In the summer of last year, the members of the band LipStitch were, like most of us, starved for any sort of musical community. After clearing it with their neighbors, they hatched a plan for an outdoor block party featuring themselves and some of their friends.
Because that was a success, they are doing it again this year. Head over to Moore Street between Carolina and Texas from 2–7 p.m. on Saturday, July 30 to check it out.
LipStitch started out in 2017 as a Joan Jett cover band for the Make.Shift covers show, and you can still hear Jett’s influence in their blend of original sweet-pop melodies and crunchy-loud guitars.
Couple Amanda and Chris Willgins write the songs, sing and play guitars. Amy M. on bass and Cameron Lewis on drums form the rhythm section. Their biggest show so far (and the reason many of you might be familiar with them) was when they were tabbed to open for Death Cab for Cutie and ODESZA for a big show at Civic Stadium a few years ago. They’ve been on a bit of a hiatus but have a new EP in the works as well as a bunch of local shows.
There’s more to the July 30 block party than just the music. The fun will kick off around 2 p.m. with yard games, art displays and maybe some garage sales. The live music starts at 4 p.m. with local indie-pop stalwart Roland Olayvar, followed by Seattle power poppers Skates! After that comes The Wednesdays, marking their first live show in Bellingham in quite some time, before LipStitch finishes it up. The whole show will be over by 7 p.m.
In other local festivities, the York Yard Crawl is also happening this Saturday, July 30. Similar in format to the Sunnyland Stomp, wander around the York neighborhood from 4–8 p.m. There’s also the Old Settlers Picnic in Ferndale, and of course the Mt. Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival at the Deming Log Show grounds.
In sadder news comes word that Uisce Irish Pub is going to be closing in their current space on Commercial Avenue at the end of August. The owners are vowing to try and find a new spot where they can continue on. They haven’t had a ton of live music of late, but when they do it’s always memorable, especially around Saint Patrick’s Day.
Finally, we’ve got two new local albums on streaming services this week. Fans of bluesy, funky rock with plenty of wailing guitar solos will want to check out “Mountains In the Sky” by the Fat James Band. Or, if groovy, bouncy, indie pop/rock is your thing, give “The Story So Far” by Old Town Scouts a shot.
Live music calendar
Wednesday, July 27
Bar Cicotti: 6 p.m., Roger Yamashita and Zach Zenovic (jazz)
Big Stick BBQ: 5 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Blue Room: 9 p.m., The Sun/Aram, Spider Cult, The Hobby
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Downtown Sounds: 6 p.m., Lowdown Brass Band, Mostafa+Live Band
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Juxt: 8:30 p.m., Invitational Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Fidalgo Swing
Seafarers’ Memorial Park (Anacortes): 6 p.m., A’Town Big Band
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Free Harmony (classic rock and pop)
Thursday, July 28
Barkley Market: noon, The Naughty Blokes (rock)
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 5 p.m., Robert Sarazin Blake; 8 p.m., Hot Damn Scandal, Dana Anastasia
Elizabeth Park: 6 p.m., Out of the Ashes (classic rock)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Jam
Hotel Bellwether: 6 p.m., Jasmine Greene (blues/rock)
Kulshan Trackside: 7 p.m., Triple Mood, Checker Bloom
Menace: 6:30 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Mount Vernon Riverwalk: 6 p.m., Mama Dirty Skirt
Shakedown: 9 p.m., AVOID, Dead Lakes, Ashes of Existence (punk)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Twin Sisters: 6 p.m., The Brooders
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Friday, July 29
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., TBA
Bellewood Acres: 6 p.m., Prozac Mountain Boys (bluegrass)
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Ugly Side Up, The Kings
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Uncle Doug
Boundary: 6 p.m., Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons
Burlington Summer Nights: 6 p.m., Cascadia Groove (funk/jazz)
Downtime: 7 p.m., J.P. Falcon Grady
Fireside: 7 p.m., Wicked Timing (acoustic covers)
Gruff: 7:30 p.m., Spine Readers, Melancholia, Boom Boom Thwack
Guemes Island General Store: 6 p.m., Children of the Blues (jazz/blues)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Karen & Orion
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., TBA (jazz/lounge)
Seafarers’ Memorial Park (Anacortes): 6 p.m., Heart by Heart (Heart tribute featuring two original members)
Semiahmoo: 6 p.m., Ron Gerdhardt
Shakedown: 9 p.m., CD-Romance, Phonekid, Eli Canfield
Silver Reef: 7 p.m., Air Supply (sold out)
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., Joe Sunderland
Station 49: 7 p.m., Matt Farris (country)
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
That’s What I Like: 7 p.m., Jeffrey Slough (acoustic covers)
Twin Sisters: 6 p.m., Simon Llewelyn Evans (folk)
Vault: 7 p.m., Jim Marcotte
Saturday, July 30
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., TBA
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Jim Marcotte
Boundary: 1 p.m., Ruby Flambe; 7 p.m., The Purrs, Loose Wing, The Artful Dodgers
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Three for Silver
Farmstrong: 5 p.m., Alligator Soul, Star Drums and Lady Keys
Fireside: 3:30 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Simon Evans (folk)
Guemes Island General Store: 6 p.m., Sway Wild (folk/rock)
Heart of Anacortes: 1 p.m., The Enthusiasts; 6 p.m., Broken Banjo (folk/Americana)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Sabine Colleen
Kulshan Trackside: 5 p.m., The Hookups (Pride afterparty)
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., TBA (jazz/lounge)
Moore St. Block Party: LipStitch, The Wednesdays, Skates!, Roland Olayvar
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Mary Ellen Likens and the CC Adams Band (blues/rock)
Semiahmoo: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., Steve Webb and Great Mad Swirl (Americana/soul/reggae)
Station 49: 2 p.m., Mike Bonds; 7 p.m., Matt Farris (country)
That’s What I Like: 7 p.m., Leo Bootes (blues)
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., Paige Woods and the High Fives (classic rock)
Twin Sisters: 3 p.m., Cardova (R&B/funk); 6 p.m., CraigO’s Planet Groove (psychedelic rock)
Wild Buffalo: 8:30 p.m., Red Fang, Big Business, Gold Sweats (metal)
Sunday, July 31
Beach at Birch Bay: 1 p.m., Dad Co. (Bad Company tribute), Still Kick’n
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Latin Tinge Septet (jazz/Latin)
Gilkey Square (La Conner): 1 p.m., The Walrus (classic rock)
Kulshan Sunnyland: 5 p.m., Lynn Street Ramble (acoustic rock)
Kulshan Trackside: 3 p.m., Three for Silver
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Orville Johnson Band
Riverfront Park (Sedro-Woolley): 6 p.m., The Fabulous Murphtones
Semiahmoo: 4 p.m., J.P. Falcon
Skylark’s: 1 p.m., Raveis Kole (folk)
Monday, Aug. 1
FireHouse: 3:30 p.m., Sweet Tooth (jazz/R&B)
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Countercurrent (traditional folk)
Tuesday, Aug. 2
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Beach at Birch Bay: 6:30 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Farmstrong: 6:30 p.m., Leo Bootes (blues)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., GZA, Mostafa, Ca$h McClane, DJ Clint Westwood (hip-hop)
Before heading out to listen to live music, check with individual venues to make sure the event is still taking place as scheduled.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, runs Wednesdays. Email: jsbhammusic@gmail.com or Twitter: @JSBhamMusic.
