SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
Discover what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
Three For Silver is post-collapse, post-apocalyptic, post-rock, post-everything. A freewheeling collective in which the only rule is to survive and perform, an elastic conglomeration of musical freaks as likely to be found in a grand theater performing for foreign dignitaries as busking on your street corner for spare change.
Lucas Warford (vocals, basses) is the thumping heart of the band, a chugging diesel engine of bass and growl. “The acid baby of Tom Waits and Les Claypool,” as NW legend Baby Gramps once called him. His one-of-a-kind basses are the platform upon which he yowls and raps his end-time visions of the world. Willo Sertain (vocals, accordion) hails from the woods of North Carolina, her distinctively pure tones and haunting melodies act as a natural foil to the madness of Warford. Greg Allison (strings, mandolin, arrangement) is the master of pure sound, beating the ungainly ideas of Warford and Sertain into something resembling songs. He writes string quartet arrangements like he’s writing his own name, and generally classes up the joint.
Three For Silver has hit the road since 2013, unleashing their idiosyncratic sound on over 200 audiences a year, blind to anything but the next stage, the next audience, the next night. With nary a manager or booker in sight, their monomaniacal devotion has already led them all over the country and the world, performing in clubs, bars, theaters, boats, festivals, farmer’s markets, living rooms, and most recently partnering with the US State Department for ongoing cultural exchange tours to other countries thirsty for truly original American music.
Whether live or on their new record, Three For Silver is a band for this moment, when it is hard to imagine the future and all too easy to focus on the past, when the rules no longer seem to apply, and when what you never thought possible is the only choice you’ve got.
Matty Charles songs are often called “instant classics”. They take the stark simplicity of Johnny Cash, mix in Townes Van Zandt’s poetic sensibility and hold you to your seat with vocal harmonies worthy of the Louvin Brothers.
The Matty Charles & Katie Rose sound is deeply rooted in American country and folk traditions, evidenced by their close singing and Matty’s “church-lick-boom-chuck” guitar playing. Their songs speak of love and loss in such a timeless way that it’s hard not to relate if you have ever experienced either.
Their debut album, Catching Arrows combines the duo with an all-star band of americana/roots music luminaries and has been called, “a sublime listening experience.” and “a must have album.” (bealestreet.be) as well as, “the kind of album that can break out and surprise even the most jaded music critics.”
The admiration of fellow musicians and fans caused this duo to tour Europe in 2016 where they played to full houses and received glowing reviews for their performances.
this event is free and open to the public
Catch them live and hear how, “Charles and Rose prove that they may be among the best duos in the genre.” (Lambert Smits, keysandchords.com)
They also sing about Time Machines, birds and helicopters.
Formed in Portland, Oregon in 2007 and based on the songs of Dustin Hamman, Run On Sentence involves a rotating cast of musicians but most frequently is the core duo of Dustin (Guitar/Vocals) and Drummer Dan Galucki. Though the lineup shifts frequently, Dustin is always front and center, sharing his unique blend of intimate lyrics and dynamic musical amalgamations, often consisting of elements of Soul, Folk, Psych, Rock and Country. Over the years, Run On Sentence has shared members and stages with amazing Portland bands like Loch Lomond, The Builders and The Butchers, Laura Gibson and Wooden Indian Burial Ground. They’ve also been blessed to share the stage with some of their favorite national artists like, Rodriguez and Vic Chesnutt. The duo version of Run On Sentence will be performing at the Sou’wester on Sunday, August 27th.
This event is free and open to the public.
Flamenco is an improvisational art form that combines song, dance, instruments (mainly guitar), hand clapping, and other percussion elements. Declared a World Heritage Treasure by UNESCO in 2016, Flamenco developed as an amalgamation of centuries of cross pollination between the many cultural presences within Spain and along Spanish trade routes. While it’s precise history is unknown, it is thought to be greatly influenced by the Roma people, called Gitanos, who migrated from Rajasthan to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries, bringing with them tambourines, bells, castanets and a variety of songs and dances. The arm and hand movements of Flamenco closely resemble those of classical Indian dance. These traditions combined with the cultures of the Sephardic Jews and Moors make up the Flamenco we see today.
This event is free and open to the public
Cynthia O’Brien is an artist of many facets — spiritual, musical and intellectual. She is soulful, passionate and easy to connect with, and the songs she shares range from whimsical originals to re-interpretations of ancient folk songs, 70s pop and smoky jazz standards. Her performances include songs about real life, love, regret, inspiration, midlife crises, parenting and contentment.
