Sep 19 Saturday
Italian acoustic guitar virtuoso Luca Stricagnoli is bringing his acclaimed High Voltage Tour to the Walton Theatre in Bellingham this September as part of a global tour spanning fifty plus cities across fourteen countries.
Stricagnoli is one of the most in-demand touring artists in the acoustic genre, performing reimagined rock classics and mind-bending originals. Regularly performing in more than thirty countries worldwide, his live shows are defined by their consistency and impact, always ending with standing ovations and insistent encore requests. A combination of spectacle and artistry, Stricagnoli’s shows feature his signature self-designed triple-neck guitar. His style is kinetic and multi-layered, where he performs all parts simultaneously — melody, bass, and percussion — to recreate the fullness of a complete band.
Welcomed by KNKX. Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List:” for the Wall Street Journal.
His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.
Pasquale Grasso - It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
In 1902 New York, anything seemed possible. RAGTIME is a uniquely compelling exploration of America at the turn of the 20th century, weaving together three unforgettable stories: a daring Harlem pianist, a determined Jewish immigrant, and an affluent society woman. Each navigates a changing world, united by courage, compassion, and belief in the promise of the future.
With its Tony Award-winning score blending ragtime, blues, jazz, and show tunes, RAGTIME has been hailed by TIME Magazine as “a triumph for the stage,” and by the International Herald Tribune as “the best musical in twenty years.”
In a production marking our nation’s 250th birthday, this beloved epic musical bursts onto the Village stage, painting a vivid portrait of the people who built this country with hope for a brighter tomorrow.
For drag king Benny Dick and femmecee Beatrice, love is a real drag. Thankfully, at Messy Ina’s — the hottest gay nightclub in 1970s Seattle— they’re in good company!
When Claudio returns from protest with Dawn Pedro, he finds himself smitten with Leo Nada’s drag child, Hero. But before these two baby gays can U-Haul their way to a happy ending, Joanne — ex-wife to Claudio and sister to Dawn Pedro — cooks up a devious plot to sabotage their engagement.
Adapted and co-produced by Jo Jo Stilleto, directed by Verity Germaine, and co-choreographed by Flossy Beatrice and Fosse Jack, this delightfully queer adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy features muppet show-style hijinks, lipsyncs for one’s life, and an amount of puns that would make even the most seasoned Dad Joke-tellers groan.
Nduduzo Makhathini is an improvisor, scholar and musicologist at the University of KwaZulu Natal school of the arts with a PhD in music.
Makhathini is also a multi award winning artist and internationally acclaimed musician from Pietermariztburg in KwaZulu Natal. As a bandleader, Makhathini holds 12 albums under his belt and he features on many as a sideman and producer. He is currently signed to the prestigious Blue Note Records in the US and has a busy tourist schedule that keeps him relevant in current jazz practices and discourses. Makhathini has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra, Richard Bona, Hamilton de Holanda, (the late) Zim Ngqawana, Omagugu, Shabaka Hutchings, Black Coffee, Thandiswa Mazwai, Mbuso Khoza and most recently, the WDR Big Band just to name a few of his favourite musicians that he has worked with. Makhathini has also done reputable festivals around the globe.
Currently, Makhathini is performing his recent offering uNomkhubulwane (2024) out on Blue Note Records. uNomkhubulwane is understood to be a mythical rain Goddess who regulates fertility through the language of water. The album is underpinned by an understanding of mythical institutions of Nguni peoples of Southern Africa, their connection to the cosmos and how that relates to ingoma.
Sep 20 Sunday
Supported by KNKX. Touring in support of their new album, Cook. Cook isn't just a nod to Lettuce's musical heat; it's an invitation to join the band at the table, where funk, soul, jazz, rock, and hip-hop come together in one rich, flavorful dish.
Released on their own Lettuce Records label, the band's next studio album offers a menu of delights that marks a band exploring new sonic territory. For these six life-long partners, the new songs feel like a nourishing meal that entices all of your senses.
Like 2019's Elevate, 2020's Resonate and 2022's Unify, before it, Cook was recorded at Colorado Sound just outside East Coast transplants Deitch, Smirnoff, and Bloom's adopted home of Denver, where they gathered in one room to work on the new material. Ryan Zoidis did a masterful job mixing the final results with longtime Grammy-nominated engineer Jesse O'Brien.
On the new album, Lettuce has expanded its ever-widening musical palette again. Coming off tours with both rap icon GZA of Wu-Tang Clan and and reggae legend Ziggy Marley while earlier in this year releasing the live album and concert film 'Lettuce with the Colorado Symphony' capturing over 90 minutes of collaborative symphonic arrangements with the Colorado Symphony.
Drop into Easy Street Records for an afternoon of crate digging. While you're there drop off your damaged or unplayable vinyl records to help support vinyl recycling efforts! Collection bins will be out through the end of September.
Event website: https://www.wmg.com/news/independent-record-stores-and-warner-music-group-launch-nationwide-pilot-to-explore-recovery-pathways-for-vinyl-records
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Washington State Historical Society invites you to explore the history of building the State History Museum. 30 Years and Counting: The Making of the Washington State History Museum is a special exhibition that uncovers the vision, effort, and community spirit that brought this iconic Tacoma landmark to life.
Discover the bold ideas and architectural ingenuity that shaped the museum’s distinctive look. From early sketches to final blueprints, see how the building’s design reflects both innovation and reverence for Washington’s past. Go behind the scenes of the museum’s construction. Through photographs and artifacts from the building process, witness how a dream took shape—brick by brick, beam by beam.
Staff Picks: 30 Objects for 30 Years
In a special feature area, museum staff share their favorite objects from the collection—each one a personal reflection on the power of history to inspire, surprise, and connect us.
This is a permanent exhibition. Since time immemorial, Tribal nations have existed in this place we call Washington. This Is Native Land invites visitors to understand Washington State through the lived experiences and voices of its Native people.
Tribal nations are sovereign nations. Today, Native history, culture, and community thrive in our state. Through everyday acts of sovereignty – big and small – Indigenous peoples demonstrate they are still here, they have persevered, and they will always be here.
This Is Native Land is guided by three teachings:We are of the land and watersWith knowledge comes responsibilitySovereignty protects people, lands, and waters
These teachings are shared through multimedia, artwork, and interactive objects designed for guest engagement. They represent a contemporary continuation of Tribal stories and traditions.
Over 100 Native contributors from more than 60 Tribes shaped the exhibition’s stories and content. We thank the Native Advisory Committee and all community participants for their contributions.
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
