Pay attention, adults. It’s time for an unsolicited reminder of how old you are.
It’s been roughly 25 years since Seattle’s Sub Pop label first gave arguably the most prominent buoy to the now geographically-welded (to the PNW) grunge genre, and times have changed, even if a certain penchant for flannel shirts hasn’t. Soundgarden may have just unearthed a well-received reunion album, and Mudhoney may be sticking to music like a bee-preferred adhesive, but other than that, it’s difficult to quarrel with the notion that grunge is but a dreary shadow of what it once was, in terms of widespread popularity.
And yes, in case you weren’t aware, in the subsequent years, Sub Pop has still existed as a record label, and has continued to be a noteworthy purveyor of culturally relevant music releases. Half a decade ago (or potentially, even today), could you enter the “indie” world without willingly exposing yourself (aurally speaking) to The Shins, The Postal Service, or Iron & Wine? More recently, let’s mention Fleet Foxes. Reverberant vocals with a folksy accompaniment has hardly known such recent success. I’m simplifying a bit.
Even if the number wasn’t divisible by five, I’d say that the folks at Sub Pop have reason to celebrate. In honor of their 25th anniversary, however, the label is hosting Silver Jubilee, a free festival in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, on Saturday, July 13, 2013. The lineup so far is a temporal smorgasbord of Sub Pop signees, with Mudhoney, Pissed Jeans, Shabazz Palaces (with THEESatisfaction), Shearwater, and more all being scheduled for performances, with more more more set to be announced in the future. Tickets are… it’s free, damn it!
Check out, or keep an eye on, Silver Jubilee’s dedicated website for more information, and see the event announced by some of Sub Pop’s Silver Statesmen below:
• Silver Jubilee: http://silverjubilee.subpop.com
• Sub Pop: http://www.subpop.com
More about: Mudhoney, Pissed Jeans, Shabazz Palaces, Shearwater