Cynthia started performing as a child in church, building skills on piano, guitar, ukulele and harp. Following her passion for music, she graduated from USC with degrees in choral conducting and journalism, leading her to be a music critic for Copley Newspapers, covering Los Angeles’ most prestigious operas, orchestras and choral performances. She directed a Spanish-speaking choir, Voces de Amor, in uplifting concerts for nonprofits serving Latino communities. Cynthia and her husband, Michael, relocated to the Northwest in 1996 to lead a spiritual community. She has since become an influential member of Portland’s music scene, helping build the new nonprofit Youth Music Project in West Linn, where she taught vocal performance, guitar and piano. From being a Copa Girl at Tony Starlight’s Supperclub and Lounge, to singing at weddings and open mics, Cynthia’s mission is to surprise and delight her listeners, mentor young musicians, and build friendships through music.
Chris Frimoth is a multi-instrumentalist and original singer/songwriter who grew up in the Portland area as the son of a minister/clown/radio host, and a writer/clown/wife. Chris is equally at home on keyboard, guitar, ukulele and melodica. Known to many as Chris Taylor, he has been a radio personality in the Portland broadcasting scene, and a DJ and professional emcee for countless weddings and events. Chris is the keyboardist/acoustic guitarist/vocalist for the Portland band HomeBrew; he also played for 13 years in a church worship band and has performed as a soloist throughout the Northwest. Under his Chris Taylor name, he released a solo album in 2012, “In Those Days.” He and his wife, Barb, are busy voiceover artists whose work is regularly heard on radio and television stations and many other multimedia presentations. And to keep things real, Chris is involved in his community as a part-time cashier for New Seasons Market.
As musical collaborators, Cynthia and Chris are collectors and re-imaginers of songs familiar and strange. Their songs aim to cheer you up and calm you down. Having played in a variety of settings from wine bars to street fairs, they most enjoy the intimacy of small venues for the connection they can share with their listeners, creating space to reminisce, imagine, and enjoy a night of calm under the stars.
This event is free and open to the public
With songs as vivid as feature films, Seattle indie-folk duo, The Winterlings
take listeners on
unexpected journeys soaring with astronauts above a warming planet, hitchhiking from Alaska with a
fisherman, fighting beside a female Civil War soldier, and walking deeper into the forest of human
existence. PASTE called their January 2016 release, You Are Acres, “a gorgeous follow-up to their
stunning debut,” and No Depression called their November 2016 album, Poems That Live As People,
“absolutely spellbinding.” Featuring male and female lead vocal and harmonies, guitar, violin, banjitar
and drums, The Winterlings build bonfires of sound to dance and dream beside.
WEEKLY EVENT
Mindfulness Talk with Shanna Gillette
Shanna is a certified yoga teacher, ordained metaphysical counselor and empath. Her journey began as a small child inadvertently discovering deep meditation as an escape from abuse. Having always had an interest in the unseen and unexplained, she began having out of body experiences before learning to speak. Eventually she received a regents scholarship to ASU for religious studies. A series of intense life changing experiences including a serious car accident brought her to the first of several “awakenings,” beginning most notably in 2005. She now helps people through the shift in consciousness we are currently experiencing, assisting them along the path toward self-forgiveness and self-love – the greatest journey of all.
Truly exemplifying her favorite quote from Kahlil Gibran, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,’ she adds, “The journey to wellness is a constantly evolving process where we learn to nurture body and mind beginning with the heart; To truly understand that the most important step to long-lasting good health and harmony isn’t necessarily about sweating our way to perfect abs or contorting our bodies into painful positions. It starts within. It’s about self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love. It’s about learning to accept and respect ourselves wherever we may be. Through the physicality of yoga, we tune into a deeper more expansive space beyond the trivial day to day. We learn that it’s ok to nurture ourselves and to ALLOW our spirits to be happy.”
Shanna received her yoga teacher’s certification at Bryan Kest’s world renowned studio in Santa Monica, CA. She attended Arizona State University for Religious Studies, and is currently studying at the University of Metaphysics Sedona. She is available for private yoga and counseling sessions and can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.gillette
http://www.facebook.com/justbevibration
COST: Suggested $5-10 donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
RSVP: souwesterwellness@gmail.com or call (360) 642-2452
WEEKLY EVENT: YOGA
Candlelit Vinyasa Flow with Shanna Gillette
Drop in to this intermediate evening flow tuning into the breath and out of the chattering mind. Our focus is on balance, relaxation, flexibility, and acceptance of where we are. Fluid movement and creative transitions promote deep and even breathing to strengthen the nervous system and increase circulation to the organs. Binaural soundscapes open the mind to the vibration of universal consciousness. Guided meditation begin and end each class.
Shanna is a certified yoga teacher, ordained metaphysical counselor and empath. Her journey began as a small child inadvertently discovering deep meditation as an escape from abuse. Having always had an interest in the unseen and unexplained, she began having out of body experiences before learning to speak. Eventually she received a regents scholarship to ASU for religious studies. A series of intense life changing experiences including a serious car accident brought her to the first of several “awakenings,” beginning most notably in 2005. She now helps people through the shift in consciousness we are currently experiencing, assisting them along the path toward self-forgiveness and self-love – the greatest journey of all.
