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Category: School, College, Greek
7 Alive
by Emily Christianson
The Western Front
Thursday, May 17, 2001
The sign above the stage flashed "dance, dance, dance," but the manager of the 3B Tavern should have saved some power Friday night by unplugging it. The audience didn't need any prodding. The Lucky Seven took care of that.
"We all really love to play this music," drummer Noah Patterson said. "A lot of times when we play shows, it's hard to distinguish the energy that goes out and the energy that comes back."
The seven-piece band, hence the name The Lucky Seven, provides a musical niche in Bellingham: true funk.
The variety of instruments created a kaleidoscope of sounds. Patterson kept multiple beats, while Joel Ricci jumped to center stage blasting notes on his trumpet and taking breaks to sing and call out Ricci's side, switched between flute and saxophone.
"Everyone has their part," Nakamuro said. "We fill each other's space. Everything connects like a bridge."
Other members include guitarist Steve Faucher, bassist Alex Vouri, keyboardist Rick Haykin and trombonist Jed Green.
"I like how they've got soul," audience member Greg Anderson said. "There's nothing better than white boys with soul. It must be some sort of genetic accident, but you've got to love it.
"He's got soul, too," Anderson said, pointing at Nakamuro, a Western foreign exchange student from Japan.
The Lucky Seven formed in August and began performing in October. Ricci, who founded the band, said he writes all the music and arranges the horns, but all the members work together on the music. Ricci and Green received degrees in music composition from Eastern Washington University.
So what musically-educated, make-you-wanna-dance soul band is this?
"You can't download a Lucky Seven experience," Vouri said. "If you put James Brown and mid? 70s Herbie Hancock into a blender, that's us."
For the audience, the most unusual feature of The Lucky Seven is the flute, which Nakamuro plays with a funk, rather than traditional, classical style.
"He's amazing," audience member Joel Todd said. "He's nothing but magic."
Although Faucher and Patterson play only two more shows before they leave Bellingham for personal reasons and the band, funk lovers can only hope that their departure won't bring doom to the band.
Before they leave, the band will record a two-track 45 record, but it will only be used for performance purposes.
Those who like funk should get some Lucky Seven while they can, because the band won't be back until the recording is done and new members are in place.
Sweat to the funk with La PUSH
By Bryan Sharick
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Bar-goers at The Fairhaven Pub and Martini Bar got pushed onto the dance floor because of the music last Thursday night when 10-piece afro-funk orchestra and Bellingham band La PUSH played.
"One word to describe La PUSH would be 'sweat,'" said Joel Ricci, trumpet player, lead singer and creator of La PUSH. "We sweat."
Ricci writes the rhythms, beats, and even arranges the sheet music.
"I come in with the raw material and the general idea for the form," Ricci said.
La PUSH consists of Ricci on trumpet and vocals, Western junior Issac Weiser on baritone saxophone, Spokane resident Karen Barnard on tenor saxophone and Jason Cressie on trombone. Beecraft is the regular backup band for La PUSH.
"Beecraft are good enough musicians that they can learn La PUSH's songs quickly and still do their material," Ricci said.
Weiser joined the band after Ricci told him that he was a great saxophone player and he listens really well, Weiser said.
"Playing in La PUSH is like taking me back to the retro '70s thing that I missed," Weiser said. "The people are so much part of the show that it's not funk if they're not dancing."
Barnard said she heard about Ricci's idea for the band when she was in Bellingham with her cousin who was visiting Western.
"Joel is so creative and spontaneous. It's hard not to be inspired, on stage is where the music comes together," Barnard said.
Ricci said that he usually likes to call out what to play at the concerts because he loves the spontaneity.
"We have to take Joel's direction on stage," Barnard said. "We can't all be honkin' our horns at once or it'll be a mess. You really have to listen to what's going on and fit in."
Ricci is the brainchild of the band and it is not Ricci's first project that he's had in Bellingham.
When his previous bands disbanded Ricci took a six-month hiatus to Europe to learn about the music he loved: funk.
Ricci's six-month jaunt ended because he eventually ran out of money, he said.
