Calvin Johnson and The Hive Dwellers: The Grandfathers of Indie

This fall, get ready to dance! On Wednesday, September 8th, Calvin Johnson and The Hive Dwellers along with Garatos Suecas will be rockin' The Cultch for one non-stop dance party. Garatos Suecas will be bringing their nu-tropicalia, psychedelic sounds all the way from São Paolo, Brazil to celebrate the release of their debut US full length album, ESCALDANTE BANDA. Headlining the party will be former Beat Happening front man and K Records head honcho Calvin Johnson with his new project, The Hive Dwellers. Calvin and his band will be pumping out some truly danceable underground pop for some move-your-body music that will really get you going. To get the latest on Calvin's newest project we checked in with him at K Records in Olympia, Washington for an offbeat, but rather sweet interview.

How did you start playing with the Hive Dwellers?

The Hive Dwellers began to record and perform in the summer of 2008. It was time to start rockin', as summer is "rockin' time". The current line-up of Gabriel Will, Spencer Kelley and I, has been at it since the beginning of 2010. Joyous.

The Hive Dwellers had their first official release last year with a cover of Chunk's "My Noise". Are you working on any other releases?

We have recorded many songs and will have our first 12-inch single "Get In" out on K Records in the autumn. Excitement. Click here to read the rest of our interview with Calvin.

A Limited Time Offer: 2-for-1 Ticket Sale: Because we're all broke (no kidding, huh?) The Cultch is offering a limited time offer on tickets to The Hive Dwellers. Starting at 6pm today (September 7th) until 12pm tomorrow (September 8th), tickets may be purchased online at our new 2-for-1 price! That's 2 tickets for just under $25! Buy your 2-for-1 tickets at tickets.thecultch.com.

A "Forward and Back" with Charmaine Slaven

Kick up your heels and bring your friends and family to The Cultch's free Community Square Dance! On September 10th we will be swinging partners, circling left and circling right, and doing the do-si-do to the sounds of Shout! White Dragon. The band along with special guests Pharis and Jason Romero will be playing some up-tempo, old-time-string music to get you in the square dancing spirit. Leading you through some easy-to-learn-steps will be professional dance caller, Charmaine Slaven. Having led dances for a number of years, Charmaine has mastered the art of calling and will have you moving with the best of them in no time. Interested as to how one becomes a professional caller and what that role entails, we thought we'd ask Charmaine a few questions about what she does best.

How long have you been a caller and how did you get started?

I've been calling since 2007. I had been enjoying dancing at square dances for a couple of years and also played square dance music. I was naturally attracted to the role of the caller.  I attended a great event called "Dare to be Square", which was hosted in Portland at the time.  It's a weekend of caller's workshops and instruction, and that gave me the confidence and tips I needed to start calling. After that, I started trying it out at parties and music jams.  I'm now organizing the "Dare to be Square" event in Seattle running Nov 5th to Nov 8th.

Do you remember the first time you called? Was there much of a training process?

I remember the first time and it was a nerve-wracking experience, as you're the MC for the duration of the dance. Most of my learning was done through doing the dances. Once I got better and became familiar with the moves, I'd spend time observing other callers and watching how they would teach people. Teaching each dance before the music starts is the hardest part of calling.  After I felt confident that I knew a few dances by heart, I would "learn by doing" and try out the dances whenever I could. Click here to read the rest of our interview with Charmaine.

Held in the Historic Theatre at The Cultch, this is going to be one happening hoedown for the whole family. In addition to all the dancing, the Art Express art bus  will be parked just outside the entrance for you and your young ones to get creative. There will also be some seasonal goodies and beverages available! The Cultch is located at 1895 Venables (just off Commercial Drive at Venables and Victoria). The event kicks off at 7pm on Friday, September 10th and is open to one and all! For more information, visit our website.

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