KALA

Skamokawa Swamp Opera
2023-04-14 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | KALA, 1017 Marine Dr., Astoria, Oregon, 97103, United States
Eclectic Folk, Rock, and Pop

Tickets on sale NOW

Ticket Link: Brown Paper Tickets

Tickets purchased online are held at the door.

Doors open 7pm

Band leader Andrew Emlen, founded folk ensemble Willapa Hills, in 2003, running for 11 years, before the creation of Skamokawa Swamp Opera (SSO.) While Willapa Hills was predominantly folk, SSO veers into the uncharted territory of new wave rock covers produced acoustically, and genres on the other end of the spectrum. Band member Kyleen Austin’s classical opera chops, Jillian Raye’s contemporary underground rock sensibilities, and the pop punk rhythm’s of drummer Erik Friend have dished out a smorgasbord of quirky lovable music, making SSO a household favorite on the banks of the Columbia. And to his great credit, post-pandemic, Emlen now leads SSO into further uncharted territories.

The band now features Andrew Emlen on cello, guitar, mandocello, banjo, and vocals; Kyleen Austin on guitar and vocals; Erik Friend on percussion, mandolin, and vocals; and Wren Hendricks on guitar and vocals. This band is known for their vocal harmonies and unique arrangements for guitar, cello, banjo, mandolin, percussion and voice.

No genre left unturned, well maybe a few— they’ve been a favorite act at the Finnish American Folk Festival of Naselle, and their performance history includes Oregon’s premier music festival, The Pickathon, and their tenure as house band for Portland’s highly popular storytelling stage show, The Seven Deadly Sins. You’ll hear many of their tunes on KMUN radio from their latest album release, Foxglove Streets, with tunes penned by all of the band members.

Austin Rock/Soul Artist Scott Strickland w/ Singer Songwriter Natalie Price
2023-03-24 19:30 - 21:30
Tickets on sale NOW

Ticket Link: Brown Paper Tickets

Tickets purchased online are held at the door.

Doors open 7pm. Cocktails!

Relocating to Austin in 2013, forming the SCOTT STRICKLAND BAND and releasing two critically acclaimed EPs ‘Fly to the Sun: The Eastern Sun Sessions (2015)’, and ‘Try This Love (2016)’, both undoubtedly had comparisons to contemporaries Seal, or Dave Matthews – but trust that if you could sing this way, you would sing this way. Despite his aesthetic, when Strickland’s idiosyncrasies shine through the music, it’s so easily absorbed that one may overlook its sophistication, to that reminiscent of Ritchie Havens, Bill Withers, David Crosby or Joni Mitchell (albeit with a thoroughly modern sound).

Music was a sideline for Strickland, with a graduate degree in filmmaking. When he relocated to Austin, his part time music passion transformed to a full time creative endeavor. He released his first self-titled LP in 2022. Testament to his love of film making, his video accompanying the first track “L.A.” says music journalist Peter Blackstock for Austin 360, “ . . . might be the best video, and song, to come out of Austin in the first half of 2022.”

Scott Strickland – L.A. (Official Video)

Strickland will be presenting an acoustic/electric solo set at KALA, and supporting his tour is Austin singer-songwriter NATALIE PRICE. Texas Music Magazine describes Natalie Price as “one of Austin’s most dynamic new signer-songwriters, just as comfortable dabbling in Americana or folk as she is indie-pop.” You can download her 2019 EP “Through The Fog,” and catch her latest arrangement, “The Island” on NPR’S music blog, where she sings a beautiful new tune, accompanied only by her African thumb piano.

The Tiptons Sax Quartet
2023-03-10 19:30 - 21:30
Tickets on sale NOW

Ticket Link: Brown Paper Tickets

Tickets purchased online are held at the door.

Doors open 7pm. Cocktails!

THE TIPTONS SAXOPHONE QUARTET & DRUMS are an internationally renowned all-female saxophone quartet with drums, celebrating over 30 years as a band.

The Tiptons’ material ranges from micro-Big Band to Gospel, Bluegrass to Balkan, whimsical Chamber Jazz, and nocturnal Funk to Free Jazz Improvisation using saxophones, clarinet, their voices, drums, and inventive percussion to create a genre-busting ‘world soul’ sound. The band takes its name in honor of Billy Tipton, a female-born saxophonist who lived their life as a man in the 20th century to realize their dreams as a professional musician.

The Tiptons have released 13 CDs on labels such as Knitting Factory, New World Records, No Man’s Land and Stockfisch, as well as their own label, Zipa! / Spoot / Sowiesound. Their engaging sound reaches the deepest corners of our musical imaginations with saxophones, clarinet, voice, and drums. On their newest CD ‘COOKBOOK’ (2017), The Tiptons take ingredients from their boundless pantries and spice racks, using flavors inspired by music from New Orleans to Azerbaijan, mixed with tangos, hymns and rollicking sea shanties. You will be entertained by funky grooves and ironic recipes, dynamic improvisations and tasty compositions. COOKBOOK was recorded in Salzburg, Austria, mixed and mastered in Seattle, WA, and is commercially available worldwide on CD and by digital download.

Amy Denio (alto sax, clarinet, voice) is joined by co-leader Jessica Lurie (soprano/alto/tenor sax, voice), Sue Orfield (tenor sax, voice), Tina Richerson (baritone sax, voice) and Xavier Lecouturier (drums, percussion) from Seattle. www.thetiptonssquartet.com