"On the way back, I e-mailed Beecraft to see if they would record with me," Ricci said.
Ricci said he has always admired Beecraft because they have worked for a long time on their art.
The members of Beecraft are from the Seattle area and Ricci attended Eastern Washington University with three of the members.
Barnard also went to EWU with Ricci.
"It's sort of like I get paid to do my hobby," Barnard said. "La PUSH is an opportunity to play in a kick-ass funk band and that hasn't been there since I graduated."
The band is named after the 800-year-old fishing village of La Push, Wash. on the Quileute Indian Reservation when Ricci took a trip to the ocean with some friends.
"The name had to be able to express something about the music and musicians," Ricci said. "One of the things I wanted to express is the local-ness. It also had to be something that I could use to make double-entendres and jokes, but still be able to tell my mom it's the name of my band."
Ricci described La Push, Wash. as a magical place where he went surfing for the first time.
"I dream of the band being something that'll push you out to the dance floor," Ricci said. "When people hear La PUSH, they're gonna associate it with really good parties, dancing and beautiful girls."
La PUSH will be playing another show on May 2 at the Wild Buffalo with the set beginning around 9 p.m.
"It's a groovin', booty shakin' party with a bunch of people having a good time," Weiser said.
People who are people, everyday
by Bryan Sharick
Thursday, April 24, 2003
"Everyday People" get together every Wednesday night at The Factory to perform improvisational funk music and creatively communicate with each other.
People of all musical talents and ability are welcome to come to The Factory on N. State Street and jam - as long as they are 21 or older, The Factory's owner Reece DeGolier said.
"This whole idea was modeled after a jam session in a bar called 'Cithea' that I went to in Paris," mastermind of 'Everyday People,' Joel Ricci said. "Paris has a big Afro-beat scene, and I knew that funk was an interest to many people in Bellingham. There's no question the love is there because you can see it when funk bands come to town."
Of the 40 to 50 people in attendance, a majority played an instrument or danced.
"It's natural because a lot of musicians come to play in and watch the show," Ricci said. "I view the dancers as part of the jam session."
The impromptu-music community played the drums, bass, trumpet, keyboard, flute, guitar, saxophone and melodica. The melodica is an instrument that looks like a flute with a miniature keyboard attached.
Ricci developed the idea of "Everyday People," said bass player and Bellingham resident Alex Vouri.
"There's a core group of about 10 people who come regularly, but everyone's welcome," Ricci said. "There's a huge spectrum of abilities, and I love the idea of bringing everyone together and making music."
The bass is of less importance in other forms of music, whereas in funk, it's equal to or greater than other instruments, Ricci said.
"In a jam session, bass players are kings because they decide the rhythm and tonality," Ricci said. "The keyboard and guitar are at the mercy of whatever the bass player is doing."
Compared to other forms of music, the sound of the funk beat can vary and make people move and feel differently, Ricci said.
"The country and blue grass beats are a lot more up and down, but funk is a lot more side to side," Ricci said. "It makes you look sexy. You're sexy when you dance like that."
"Everyday People" draws people from all around Bellingham, including many who have jobs besides playing music.
"Most of the people play funk, but a lot are just musicians who like to jam with people a lot," DeGolier said.
Ricci plays an assortment of instruments including the keyboard, trumpet and flute.
Ricci, trumpet player and lead singer of Bellingham band La PUSH, said that the whole idea of creating new music out of nothing is important to him.
"The opposite of war is not peace, but creation," Ricci said. "You got that one thing you love and you want to do it with people who love it too. If eggplant parmesan is your love, you'd eat it all the time. That's what I'm doing with my music."
Ricci also said success in funk is based on the improvisational aspect and the ability to understand what people on stage are doing.
"You're not judged by talent, but by the people on the dance floor," Ricci said. "It's like having a conversation; you can't do it without listening."
The Factory will present "Everyday People" every Wednesday until the community stops coming, DeGolier said.
"These people invested their heart and soul into this music and that's the kind of people I want to play with," Ricci said.
