The Seattle City Arts Fest is one that is highly anticipated not only for the residents of Seattle, but for people all across the country every year. This year there’s even more reason to be excited as the festival directors have announced some big bands that are set to appear!

Grammy-nominated singer, Robyn, is set to open the festival on October 20 at the Paramount Theatre; Robyn will also bring with her a special guest, though it’s unknown as of yet who that will be. The festival continues on October 21 with Fences and Son of Warren Oates and wraps up on the last day, October 22, with Seapony and Shelby Lynne performing.

But these aren’t the only big names that will be performing! Over the course of three days, over 30 bands will perform in multiple Seattle venues — making for three very explosive days in Seattle!

Seattle City Arts Fest Line-up

20-Oct

• ROBYN w/ special guest tba
• CRYSTAL CASTLES w/ Picture Plane, Crypts, Nightmare Fortress
• THE LONG WINTERS w/ Campfire OK, Cobirds Unite, Cataldo
• THE FELICE BROTHERS w/ special guests tba
• ALLEN STONE w/ Fly Moon Royalty
• THE ECSTACY OF INFLUENCE w/ Heather McHugh
• CULTURE CLUB: Washington Filmworks Event and Happy Hour
• SEATEETH: Premiere performance from Seattle’s Jose Bold (John Osebold of “Awesome”)
• HORDE and the HAREM w/special guests
• THE COPS w/ Birthday Suits, Strong Killings
• POGO w/ That 1 Guy, Daydream Vacation
• CULTURE CLUB : Visual Art
• HEDWIG and the ANGRY INCH: Movie Sing Along
• CULTURE CLUB: Celebrity Karaoke
• SCHOOL of ROCK: Laser Grunge Show

21-Oct

• BUILT TO SPILL w/ Disco Doom, Seapony
• AN EVENING WITH RYAN ADAMS
• HELIO SEQUENCE: Laser Show
• ERIN LEDDY (Hand2Mouth Theatre) performs My Mind Is Like An Open Meadow
• FENCES w/ William Elliot Whitmore, Black Whales, Daniel G Harmann
• CULTURE CLUB : Visual Art
• BOXER REBELLION w/ Pickwick, Yuni in Taxco, Kris Orlowski
• GENRE-BENDER w/ Karen Finneyfrock, Rainbow Fletcher, Joanna Lepore Dwyer, Mark Haim, Wes Hurley, Amy O’Neal, Mike Pham & more
• USF w/ Big Spider’s Back, Blue Sky Black Death, Brainfruit
• SON OF WARREN OATES w/ Smokey Brights, Joseph Giant, Bryan John Appleby
• ALL STAR TRIBUTE TO THE REPLACEMENTS
• NW HIP HOP REDESIGNED
• COLOR ME OBSESSED: Replacements Documentary
• THRILLER DANCE CLASS w/ Waxie Moon, Inga Ingenue and Lou Henry Hoover
• PURPLE RAIN: Movie Sing Along

22-Oct

• OZOMATLI w/ Theoretics, Picoso, Dyno Jamz
• BLACKALICIOUS w/ Freestyle Fellowship, Hi Life, Don’t Talk to the Cops
• MAN MAN: Laser Show
• MUDHONEY w/ Fastbacks, Thee Emergency, Lovesick Empire
• THAO AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN w/ Grand Hallway, Lemolo
• MALE BONDING W/ Unnatural Helpers, Virgin Islands, Fuckin Eagles
• SO YOU THINK IT’S DANCE: Show (+Tell)
• SHELBY LYNNE w/ Special Guest tba
• ERIN LEDDY (Hand2Mouth Theatre) performs My Mind Is Like An Open Meadow
• STEVE CUIFFO IS LENNY BRUCE
• SEAPONY w/ Tea Cozies, Midday Veil, Witch Gardens
• WHALEBONES w/ special guests tba
• GREASE: Movie Sing Along
• CULTURE CLUB: Pie Life
• CULTURE CLUB: City? Arts? Festival? A Creative Conversation by Arts Leadership Lab
• CULTURE CLUB : Visual Art
• SEATEETH: Premiere performance from Seattle’s Jose Bold (John Osebold of “Awesome”)
• DANIEL BARROW: EVERY TIME I SEE YOUR PICTURE I CRY
• COLOR ME OBSESSED: Replacements Documentary

Daniel Tosh has done the unthinkable, and has made an iconic name for himself even in an ultra-competitive standup scene. Tosh’s act is not only funny, but also wildly subversive, risqué, politically incorrect and downright bizarre at times. Imagine the social satire of Lenny Bruce or George Carlin crossed with the irreverence of David Letterman, and you’ll come something close to Tosh’s act–except that Tosh is definitely a comic of the new 2000 era.

