Damien Jurado, Alela Diane @ ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL

Onsale Friday Aug 14, 10am

Damien Jurado: damienjuradomusic.com

“Play on, there’s no such thing as better days,” Damien Jurado sings on “Roger,” the sweeping wash of a song that opens Reggae Film Star, his 18th full length album and second release from Jurado’s own Maraqopa Records label. But as he enters his 25th year as a recording artist, it’s clear these are, at the least, very good days for Jurado on the creative front.

In these 12 songs, which evoke half-recalled dreams and overheard conversations, the cosmic rushes headlong into the autobiographical and specific moments on the clock fade from past to future to scenes set only in the eternal now. Playing out like a backlot documentary filmed on the location of an unnamed TV or film set—maybe a sitcom taping, or perhaps it’s a low budget science fiction B-movie, or could it be a talk show?—the album is populated by performers awaiting call times, camera operators praying for their shot, and studio audiences rapt with anticipation.

The stars here eschew glitz and glamor. Instead, they wander grocery stores and parking lots in the verdant Pacific Northwest and the desert Southwest, looking for payphones and a sense of purpose. Produced by Jurado with multi-instrumentalist Josh Gordon and recording engineer Alex Bush at Sonikwire studio in Irvine,CA, Jurado’s home away from home and musical headquarters, the record’s compositions are among the most musically rich in his vast discography, encompassing romantic AM gold, ‘60s psychedelia, driving rock & roll, Latin shuffles, and left of the dial ambiance. Strings swell, melodic bass bubbles, and piano sparkles, undergirding Jurado’s unmistakable voice, at once intimately present and ghostly, grounded in the here and now but capable, at any moment, of drifting off into the divinatory.

Following threads established by 2021’s The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania, the album sees Jurado embracing his auteur era, penning vignettes that arrive with little fanfare and depart quicker than you might suspect, only to linger long after they wrap. Seeking a skeleton key to decipher the action is beside the point—Jurado’s songs are worlds meant to be lived in, not picked apart—but on the beatific single “What Happened To The Class Of ‘65?” the singer imagines himself as both the viewer and the viewed, the eye behind the camera and its subject. This emotional and spiritual transference animates Reggae Film Star. Like a masterful director, Jurado offers motivation to the listener, staring unblinkingly from the mise-en-scène in your mind. “Look into the camera,” he commands on “The Day Of The Robot,” “One more time with anger/And sadness/I believe you.”

A quarter-century in, Jurado remains gripped by his visions and driven by an unmatched creative drive. Reggae Film Star is one of Damien Jurado’s finest works to date, a stunning new feature from one of indie rock’s most cinematic figures. Here on this sound stage, you are the camera, you are the scene, you are the setting, and you are the viewer. Please try not to blink." -Jason P. Woodbury

with special guest:

Alela Diane: aleladiane.com

More than a decade into one of contemporary folk’s most quietly extraordinary careers, Alela Diane returns with Who's Keeping Time? on May 22 via Fluff & Gravy / Loose Music. 

The Portland songwriter’s seventh full-length came as the consequence of intuition, coincidence, and community. “I came to the end of a season last year,” Alela shares. “My daughters had grown a bit. I no longer had babies waking me in the middle of the night. I could hear myself think again.” More and more, those thoughts circled music. 

The ultimate spark for Alela’s return to her music community came in April of last year with the death of her close friend and mentor Michael Hurley — folk legend and indispensable presence in the Portland music scene. Tracked live in the attic of her 1892 Victorian home, Who’s Keeping Time? was produced by Sam Weber (Madison Cunningham, Anna Tivel) and brought to life with staples from the local music orbit, including members of the bands Lucius and Blind Pilot and fellow singer-songwriters Anna Tivel and AC Sapphire. 

Over the years, Alela's lustrous discography has gathered major critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR Music, The Guardian, and plenty more. UNCUT counted her work in their ambitious “50 best singer-songwriter albums” of all time roundup—a canon comprising John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Paul Simon—with Consequence echoing that significance, declaring, “Hers is a timeless sound, that of a wayfaring troubadour, which only seems to come a few times a generation.”

@ St Mark's Cathedral, Seattle

6:30p doors, 7:30p show

All ages, some seating available

Bar w/ ID (Alcohol Bar Profits to local music & nonprofits thanks to the generosity of our local sponsors)

Elixir bar, local beer, wine, cider, snacks, etc.

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CATHEDRALS CONCERTS SERIES

PRESENTED BY ABBEY ARTS, SEATTLE

An open floor concert experience, quiet picnics welcome, no outside alcohol allowed. Seating available including chairs, benches, and some floor space around the stage area.

We recommend bringing cushions and even blankets if you'd like. Audience can sit or lay down anywhere around the stage as space allows (floor space is not reserved).

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EVENT & VENUE INFO:

• St Mark's is ADA Accessible. Wheelchair seating area is to the left of stage near the front.(Email boxoffice@fremontabbey.org with questions)

• Service animals as defined by the ADA are allowed. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

• We are an all ages venue. Kids 10 & under are free at most Abbey Arts events.

• St. Mark's has a pay-to-park lot. More parking information is available here.

• Purchasing a ticket with us indicates sharing your email and we may send you occasional new show listings or other newsletter fun from Abbey Arts. You can opt out easily anytime. For events produced in collaboration with third-party curators or co-promoters, we may share attendee email addresses with those specific partners on events they are curating. We will never sell your email or data.

SEATING:

• Open seating except reserved front rows chairs & benches.

• To create a "giant living room" effect we offer an unusual concert experience with informal seating on the floor up front surrounding the stage and lots of pews, benches, and chairs around the space.

• We highly recommend you bring blankets and cushions to create a more comfortable experience whether sitting on the floor or seats. Quiet and non-messy snacks/picnics are allowed. No outside alcohol please.

• For best sound, arrive early for center floor area and any area on stage not marked with signage. You can also sit all around the back of the stage if you like but sound will be a bit limited there.

QUIET POLICY:

• Please refrain from talking or texting during the show

• Please silence all devices. Turn off vibrate, rings, etc. If you need your phone on vibrate for specific reasons, please keep it close to you and not on a hard surface that will distract your neighbor.

• If arriving late, please be advised that ushers may hold doors during each song due to acoustics of the space.

• Please refrain from talking during the show.

• Please enter quietly if the show has already begun.

• NO CAMERAS WITH MECHANICAL SHUTTERS (This goes for Press too unless approved to photograph during applause only.) That means silent digital cameras/photos are ok but we really recommend you enjoy most of the show through your own 'retina screens'.

• You probably get the idea, this isn't a loud party venue. :-)

• Anyone exhibiting loud or disruptive behavior during the event will be asked to leave.

• **We are unable to provide a separate soundproof room for viewing this event. These shows are very very pin drop quiet so please consider that when deciding what ages are appropriate. No cry room available at this venue and even voices in the lobby will be heard in the concert space.

SOCIALS:

• Use #seattlecathedrals and tag @abbeyarts on Instagram or Facebook, @fremontabbey on Twitter