La Push it, La Push it real good
by Seamus Burke
Thursday, May 20, 2004
A trumpet player's sweat-soaked brown hair stuck to his forehead, masking the veins that popped out as his puffed-up cheeks started to turn red. His trumpet waved back and forth over the crowd of spinning, twisting college students with sundresses and dreadlocks circling through the air. Each note sent shockwaves surging through the packed crowd, making hands fly up and feet explode in every direction as if the faded wooden floor was made of ice. The red glow from the overhead lights intensified the heat in the room, and not a single shirt was dry, yet no one seemed to care.
The nine-man band, La Push, crammed the stage of the Wild Buffalo May 14 with trumpets, saxophones, bass guitars, drum sets, bongos, a keyboard and a flute. The show was the CD release party for "Baby," Joel Ricci's first recording with the new Wetsound Recording Co. label. The album is a tangible expression of the band's eclectic style, Ricci said.
"Just the process of us struggling through all these concepts, and then there's this album left behind," Ricci said. "It's art; it's like a painting. There's shapes and layers and contrasts."
At the show Ricci put the hard work behind him and celebrated the release of "Baby." Dancing around center stage, Ricci mastered the music like puppet strings to stir the crowd into a frenzy with a seemingly endless jam session before slamming it to a halt and starting the next tune.
"Thank you guys so much, you are really giving us incredible energy, and we're going to try to do the best we can to harness that and give it right back," Ricci said during a song break.
Judging by the nonstop dancing, including several break dancers, La Push succeeded in sending the flow of energy right back to the tireless crowd.
Ricci's original plan for La Push was to create an album and not focus on live shows, said Isaac Weiser, a saxophone, flute and bass player in the band. But the band recognized how much people enjoyed coming to see it perform and delayed the album, Ricci said. After a trip to Europe in 2003, Ricci, frustrated with not being able to hand people an album to showcase the band's talent, said he decided it was time to create the album. "Baby" is the result of nine months of composing, recording and producing, Ricci said.
"It's been a full-time job for me since August," Ricci said. "You know, cause we're musicians, it doesn't look like we're working, but we struggle with a lot of stuff (offstage)."
Sitting in the basement of the Wild Buffalo on an old yellowing couch, Ricci discussed contract details with the owner of the bar, made a set list for the show and looked at song details with several band members. He said that despite the amount of effort it took to write, direct, record and produce the album, it was something he felt compelled to do.
"Over the course of my time in Bellingham, I've come into contact with a lot of musicians, and I feel like it's my job to help enrich their lives," Ricci said. "(Bellingham musicians) are like nothing I've ever heard."
Bob Reese, a percussion player in La Push, as well as Bee-craft and Flowmotion, two other local funk bands, explained what it was like to work with Ricci in a studio.
"It's hard to get a good sound in a dry environment," Reese said. "But Joel was in there dancing around, and it really helped to get the energy up. He's really good to work with."
The band played nonstop Friday night from 11 p.m. to just after 1 a.m., and the crowd still cheered for more.
After closing with the slow and soulful "Tiny Versions," the band headed backstage and the lights dimmed. The crowd immediately began clapping in sync and chanting "encore, encore." Within minutes, the band, led by Ricci, climbed back onstage stomping with the beat, bringing the noise to a wall-thumping crescendo. The lights came on, and the horns exploded, catapulting the crowd back into motion. Hips shook and hands flailed as the roof on the crammed house seemed close to bursting off.
The lively jam session, which included all nine band members, continued for almost 10 minutes, while the crowd danced frantically. When the song finally ended, the crowd stood around the bar looking through the red glow as if waking from a dream. Sweaty and out of breath, with tired legs but big smiles, the audience members filtered out. The band members stepped out the back door and felt the cool air. Standing in the brick-lined alley under a streetlight, they passed around a couple cigarettes and a beer and talked about how good the crowd was and how hot a few girls in the front row were.
At the other end of the building, the weary but upbeat crowd stood on the sidewalk by Holly Street, talking about how good the show was.
"No one puts it on like La Push puts it on," Western senior Cassidy Grattan said. "Everybody's here for the same reason. Everybody just came to get down and have a good time."
