A Friday Night At The Funhouse

The Funhouse was the place to be Friday for a great night of music.  The performers included ZKRY, followed by a Marysville group called Forget Me Not, then Onward Etc, a one-man band on tour and direct support for the headlining act:  He is We.

The night started with ZKRY, a music producer who laid down electronic beats that were smooth and deep.  Those beats were held together by a beautifully interlaced set of keyboard elements that brought the whole set to life.  Joining him on stage were singers Drea Marilyn and Andrew Jimenez. One song included the vocals of an elementary school choir; it was upbeat and had a rhythmic tribal feel. His music was bright, light, and the perfect way to kick off the evening.

After a quick turnaround, next up was Forget Me Not.  This duo, fronted by Ryan Cariker from Marysville, came on stage and started the set with a nice acoustic guitar piece that was held together with well-placed electronic beats, and beautifully interlaced female vocals from the DJ behind the key boards and mixer.  All in all It was a great set of music that was composed of acoustic guitar, colorful melodies, and ground shaking beats.

Third to perform was a guy who is no stranger to being on stage, Rosco Wuestewald, also known as Onward Etc. This talented singer/songwriter hails from Oregon, and came out with an energy that kept the crowd focused on the melodies.  Sitting center stage, with a guitar on his lap, a bass drum at his right foot, and a tambourine at his left, he kicked off the set with a powerful song that caught your attention. Emotion and attention were brought out by this young man, and his beats were powerful as they pounded from the bass drum His guitar riffs were soulful and begging to let your ears be filled with the pure soul of the music.  The set was interrupted only for a short few seconds as Wuestewald told the crowd that his tambourine had broken.  He then pulled it out from under his foot and tossed it behind him saying “WE DON’T NEED THIS THING ANYWAY!”.  He engaged the audience every chance he could, and the audience replied every time.  This was a set that reminded the soul that music brings out passion, and passion breathes in music.

Headlining the evening was the Tacoma band He is We, fronted by the ever beautiful and talented Rachel Taylor. This Friday performance was a special night for Taylor, and guitarist Brian Goins, because this night started their US tour. Taylor’s beautiful voice brought an already alive crowd to a whole other level.  Her energy on stage was contagious and felt by everyone in the room.  That energy, mixed with the driving guitar of Goins, and you have a combination that produces a performance beautiful in all parts.  Taylor spoke to the crowd, giving details and insight about all the songs before they were performed;  stories about her first kiss, a rocky romance, the strength of friendships, and various trials and tribulations.  The music was vibrant, which translated to a show that was full of life.  At one point in their set, they broke into a song to prove that with just four chords they can do almost any pop song.  And, to the crowds delight, was very much successful.  It was a set that marked a new beginning to He Is We, and was a proper way to kick off a tour.