Seismic-Sound Video Review: The Thoughts, Noah Gunderson and Cumulus.

Well Seismic-Sound.com finally stood on its own two legs and threw a show that reflected Seismic Sound 100%.  After a nerve-wracking evening the night before, and very little sleep, I knew it was time to “face the music” shall we say. Knowing that Cumulus had gotten some good press before the show, not to mention a concerted effort on all our parts, I was hoping for a good first show (with a full band). After nail-biting and a couple of whiskey – ginger’s, the set was ready to begin, and in looking around the High Dive, the effort that we all made had paid off. Cumulus or Alexandra herself started things off with two acoustic songs which were simply magical, then the additional pieces of  this brilliant endeavor which make up the rest of the band, joined her for their very first gig performance.  It’s an amazing thing to see music come to life, so when Cumulus broke into their very first song, I think my jaw hit the floor, it was beyond what I expected, and my expectations were high. The beautiful tight sounds coupled with Alexandra’s beautiful voice … not mention her amazing writing brought the crowd alive; and this was our introduction. There is no doubt in my mind that Cumulus is going to be at the forefront of the Seattle music scene, and I am proud that I was the one to give them a platform for them to spread their wings, cause this band is gonna fly.

Noah Gunderson is a well-known artist in the Seattle music scene and if you haven’t gotten the chance to see him live, you’re doing yourself a disservice. After asking Noah to join the bill he made it clear he wouldn’t be playing with his band The Courage, but he would be bringing along Steve Norman (Big Sur), who plays pedal steel. Now I am not sure about you, but I am a HUGE fan of pedal steel, so knowing that Steve Norman would be joining him, made me giddy with delight. I can’t really articulate the enormous talent Noah has, but he can bring the room to a grinding halt (even the High Dive). His incredibly beautiful voice with soul to boot, and heart wrenching lyrics can make a grown man cry. Simply put his set was amazing and I am glad that I have some live video footage, so you can get a sense of what I am talking about.

The Thoughts have been on my radar now for what’s going on almost two years now. I remember sifting through about a hundred bands online one late evening, and seeing what kind of new stuff I could find (a common ritual with me), when I ran across this incredible trio. I couldn’t stop the song I had hit play on, and I wanted to hear more when that was over; so having them agree to headline my very first show, much-less participate was somewhat of a dream come true. Ian Williams, Katie Mosehauer and Jon Horwath are all incredible musicians, so seeing them play and communicate via instrument on stage is a marvel. Ian’s vocal crescendos and  Katie’s beautiful and sturdy swipes of her bow, not to mention the incredible sweeping and plucking of her harp all stirred in with John’s perfect timing,  has created some of Seattle’s most beautiful music. Don’t believe me? Checkout their newest LP “I Won’t Keep You Here”, its beautiful from beginning to end, and watching it come to life onstage that night was amazing, but the cover they did of Devotchka’s “Dearly Departed” in which they dedicated to me was so incredibly beautiful and special (live video footage is below), I couldn’t have asked for a more talented and incredible band to represent our first show. It was the perfect ending to a great evening. Please enjoy performances from the show below. (Watch in HD)