The stage crew packed the equipment into a trailer, and the band members finished their beer and cigarettes. Several of the guys piled into the car for the nine-hour drive to Ashland, Ore., to play with another band the next night. Ricci disappeared down the stairs to change his shirt and get ready for the next show.
Evening cruise offers DJs and local band
by LAUREN ALLAIN
Thursday, May 12, 2005
On May 21, Western students have the opportunity to board two 210-foot cruise ships and depart on a tour of the San Juan Islands, stopping at Orcas Island and returning to Bellingham.
The cruise will leave Squalicum Harbor at 5:30 p.m. to take in the sights of the San Juans and the sunset on Puget Sound before docking at the Rosario Resort, which overlooks Cascade Bay on Orcas Island, said Adam Johnson, Western senior and Associated Students Productions special events assistant coordinator.
Tickets are available at the Performing Arts Center box office only for Western students to purchase, and only two at a time. Tickets are $20 until Wednesday, when the price will increase to $30.
Upon arrival, guests will enter the five-star resort where funk band LaPUSH will perform, who Johnson said is Bellingham's own funk powerhouse.
The eight-piece band, which includes three Western alumni; John Meloy, Paul Chandler and Mars Eric Lindgren, will be performing for the first time at a Western event, LaPUSH member Joel Ricci said. He said he describes his music as creating a nonstop party atmosphere.
"I've been trying to get a gig with Western for years," Ricci said. "I'm happy it's finally happening."
LaPUSH has five members, who reside and predominantly perform in Bellingham, Ricci said. He said he serves as the band's artistic director, and writes all the music as well as providing vocals and playing the flute.
The all-male band formed in December 2002 and has sold out shows at the Nightlight Lounge in downtown Bellingham, and they played at the Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro and The Fairhaven Pub & Martini Bar.
"I feel kind of committed to the community," Ricci said.
Musical entertainment also will be present on the cruise to and from Orcas Island, Johnson said. Western senior Quoc Pham will serve as DJ Q Mastah and will spin dance-floor music while students are on the boat, Pham said.
Pham has performed at numerous Western events including the High Street World Festival and Bob Marley Tribute Week, Johnson said. Pham said he specializes in dance hall and reggae music.
"That's what people like," Pham said. "It's all about the dancing and having a good time."
Western senior Will Asrari, aka DJ Willacious, will perform on the other boat, Johnson said.
Johnson said he wants the cruise to have a relaxed, island feel, and LaPUSH and DJ Q Mastah follow those moods.
Johnson said the cruise is exhausting the AS Productions special events budget of $14,850 for the year because the cost to AS Special Events is $44 per ticket. It loses $24 per ticket for a total of $4,000 to $5,000 lost, even if the event sells out.
LaPUSH also will perform Thursday at the Nightlight Lounge.
Jungle Love
by Andrea Barber
Thursday, January 05, 2006
A group of fire dancers spin flaming sticks with apparent ease, a giraffe on stilts walks by and all the while, music plays loudly all around - this is no ordinary event. This is a scene the public should expect at the one-time, all-ages Animal Kingdom event, held by the Bellingham-based non-profit Boogie Universal Arts Collective as their third-year anniversary party.
From 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Jan. 7, The Majestic, a downtown Bellingham venue, Animal Kingdom will take place where people dress in costume and support Bellingham artists and musicians.
Transformed into a fusion of ecosystems, The Majestic's attendees will discover different environments on every level of the three-story building. In the jungle-themed main room, Bellingham funk-soul band La Push and disc jockey John Howard are a few of the local musicians who will perform, said Boogie Universal co-founder Erik Moore.
"(Animal Kingdom's) pretty much a mecca of all the big players of underage shows on the west coast," said Joel Ricci, La Push vocalist, who has been attending Boogie Universal events since 2003.
Moore said the event will bring the Bellingham community together outside of the bar scene.
"We want new, creative talents that are out there to help contribute to a beautiful, magical thing here in Bellingham," Boogie Universal co-founder Jeremy Ball said.
