I have made my love for the Seattle Rock Orchestra no secret. This group of extremely talented musicians transforms the catalogs of beloved artists (Radiohead, Muse, Arcade Fire, Queen, Beck and many, many others) into beautifully composed orchestral pieces. Each SRO concert is a unique experience unlike anything else the Seattle music scene has to offer, which is saying a lot because as you know the local music scene has a lot to offer.
Interview: Hobosexual: A band living in its own world
Tonight the Seattle Rock Orchestra shares a bill at the Neptune with one of my favorite local bands, Hobosexual, and both groups will be performing Smashing Pumpkins songs. The Hobos are typically a two-piece outfit, but for tonight’s show they’ve fleshed out their lineup with an additional guitarist and bassist in order to achieve the maximum level of rocktitude (yes, I just made up that word) needed to musically manhandle the heavier selections from the SP catalog. A Hobosexual set filled with Pumpkins covers could possibly be the heaviest thing to ever hit the historic Neptune Theatre.
Review: Smashing Pumpkins bring rock without emotion to Everett
For their part, SRO will be bringing the business too with vocals by some of my favorite local singers. Nouela Jounston of Nouela, Christina Bautista formerly of Visqueen, Zach Davidson of Vendetta Red and Mike Notter of Shim and Hannalee will take turns belting out selections from the classic album Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. And unlike the last time the Smashing Pumpkins were in town, the vocal powers and passion of these guest singers guarantee these songs will be filled with fun and emotion, which will make for an even more enjoyable experience. The only thing that could make this show better in my book would be if they were performing Pearl Jam cuts.
Tickets to see the Seattle Rock Orchestra and Hobosexual perform the songs of the Smashing Pumpkins at the Neptune cost $23.50 or $13.50 for students. The show begins at 8 p.m.
