Holly Williams and Lydia Ramsey ~ May 7

Last night, at The Triple Door, was a night of story-telling melodies. 

The night began with Lydia Ramsey. Pacific Northwest to the core, Lydia Ramsey's voice sounds like what tip-toeing across a Puget Sound shoreline feels like. Peacefully melodic in nature, each guitar strum was reminiscent of home - a place you've already been and could always be. Lydia songs, of light-hearted longingness, floated through the room eloquently. With recordings said to be set to release this year, this won't be the last time Lydia Ramsey will play our stage.

Holding a Neil Young autographed guitar, Nashville native Holly Williams charmingly delivered the rest of the night's audibles. Sharing songs of her travels overseas, her mother's unmeasurable grace, and a tragic car accident she experienced with her sister, Holly Williams' songs were angelic and emotionally powered. The room was silenced in awe.   

 Holly Williams and Chris Coleman 

Photo Cred: Holly Williams' Facebook page

Joining Holly Williams, on a selections of songs, was husband and writing collaborator Chris Coleman. They performed a few songs including the boot-kickin' tune, Let You Go- a collaboration Holly mentioned they discovered in her husband's "Man Shed."  With playful love in their eyes, Holly and Chris' chemistry was contagious. 

The stage was left ready to be tucked in and sweetly kissed goodnight. 

A lil' Q&A ~ Susanna Hoffs

It's not everyday an album, combining the sounds of 1960's simplicity with 2012 sophistication, delivers authentic, feel-good vibes. However, with the debut of Susanna Hoffs' long over-due newest discography addition- Someday, this is the case. We chatted with the honey-voiced songbird, and Bangles member, to get a backstage look at what goes on behind the melody.

The Triple Door: What was the first album you purchased? Do you still have it?
Susanna Hoffs: Deja Vu, Sweet Baby James, Let it Be and Tapestry. Yes.

TD: When you're not playing music, what are you doing?
SH: Working on my tweeting skills and watching Mad Men.

TD: What was the first song you ever learned?
SH: "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley" was the first song I learned on guitar.

TD: If you could play with any musician, from the past, present or future, who would it be?
SH: George Harrison

TD: Name your biggest guilty pleasure, musically?
SH: "Jive Talkin'" by the Bee Gees

TD: What was the best concert you ever attended?
SH: Patti Smith at Winterland in 1978

TD: If you could perform in any city in the world, where would you?
SH: Here, there, and everywhere

TD: What's your most embarrassing on stage experience?
SH: On one of the Bangles first tours of Europe, we played a hot, sweaty packed club in Hamburg. I got carried away by the excitement of it all, and did a crazy rock move, crashing head first into Vicki's guitar. Stunned and bleeding, I stumbled off the stage mid-song.

TD: What inspires you to play music?
SH: I love music. Always have, always will.

TD: Who is your musician crush?
SH: The Beatles

TD: Describe your sound in three words:
SH: Baroque garage pop



See Susanna Hoffs on November 18, at 7:30, on The Triple Door Mainstage. Purchase tickets here>>

A lil' Q & A ~ Lucy Wainwright Roche

The Triple Door welcomes the crystal-clear-voiced, singer-songwriter, Lucy Wainwright Roche to the stage. To get an idea of what is behind the music, we interviewed the funny and straightforward gem musician to throw the light on a stage presence that one has to see to believe.

The Triple Door: Name one song that's on your iTunes' "25 Most Played" playlist?

Lucy Wainwright Roche: And then you - Greg Laswell

TD: Name your biggest guilty pleasure, musically?

Lucy: Maybe Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend"? Except I don't feel guilty about it, I feel incredibly happy about that song in every way.

TD: When you're not playing music, what are you doing?

Lucy: Usually driving to the next city! Or, if I'm off the road I really like to cook, enjoy NYC and babysit.

TD: What was the first song you ever played/sang?

Lucy: "El Condor Pasa" Simon and Garfunkel. My Aunt Terre taught me to play it.

TD: If you could play with any musican, living or dead, who would it be?

Lucy: Hmmm. That's a tough one. I'd love to see Joni Mitchell do a concert. But I wouldn't want to play with her. I'm not brave enough for that!

TD: If you could perform in any city in the world, where would you?

Lucy: I'd love to play in Russia at some point.

TD: What's your most embarrassing on stage experience?

Lucy: When I was touring with the Indigo Girls they would ahve me sing "Closer to Fine" with them at the end of each show. I realized after about 7 shows that I'd been singing the wrong lyrics repeatedly. It wasn't that terrible but I felt pretty sheepish about it.

TD: What inspires you to play music?

Lucy: One of the things I find most useful in writing and making music is watching other people play- people I admire - and really watching and listening to how they do what they do. I think it's very inspiring to watch people do what they do best AND it also helps ME figure out what I do best.

TD: What hidden talents do you have?

Lucy: I'm a great parallel parker.

Even if the idea is daunting to Lucy, we aren't the only ones that think she could totally rock the stage with the likes of Joni Mitchell! See Lucy Wainwright Roche with The Local Strangers on March 14th at 7:30pm on the Mainstage! Tickets can be purchased here>>

Rick's Picks of the Week: Stacey Kent

Rick's Picks of the Week is jazz vocalist, Stacey Kent, on Monday, December 12th, at 7:30 on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

Stacey Kent's voice has a delicate, dreamlike way of carrying you through each note and cadence leaving you feeling like you're soaking in a ray of sunshine.

Kent's Raconte Moi album features twelve songs sung entirely in French, including La Venue de Mélo. As a listener you would never guess French is Kent's second language, her voice is crystalline with a tender vulnerability, yet posses a certain intensity the French lyrics brings out.

"Making this record reminded me all over again why I became a musician," says Stacey Kent.

Growing up in New Jersey and Colorado, Kent learned french from her Russian-born grandfather who, after fleeing Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, lived in Paris for several years before moving to the United States. Her grandfather has been a key inspiration behind her French influence, yet her newest discography addition, Dreamer in Concert, features more English sung songs. Released in October 2011, Dreamer in Concert manages to capture the emotionally direct, yet naive qualities unique to Kent's sound.

To purchase tickets to Stacey Kent's upcoming show on December 12 at 7:30 on the Mainstage follow this link here>>

Rick's Picks of the week: Hindi Zahra

Rick's Picks of the Week: Hindi Zahra on October 4th at 7:30 on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

Hindi Zahra's gently flowing sense of melody is accompanied by subtle, understated, with a dash of gypsy, guitar and a hint of blues between the lines. With sonically intense, intimate, poetic vibrations, and a velvety feline quality, her music speaks her story. Being a self taught multi-instrumentalist, music is the story of her life. A story of a Beber girl born in Morocco.

See the beautiful and talented Hindi Zahra with opener J Wong on October 4th at 7:30 on the Mainstage.