Sleep Capsule’s Big Noise Guaranteed To Keep You Awake
Sleep Capsule, a highly underrated and almost unknown Seattle band, plays Outback Jack’s on Saturday night.
Sleep Capsule is something of a misfit in the Northwest. And for good reason. Its sound.
This power trio vents a discordant style of abrasive rock that’s being carved out by numerous hard-hitting Minneapolis bands such as Hammerhead, Janitor Joe and Dumpster Juice. With the exception of Godheadsilo, Unwound and Karp, Sleep Capsule’s style is still a strange phenomenon in the Northwest.
It’s a sound that employs thunderous power chords, a pummeling rhythm section and an emotive singer who often falls off of the notes to make a point.
The resulting sounds nod toward hard core. Unlike that genre, however, Sleep Capsule and its counterparts convey more than just passion. They also craft intelligent and often intricate song structures to anchor their music.
Not surprising;y, Sleep Capsule’s 1994 debut album ,”Mousepuss,” was released by Minneapolis independents Twin/Tone Records and Spanish Fly records.
The clamor begins at 9:30 p.m. The cover is $4. Bring your ID.
Elsewhere in the night
Homegrown Northern California reggae sensation Inka Inka plays Outback Jack’s on Sunday night.
In March, Inka Inka issued its third album “Myth of the Machine.” The rootsy eight-piece band is one of an elite few in this country whose sound avoids the conventions many American reggae groups tend to fall into: Introducing too much rock’n’roll into their music.
Music at 9:30 p.m., take $5 to get in.
In club news…
The Big Dipper won’t close for good after Saturday’s show, despite what was printed in its monthly calendar.
The club will open one last time next Saturday, May 20, for a blowout show featuring Citizen Swing and Calobo.
Owner Steve Spickard still hasn’t landed a buyer, although he has had some nibbles.
Tonight, the club has the Limbo Ladds, Lopez, Clabberhag and KMS on stage. Saturday, it’s K-Low’s “Abstract Noise Showcase.”
The Quarterhorse, which moved to a new location a couple of months ago, held a benefit pool tournament last Saturday for Oklahoma City bombing victims. The event raised raised several hundred dollars.
“It worked out real well,” said co-owner Steve Fisher. “We were real pleased with the turnout. Everybody had fun.”
Local beer and wine distributors Joey August and B&B, as well as the American Pool Association, contributed generously to the cause.
Fisher plans to stage future benefit tournaments at the Quarterhorse.
Club find
A new nightspot, Winestein’z, recently appeared on the Valley club scene.
The bilevel restaurant-lounge at 11003 E. Sprague opened April 17 and has already become a weekend hot spot.
The lounge area is covered with paintings, posters and a rich shade of brown paint. A casually dressed crowd of people in their late 20s to early 40s is drawn to its loud, spirited but not obnoxious atmosphere.
During prime hours, the downstairs lounge can get crowded. A group of more than four might have difficulty locating a table. Alhough the lounge extends upstairs, space there disappears just as quickly.
There to ease the crush, at least in mild weather, is an outdoor patio. It could make an ideal place to enjoy a drink, perhaps with an appetizer, this summer.
Certainly, Winestein’z has some tempting offerings in the appetizer department, from peel-and-eat shrimp to jambalaya.
Winestein’z has a full-service bar with bartenders prepared to whip up any concoction a patron desires. An assortment of mircobrews, like Hefeweizen and amber ale, are on tap there.