Back in the day, like 2001/2002, it was a common sight to catch me and Mad Wilcox playing our songs in the Pike Place Market by the gyro stand. Our first band Midnite Choir also busked regularly and in those days, if you weren’t in the market, you’d get driven off by business owners, security and police. That never deterred us as it was a great way to test out new songs and see which ones actually got folks to stop and listen.
Well, this Saturday, we return to those roots, sort of. Unlike the Seattle at the turn of the century, downtown has become much more of a cultural hub. Buskers are regular sights, even outside the market and there are festivals like Walk Don’t Run, that attempt to inject art into every nook and cranny of the downtown corridor.
Hosted by the folks at Shunpike, a long-running Seattle arts institution, WDR is an “arts marathon,” meaning folks purchase a free ticket and walk along a pre-determined path through downtown with arts experiences activated as you continue down the path. It starts in Pioneer Square at noon and ends in Belltown at 6pm. We will be closer to the beginning at the Norton Building Plaza. Our set will run from 1pm to 3pm. We will be lightly amplified but it will still be a return to our sidewalk days. We have tailored our set to songs that work best in a busking environment, so expect some covers, some oldies and some newer songs we’ve been working on. Check us out but stay all day, walk the marathon and marvel at all the talent that resides in our Emerald City.
In the 14 years of The Bad Things existence, the band has played a variety of venues; from swanky cabarets and concert halls, to music festivals, breweries, schoolhouses, underground speakeasy’s and punk rock dive bars.
The Bad Things 