The quaint young man, 36 years of age, has been entertaining his entire life, though he only recently found his way as a successful comedian. Being the son of a preacher man, Tosh likely used his humor as a defense, as an act of rebellion, and possibly even as a survival tool growing up in Florida, which he calls “flat, hot and dumb.” It is easy to observe his educational background from his literate style of comedy; Tosh graduated from Astronaut High School in 1993 and the University of Central Florida (with a marketing degree).

One of his first jobs was working as a telemarketer, which he approached with sarcastic embrace. (“Fifteen dollars an hour to annoy people!”) Tosh flailed in the “real world” but found an opportunity in standup comedy. His big break was appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman, as well as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Following his broadcasts, he lined up a number of comedy specials and developed his “shtick”, a cynical and often times dark-humored worldview that truly captured the essence of 2011 thinking.

His show Tosh .0 is considered edgy to say the least, and often features punch lines that could easily be misconstrued racist, sexist or homophobic. However, Tosh states that it’s all in good fun, and that humor sometimes comes from very dark places. Tosh is actually the unofficial king of the Comedy Central network, as his show often defeats both The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (as well as The Colbert Report), making it the highest rated show that’s not South Park or at least another South Park-inspired cartoon.

Here’s an example of Tosh’s bizarre and twisted sense of humor. He claims that come his 38th birthday, he will either commit suicide or “retire to the beach.” He has started an official countdown to this esoteric landmark, labeling it as when “Daniel’s Groundhog Day Ends.”

See Daniel Tosh in person! This is one comic that lives up to the hype!

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most popular NFL teams in history and yet they are a team whose past glories seem to be far behind them. In the past, Texas fans could always look forward to a promising new season, given the Cowboys huge vat of resources thanks to the rich team owner Jerry Jones.

However, the latest news and indications of the lockout-affected season indicate major changes to come. The rumor is that a resolution of the NFL lockout (which is looking likely at this point, which is a good thing) is going to bring a salary cap of $120 million per team. If this is true, the Cowboys are already $18 million dollars over the limit. That means some major cuts, and some new limitations when it comes to signing free agents.

One of the biggest names amongst Cowboy free agents is Doug Free. Sources are suggesting that Free could command a large salary once the new season begins, and yet it may be more than the Cowboys can now afford–by law. How will the new cap affect players like DeMarcus Ware, who is currently making $6.7 million in base salary or Tony Romo who is making $9 million? Roy Williams is another much talked about name, as he didn’t have a great season in 2010-2011 and yet has a protruding $10 million salary that merits attention.

The Dallas Cowboys had a horrid season overall in 2010-2011, starting the season with 1-7 and ending the season at a disappointing 6-10. Immediately after the dreadful 1-7 record went into the books, the team announced that coach Wade Phillips was dropped and replaced by interim coach Jason Garrett. Cowboy fans had to watch as Super Bowl XLV took place in Arlington in the Cowboys Stadium, which no Cowboy anywhere in sight. It’s certainly reached a critical point, and this year money is an issue.

There is also talk of the Cowboys training camp being delayed for another couple of weeks, as there are still various legal issues that must be resolved. So thus far, we have a weak team recovering from a poor season, with financial limitations, with many big “ifs” and a late start. How do you think the NFL’s most expensive team will perform this year? Are you hoping for a miracle or is there still some legitimate hope left in Dallas?

You may think you know Chicago if you saw the 2002 film of the same name. However, Rob Marshall’s film adaptation (starring Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah) is really quite different from the live theatrical musical. In fact, some reviewers of the film complained that the movie felt “streamlined”, since it jettisoned some of the most popular songs of the stage play.

