PHOTOS, VIDEO, REVIEW, & WRAPUP INTERVIEW WITH PETE CAPPONI @ PIZZA FEST VI, DAY THREE, EL CORAZON, SEATTLE, WA. 8/8/15 (FURTHERMORE NOT SO MUCH SAFE FOR WORK)

We've made it to Day Three of all that is Pizza Fest VI -- Seattle's very own annual celebration of pizza, punk rock, and PBR's that has become a musical tradition in our town each summer. From humble beginnings, it's grown to be a multi-day, multi-venue festival featuring some of the best garage-grown local and national bands around, capped off by a pizza-eating contest that is only for the bravest of souls and the hardiest of stomachs. I don't know what you'd want more in entertainment, people, because Pizza Fest is the apex of FUN. OK, now I want to form a Planet Of The Apes-themed band called Ape X and play Pizza Fest next year. GOALS!

Get ready to scroll, click, n' roll through the MASSIVENESS of Day Three and my interview with Pizza Fest guru Pete Capponi!! Also, if you are like me and like to do things in chronological order, check out coverage of Day One and Day Two first, and THEN read on!

Matt Nyce of wimps enjoying pizza at Pizza Fest VI.

Saturday was bustin' busy for me as I had to go see about a guy, so got to the El Corazon too late to see openers, local werewolves Wolfgang Fuck. Maybe they will forgive me and let Ape X open for them someday. Or maybe they will just rip me to shreds. You can't tell with werewolves. Anyway, they will have recorded music available soon, and I know you want it, as do I.

I really, really dug Chicago's Uh Bones, who had just the kind of fuzzy, nasty three-chord '60s-style garage songs that form my DNA, and cause my head to nod and my feet to hop like I had a grave neurological disorder. I would go see them everyday.

Guitarist Kenny rocked his glasses right off his face at one point during their set. Being the kind soul, sympathetic severe myopic, and fellow wimps fan that I am, I handed them back to him right away. After I took a picture of the glasses, of course.

Uh Bones, Pizza Fest VI, El Corazon, Seattle, WA. 8/8/15 Flickr set

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PHOTOS, VIDEO & REVIEW: PIZZA FEST VI, DAY TWO, CHOP SUEY, SEATTLE, WA. 8/7/15 (ALSO NOT ENTIRELY SFW)

Woo-eee, babies! That's right, sit tight: it's time for more mesmerizing MEDIA-RICH coverage of all that is PIZZA FEST VI, featuring some of the best punk, garage, psych, and power pop bands this nation provides! Also -- and this is vital to understanding the spirit of Pizza Fest -- there is PIZZA, for PIZZA is EVERYTHING! My friend and creative colleague AJ Dent handled duties for Day One of this 3-day extravaganza at The Funhouse. and I insist that you view her stellar work RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. I'll wait here with Shannon and Jordan of Gazebos while you're gone.

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WASN'T THAT FRIGGIN' GREAT?? Yes, it was! OK, so now we are up to Day Two, moving over to the newly-renovated Chop Suey for another round of gooey goodness! Because I was enjoying myself at Day One the night before, I got to the venue a little late and missed Patsy's Rats, which you must admit is a fine band name. Please patronize their Bandcamp and buy their summer-shiny brand new single...which is not a cover of "Ben," by the way.

Next on the bill was Susan, which was not at all Susan Boyle, and was instead three youthful ladies from Los Angeles whose identical outfits and beachy-keen garage bop made me want to skip school with them so we could hang out on the sand with the cute bad boys and eat french fries. What? It could happen.

Susan, Pizza Fest VI, Chop Suey, Seattle 8/7/15 Flickr set

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PHOTOS, VIDEO, AND REVIEW: PIZZA FEST VI, DAY ONE, THE FUNHOUSE, SEATTLE, WA. 8/6/15 (NOT ENTIRELY SFW)

(Ed. - I am SO SO SO SO SO SO excited to begin bringing you coverage today of PIZZA FEST VI, Seattle's premier punk pizza party, which took place August 6-8. We start off now with Day One at the newly-relocated and reopened Funhouse, and the fabulous AJ Dent is onboard for Popthomology with her pithy review and spectacular photos so I could take some videos and take it (relatively) easy that night! Thank you, AJ -- you rule! Enjoy!)

