Larry Swanson’s Blog

Lola Tarot give improvisational tarot readings accompanied by live music. The concept is cool. The actors are extremely talented and engaging. The music is amazing. Lot’s of fun.

Get there early. There are a couple of thousand loyal fans on their mailing list and only 60 seats at the Jewelbox Theatre.

Here’s the announcement about this weekend from Lola Tarot:

This coming weekend is your chance to see Lola Tarot’s ONLY 2 Seattle shows this summer! Please help us make these shows great, bring your friends and let’s show the Jewelbox what the Lola Tarot community is all about. We’re considering this for the venue for our fall run and your support at these shows would be wonderful. Be there early, there are only 60 seats…

Lola Tarot
July 1 & 2, 7:30pm
Jewelbox Theatre @ the Rendezvous Restaurant
2320 2nd Ave, Seattle

Tickets are $15 and are only available at the door on the day of the show. Box office opens at 6:30pm. There are only 60 seats!

Food and drinks are available at the restaurant before and after the show. This event is 21 and older. We look forward to seeing you soon…

More info available at:
www.lolatarot.org
www.jewelboxtheater.com

Disclaimer: I’m involved with the group. I play music for some Lola shows (though not this weekend), and I produce and host their web site.

Shows at 7:00 pm & 9:30pm

$22.50 advance, $25 day of show

Make your reservation at 206-838-4333. The venue can only hold 350 people. It will very likely sell out. Make your reservation today.

Oliver Mtukudzi is the best-selling artist in his home country of Zimbabwe, Africa. Lovingly called “Tuku” for short, Oliver began recording in the mid-1970s as a member of Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo. After Wagon Wheels rolled to fame in Southern Africa, Tuku formed Black Spirits, the band that has backed him throughout his career.

Tuku has been heavily influenced by chimurenga, the genre pioneered by Mapfumo that is inspired by the hypnotic rhythms of the mbira (thumb piano). However chimurenga is just one of many styles performed by Tuku, as his music also incorporates pop influences, South African mbaqanga, the energetic Zimbabwean pop style JIT, or the traditional kateke drumming of his clan, the Korekore.

While Tuku’s music is undeniably contagious, it is his lyrics that have captured the hearts of his people. The words to his songs, performed in the Shona language of Zimbabwe as well as English, invariably deal with social and economic issues. In the face of political turmoil and a horrific AIDS epidemic that has swept the African continent, Oliver’s humor and optimism creates an appeal that crosses generations. One of Tuku’s biggest fans is Bonnie Raitt, who has not only called Oliver “a treasure”, but has also used his music as inspiration for the song “One Belief Away” on her album Fundamental

These matches were amazing, some of the best sports competition I’ve ever seen. The Derby Liberation Front vs. Sockit Wenches match came down to the last jam - complete pandemonium in the crowd as Miss Fortune tried to pass one last DLFer to tie the score, but instead she got knocked on her can as time expired. The Grave Danger vs. Throttle Rockets match was almost as close.

For me, a couple of new stars emerged - Miss Fortune of the Sockit Wenches and Femme Fatale of Grave Danger. Both are kick-ass jammers with speed to burn and great looks - Miss Fortune sporting futuristic wrap-around eye make-up and Femme Fatale an impressive blonde mane.

The RCRGs need to work on the sound system in the new venue, but other than that it was a great bout.

Tickets are on sale now for the July 23 bout. Ticket info is available at the Rat City Roller Girls web site.

The next Rat City Roller Girls event is this Saturday, June 25, in their new bigger venue at Sand Point. Gorgeous young women on roller skates clobbering each other and flying around a flat skate track - there is no better entertainment available in Seattle, I assure you. Details available at the RCRG web site. Online tickets are sold out, but there may be tickets available at these locations:

B-Bam
On Capitol Hill at
907 E. Pike
206-329-0499

The West 5
In West Seattle at
4539 California Ave. SW
206-WE5-1966

The Brooklyn Grinder
In the U-district at
5247 University Ave.
206-632-5132

Smarty Pants
In Georgetown at
6017 Airport Way S.
206-762-4777

I’ll be drumming with Hamanadon in the Fremont Solstice parade tomorrow. Should be pretty hot music and dance. Thione Diop will play lead djembe, and Kareem Koumbassa will lead the dunun section. The Hamandon dancers will do some of the routines they’ve been rehearsing for the past two years. We don’t have a float so apparently Thione will be riding on some sort of richshaw-looking mini-float. Just listen for the hot djembe/dunun music and look for the fabulous dancers. We’ll all be in African-style indigo pants and white shirts.

Today’s New York Times Science section has a piece entitled “Thrillionaires: The New Space Capitalists.” It’s about how Paul Allen, Jeff Bezos, and other new-money-ed types have indulged their childhood space-travel fantasies with their techno-billions. It’s kind of interesting, but the first thing I thought of when I read it was my friend Nathan and his creation, Johnny Jetpack. Johnny routinely slips the surly bonds of earth (OK, he only goes maybe 100 feet up, but looks really cool), and does it very entertainingly. Nathan created and built Johnny Jetpack on a shoestring budget, and I can’t help but think that he’s about 1,000 times more entertaining and interesting than Paul Allen’s SpaceShipOne. I mean, any old billionaire can hire a bunch of techno talent and blast into space, but it takes a truly special spirit to develop and deliver an artistic and technical concept like Johnny Jetpack. If you know any editors at the New York Times, please tell them about Johhny and Nathan.