by I had seen a couple of posters and promos for the Fremont Abbey and Ballard Homestead events, but I had never attended a show at either location before. I didn’t really know how this particular setup of The Round was going to work, but a few hours before I got there, someone told me. The Homestead looks like an old church that has been transformed into a space with a stage and seats to showcase performers, and often features prominent names in local music, as well as local painters and poets, for all to support each other and turn audience members onto those they aren’t familiar with, and hopefully leave the venue a fan of their work.
The stage only included a few amps and the instruments the artists were going to use during Round 132 of the series. On the right side, painter Jana Gering had taken her spot ready to create for the duration of the set. The space filled up quickly as the artists sat next to each other getting ready for the night.
On this night they had Jenn Champion (of S, and former Carissa’s Wierd), Porter Ray, and Sisters on stage. They each played a song, and after all three were done with the round, Shelby Handler came to the stage and recited a poem. This happened about seven times for each, and then they finished singing the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down” altogether.
This was a great way to see each of these artists in an acoustic setup sitting next to each other and interacting with the audience up close. If you get a chance to be a part of one of these, it’s worth it. Check upcoming events at www.abbeyarts.me. Also, Jenn and her band S are playing the Tractor Tavern on May 19th, which you should also definitely consider checking out. More information about that can be found at http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=6388945&pl=tractor.
