Rosalie Matsumoto and Zak Cook started making music as Lonely Together in 2018. Now they’ve got a new five-song EP called “Coping Mechanisms” and will celebrate it with a show at The Blue Room on Friday, Sept. 9. Cook sings and produces the beats, Matsumoto adds keyboards and vocals, and they are joined live by Tyler Teuber on electric guitar. They do all the recording, engineering and mixing themselves.
The band’s sound is basically contemporary alternative pop, but with a wide range of other influences including hip-hop, R&B and rock. Although most of their songs have the sort of beats that would make them work for Friday night dance parties, the lyrics and vocal melodies incorporate melancholy and serious subjects. The title of the EP is a reference to all the ways people cope with challenging events and situations, and that topic comes up throughout several of the songs.
Lonely Together has some neat shows lined up for the next few months, including opening for B.o.B. at the Wild Buffalo on Wednesday, Sept. 14, but they are pulling out all the stops for Friday night. They’ll have new merchandise and art available, and a powerful lineup of guest stars, including performances by TeZATalks and Poison Jams, with CHVRNS acting as the emcee for the night.
A lot of the local music scene is dominated by either rock or folk/Americana. I don’t hear many local groups who are making straight-up modern pop music. Lonely Together is doing it with remarkable skill and with real attention to the emotional components. If that sounds interesting to you, head to the show, or look for “Coping Mechanisms” on all the major streaming platforms starting Friday.
The Folk Second Sundays at Menace Brewing are making a return from a long hiatus. This is an event designed to create an opportunity for musicians (and the occasional storyteller or poet) to perform in front of a supportive, attentive audience. Evan Ingalls will perform at the first installment.
Speaking of returning engagements, there was an open jam night that was just starting to get running at The Local when the restaurant went out of business. The jam session has now moved to the Blue Room, taking place around 8 p.m. on Thursdays, after the venue’s regular open mic. Amps and drums will be available, so musicians are encouraged to show up and see what happens.
Wednesday night jazz at Bar Cicotti has been going well and will be continuing through the end of September.
In disappointing news, I was sorry to hear Fossil Fire has gone on indefinite hiatus. “Luna,” their debut LP from last year, showed some real promise, so hopefully the members will all be going on to good things.
Live music calendar
Wednesday, Sept. 7
Bar Cicotti: 6 p.m., Kid’Sax Ensemble (jazz)
Big Stick BBQ: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Juxt: 8:30 p.m., Invitational Open Mic
Kulshan Trackside: 6 p.m., Petty or Not (Petty/Fleetwood Mac tribute)
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Whistle Lake Jazz Quartet
Thursday, Sept. 8
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic and Jam Session
Boundary: 5 p.m., Marie, The Band; 8 p.m., Kit “Stymee” Stovepipe
Honeymoon: 8 p.m., Yin with Ini (“folk grunge”)
Hotel Bellwether: 6 p.m., Jasmine Greene (blues/R&B)
Kulshan Trackside: 5:30 p.m., Hopnotic (jazz/funk)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Boiz House, The Inturn b2b Salleymane, Cat Passidy, Samadhi Flow (electronic)
Friday, Sept. 9
Aslan: 8 p.m., Dead End Rhythm Section (jam rock)
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Lost At Last (classic rock)
Beach Store Cafe: 6 p.m., Groove Doctors (classic rock)
Bellewood: 6 p.m., Virginia Rail (bluegrass)
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Lonely Together, TeZA Talks, Poison Jams (pop/hip-hop)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Wayne Hayton
Boundary: 6 p.m., Hopnotic
Fireside: 7 p.m., Young Kidz
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., The Moving Hats (Irish/folk)
Jack’s BBQ: 8 p.m., Odd Mood Jam Band
Shakedown: 9 p.m., The Scoffs, Kid on Fire, Iggy Poop (punk)
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., J.P. Falcon
Vault: 7 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Sam Lachow, Nestra, Devin Luna (hip-hop)
Saturday, Sept. 10
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., Fantasy Band
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Sunflower, The Enthusiasts, The Field Boats (folk/rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Free Harmony (classic folk/rock)
Conway Muse: 7:30 p.m., Luther Schutz Quartet (vocal jazz standards)
Eagle Haven: 6 p.m., Mama Dirty Skirt (rock and roll/country)
Farmstrong: 5 p.m., Sweetwood, Eden
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Sonja Lee Band (jazz/blues)
Fireside: 3:30 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Gateway1890: 7:30 p.m., Ron Hardt
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Quickdraw String Band (old time/folk)
Karate Church: 8 p.m., Drayton, Muppet Fetish, Proud Failures (punk)
Make.Shift: 7:30 p.m., Cat Valley, Sea Cats, Cat Positive, Ketamine Cat (rock)
Main Street: 9 p.m., NorthstaR (classic rock)
Menace: 3 p.m., Evan Ingalls (folk)
Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., David Francis Swing Band
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Naughty Blokes (rock)
Silver Reef Casino: 8 p.m., The Commodores (R&B legends)
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., Penny Stinkers (classic rock)
Station 49: 3 p.m., Jack Benson Band
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Valentino Khan, Frida K, Ricky Ticky, WINZLO (electronic)
Sunday, Sept. 11
Beach at Birch Bay: 1 p.m., The Replayzmentz (classic rock)
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Eagle Haven: 1 p.m., For What It’s Worth (classic rock)
Kulshan Sunnyland: 5 p.m., ELK (jam rock)
Kulshan Trackside: 3 p.m., The Devillies (Irish folk)
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Ron Bailey and the Tangents (classic rock)
Monday, Sept. 12
Kulshan Sunnyland: 6 p.m., One Lane Bridge (classic rock)
Wild Buffalo, 8:30 p.m., Tai Verdes (pop)
Tuesday, Sept. 13
Beach at Birch Bay: 6:30 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Ranch Room: 8 p.m., Michael Dayvid
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.
