We're talking about Seattle Center today, right? Of course a bajillion huge bands have played Bumbershoot and Key Arena over the years, but the lifeblood of this area – as of the city as a whole – is the underrated local bands. Sure, you saw the Pixies on the Bumbershoot main stage in 2004 with several thousand others, but did you see Neo at the EMP Sky Church in 2001, or, I don't know, Red Dress at Bumbershoot in 1970-or-'80-something? (I'm just assuming the description of this photo is accurate, as it's hard to find records of the old festival lineups.) Or are you going to see Shenandoah Davis at The Vera Project next week?
Based on everything I can dig up about the band Red Dress, it seems those of us who came along too late to experience them really missed out. The reviews below are short and sweet, but there's plenty more history and gushing on writer Stephen Tow's web site. You can also check out a special Red Dress edition of Nancy Guppy's Art Zone right here.
"'Local record of the year.' -[illegible]"Faithy! This isn't the first time you've stated my opinion as a qualitative evaluation. I'm flattered. Luckily, not slandered [this time.]. This is a live, noisy record and sound suffers yet . . . of the crop of bands doing cool things in and about our village by the sea, this band is so much more soulful, sophisticated, and unique! Great songs! Hot performances! If they were acid casualties from Tejas, would they be more credible? So Gary doesn't emulate Nick, Iggy, Alice, Morrison, Morrisey or the usual crop. Felix Cavaliere whips 'em all!"
"They kinda remind me of the old Tubes at times . . ."
"Hey, baby, it's the 4th of July!" Digging a little deeper into the lyrics for this X song about fading love - promoted via the giant sticker on this copy of See How We Are - perhaps it's not the most appropriate tune to be cranking in honor of our nation's birthday, but that sort of incongruity di…
