Seattle Theatre Group Presents STRFKR, Alabama Shakes and Alt-J; Tickets on Sale Beg. Today

Alt-J
Date: Saturday, April 6, 2013 @ 9:00pm
Venue: The Neptune (All Ages / Bar w/ ID)
Price: $16.50 not including applicable fees
Seating: General Admission
On Sale: Friday, December 7, 2012 @ 10am
Ticketing Information: Available online at
Tickets.com, or in person at the Paramount Theatre box office (M-F 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside the Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at (877)784-4849, Sonic Boom Records in Ballard (10am - 10pm M-Sa, 10am - 7pm Sun) or online at STGPresents.org.

alt-J (?)'s name takes a little explaining. Pronounced "alt-J", the delta sign is created when you hold down the alt key on your computer keyboard and punch 'J' on a Mac computer. The symbol has a deeper meaning for the band, as guitarist/bassist Gwil Sainsbury notes, "in mathematical equations it's used to show change," and the band's relatively new name came at a turning point in their lives. Gwil, Joe Newman [guitar/vocals], Gus Unger-Hamilton [keyboards] and Thom Green [drums] met at Leeds University in 2007. Gus studiEd English Literature; the other three Fine Art. In their second year of studies, Joe played Gwil a handful of his own songs inspired by his guitar-playing dad and hallucinogens, and the pair began recording in their dorm rooms with Gwil acting as producer on Garageband. Needless to say, the response to Joe's hushed falsetto yelps and Gwil's rudimentary sampling skills was good. When Thom was played the tracks he joined the band straight away. "I hadn't heard anything like it," he says. "It was music I was looking for, I just didn't know I was. I just loved it." Gus completed the band's lineup and together - first as Daljit Dhaliwal and then as Films - the four friends spent the next two years playing around town, developing a precise and unique brand of alt. pop that draws on poignant folk verses, crushing synths, smart hip hop syncopations and tight vocal harmonies. They dropped the moniker of Films in 2007, largely to avoid confusing the band with Californian punk troupe The Films. alt-J (?) gave them a unique name to go with the unique 'folk-step' that they now concoct in the basement of a terrace house in Cambridgeshire.

About STG: Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping three historic venues, The Paramount, Moore and Neptune, alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz, to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at these three iconic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound region and in Portland, Oregon.

Based on Pollstar, the Concert Hotwire Magazine's 2011 Mid-Year Worldwide Ticket Sales, STG ranked #43 of the Top 100 promoters and The Paramount (ranked #12) and The Moore (ranked #44) were placed very well among the Top 100 Theatre Venues.

STG is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount, Moore and Neptune Theatres in Seattle, Washington.