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VIDEO: BERNIE SANDERS @ THE COMET TAVERN, SEATTLE, WA. 8/8/15

Yesterday, I was able to partake in a remarkable opportunity: the chance to hear 2016 presidential candidate and U.S. Senator (VT) Bernie Sanders speak at a small gathering of grassroots supporters (like me) at The Comet Tavern in Seattle's Capitol Hill. Earlier in the day, things did not go as planned on Senator Sanders' visit to our town at Westlake Plaza, which you can read about here. But bringing in a capacity crowd to the Alaska Airlines Arena later in the evening of 12,000 (plus 3000 others who stood outside the arena) surely made the day end on a better note.

For all the people who did not get to hear what Senator Sanders had to say, here is his entire speech given at the Comet. Thank you for listening.

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PHOTOS & VIDEO: JOE "KING" CARRASCO, THE FANCY LADS, RADIOSHARK @ EL CORAZON, SEATTLE, WA. 7/31/15

AY YI YI YI YI! VAMOS Y GET DOWN!!!!

This was my reaction when I found out that my "Nuevo Wavo" hero Joe "King" Carrasco would be coming to Seattle! I've been a fan of Joe's since 1981, when I heard "Gimme Sody, Judy" being played at a Madison, WI. record store, promptly bought the Hannibal Records LP it was on, and then bought tickets to see him play soon afterward. His music, sparse, fun, and Farfisa-fueled, reminded me of all my fave Tex Mex garage songs from the '60s from Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, the Sir Douglas Quintet,  and ? and the Mysterians. It was exactly what I needed to counteract '80s hair metal, twee British synth pop, and the last dredges of dreaded disco. Some of the very best times I've ever had were at Joe shows, and that's a fact, vato. So OF COURSE I went on over to the El Corazon last week to see my ol' pals and have another great night out!

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KARAOKE PHOTOS & FESTIVAL PREVIEW: PIZZA FEST VI, SEATTLE, WA. AUGUST 6-8, 2015

(Thank you to the wonderful AJ Dent for providing Popthomology with this preview of the music fest of the year, which is PIZZA FEST VI ! AJ will also be covering Day One which is TONIGHT at the Funhouse in Seattle!)

If pizza doesn’t make you wanna party, there are many things wrong with you I don’t care to know about. Stay home this weekend and rethink your choices.

For the rest of earth’s population, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night all offer a supreme slice of life: Pepped-up Pete Capponi and homeslice Elaine Grabicki present Pizza Fest VI, the bash that best devours your ears and plays hopscotch on your tastebuds.

This year’s chaos kicks off Thursday, August 6th at the recently revived Funhouse, fitting for all the clowns and gowns sure to be flitting about. Day two jumps over to the beloved circus tent known as Chop Suey, and the fiesta concludes Saturday at El Corazon. Of course, the debauchery would not be complete without the annual pizza-eating contest that night! Get there to experience the pool of grease, grins, and groans. Last year’s showdown sold out, so snag your tickets now, ya slob!

Day 1: Thursday, August 6th - The Funhouse

CHILDBIRTH

Heaters

Full Toilet

Donzis

Bod

Pizza Riot

With DJ Peter Lowe

Day 2: Friday, August 7th - Chop Suey

Mean Jeans

Useless Eaters

Gazebos

The Gooch Palms

Scraper

Susan

Patsy's Rats

With DJ Some Girls and DJ Burnt Zza

Day 3: Saturday, August 8th - El Corazon

NOBUNNY

Wimps

White Mystery (Chicago)

Zig Zags (LA)

Courtney n' the Crushers (Oakland)

