Remembering A Legend

When I think about George Harrison, it takes a few moments to remember why he was so awesome. Then I recall the first time I listened to “Within You Without You,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Love You Too.” That dude rocked, there’s no other way to put it. Not only was he an incredible songwriter — as seemed to be the trend if you were a Beatle — he was by far one of the most innovative musicians of the century. You have to ask yourself, would the Stones’ “Paint It Black” be nearly as cool if Brian Jones hadn’t heard Harrison’s sitar part on “Norwegian Wood?” Probably not.



After George’s tragic and untimely death in 2001 — at only 58 — the music world suffered a giant blow not unlike the one in the mid-nineties when Kurt Cobain (at the risk of sounding tactless) bit the bullet, and Jerry Garcia followed only a year later. It’s a depressing thing when a musician with such influence dies, like a part of your life is being swept away from you, but it does remind you that music, and therefore his memory, lives on forever. In honoring a fallen artist, nothing is more fitting than a living tribute, and that’s just what George is getting.

Cozmic Pizza will ring out Saturday with the legendary music of our pal George with the George Harrison Tribute Concert. The event was organized by Rob Tobias of Maya Love — a group that Tobias pulled together in 2005 for George’s inaugural local tribute — and the bill also includes Bindaas and the All Things George Choir. The festivities will cover pretty much every era of George Harrison’s music — from his years with the Beatles, through his solo career, and everything else he worked on during the years leading up to his death. Adorning these groups is an assortment of local talent, including but not limited to: Rob Tobias, Jerry Zybach, Jeremy Wegner, Larry Lynch, Tim Miller, Sean Brennan and Ankush Vimawalla.

Bindaas is perhaps the most exciting part of the night, as it will be this duo (Wegner, Vimawalla) covering George’s apprenticeship under sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, as well as the rest of Harrison’s stint studying the traditions of Indian music. Let’s not forget that his time spent soul searching in India eventually gave rise to some of the most innovative and unconventional music of the sixties and decades post.

The All Things George Choir is a choral group that focuses almost exclusively on George Harrison songs, and should prove an interesting highlight as well. It’s tough to imagine further innovations being added to George’s music, but as long as it’s got his style in mind it has to be good.

The most important thing to consider at a tribute show is whether the artist being honored would enjoy it. I’d say George would be down.

The George Harrison Tribute Concert starts at 7 pm Saturday, Feb. 26, at Cozmic Pizza; $10

EW 2/24

Not So Hard On The Ears

Seattle has often been a hub for talented musicians and artists to join, gather influences and produce original results. With the rise of indie music over the last few years, many of these artists have become lost in a sea of names, making it hard to find a band that displays noticeable influences while still maintaining a solid level of originality. The Soft Hills, however, is one Seattle group that achieves this feat seamlessly.



Radiohead’s ambience, Bread’s guitars, a splash of Flaming Lips’ rhythm and some fabulous songwriting skills add up (remarkably) to create that poppy, indie sound that has managed to enchant music lovers and hipsters. The Soft Hills’ second release, Noruz, shows improvement from their older songs in most facets. The songwriting, instrumentation and production are tuned more finely, showing off the experience the group has gained since their debut release. Even fans of the “slop-rock” scene — which to most would include groups like Pavement and Sonic Youth — could find comfort in frontman Garrett Hobba’s vocals, which at times possess a jittery feel not unlike those found with fellow Seattle rockers Girls.

I guess what we’ve learned from all this is that leaving multiple variables open to influence can create a single outcome that isn’t half bad. And for those like me who don’t really understand math: The Soft Hills prove to be a smorgasbord of influences and originality, so don’t be surprised if you hear some familiar sounds shine through. The Soft Hills and The Stagger and Sway play at 9 pm Sunday, Sept. 5, at Cozmic Pizza. $5.

[EW 9/2]
Also scope: Lance Sparks' piece on the Southern Willamette Artisan Wine & Food Celebration HERE.