Katie Kuffel w/ DATENITE and Arthur James
Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
11.15.18

After a wildly successful trip up and down the west coast to promote her latest release, Take It Up, Katie Kuffel put a bow on her tour with a homecoming show at The Sunset, including support from some of Seattle’s best local talent, Arthur James and DATENITE.

Opening the festivities was Seattle fixture Arthur James, clad in all black, with a steely stare, brooding voice, and humorous tongue-in-cheek banter. James singer-songwriter to the core, and released Heckraiser, an EP of originals, earlier this year.

Accompanied by guitarist Tyler George-Minetti, and with a full band behind him, James showed another layer of himself as a lead guitarist and bandleader during the powerful jam session of “Liars.” He also paid tribute to the influence of luminaries by covering Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” (performed with Anna St. Lee of DATENITE) and Gregory Alan Isakov’s “Liars” (performed with Lana McMullen, Anna St. Lee, Phil Hamilton of DATENITE on drums, and Jon Robinson of Katie Kuffel’s band on bass).

He gave these tracks his own nuance while still doing them justice. But the standout of the night was “Father Size,” a song about his father’s influence in his life. With palpable emotion in his voice, the crowd could feel the weight he had in his life and how proud he was of him. It is always a crowd pleaser and tearjerker.

Then, amidst string lights and synthesizers, DATENITE took to the stage. Lead by the vocalist duo of Caroline Calaway and Anna St. Lee, this quartet has steadily made their mark in the local clubs around the city.

Creating an instant connection with the crowd, DATENITE took everyone on a journey of emotion. You could feel it right from the start when St. Lee asked for the disco ball to be turned on to set the mood of their set. Their style of synth-pop is best displayed in their current single “Lonesome Blues.” With wistful rhythms and sweeping grooves, Calaway and St. Lee’s vocals drifted into the crowd like a romantic fog. Phil Hamilton and Garrett Parker set the foundation for the complimentary synthesizers with a controlled funk that drove the group.

But it wasn’t all serious emotion. They are called DATENITE for a reason. At each of the shows I have seen them at, they usually take a break to get an awkward first date story from the crowd, and this show was no exception. The end of their set was my favorite, with their cover of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home.” At the beginning, it was just a lush cloud of synthesizers, drums, and bass. Then the vocals were added, and you could feel the crescendo building and at its zenith, the chorus soared. DATENITE brought everything to the table and left it all on stage.

Katie Kuffel has always been a confident, dynamic performer. However, something seemed different about her on this night. Call it a calm or peace, but there was a lightness to her. Coming out onto the stage wearing a TomboyX shirt (TomboyX sponsored her latest tour), she began her set with “Offering,” an a capella lullaby in which she encouraged the crowd to become present with her. It was a lovely start to a set of music that slowly built up.

With her bluesy, smoky voice and frenetic energy, Kuffel has established herself as one of the best live performers in the city. She, along with her band, have a chemistry and authenticity that captivates an audience immediately.

Kuffel described herself as “lyrically turbulent” and it showed magnificently in “Vices.” “I got sand in my gullet and a lust for lust” was just one of many clever and direct verses in this upbeat track with a funky piano hook, anchored by Jon Robinson’s smooth bass and Jordan Wiegert’s tight, rhythmic percussion. It was a crowd favorite, reminding everyone that it is ok to have vices and also to indulge in them.

She brought the tempo down with the tender love song, “RCBIF,” featuring the seething saxophone of Kale Lotton. Kuffel’s voice has such a range where she can shine with restraint and quiet deliberateness and then unleash her ferocity, like she does in the tongue-in-cheek “Cantaloupe.”

The Sunset is a haven for great local music and community. I imagine that coming home from a tour is a bittersweet affair. However, being able to end the tour by baring your passion, surrounded by the ones you love, and sharing the stage with immense talent makes the end feel like the beginning of something bigger.

Review and photos by Phillip Johnson

Katie Kuffel


DATENITE

Arthur James