Chicago first debuted in 1975 and was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse of Cabaret fame. Since Bob Fosse died in 1987, and since the original Chicago production only lasted three years, this was an iconic story that deserved a reimagining for the 1990s and beyond. Enter Ann Reinking, Fosse’s protégé, who helped re-imagine the source material for an exciting and bawdy new era. Reinking not only choreographed the musical (in the style of Fosse), but also returned to the stage as Roxie Hart 20 years after first taking the role in the original production.

Fosse regular Joel Grey and Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers) starred as Amos Hart and Velma Kelly respectively, earning kudos for their performances. The new production of Chicago was a hit, and is now celebrating its 15th year of “jazz and liquor.” Not only is the show touring around the U.S., but it is also touring in the United Kingdom. Some of the most interesting celebrity names have popped up to play Chicago characters, including David Hasselhoff, Jerry Springer, Brooke Shields, Ashlee Simpson and Michelle Williams.

It’s easy to see why Chicago so effortlessly adapted from 1970s culture to the new era. It is a musical that is cynical and subversive at heart, even as the songs are catchy and emotive. Every new production can build upon Chicago’s broadly satirical foundation; hence, the original 1970s commentary on injustice easily becomes a 2011 commentary on celebrity worship.

The latest cast for this Tony-award winning musical includes Beth Hansen as Matron Mama Morton, Gretchen Dawson as Roxie Hart, Tim Klaga as Amos and Nicole Cassesso as Velma Kelly. Nearly 6,000 performances after the new production started, Chicago is still one of the most popular and critically acclaimed musicals on tour.

Get your Chicago Musical tickets at StubPass.com.

In July 2011, former New Age Outlaws team member Monty Sopp (Billy Gunn) told media source “The Whig Standard” that he, “X-Pac” Sean Waltman and Brian Gerard James (the Road Dogg) should be considered for the WWE Hall of Fame. “Do I think we deserve the hall of fame? Yeah, of course we do,” said the former smoking Gunn.

This old New Age Outlaw also stated that he would like to work for WWE again in an advisory capacity. However, seeing him pop up at a WWE Monday Night RAW show may be unlikely–at least for the time being. Gunn stated that he burned bridges with WWE officials shortly after his release. Gunn, definitely a part of the Attitude generation of the 1990s, has been working independent shows ever since his release from Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Of course, Gunn’s ability to mix in with the new WWE direction of family-friendly sports may be too hard to imagine–including for the wrestling federation’s own creative team. Gunn’s reputation was one born of vulgarity and brash posing, the permeating spirit of the former WWE. Nevertheless, his potential for Hall of Fame status cannot be underestimated, considering some of the other names the WWE has been honoring as of late.

During the last Hall of Fame ceremony, the company honored 1980’s mid-carder “Hacksaw Jim Duggan”, Abdullah the Butcher (who worked for the WWF only briefly back in the 1970s) and Drew Carey (yes the one you’re thinking of) of all people. Would the WWE Attitude generation, which undoubtedly saved the federation from bankruptcy at the hands of Ted Turner and WCW, have been possible without non-main eventers like Billy Gunn, Jesse James and X-Pac?

These ex D-Generation X members are often grouped together with other predicted Hall of Fame favorites like “Ravishing” Rick Rude, the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Diesel” Kevin Nash, Jake “the Snake” Roberts and “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson. WrestleMania XXVIII is scheduled to take place at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at the American Airlines Arena, along with a host of other pre-shows. This may be a clue as to who is inducted, since Johnson happens to be from Miami. Is his induction a surer thing than even the rumored main event of Rock Vs. Cena? Get your WWE tickets and follow the WWE in 2011 and 2012!

It’s been nearly 20 years since we first fell in love with The Lion King, and Disney fans still can’t get enough of this Shakespearean tale adapted to the African jungle. While the animation of the original 1994 cartoon feature was stunning, let’s be honest, the music and the emotional storyline is what truly made The Lion King special.

You might even say that The Lion King is simply too good to waste on direct to video animation–as the disappointing follow ups The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride and The Lion King 1 1/2 showed us. No wonder then that Disney allowed their best fairy tale to be adapted into a stage musical on Broadway!