Truly exemplifying her favorite quote from Kahlil Gibran, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,’ she adds, “The journey to wellness is a constantly evolving process where we learn to nurture body and mind beginning with the heart; To truly understand that the most important step to long-lasting good health and harmony isn’t necessarily about sweating our way to perfect abs or contorting our bodies into painful positions. It starts within. It’s about self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love. It’s about learning to accept and respect ourselves wherever we may be. Through the physicality of yoga, we tune into a deeper more expansive space beyond the trivial day to day. We learn that it’s ok to nurture ourselves and to ALLOW our spirits to be happy.”
Shanna received her yoga teacher’s certification at Bryan Kest’s world renowned studio in Santa Monica, CA. She attended Arizona State University for Religious Studies, and is currently studying at the University of Metaphysics Sedona. She is available for private yoga and counseling sessions and can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.gillette
http://www.facebook.com/justbevibration
COST: Suggested $10-20 donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
BRING: yoga mat (we will have some available for community use) and a blanket or something warm if needed
RSVP: souwesterwellness@gmail.com or call (360) 642-2452
This is a level 2 class.
Peterson’s solo work reflects the diverse nature of his musical interests; in one set listeners may hear hints of jazz, folk, country, pop, and classic blues mixed together in a way that listeners of any genre can appreciate. www.resolectrics.com
***
Portland indie-folk songstress MAITA’s “focused, American realist psalm…sets her far apart from her indie contemporaries (American Standard Time).” Her debut EP, Waterbearer, is a rallying cry for the quiet warrior, the inquisitive seeker and the fierce lover. Produced by Matthew Zeltzer, mixed by John Askew (Neko Case), and featuring some of Portland’s finest musicians—Dave Depper (Death Cab for Cutie, Loch Lomond), Skip VonKuske (Portland Cello Project), Tucker Jackson (The Minus 5, The Delines), and Matthew Berger (Laura Gibson)—the arrangements on Waterbearer are minimalist yet rich, featuring hypnotic finger-picked guitar patterns flecked with washes of cello and guitar, with MAITA’s haunting melodies and beguiling poetry front and center.
Waterbearer stands as a testament to the beautiful mess that we call life. MAITA is an artist who understands the perilous act of creation and authorship, and we witness her lyrical negotiations of this on Waterbearer—the tenuous line between reverence and doubt, between worship and desecration. Her haunting voice and lush, off-center melodies guide the listener through her musings, at once deliberate and confessional. After years of writing and honing her abilities in private, MAITA has been sharpening her songs on the road, playing over 200 shows—including two month-long European tours—in 2016 and 2017.
MAITA is currently hard at work on her debut full length, which is slated to be released in 2018.
www.maitamusic.com
This event is free and open to the public
WEEKLY EVENT: YOGA
Candlelit Vinyasa Flow with Shanna Gillette
Drop in to this intermediate evening flow tuning into the breath and out of the chattering mind. Our focus is on balance, relaxation, flexibility, and acceptance of where we are. Fluid movement and creative transitions promote deep and even breathing to strengthen the nervous system and increase circulation to the organs. Binaural soundscapes open the mind to the vibration of universal consciousness. Guided meditation begin and end each class.
Shanna is a certified yoga teacher, ordained metaphysical counselor and empath. Her journey began as a small child inadvertently discovering deep meditation as an escape from abuse. Having always had an interest in the unseen and unexplained, she began having out of body experiences before learning to speak. Eventually she received a regents scholarship to ASU for religious studies. A series of intense life changing experiences including a serious car accident brought her to the first of several “awakenings,” beginning most notably in 2005. She now helps people through the shift in consciousness we are currently experiencing, assisting them along the path toward self-forgiveness and self-love – the greatest journey of all.
Truly exemplifying her favorite quote from Kahlil Gibran, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,’ she adds, “The journey to wellness is a constantly evolving process where we learn to nurture body and mind beginning with the heart; To truly understand that the most important step to long-lasting good health and harmony isn’t necessarily about sweating our way to perfect abs or contorting our bodies into painful positions. It starts within. It’s about self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love. It’s about learning to accept and respect ourselves wherever we may be. Through the physicality of yoga, we tune into a deeper more expansive space beyond the trivial day to day. We learn that it’s ok to nurture ourselves and to ALLOW our spirits to be happy.”
Shanna received her yoga teacher’s certification at Bryan Kest’s world renowned studio in Santa Monica, CA. She attended Arizona State University for Religious Studies, and is currently studying at the University of Metaphysics Sedona. She is available for private yoga and counseling sessions and can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.gillette
http://www.facebook.com/justbevibration
COST: Suggested $10-20 donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
BRING: yoga mat (we will have some available for community use) and a blanket or something warm if needed
RSVP: souwesterwellness@gmail.com or call (360) 642-2452
This is a level 2 class.