The goal of the company's dances are to escape from a low-key weekend by wearing costumes, he said.
"Once people are in costume, they're a little less inhibitive and try things they've never tried before," Moore said.
Preparation for Animal Kingdom began in October 2005, when Moore and a group of volunteers started contacting an array of artists throughout the Northwest to display their artwork. Boogie Universal depends on the work of their volunteers to set up and help organize all of their events.
Boogie Universal originated in Bellingham in 2003 as small potlucks, with music and dancing. As time went on and attendance increased at their events, Ball and four fellow co-founders realized the potential of their house parties to be taken to bigger venues with more artists and performers, Ball said. To include the public, Boogie Universal has been reserving venues for their events since their initiation.
Boogie Universal held 18 to 20 events in Bellingham over the past three years, but none of their events has been as large as Animal Kingdom, Moore said.
Bellingham artist buphalo will display two large-scale fire sculptures outside of the venue, one of which is 23 feet in diameter and 13 feet tall.
"It's the nature of these kind of events," Ricci said. "It's a transformative experience."
Downtown Sounds
by Mollie T. Foster
Thursday, June 22, 2006
This summer everything from Latin to classic rock will explode from the alley next to the Wild Buffalo House of Music on West Holly Street.
The second annual Downtown Sounds Summer Alley Concert Series will fill downtown Bellingham with the sounds of La Push, Acorn Project, Vicci Martinez, Paperboys, Jude Bowerman and eight other artists.
The event will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday from July 12 through Aug. 16. The bands will play in the alley between West Holly and Champion streets.
The Downtown Renaissance Network, a group concerned with the maintenance and development of Bellingham, is in charge of the event and created it in 2005.
The Downtown Renaissance's goal is to create a vibrant city center through advocacy, maintenance and beautification, said Kirsten Shelton, executive director for Downtown Renaissance.
"We needed an event for summer, for people to be able to identify downtown with a summer event," Shelton said. "We really didn't have that here."
The idea came from Downtown Renaissance's concern with public safety in Bellingham, Shelton said.
"We wanted to have an event and break through perceptions of public safety concerns in downtown," Shelton said. "To prove that you can bring families and friends down and celebrate our community and be safe after 5 p.m."
Downtown Renaissance looks for bands that are lively, popular and family-friendly, Shelton said.
One of the bands that fit the bill is La Push.
La Push, a funky Bellingham jazz band, will be the only returning band from last year, with Acorn Project opening.
Acorn Project formed in 2004 and is exploding on to the Bellingham scene, playing whenever they have the opportunity.
La Push said they are excited to play the event again.
Joel Ricci, the band's director, said Downtown Sounds embodies the perfect show for La Push.
"We're a community dance band," Ricci said. "In pretty much every way it's the ideal situation and venue for our band."
Ricci said he enjoys Downtown Sounds because it promotes music, not the alcohol that bar shows often promote.
"We exist on the street, in those scenarios," Ricci said. "I will never pass up this opportunity. This is the most important type of show for me to play for kids."
In addition to music, downtown vendors including the Wild Buffalo will sell food and drinks at the event, Shelton said.
On Aug. 2, 12 to 15 different downtown food vendors will provide food for a miniature Bite of Bellingham, including root beer floats from Boundary Bay and ice cream from Mallard Ice Cream and Cafe.
Attendants can sample a bit of each with the purchase of a ticket, Shelton said. The show is a community event, and everyone is looking forward to it, she said.
Bring the funk to 'Funk or Treat'
by Chelsea Osterberg
Thursday, October 26, 2006
To celebrate All Hallows' Eve a funk and soul orchestra, a hip-hop singer/songwriter/musician and a hula-hooping sensation will combine forces this Saturday. This diverse mix of music and performance will be available for viewing in downtown Bellingham at The Nightlight Lounge.
"It's gonna be off the hook, that's all there is to it," said LaPUSH baritone saxophone player John Meloy.