Steal Shit Do Drugs

Baus (Oakland)

Uh Bones (Chicago)

Wolfgang Fuck

DJs Ruben Mendez, Travis Ritter, and Jermaine Blair

Last night, the pre-fest kicked off with a special PIZZA FEST VI version of ggnzla karaoke at Capitol Hill's Speckled & Drake bar, complete with prizes and an appearance by one of Saturday night's featured bands, White Mystery! (Ed. -- I think the best moment was Travis Ritter's version of Elvis Costello's "What's So Funny 'Bout  Pizza, Love, and Understanding.") Here's some photos of the celebratory songbirds!

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PHOTOS & VIDEO: STALLION, UBU ROI @ CHOP SUEY, SEATTLE, WA. 7/30/15

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'D LIKE TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CENTER RING, A.K.A THE DEN AT SEATTLE'S ONE AND ONLY CHOP SUEY! ON THE NIGHT OF 30TH OF JULY IN THE YEAR 2015, A MOMENTOUS DATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE, AN EPIC SHOWDOWN MANIFESTED ITSELF IN THE FORM OF A ROCK N' ROLL BATTLE STARRING YOUTHFUL GARAGE BRATS UBU ROI AND LEGENDARY WORLD CHAMPION WRESTLING PUNKS, STALLION! THESE FEROCIOUS FREAKS GAVE THEIR ALL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR PIZZA FEST 2015, THE GREATEST PIZZA-EATING PUNK FESTIVAL OF ALL TIME, HAPPENING THIS WEEK! HERE'S THE LOW-DOWN IN TWO ROUNDS!

The pop paparazzi was out in force as fans crowded around Stallion's classic white Mercedes-Benz, hoping for a quick glance at Hollywood Capponi, Luscious Luke, and Mr Dynamite Lance Strongarm as they entered the building, all swagger and strut, followed by glamorous Towel Girls Sunny Dee and Choo Choo. I've heard rumors that some members of local combo SSDD may have been indulging in a game of street dice at this time, but no one's copping to it.

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PHOTOS: WIMPS @ THE CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS, SEATTLE, WA. 7/14/15

Ahoy and avast ye landlubbers! OK, now that we have all the nautical lingo I know out of the way, let's put away our scrimshaw for a moment to enjoy these photos of salty sailors, wimps! Brought to us lucky listeners by Do206 and Goose Island Brewery, Rachel, Matt, and Dave played their little hearts out while we concurrently enjoyed refreshing beer and tasty burgers hot off the grill in the glorious early evening sunshine at the completely charming Center For Wooden Boats.

To my knowledge, no one was forced to walk the plank into Lake Union, the Coast Guard was not alerted, there were no creepy fake pirates with stuffed parrots in attendance, and the Love Boat is making another run, somewhere.

Click on the photos to enlarge and clink on the Flickr set link if you wanna!

wimps, The Center For Wooden Boats, Seattle Flickr set 7/14/15

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PHOTOS: SSDD, SPIN CYCLE RECORDS, SEATTLE, WA. 7/15/15

How do you fit a big pile o' punks into a rather compact record store in Capitol Hill? Well, you don't quite, but no matter -- the overflow crowd at Spin Cycle Records there to see SSDD (Steal Shit Do Drugs) spilled out onto the sidewalk and caught the vibe from there. Everyone was in great spirits to help SSDD (Kennedy Carda, vocals; Erika Mayfield, bass; Pete Capponi, drums; Kimberly Morrison, guitar) celebrate the release of "First Comes Money," their debut cassette recording on Help Yourself Records. Buzz is HIGH for SSDD and it's well-deserved -- they are not EFFING AROUND, and you can hear that for yourself on "First Comes Money." Frontman Carda, in the spirit of the iconic Iggy Pop, commits 100%, which is something you don't see/hear all that often and it's something I admire and DIG DIG DIG. This is GOOD, and GOOD FOR YOU, people. Buy this cassette and headbang your cares away. That's what I do. SSDD rules.

