Paramount to host Loreena McKennitt, Iggy Pop, Blue Man Group
Published 8:15 am Thursday, March 24, 2016
Concertgoers in the coming week may as well just pitch a tent in front of Seattle’s Paramount Theatre, as the historic venue welcomes a diverse array of acts.
The shows kick off with a visit from Loreena McKennitt, who will play the spot at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Many could be forgiven for thinking McKennitt hails from the British Isles. In fact, the Celtic-inspired singer was born in Manitoba, Canada. A favorite of New Age audiences since the early 1990s, she hit it big in 1998 with her single “The Mummer’s Dance,” a crossover success that went to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.
While that may be her best-known song, she has released loads of other material. A career retrospective, “The Journey So Far,” saw release in 2014, compiling the highpoints from her decades-long career.
Tickets are $41.25 to $90.75 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Then, Iggy Pop will plow into town, playing the Paramount Theatre at 8 p.m. Monday.
One of rock’s living legends, Pop got his start in the 1960s, and, with his shocking theatrics and bristling guitar music, served as arguably the first true punk star.
Now 68, he’s threatening to retire after his upcoming tour ends. He’ll be on the road in support of his brand new album, “Post Pop Depression,” which found him teaming with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age-fame.
Expect to hear new material from that disc, along with classic tracks like “Lust for Life” and “The Passenger.”
Tickets are $61.25 to $81.25 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Next up, the Paramount will welcome Joanna Newsom, who is welcoming famed Seattle singer Robin Pecknold as her opening act at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Newsom’s avant garde take on folk won her quick fame with the indie rock crowd in the last decade, turning her blend of harp music and pop into an unlikely success. Albums like “Ys” and last year’s “Divers” have found a place on the Billboard charts.
Pecknold, meanwhile, is most famous for the soaring harmonies and latter-day folk he delivered as front man for Fleet Foxes, one of the bigger names to come out of Seattle’s indie rock scene in the past decade.
Tickets are $30 to $40 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Finally, the Paramount Theatre will host the Blue Man Group, which will play a series of shows at the venue from Thursday through Sunday.
The Blue Man Group technically is a theatrical troupe — a group of three men who wear blue face paint and engage in innocent, alien-like activities during witty, laugh-out-loud shows. Their performance really must be seen to be believed.
The act, however, has churned out some impressive albums since its founding in 1991, partnering with the likes of Dan the Automator and Dave Matthews alike. Expect to hear and see some wonderful things during their Seattle stay.
Tickets are $35 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Warren Haynes, meanwhile, will bring his Ashes and Dust Band to the Moore Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
A blues rock guitar god, Haynes made his name in the music industry in the early 1980s. Since then, he’s played with the Allman Brothers, Garth Brooks and his own band, Gov’t Mule.
Granted, sometimes Haynes just likes setting off on his own. He has plenty of solo albums to his credit, including his latest, “Ashes and Dust.” That disc included a duet with Grace Potter on the Fleetwood Mac classic “Gold Dust Woman.”
Tickets are $30 to $40 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Finally, Underoath will hit the Showbox SoDo for a concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Florida-born Christian emo-core band got its start in 1997, winning a following for its harsh-yet-spiritual take on rock. After routinely seeing its albums top the Christian chart — and even going to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 — the act supposedly “broke up” earlier this decade
The split didn’t last long, though. The group is now “reunited,” three short years after disbanding. No new music has been announced yet, although don’t be surprised if the group heads back to the studio when its spring tour is done.
Tickets are $25 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
