By Emily Nelson
Out of the cold, rainy dark of Seattle, something sinister is headed to UP this Halloweekend, in the form of…FREE MUSIC.
This Friday night, October 28th, KDUP is opening the Shipstad Lounge to Seattle rock groups Charlie & The Rays and Ruler for what is sure to be a memorable evening of breezy melodies and heart-stopping harmonies.
First on deck is Matt Batey, aka Ruler, whose hook-filled take on folk music has gained him steady buzz in the Northwest indie scene and gained fans like past UP performers Silver Torches and Cataldo, who in an interview at UP last year deemed Ruler “the band everyone should be listening to right now.” With catchy, genre-shattering songs like “Unhindered Place” and “Keep Moving,” Ruler’s acoustic set will surely have something for every musical taste.
Following Ruler will be Seattle buzz band Charlie & The Rays, which started as a three-girl sister act formed by Jordan and Rebecca Stobbe along with Gracia Bridges. Gaining popularity after competing in Sound Off, Seattle’s premier under-21 battle of the bands, the trio expanded, transforming their bluesy sound with the addition of horns, harmonica, and folk-inspired guitar lines. Reminiscent of the best of late 60s folk-rock, Charlie & The Rays have been taking Seattle by storm ever since they formed, starting with a bounty of acoustic covers of everyone from Smokey Robinson to First Aid Kit, with their smoky harmonies at the centerpiece. Their first EP, Black Licorice, was released earlier this year to local critical acclaim. You’re not going to want to miss your chance to catch them while you can – with a relentless touring schedule and dedication to performance, it won’t be long before they’re commanding sold-out stages across the West Coast.
So this Halloween weekend, dare to make the dark and drizzly walk to Shipstad for a cozy night of eclectic, crowd-pleasing tunes with influences broad enough to satisfy the obscurest of the obscure. The only thing to be scared of is missing out on the opportunity to catch these talented up-and-comers for free!