this weekend. It’s alright to cry. In fact, here’s a hankie. Really let the tears flow. Wail. Emote. She’ll return one day. The rhythm is gonna get you, eventually. I promise. But look: Dawes, quite possibly America’s finest rock band, is playing the Showbox on Friday. They’re fronted by Los Angeles’ groovy Goldsmith brothers, Taylor and Griffin, and there are several extremely compelling reasons to see the quartet perform in person, besides being the best imaginable stand-in for Estefan. Here are the top four:

1. Griffin Goldsmith has an amazing head of hair. Remember The Greatest American Hero? His doppelgänger, Griffin Goldsmith, plays drums for Dawes. Boasting a bushel of blonde, curly locks, Griff’s one of those drummers who bops and pops his body with every beat on the kit. His hair’s more than hair; it’s the fifth Beatle. He also takes over lead vocals from his brother on occasion, making for a mean Don Henley imitation. In fact, the Griff-fronted ballad “Roll Tide” is the best song off Dawes’ latest album, We’re All Gonna Die. (Listen below to the band’s surprise live album, We’re All Gonna Live, released last week.)


2. Taylor Goldsmith has an incredible personality.
Lead guitarist and singer Taylor Goldsmith’s girlfriend, This Is Us actress Mandy Moore, is a hard 10. And while Taylor’s cute and extremely clever, he’s punching at least two classes above his weight in this pairing. But since it’s what’s on the inside that counts, Taylor must have one of the most dynamic personalities ever known to man (and Mandy). Listening to his brilliant lyrics, it’s not hard to buy into that notion.

3. The Dawes and Jackson Browne bromance. Dawes’ detractors, of which there are few, like to claim the band sounds too much like Jackson Browne. And that’s supposed to be a bad thing? Browne is one of the greatest songwriters in American history; if you’re going to mimic someone, mimic him. Yes, Dawes’ “A Little Bit of Everything” and “All Your Favorite Bands” sound like Browne could have penned them. They also happen to be two of the best songs written in the 21st century.

4. Guitar solos, man. Taylor can shred axe, and lets everyone know it live. Skinny-jeansters may be too cool for stuff like long, meandering guitar solos that build to volcanic and orgasmic crescendos, but they’re the essence of a killer concert. Oh, baby, oh! Go, baby, go!

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…