The Spinning Whips, People Eating People, C-Leb, Pony Time // The Comet Tavern // 9 pm // $6
If you haven’t heard People Eating People yet you probably will soon. Either way, you should definitely check out the set tonight at the Comet Tavern.
People Eating People is Seattleite Nouela Johnston’s latest project. Since leaving Mon Frere in 2007, Johnston has encountered a number of bumps and turbulence in getting to where she is now. At the time she left Mon Frere they were locked into a contract with Cake Records and unfortunately leaving the band left her with a bit of a legal mess to deal with. Basically, she couldn’t release her own music until she had repaid the sum of $5,000. But she was working the whole time and eventually was able to come out with her solo project. Which is amazing, by the way.
Don’t let the name fool you – her self-titled debut, released at the end of 2009, is an emotional outpouring of jazz-pop vocals over theatrical piano arrangements. So, definitely not whatever punk band you imagined when you read that the project is called People Eating People. Her music conjures comparisons to other piano playing songstresses like Regina Spektor or Fiona Apple – but it is far more aggressive than the quirky Spektor and more raw than the super polished Apple.
In short, it’s pretty great stuff. Also performing are The Spinning Whips, C-Leb, Pony Time.
