This weekend, Seattle Soundfest happens at a variety of venues in Seattle. The venues are:

Neumos
The Comet
The Funhouse
The Vera Project
El Corazon

Soundfest has umbrella pass pricing for the events at $150 (which includes free beer, probably PBR) and $100.

Single-day pass pricing is $40. Individual shows are also priced; I only looked up the prices for the shows I want to attend.

The full published schedule is here.

http://seattlesoundfest.com/schedule

Please note that while the schedule lists starting times for each band and the organizers undoubtedly intend to hold the bands to them, there is nearly no possibility that these time will be accurate for shows that include more than four bands.

There are many, many bands playing. I do not want to see them all. I have identified the artists I wish to see and note the published starting times and locations.

FRIDAY AUGUST 19th
NEUMOS – $25 (6 bands, doors at 6p)
Avengers, 9:45. Jello Biafra, 10:45 (5th and 6th)

FUNHOUSE – $12 (6 bands, doors at 6p)
Austin Lucas, 9:15 (4th)

It’s not likely to be able to catch Austin’s set and then catch Penelope, so my plan here is just to catch Austin.

SATURDAY AUGUST 20th
EL CORAZON – $25 (6 bands, doors at 4p)
The Dickies, 7. Angelic Upstarts, 9. The Vandals, 10. (3rd, 5th, and 6th)

NEUMOS – $25 (6 bands, doors at 6p)
John Doe & Exene, 10:30 (6th)

I might actually just sit this night out. The only band I haven’t seen listed above is the Angelic Upstarts.

Seeing John and Exene is a possibility, though, because Exene is sick (multiple sclerosis) and it’s not clear how much longer she will be able to tour. I had thought that they might slip Dave Alvin into their lineup because I saw that the Blasters are playing the next night in town, but he’s playing gigs in California on both the 20th and the 21st. Looks like the Blasters in town on Sunday will be a Phil-only incarnation.

SUNDAY AUGUST 21st
THE VERA PROJECT – $17 (5 bands, doors at 6p)
Cro-Mags, 8:30. Zero Boys, 9:30 (4th and 5th. Very likely to be on schedule.)

NEUMOS – $20 (6 bands, doors at 5p)
The Blasters, 9:30 (6th)

EL CORAZON – $30 (6 bands, doors at 4p)
Stiff Little Fingers, 10:00 (6th)

This is only a little tough. There’s no realistic way to hit all three of these shows for the headliners. The Zero Boys, of course, are from my home and even though I have seen them a zillion times, the last time was over a decade ago at Second Story in Bloomington. The first time was at Ricky’s Canteena in the same town when I was seventeen.

I have never seen Stiff Little Fingers nor the Blasters. Both are treasured bands in my listening habits, but especially the Blasters. I nearly *booked* a Blasters show when I was about 19; I can’t recall the details about where it was to be or why it went off the rails but for whatever reason it never happened. So it will be hard to miss both bands. But the main reason I go see bands these days is to see old friends, and the Zero Boys are old friends indeed.

Final tally: Friday night at the Funhouse for Austin and Sunday night at the Vera Project for the Zero Boys. That’s $12 and $17, so no pass for me.