If the Capitol Hill Block Party didn't shatter your eardrums, you may want to check out a new 5/30 music series opening this Friday at the Open Circle Theater. Over the next five weekends, 30 Seattle and Portland bands are scheduled to appear at Open Circle.
5/30 is the brainchild of Shannon Layden, founder of SafeCrush Productions.
"I scheduled a special event at Open Circle earlier this year and the bands really liked playing there," said Layden. "The way that the venue is laid out, people can really sit and listen. The bands can play as soft or as loud as they want, and they liked not having to compete with chatter from a bar."
When Layden heard that the space would be empty this summer, while Open Circle toured "Red Noses" through local parks, she inquired about renting the space for 5/30. She decided not to have a bar and to turn 5/30 into an all-ages music event.
Bands scheduled to appear over the next five weekends include Vegas in Flames, The Riffbrokers, Grayface, Joshua James & the Runaway Trains, The All American Playboys, Mars Needs Women, The Master Musicians of Bukkake, Hating Hilary, J. Suffering (of Suffering and the Hideous Thieves) and more. Although Open Circle only seats approximately 70 people, there's room on the stage for dancing.
While many of the weekends are scheduled around a theme, like a DJ night, Layden didn't try to stick to any particular theme for the first weekend.
"I did find out that all the Seattle bands tour in July," said Layden about her ambitious project. "I had no trouble scheduling the bands in August, but the first weekend was the toughest to fill, just because so many people were out of town."
The opening night lineup on Saturday, July 30 features the bands Lobe, Old Ghost and Lake of Falcons.
"That's going to be an interesting mix," said Layden. "Truly contrasts. Lobe is very heated, very heavy; Old Ghost is more indie rock; and Falcons tend towards punk."
In August, themes for the evenings run from "roadhouse rock" to "party music, Layden said.
Besides the bands, there will be a SafeCrush merchandise booth featuring products from local artists. Layden started SafeCrush to promote all types of art, not just music. She wants to combine her business experience with her enthusiasm for the local arts scene to create new venues for local artists. After 5/30 closes, her next SafeCrush production will be a film project in the fall.
"This all grew out of the fact that I was playing in a band at night and being a manager by day," she said. "The whole idea is that I'm sick and tired of seeing all these talented people that I knew not able to do their art."
Events like 5/30 can introduce a wider audience to both musicians and the artists featured in the merchandise booth.
"It also gives the artists some deadlines for creating their art," said Layden. "I'd love to see 5/30 become an annual thing."
However, Layden cautions that any such future events depend on the financial success of the next five weekends. "SafeCrush is still an experimental process," and Layden, who has not decided yet what events or projects will be repeated in the future.
5/30 will run Saturday, July 30, through Aug. 28 on Friday and Saturday nights. The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 per night and available night of show at Open Circle Theater, 429 Boren Avenue N. (near Republican St.). For more information, see www.safecrush.com.
Rosemary Jones writes about arts and entertainment for the Capitol Hill Times. She can be reached at healingpgs@aol.com.
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