Seaweed Jack branches out

Geoff Doolittle wants to be a musician, not a rock star.

“The difference is musicians hear music in more than three genres of metal, current rock and what you remember from the ‘80s,” said the multi-instrumentalist for Spokane band Seaweed Jack. “A world of musicians encompasses more instruments than bass and guitar.”

Since Seaweed Jack lost its original guitarists and added six-string technician Brian White to the mix, the core quartet has taken bold strokes to a more experimental sound that borders on psychobilly painted in blues, jazz and reggae.

That’s the sonic soup Seaweed Jack delivers on Saturday at The Blvd., 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Local rock band In The Way opens the show. There is a $5 cover.

Seaweed Jack – Doolittle on vocals, guitar, synths, and sax; White; Jack Sheehy on bass; Anthony Stassi on drums; and part-time member Marie Nephew on violin – plays back-to-back shows on Wednesday starting at 8 p.m. at The Molotov Room, 3023 E. Diamond Ave., with new local rockers Eyes Like Knives. There is a $5 cover. Later Wednesday, Seaweed Jack competes in The B-Side’s battle of the bands starting at 9:30 p.m at 230 W. Riverside Ave. There is a $3 cover.

Formed in a Gonzaga University dorm room in 2003 after weeks of playing 20-minute drunken pirate shanties, Seaweed Jack has created a buzz for itself on the GU campus that is spreading throughout town. Seaweed Jack took first place at GU’s band battle in 2004 and has been the subject of a film student’s rockumentary.

Since then the band has opened shows at venues such as Fat Tuesday’s, The Met and the Big Easy Concert House. Its music also has been used for the independent film “Ben and Thomas.”

After the lineup change last year, Doolittle added on to his $40 keyboard accordion sounds by bringing in saxophone and an occasional train whistle. His vocals recall bits of Modest Mouse and southern psychofunk.

All but White will be seniors at GU in the fall. They agree Seaweed Jack could not exist without White’s academic approach to songwriting and gifted knack for improvisation in live shows. They have aspirations to move the band to Seattle, California or New Orleans after school. In the meantime they’ll stick close to White until he finishes his degree in music.

“The more stuff progresses, the more it becomes a realistic opportunity for us to make it as professional musicians,” Stassi said. “We’re not just dropping out of school to pack up and move to Seattle.”