Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically. Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
Although I usually encourage everyone to go out and support your local musicians, this weekend is an exception. In light of the possibly historic windstorm headed our way, I hereby encourage everyone in the Western Washington to stay home, be safe, and make your own music. Probably in the dark, with acoustic instruments. Meanwhile, these band names struck my fancy on this stormy weekend:
I like the reference to a small-scale, probably low-rent beauty contest. I hope this does not turn out to be the highlight of her whole life. I also picked this one because of having windstorms on my mind. The Caribbean has been pounded lately, and dunes are an important line of protection for islands.
Bringing together the mythic and the meteorological. Don’t let the storm lure you out where it can drop a tree on you! (There was some confusion in the club listings, with the album being released listed as if it were a band name. Having spent five years in Tacoma, I was happy to accept Beneath the Narrows as a band name, especially as we are battening down for an epic windstorm.)
Support Group
They have no web presence, which leads me to believe this is an ad hoc band pulled together to fill out this one bill: supporting the other groups. I like it for its generic nature, and because musical ensembles — whether garage band, church choir, community orchestra, or whatever — really can serve emotional supports for their members. Here’s to ’em!
I think we are expecting more wind than lightning and thunder this time around, but these two fit the storm theme. One is a mythic creature, the other a mythic artifact; both promise heavy rhythms and electric music (if the power stays on).
Karen Eisenbrey 