Sep 11 Friday
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.”
Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music for 58 years.
The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations. Throughout their storied career, the group has traveled the world, produced hit singles, and backed legendary artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, The Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, and Bonnie Raitt. In the process they’ve defined an instantly recognizable “Oakland soul” sound.
In 2018, Tower of Power returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary. The band’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm for the soul throughout their half-century existence, with the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater continuing this legacy. The future of the band is set out to be just as vigorous and dynamic as its past: just the way Tower of Power likes it!
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.
Sep 12 Saturday
A Brief History of the Festival:
DjangoFest Northwest was founded in 2000 to honor the legacy of Django Reinhardt and bring the spirit of Gypsy jazz to North America. The festival was launched 25 years ago on the 47th anniversary of Django’s passing, inspired by the original French festival. Since then, DjangoFest NW has found a home on Whidbey Island, Washington, and has grown into the largest and most celebrated Django-focused festival in North America. Each year, we continue to honor founder Nick Lehr with the annual Nick Lehr Memorial Djam and welcome world-class artists and enthusiastic audiences from around the world.
The 2026 artist lineup features a mix of prominent international headliners, national gypsy jazz musicians, and regional favorites.
International Headliners• Gizmo Graf (Festival Headliner)• Gonzalo Bergara• Tim Kliphuis
National Talent• John Jorgenson• Leah Zeger Quartet (performing with Pinot Noir)• Jimmy Grant, Sam Farthing, & Simon Planting• Stella Heath (introduced from Mill Valley)
Local & Regional Talent• Pearl Django• Hot Club of Troy (featuring Troy Chapman)• Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews All Stars• James Hinkley & Cafe Impromptu
GOAT (Olympic Adventure Trail) Run is a half marathon, marathon, and 50K trail race on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The point-to-point courses take place on the singletrack Olympic Adventure Trail, finishing at pristine Lake Crescent inside Olympic National Park.
Annual Hood River Fly-In at WAAAM – September 12 & 13The Annual Hood River Fly-In at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum is a weekend of aviation celebration and family fun. Festivities kick off with a special Pilot’s Night on Friday for registered pilots and their guests, featuring food, music, and entertainment at the museum. On Saturday and Sunday, join us to celebrate the birthday of the WAAAM Air & Auto Museum while watching hundreds of aircraft take to the skies. Enjoy great food, exciting activities throughout the day, and explore the museum’s world-class collection—don’t miss this unforgettable aviation tradition!
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.