The Nightlight Lounge will host the third annual "Funk or Treat" show on Saturday. Funk band LaPUSH will return as headliners of the show for the third year in a row. Seattle musician BShorty will also be featured along with Ms. B. Hooping Allure who will show off her hula-hooping skills.
LaPUSH will start the party with its set, followed by BShorty and Ms. B Hooping Allure. LaPUSH will wrap up the show as well, coming back onstage for the finale with the entire band in full costume for the performances, said Joel Ricci, front man for LaPUSH.
"LaPUSH is a non-stop funk and raw soul orchestra," Ricci said. "We are represented by some of the finest musicians in the Pacific Northwest. This band is made of a lot of hard-working people"
LaPUSH is comprised of nine band members playing instruments including guitars, baritone saxophone, trumpet, flute, trombone, keyboard, drums and various other percussion instruments.
The band is working on recording the follow-up to its 2004 album "Baby." The band's trombone player, Mars Lindgren, and Ricci are producing the album.
"We're shooting for New Years and we're doing the best we can," Ricci said. "But we're recording in my living room so that makes it an even slower process."
Joining BShorty during the breaks between the LaPUSH sets will be Jaimie Berg (aka Ms. B Hooping Allure) performing hula hoop dancing. Berg, who has been hooping for approximately five years, dances with light-up hula hoops and said her hula hooping is cutting edge.
"BShorty puts on a really good show," Ricci said. "I've seen him take a whole crowd of people and just put them into a trance with just his voice."
The owner of The Nightlight Lounge, Matt Feigenbaum, said he's looking forward to a great Saturday night sell-out.
Tickets are available for $10 online at the Nightlight's website, at the Nightlight box office or at the door.
"Buy your tickets ahead of time because if history is any indication we should be selling out," Feigenbaum said.
LaPUSH has performed at The Nightlight five times.
"I really love their business," Ricci said. "I love their platform. I love the way they do business. We've gotten Halloween and New Year's for the last three years. It's like an annual thing."
Groovin' for the Grizzlies
by Sharon Savage
Thursday, May 10, 2007
There are fewer than 10 grizzly bears living in the North Cascades of Upper Washington State, said office manager and events coordinator of Conservation Northwest Rose Oliver.
Conservation Northwest and Friends of the Northwest don't want to lose another animal species, especially an American icon like the grizzly bear.
Conservation Northwest and Friends of the Northwest are celebrating national Bear Awareness Week in Bellingham and Seattle May 14 to May 18.
This national event is set to inform people about the plight of bears in the North Cascades.
The week-long celebration in Bellingham will be filled with special events including a free film showing of "The Bear Man of Kamchatka," educational presentations and a social event to finish off the week called Groovin' for Grizzlies.
Groovin' for Grizzlies is a family friendly event that will begin at 7:00 p.m. May 18 in the Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro's Beer Garden. The event will feature a live improvised show from the Upfront Players Theatre, live music by the Yogoman Burning Band and several other local artists such as Joel Ricci and Stell Newsome. The price for admission is $6 for adults; kids 10 and under get in free.
Janet Lightner, manager of Boundary Bay Brewing & Bistro, said Groovin' for Grizzlies is an event that is fun for people of all ages.
"The event really is more of a 'friend raiser' rather than a fundraiser," Lightner said. "Lots of kids have enjoyed the grizzly displays we have up here. There will be a bear hug booth, and there will be a real focus on youngsters to try to get them to understand what's going on."
Boundary Bay Brewing & Bistro will also be featuring a brand new Grizzly Beer in honor of the week's festivities. The beer is an English brown ale, and will be available exclusively at the brewery during Bear Awareness Week.
According to the Defenders of Wildlife Grizzly Bear fact sheet, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly bear population as threatened in the continental United States under the Endangered Species Act in 1975.
Oliver said since declaring the grizzly bear as an endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not done anything to follow up on their plan of recovery.
"The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service claim the reason they have not followed through on their plan is because the people of Washington State do not care about the grizzlies," Oliver said. "So we are trying to prove them wrong."
The opportunity exists to recover this American icon for the wilderness, Oliver said.
Despite the controversy, there are other reasons for Bear awareness week, Oliver said.