Everything you loved about the original Lion King mythology is recreated for the stage show. The classic songs, with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, are back along with some additional music by South African composter Lebo M. If you loved the epic nature of “The Circle of Life” then you are sure to love the Lebo M’s masterworks like “He Lives In You” and “The Lioness Haunt.” The storyline remains true to the original work, recreating the three act-formula of the movie without much leeway for change. However, there are some interesting details in the new script; Rafiki the baboon is now a female monkey, and there is also a lengthy subplot involving the evil Scar and Nala, Simba’s love interest.

Wait a minute…how does the stage production of The Lion King manage to create animated characters in a real world minimalistic setting? Well, it’s not really minimalistic…the sets and the costumes are truly out of this world, as they blend together actors in animal costumes as well as giant puppetry devices. It’s an amazing vision of The Lion King and one of the most imaginative productions you will ever see.

This is truly one production where lead billing doesn’t matter, as it is fairly difficult to mess up such an archetypical role as a good lion and an evil lion. The choreography is truly the standout, just as Disney once transcended animation with the original film. This Tony Award-winning musical is appropriate for all ages and is just as entertaining for children as it is for adults.

Get your Lion King Musical tickets at StubPass.com today.

It’s never too early to start talking about NFL favorites for Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. We are hoping to get a great NFL season – even if that season is abridged. The plans are already underway to host the Super Bowl Indianapolis, Indiana, in the Lucas Oil Stadium, so you have to believe that the Indianapolis Colts are eyeing a team victory in their home arena. In fact, it’s the first time that an NFL Super Bowl is being held in the city of Indianapolis. So you can bet that football fans are excited regardless of whose name is on the ticket.

If the NFL owners come to an agreement with the players, the big game will take place on February 5, 2012. So provided these boys come to their senses and start thinking about the fans (come on guys…we want the 2012 Super Bowl and of course our kegs of beer) we are sure to see a fiercely competitive season. Websites like Bodog.net and BetUS.com have posted their odds for each and every NFL team, based on roster data and team performances in recent years.

According to the odds, the Panthers, the Bills, the Cardinals and the Broncos are all bottoming out. The sky also looks dim for the Bengals, Browns, Redskins, Rams and Jaguars. That leaves underdogs like the Tennessee Titans (who are still looking for a player to put them over the edge), the Oakland Raiders (one quarterback short of a great team) and the Seattle Seahawks who have a history of almost achieving greatness.

Some pundits are saying that it’s all about the quarterback this season, since several teams are having quarterback issues. Favorites for the season include the home team Colts, who did dominate the AFC South and has a power player in Peyton Manning, as well as the San Diego Chargers who have Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson, and the Dallas Cowboys, who have Jason Garrett, and who are undoubtedly hungry for Super Bowl spotlight again. Intense competition may exclude the Bears, the Giants and the Ravens, but then again, a short season tends to be unpredictable.

As far as favorites go, it’s hard to ignore past performances and New Orleans, Green Bay (last year’s winner), Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots (who are the odds on favorite) are the teams to beat this year. The only other dark horse team is the Philadelphia Eagles, who are promising an aggressive strategy in signing free agents. If Super Bowls are determined by the players, then we may know the winner as early as training camp dates. What do you think? Is there an odds-on favorite in your mind?

Get your NFL tickets now for the 2012 season!

If you have heard rumors of a phantom in Las Vegas, then beware! Know that this man, this thing, is not your father! And it’s not The Phantom of the Opera production that you remember. However, it is the “official” Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom jazzed up for Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is a huge city of entertainment, and features so many productions and establishments, you can hardly afford to stay in one spot for an entire evening. This is why Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular has been edited from its original running length, which runs almost three hours. The new show is 93 minutes long and has no intermission. The production was created by the original director and choreographer of the production (Harold Prince and Gillian Lynne) though it features updated sets and high-tech pyrotechnics and even some strobe lighting.

Best of all, the production is held inside the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The theatre has been specially created to resemble the legendary Opera Garnier in Paris. The Phantom of the Opera is the now the longest-running musical in Broadway history, as well as the top grossing production of all time. This multiple Tony Award winning production features some of the most beautiful songs ever penned, including “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and “Think of Me”, and of course, the universally known “The Phantom of the Opera” duet.

