Before heading out on his lengthy spring tour, Damien Jurado is sneaking in one last hometown show with his side-project-of-brotherly-love Hoquiam. Together with his lanky younger brother Drake, Damien uses Hoquiam to create songs inspired by his and Drakes coastal Washington upbringing. Like Mark Lanegan, Damien has a voice that is reflective of our vast, gloomy Northwest cornerhis natural vocals sound like they are being echoed back the hollow-body of an acoustic guitar. This haunting tone is fitting for the Hoquiam numbers, which tend to be darker and more impressionistic, thanks in no small part to Drakes gray, minimal washes of keyboard (not to mention the fact that he spends his time on stage unsmiling and hiding creepily behind sunglasses). Having recently signed to Secretly Canadian, this intimate all-ages show will make for a nice see-them-before-everyone-else-does experience. And speaking of best-kept secrets, this show is also a perfect opportunity to show your support for up-and-coming community White Center, where cool shit (like a punk rock ice cream and beer parlor hosting shows such as this one) is becoming more common. Sure, gritty is still the adjective locals use to describe it. But remember, they said the same thing about Ballard, so hurry down before all the assholes catch on.
Sat., March 14, 8 p.m., 2009