"One of the main reasons for bear awareness week is to try to teach people how to live with bears, camp safely and be more aware in the woods," Oliver said. "It's our responsibility to be the ones who are in control of what we are doing in the woods."
Western junior Max Stahlberg said Bear Awareness Week is a good idea to inform people about endangered animals.
"It's a great thing that people are actually able to go out there and help [the bears] maintain their habitat, and still live," Stahlberg said. "Even though we're interfering with their environment."
For individuals to realize the effect they have on a population of species and take the initiative to remedy the negative effect is a good thing, he said.
Reunited, and it feels so good
by Morgan Remenar
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Speakers throughout the Nightlight Lounge will soon blast a combination of strict, choreographed brass band sound and the fluidity and ease of funk and soul.
Those familiar with Bellingham's music scene may recognize the unique music from Joel Ricci's band La Push, whose Westsound Reunion show is scheduled for May 11 at the Nightlight Lounge.
"It has something for people who want to come and watch a show," Ricci said of the upcoming performance. "It's also got something for people who just want to come out and dance all night, cause that's just what we do; we make dance music."
Ricci, who describes La Push's sound as "nonstop, original, raw dance music," said the show is important to the band, his record label and his experiences in the business.
Four bands, all past or present members of La Push, will play at the show, which marks Ricci's seventh year playing music in Bellingham and also to celebrate his 31st birthday, Ricci said.
"Friday is an opportunity for everyone to get together and dance and to remember some of the old times," Ricci said. "It's a reunion."
Fairhaven freshman Devin Majkut, a La Push fan, said she has seen the band perform many times. The crowd is easy-going and everyone dances and enjoys the music, she said.
"It's pretty incredible," Majkut said. "Their music is really funky and it's great to dance to. Every La Push concert I've been to it's been a full-on dance concert. It's pretty fantastic. People really love their music."
The show is called Westsound Reunion because it will bring together all musicians who have been involved in La Push. The show will incorporate performances by The Ancestors, Apparatus, La Push horns and La Push Street Band. All four bands produce music under Ricci's Westsound music label, which will release two new albums at the show.
The Ancestors, La Push's original rhythm section, played in the band from 2002 to 2004 and most of its members now perform throughout the Northwest as the group Flowmotion. The Ancestors are Josh Clauson, Scott Goodwin, Saburo Miyata, Zach Stewart, Bob Rees and Don Goodwin. The Apparatus -Shane Smith, Denali Williams and R.L. "Otis" Heyer - represented La Push rhythm from 2004 to 2006. La Push horns - Isaac Weiser, John Meloy, Paul Chandler, and Mars Lindgren - played for both rhythm groups. La Push Street Band, comprised of 25 Bellingham community members, is the most recent addition to Westsound.
"This is a really special thing," Ricci said. "I haven't played with some of these guys for many years and we're putting them all back together in the same room."
Ricci said he has been recently focusing on producing music and working on ways to bring performances to a broader, more diverse audience. He said his "vision" for downtown Bellingham is free, outdoor shows where people of all ages can dance and enjoy music.
"I'm interested in helping get all ages and economic brackets to be able to watch," Ricci said. "People can't necessarily go to the expensive shows at the club. A lot of the guys I play with are professionals and they vibrate at a really high level."
Ricci said performing at clubs limits the exposure of their music, which is why he created La Push Street Band.
Kirsten Walker, executive director of the Downtown Renaissance Network, a local organization dedicated to enhancing Bellingham's city center, has worked with Ricci and La Push multiple times. She said La Push opened for the network's Downtown Sound summer concert series for the past two years.
"They bring a positive, fun energy to the concert series," Walker said. "I'm amazed at how they morph and change and continue to deliver a high-energy performance."
Ricci said Walker and the Downtown Renaissance Network understand and support his aspirations for the Bellingham music scene.
"I love to do all-ages outdoor free shows," Ricci said. "If anybody has a need for that, I will be there."
Ricci said he will remain busy with recordings, performing live shows and doing what he can to bring music to Bellingham residents.
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