FILM

From left: Tyler Poole, Nik Michaels, Ryan Stocks, Adam Darling and Jon Kuritz of Live From Somewhere. ADAM DARLING PHOTO VIDEOS encouraging the participating artists to work together Spokane Sounds outside the constraints of the Live from Somewhere series. “When we come out of this, we can use this to build a better music community,” Kuritz says. “[Uh Oh and the Oh Wells] probably would never have crossed paths with Brotha Nature, and now they have a collaborative single on Spotify. So now they can do a show together because The music video series Live from Somewhere showcases of that collab and maybe work together more. Who knows what kind of lineups we’re going to see when we local artists and the beauty of the Inland Northwest get back?” Beyond the main series of videos, the guys behind Live from Somewhere have also produced what they call the BY NATHAN WEINBENDER “winter acoustic series,” as well as an accompanying podcast that features interviews with the performers. They’ve Just about everything in this pandemic age has inspired a sense of displacement, particularly in the realm of Looking back on their first Live from Somewhere production, which featured Spokane rappers Exzac Change been using their own equipment and editing the videos on their own time, and they have since partnered with the arts, where most venues are closed and in-person and Matisse performing on stools in the middle of a a handful of local businesses and nabbed a few sponsorgatherings are discouraged. The local music video series gravel lot, they instantly knew they were onto something. ships. They’re currently in the process of applying for Live from Somewhere is something of a remedy to that dis- “We were all sitting there watching this hip-hop duo nonprofit status. placement, and the name says it all: It’s not only giving just crush it,” Stocks recalls. “It was definitely pretty But it’s really all about the artists, they say: Most Spokane performers a spotlight, but it’s also showcasing special. I think we all felt it in that moment. That first local musicians don’t get to star in their own set-length unorthodox locales around the city. episode went better than I think we all expected it to. Not concert film, complete with hi-def footage and elaborate

Founded by friends Jon Kuritz, Tyler Poole and Ryan that we were expecting a train wreck, but we were like, drone shots. Stocks, Live from Somewhere features slickly produced per- ‘Wow, we pulled it off — let’s keep doing it.’” “I think it’s important that they get recognized, and formances from a variety of artists, and each video finds The Live from Somewhere clips that have been uploaded what’s better than to give them this great production that those artists in a location that you wouldn’t normally to YouTube so far boast a roster of artists from all over they can share with people,” Kuritz says. “It’s important associate with live music. The trio started the project last the genre spectrum. You can see the pop-rock trio Light not only when we’re in a pandemic, but just in general, year, shooting the first video in July, and it was inspired in Mirrors performing on a stage in the middle of a Deer building a platform for local artists to showcase their live by the sheer dearth of live music caused by the spread of Park field. Rockers Uh Oh and the Oh Wells, meanwhile, shows. And that’s kind of what we’ve been pushing since COVID-19. are next to the Spokane River in a clip that was shot in day one.”

“There are so many restrictions on what you can and the middle of summertime smoke season. Hip-hop fusion There’s also a benefit to the creators behind Live can’t do now. You can’t have live music at venues. You artist Brotha Nature spins his unique blend of samples from Somewhere: Poole jokes that they sometimes feel a bit can’t have a crowd, and the list goes on,” Kuritz explains. and loops beneath the colorful Pavilion lights. selfish, because they get to see concerts in ways that other “We live in the Pacific Northwest — we can put a camera “Genre is not something that we’re taking into people don’t. anywhere and get a cool vibe.” consideration, really,” Stocks says. “It’s mostly just artists “We’re all huge fans of local music, and seeing our

Kuritz has made music videos for several local artists, that are hungry for it, that want to perform, that are will- friends do what they love to do,” Poole says. “Now we and so he directs the video shoots, while Stocks, who ing to put in the work and who want to collaborate with get to do it twice a month.” n is also a member of the popular local band the Broken us on the idea.” Thumbs, manages the artists. Kuritz and Stocks later The founders hope that kind of stylistic diversity will The Live from Somewhere videos are brought in their friend Poole, who’s an audio engineer. eventually benefit the Spokane scene itself, and they’re available on YouTube, and at lfsnw.com.

JANUARY 21, 2021 INLANDER 31

Takuichi Fujii’s Self Portrait, 1935

VISUAL ARTS THE MAC IS BACK

The MAC recently reopened for private visits (50 minutes for groups of six or fewer from the same household) under revised guidelines for Washington’s coronavirus reopening plan. The news comes at a good time, as the museum is getting ready to bid farewell to this winter’s POP Power: From Warhol to Koons exhibit and two World War II retrospectives. Both close Jan. 24, and several new exhibits are on the way. The first new show of 2021 is Witness to Wartime, featuring work by Japanese American artist Takuichi Fujii, who was 50 when war broke out between the U.S. and Japan. Fujii was among more than 120,000 Japanese Americans forcibly removed to remote incarceration camps during the war. There, the artist documented camp life in deep detail in his visual diary. Some of his more than 250 ink drawings and 130 watercolors produced during imprisonment are now part of this traveling exhibit. — CHEY SCOTT

Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii • Jan. 23-May 16; visits currently by reservation only • $7-$12 • Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org • 456-3931

WORDS TRUTHFUL TALK

Spokane Community College’s Diversity Dialogues: Conversations About Race and Equity series continues Wednesday with Daudi Abe, a Seattle-based writer and professor who’s researched the racial achievement gap in schools for Black students and how it’s tied to a “discipline gap.” Abe is also the author of Emerald Street: Race, Class, Culture and the History of Hip-Hop in the Northwest, and I can’t imagine his virtual discussion will be complete without him delivering some of that knowledge. In addition to a session for students in the morning, Abe delivers a public talk via the SCC YouTube channel in the evening. — DAN NAILEN

Diversity Dialogues: Daudi Abe • Wed, Jan. 27 at 6:30 pm • Online at youtube.com/c/CommunityCollegesofSpokane/

MUSIC TOUCH OF GREY

The Baby Bar’s virtual concert series has been a salve for local music fans missing live shows, and the downtown hangout has been broadcasting performances from some of Spokane’s favorite artists out into the world. This weekend offers a performance from the local band Greying, whose sound exists simultaneously in the realms of guttural metal and more melodic prog- and post-rock. Their sophomore album, A Harp Lie, is streaming online, and for purchase on cassette through the band’s Bandcamp. The series continues next month with Missoula-based pop-punk band Western States on Feb. 6, and a Valentine’s-themed stream of local artists covering romantic songs on Feb. 19. E-tickets grant access to the live shows and a 48-hour rewatch window. — NATHAN WEINBENDER