It’s pretty common around here for bands to form in Bellingham and then move to Seattle. If we’re lucky, though, the connection to their roots stays strong. Serafima and the Shakedowns are a great example of this phenomenon.
The three founding members — singer Serafima Healy, guitarist Sam Burrows, and bassist Joe McPhee — were all DJs at KUGS-FM while attending Western Washington University. Healy wanted to make sure they all had a way to hang out once they weren’t DJ-ing anymore, and suggested they start a band. That plan worked out pretty well! They’re now based in Seattle but make frequent return visits. On Sunday, May 5, they’re at the Blue Room as part of that venue’s ongoing Sunday afternoon folk club series.
When they were DJs, Healy played country and western and Burrows had a Grateful Dead show, which conveniently gives you some idea of the sorts of sounds their band works with. (McPhee was spinning Celtic music, which I don’t hear as much in their sound, but you get the idea.) The traditional country sound is at the forefront, but they’re not afraid to bring in other influences as well.
The band recently added drummer Jules Tennyson (also a member of Biblioteka and Pantsuitguy) to fill out the sound. So far they just have two songs out, but they’ve already made plans to record an album this fall. The music may have a classic feel to it, but the lyrics take plenty of contemporary turns, and investigate modern issues with a sense of humor.
The Sunday afternoon shows start at 3 p.m., and this one also features local Celtic duo The House Wrens and San Francisco-based singer-songwriter Mae Powell. Put on your dancing boots and head on down to see the Blue Room become a honky tonk for the afternoon.
News
The music lineup for the NW Tune Up festival dropped this week. Headliners are jammy bluegrass group Yonder Mountain String Band on Friday, July 12, hip hop veteran Lupe Fiasco on Saturday, July 13 and the DJ and producer RJD2 closing things out on Sunday, July 14. My sentimental favorite among the rest of the bill is the Cambodian psychedelic pop of Dengue Fever, who headline the first show I ever went to in Bellingham, at the old 3B Tavern the night of my bachelor party in 2001. One new feature of the festival this year is that non-bikers can purchase music-only single day tickets, so if you want to see just one of these acts, it’s a lot more accessible.
When Sean Meyer died from cancer earlier this year, it left a hole in the hearts of many in the local music scene. Doing their best to honor his spirit and talent, his bandmates in the Spine Readers have been preparing to release their final album this year, and they’ve hit upon a way to do it that will pay tribute to Sean while giving all of us a beautiful way to remember him. The album, “Lab Results,” will be coming out on vinyl this summer with gorgeous cover art by Sean.
In the meantime they’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign with a twist: They’re only asking $15 for the LP (but encouraging fans to give more), with all proceeds above expenses to be donated to Bellingham Public Schools to support music education programs in Meyer’s honor. The songs on the album have already been released as a series of singles last year, but the purchase will also include a sizeable digital collection of previously unreleased bonus tracks. I’m very much looking forward to seeing and hearing this one.
The Unknowns are headed to Europe! They’re off to Belgium, Denmark, and Norway in July, bringing their beautiful harmonies and unique blend of jazz, folk and pop to international listeners (who I suspect will be highly impressed). Are they the first local group to tour overseas since the pandemic? I think they just might be.
North Country Highway are gearing up to release their debut album, “What Got Us Here.” They’ll have an album release party on May 16 in the Boundary Bay beer garden. I’ve had a sneak preview of the album and can vouch for its quality. If you enjoy music at the intersection of country, rock and folk, this is a band you’re going to want to pay attention to.
Jesse Stanton's music column, The Beat Goes On, and his compilation list of live music events in Whatcom County appear weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled.
