(Better late than never.) Last Friday, I finally found myself at the Vera Project, an all ages venue located next to Key Arena. This tiny venue showcases local bands and art from local artists (Chicken Kid, Kinoko, Eli H. to name a few). On the agenda for the evening: God Gave Up The Ghost, Parenthetical Girls, and the Evangelicals. I had never heard of any of these bands, so I started out with no expectations.

God Gave Up The Ghost is a one-man show. As you can see in the photo, he’s wearing a strand of Christmas lights, definitely not what I was expecting when he hopped on stage. He used a keyboard and other instruments to create a cacophony of music, sometimes with a catchy beat and other times bordering (and even crossing the line) on experimental. I’m not entirely sure I liked it, but it was definitely unique. For the finale, he used a screwdriver to play a guitar…innovative to be sure. After the show, I talked to him (and forgive me, I can’t remember his name) for about 10 minutes and he reminded me a lot of friends that I’ve had (and I’m sure everyone else has had) who has dabbled in music. It seemed to be a healthy outlet for him, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come again to the Vera Project.

Parenthetical Girls have apparently come a long way in the last two years if you compare the notes between another Metblog author and myself. The show was entertaining. The lead singer discovered that his mic was wireless and used it to his full advantage: singing while weaving through the small crowd, leaning on the shoulder an audience member seated at one of the few booths, and at one point, even singing from the lobby while the rest of the band stayed on stage. Some of the songs were quite catchy. I would give them a few more years to refine their style before picking up an album though.

The Vera Project, being all-ages, does not serve alcohol at this venue. Luckily for those who are 21+, there are a few bars in the area that are within walking distance. My husband and I took off between God Gave Up The Ghost and the Parenthetical Girls to grab a quick beer at McMenamins at the base of Queen Anne Hill. Need to go back there sometime for dinner…

The Evangelicals were by far the most put-together group of the night. I thought their songs were well-done, catchy (I keep using this word), and I could imagine hearing them in the background at a bar or while doing homework.

So my verdict: check out the Evangelicals if you can, check out the (cheap) shows at the Vera Project, and do what I did: check out new music and support local artists. Maybe eventually I can learn to write better reviews of bands and venues too.