In the Vegas production, because of the exhausting schedule, three roles are double cast. This means that two actors in each pair will sing alternative performances. As of June 2011, the cast includes Anthony Crivello as the phantom, Kristi Holden as Christine, Andrew Ragone as Raoul, and Kristen Hertzenberg as a Christine alternate.

Public interest in the 1980s musical has increased ever since the 2004 movie adaptation of the play starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson. However, every actor who has ever played Phantom or Christine aspires to recreate the ghostly voice of Michael Crawford and the angelic tones of Sarah Brightman.

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular Tickets are on sale at great prices for a Vegas show, not to mention an official Broadway production. Why not savor each sensation and listen to the music of the night, while having a great night in Vegas?

The looming threat of the NFL continues for 2011-2012. It’s the NFL Lockout, the sports equivalent of the Actors Strike and Writers Strike. However, the pivotal issue being fumbled is that of a new proposed bargaining agreement that suggests the owners want more revenue than they are getting.

In previous seasons, owners took roughly one billion dollars from revenue of about nine billion dollars. However, team owners state that due to the recession (or in their words “the economic realities of the era”) they want over a 100% raise, citing $2.4 billion dollars as their aim.

How’s that for a reversal of fortune? This time it’s the big wigs and executives who want a pay hike rather than the “talent.” What does this mean for our LaDainian Tomlinson’s and Tom Brady’s? This means that players would have to take a revenue cut of 18%. Gee, does this seem likely to you?

This is not to suggest that the locker room is unanimously against the proposal. Some players do understand where these costs are coming from, as many team owners are investing big money in remodeled stadiums and other important promotional expenses. Some sources are suggesting that the players want to retain a 50/50 split of revenue, which the owners are adamantly countering with an offer of 51-49.

If the worst-case scenario happens and there is no NFL 2011-2012, this will not only hurt the league and the sport but hosting cities and essentially the entire United States. The NFL Lockout website states that an estimated $160 million would be lost in each NFL city; in addition to 115,000 jobs. The worst-case scenario looks scary indeed.

However, as of June 6, 2011, sources (like Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal) are optimistic, but slightly muted in enthusiasm. The NFL is planning for a season this year, though it could be as little as eight games, possibly started by the last quarter of 2011. While this isn’t as exciting as a full season on schedule, it does offer some hope that there will not be a total “lockout” due to poor negotiations between the NFL and the players association (NFLPA).

Talk of a lockdown has been happening since last year’s Super Bowl. These boys have until October to make a deal. You can bet NFL tickets will go fast with such a potentially short season. Stay tuned for more information on the lockout on the StubPass.com blog.

It would surprise no one to hear that Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of South Park) have done something shocking. However, the fact that they have created a sympathetic portrayal of Mormons in their new Broadway play The Book of Mormon is something South Park fans might be shocked to discover.

Though the musical play is definitely a tongue-and-cheek criticism of Mormonism and all mainstream Christian religions, the production has high production values, brilliant musical composition thanks to Parker and Stone’s collaboration with Robert Lopez of Avenue Q (the one with all the swearing puppets), and a mainstream pathos that even non-South Park followers can appreciate.

The play tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries who travel to Uganda to help poverty-stricken and oppressed locals, armed with only scriptures and positive thinking. You might think that the play is a one-note joke in the same spirit as the “All About Mormons” episode of South Park. However, the play has received critical acclaim, as well as 14 Tony Award nominations.

To anyone who has followed the careers of Parker and Stone and has noticed their gradual Mormon fixation (multiple references abound in their TV shows and films), this is a must-see production. Parker and Stone have admitted to being well acquainted with the religion back in Colorado, Parker even having dated a Mormon woman who allegedly broke his heart. It might also surprise Parker fans to know that he studied music prior to the South Park phenomenon, which explains his knack for catchy lyrics.

The team’s efforts in The Book of Mormon are far from cheap paper cutouts and political vulgarisms. In The Book of Mormon, the real life Stan and Kyle get downright philosophical without ever losing their comic edge. With numbers like “All American Prophet”, “Joseph Smith American Moses”, and “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” serenading you throughout the evening, this production is sure to be an innovative comedy experience! What do you say…have you seen The Book of Mormon yet?

Get your Book of Mormon Tickets today.