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October 30, 2004

Slim Cessna's Auto Club / Legendary Shack Shakers at the Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA - Thursday, October 28, 2004

Mighty is the powerful band that can make me leave my happy home and the creature comforts of my three cats and venture out into the cold. We're talking strong stuff indeed! But the double bill of Slim Cessna's Auto Club and Th' Legendary Shack Shakers was too powerful to resist. Equal parts tent revivalism and old time blues, these are two of my favorite bands on the circuit right now, and they made my trip to the cold dark capitol of the Northwest completely worthwhile.

We flew up to Seattle for no other reason than to see these two bands together, but decided to make a bit of a holiday out of it by staying for 24 whole hours - a record-breaking vacation for us. We splurged and stayed at Kimpton's Hotel Monaco Seattle - this is a beautiful hotel and I highly recommend it - the whimsical decor was warm and welcoming and lifted my spirits, considering that it was about 51 and raining the entire time we were there. The pet-friendly hotel ensures that you'll meet lots of critters in the hotel, and if you don't bring your own pet (we didn't), they give you a goldfish to keep you company (ours was named "Charito," or "little Charo" for all you gringos out there). The first day we rented a car but ditched it almost immediately for a walking tour of the Space Needle (the Space Needle Cam lets you see that it's foggy and raining all the time!), Experience Music Project, Sci Fi Museum, and Pike Place Market (via a cable car in the rain). After a quick nap and hot showers, we cruised by Doc Maynard's (where the Irish Brothers had played last weekend) in Pioneer Square, scarfed down some pizza, and drove over to Ballard, where the Tractor Tavern is located. My imperfect radar meant that we only got a little lost, despite Big Kev's directions, MapQuest, and a host of other directional aids. But we made it!

The Tractor Tavern is one of those legendary places where everyone has played. It's a cross between Alex's Bar and the Doll Hut with a vibe all it's own. Some people like to take a motorhome across America, visiting the sites; I like to visit famous bars.

Despite the rain outside, the club was warm inside (with coat check! one of my favorite things!) and despite the smoke (yes, you can smoke in Seattle clubs), we inched up close to the stage so I could get pictures for all you folks (I'm nothing if not dedicated).

Slim Cessna's Auto Club opened the night, although either band could have opened - they are equally matched for brilliance. The crowd seemed eager to see them, as it appears it's been four years since SCAC were in Seattle. Ripping through almost all the new songs on their cd, "The Blovdy Trvth Peace Tenent", Slim and Munly managed their special brand of gospel, yodel, country, preaching, and dancing (although only the spiritual kind, while possessed of the Holy Ghost).

Th' Legendary Shack Shakers were up next, with their usual brand of hoedown (or should I say "lodown"?) hillbilly hijinks and Southern Goth mayhem. Like Flannery O'Conner on crack, but in a good way. And the Colonel JD may be the only man I know that can - and does - wear lederhosen. Yes, folks it's a carnival for the senses, it's the sense of the carnival in all of us. You will want to give up all you own and join the band, or at least the street team, when you hear Th' Legendary Shack Shakers.

After the show, I bought all the merch they had (well, all the merch I didn't already have). Munly even convinced me to buy his two-cd set, Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots, which is by far the scariest cd I have ever owned. I will only listen to it during daylight, and the accompanying dvd of "images" is really intense. Faulkner meets Harper Lee meets Cormac McCarthy, if you know what I mean. And if you don't know what I mean, be glad. The cd is very good, really.

I don't know how to describe the music of these two bands - country Goth seems too simple - tent revival hillbilly seems to complex. And yet, there is something going on with these bands that is wonderful in its energy and dangerously interesting in its lyrical reliance on old-time religion. As a writer, I'm told I overanalyze everything, so I'll let the music speak for itself. If you're intrigued (and you should be), find the cds or go to the websites and take a listen. See if you think these bands are worth a trip to Seattle.

Posted by DJWanda at October 30, 2004 11:57 PM