The band ran through a tight set under the glow of red lights and rosé, and those of us inside the store nodded and moved as best we could under equally-tight circumstances. Click on the photos to enlarge, and click on the Flickr set link should you be so inclined as well. Thanks SSDD, Spin Cycle, and Help Yourself!

SSDD, Spin Cycle Records, Seattle, WA. 7/15/15 Flickr set link

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PHOTOS: WIMPS & THE FAME RIOT @ WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST, SEATTLE, WA. 7/11/15

One of my favorite things about summertime is being able to experience live music outside without getting rained on. Having experienced live music outside in the rain, I can say that it is not my most favorite thing to do, and my camera especially does not care for it. In the spirit of all that is non-moist and melodic, I attended the annual West Seattle Summer Fest for a few hours last Saturday to see old pals wimps and perhaps someday new pals The Fame Riot. It was a successful venture, with only a drop or two of precipitation to threaten my overall well-being, and most excellent music. The Fest was fun, laid-back, family-friendly, yet also had curious items for sale and beer. This is what you want in an outing.

Do you want to know something exciting? The next recording from wimps, "Super Me," is arriving August 7th on Kill Rock Stars! You can buy it with money! Is this not a wonderful world? Thank you, Rachel, Matt, and Dave! Please enjoy pictures of them now! You can click each to make them larger and/or go to the Flickr link to see more!

wimps, West Seattle Summer Fest, Seattle, WA. 7/11/15

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28 WEIRD RECORD COVERS FROM WI. & WA. THRIFT STORES!

HOOOO-EEEE, PEOPLE! Here's a MEGAPOST of more oddball album covers from the dense riches found at several thrift stores in Wisconsin and Washington. Dense...and smelly. Really rather smelly. Please to enjoy!

I believe that after the bunny read the children a story, he ate them all.

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15 CURIOUS ITEMS FROM WISCONSIN THRIFT AND ANTIQUE STORES!

I do apologize for the lack of posts here recently, but I've been in Wisconsin on our annual summer vacation having entirely a lot of fun eating cheese and such. However, I did fit in a few vintage shopping trips, and as always have found some choice items to share with you. Please to enjoy, you betcha!

I strongly considered buying this and giving it to a sworn enemy or myself. Gobble, gobble, one of us!

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PHOTOS & SHOW REVIEW: THE PINIELLAS, THE TWO TENS, TURBULENT HEARTS, & THE HEELS @ THE FUNHOUSE, SEATTLE, WA 6/18/15 BY AJ DENT!

(Ed. note: I'm on vacation in Wisconsin now, so I have the fierce-fab writer and photographer AJ Dent sitting in today -- always an honor to host her work here! I send her a thousand thanks!)

Was the week of June 14th-20th extra difficult, or what? At first I thought it was just in my head,, but the news was full of utter awfulness. Social media feeds of my friends and colleagues were bleak as well, making my heart go out to them so frequently I thought it wouldn’t be able to find its way back.

By the time Thursday the 18th came around, I felt nigh on guilty for my plans to hit a show that night. How dare I try to have a good time with all the abysmal BS flying about?

Well, I soon remembered that places like the Funhouse exist for such times as these. For a few hours, my head was rattled by rock and roll rather than the world’s political, racial, and gender inequalities. It felt fantastic.

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MISS TWELVE'S PHOTOS OF RURAL CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Hello from our annual family visit to Wisconsin! It's a lovely June here, and we are chillin' in the wooded wonderland with my mom right now. For this post, I am sharing some pretty and peaceful photographs from daughter Miss Twelve that she took during a drive through the country. Click on the photos to enlarge (spot the deer and wild turkeys!) and as always, please to enjoy.

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I MADE YOU A CHILDREN'S BOOK NOT FOR CHILDREN: "THE THREE BILLY GOAT A**HOLES" (NSFW)

(Click on the pictures to enlarge if you need to, you old pottymouths.)

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