Arts Briefs | September 12 edition | Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Bowie/Rex

The Sugar Shack will close its summer concert season with a show by Bowie/Rex & His Boogie Army, at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at 17636 100th Ave SW.

Fronted by islander Martin Feveyear, the band plays a joyous mix of hits from David Bowie, Marc Bolan & T-Rex, Roxy Music, The Cars, The Kinks, Talking Heads, Joy Division and other monster hit makers of the 70s and 80s.

Band members include Dave Dederer (Presidents of the USA, Duff McKagan’s Loaded) and Tim DiJulio (Lazy Suzan, Flight to Mars) on guitars, Michael Musburger (The Posies, The Fastbacks) on drums, Billy Stover (Dusty 45’s, Victoria Contreras) on keyboards and Jeremy Lightfoot (Danny Newcomb, Elvez) on bass.

Backing singers, The Suffragette Sisters, are Rhiannon Walther, Sarah Howard and Melissa Feveyear.

Doors for the show, for ages 21 and older only, open at 4 p.m. There is a $20 cover charge at the door.

Artists talk

A free panel discussion and Q&A with four island artists, Brian Fisher, Morgan Brig, Erin Schulz and Cathy Sarkowsky, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA). All have work in “Art Becomes You,” an exhibition currently on display at VCA. The panel discussion will include topics including their creative processes and their journeys to becoming full-time artists. For more information, visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Sing for VoV

The Voice of Vashon (VoV) is looking for contestants for its upcoming 25th-anniversary fundraiser, “The Voice (of Vashon)” Inspired by the NBC show, The Voice, this event aims to showcase vocal talent within the Vashon community.

Scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Vashon Theater, the contest is open to both teen and adult contestants. Interested participants should submit a 30-second video performance of a favorite cover to sarahh@voiceofvashon.org. Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by an acoustic instrument, contestants will compete in two categories: ages 14-18 and 19 and older.

A panel of judges will choose finalists from each category, and the final winners will be decided by the audience, making it crucial for contestants to rally their friends and family to attend the event and show their support. Winning voices will be honored with “The Voice (of Vashon)” Golden Microphone trophy, a solo gig at the KVSH studio at First Friday Live, and the coveted opening spot at the VoV Birthday Bash in 2025. The deadline for submission is Friday, Sept. 27.

Full details and submission guidelines can be found at voiceofvashon.org.

Jazz is Phish

Jazz is Phish, an instrumental tribute to Phish, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Open Space for Arts & Community.

The band — inspired by Jazz is Dead, a popular tribute to the Grateful Dead — is a collective of prominent musicians on the jazz and jam scenes who have come together to re-imagine Phish in an instrumental, jazz-fusion setting.

Founded in 2015 by brothers Adam and Matthew Chase, the music project has become a widely known and touring renowned tribute to Phish, one of the most important and influential jam bands in rock and roll history.

The arrangements and performances of the band are built around Jazz is Phish’s debut album, which featured musicians including Dennis Chambers (Santana, Miles Davis, Parliament Funkadelic), Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, The Flecktones), Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy), Michael Ray (Sun Ra, Giant Country Horns, Cosmic Crewe), Kofi Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Trey Anastasio Band), Grant Green Jr. (Groove Masters), Anthony Wellington (Victor Wooten Band), and many more.

Find out more at jazzisphish.com and get tickets at openspacevashon.com.

Guitarist Naeim Rahmani

Naeim Rahmani, an acclaimed Iranian classical guitarist who immigrated to the United States as a refugee in 2003, will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Open Space for Arts & Community.

Rahmani has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Goethe-Institut Residency Award, and a 2023 CityArtist Award from the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, recognizing his contributions to the city’s cultural landscape.

Recently, Rahmani was invited by the Nonsequitur Organization — known for promoting adventurous and experimental music and sound art — to curate a series of concerts for the NonSeq. Series.

Rahmani is also the artistic director of the Seattle-Isfahan Project (SIP). This collaborative venture brings together musicians from Seattle and Iran to create a shared workspace where performers and composers can come together to create new works for the guitar repertoire. In 2023, his project SIP: 33, was featured in the UW Guest Artist Series at Meany Hall. The forthcoming installment, “Displaced Voices,” will premiere in the fall of 2024.

Find out more at naeimrahmani.com and get tickets at openspacevashon.com. Youths younger than 18 are free, but those 15 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Speaker series

Attend a free five-part speaker series, “Authoritarianism Rising,” with Dr. Larry Hubbell, to examine the complex and pressing issue of authoritarianism in the United States, starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.

The first talk — “Why Don’t I Know about Eugene Debs?”— outlines the foundational concepts of authoritarianism and traces its development in American history, from the Federalist Papers to the Constitution’s efforts to limit presidential power, and how the scope of the presidency expanded during the 20th century.

A 10-year resident of Vashon, Hubbell’s interest and focus on authoritarianism began when he attended high school in apartheid South Africa. As an academic and Fulbright Scholar, he has extensively studied authoritarianism, conducting research, teaching courses, and consulting in countries including Russia, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, North Macedonia, Lithuania, and Dominica.

Find out more at openspacevashon.com .

Sunday gathering

Attend a new edition of Vashon’s own Sunday revue, CHRCH, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, at Open Space. All the beloved elements of the show will be in place, including comedy from the Holy Roller Players and music from the CHRCH House Band. For more information and tickets, visit openspacevashon.com.

(Clockwise from top left) Artists Brian Fisher, Cathy Sarkowsky, Morgan Brig and Erin Schultz will take part in a Sept. 17 panel discussion at Vashon Center for the Arts. (Courtesy photos)