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DISCOVER — AND SUPPORT — THE NEXT NORTHWEST SOUND.
The Pacific Northwest has a wealth of young musical talents who, with support and opportunities, can expand their creative horizons and might even become the next Northwest sound. MoPOP’s Sound Off! gives these up-and-coming artists mentorship from industry leaders, entrée into an artistic community invested in their growth, connections with peer musicians, and the chance to showcase their original music in MoPOP’s iconic Sky Church venue.
This years’ three live showcases raise the bar for an all-ages show with a first-class experience at MoPOP for performers and the audience alike. Plus, you get the unique opportunity to see these young artists’ natural creative gifts while supporting their personal and professional development.
To attend the live showcases at MoPOP, we ask that you make a donation to support this work, which increases community access to our programs. Your contribution to attend this event supports our Sound Off! program by eliminating participation fees, securing professional mentorship, and producing a first-class performance opportunity that showcases our region’s young talent.
All showcases in MoPOP’s Sky Church - Doors at 7:00pm / show at 8:00pm PT
Showcase #1 — Saturday, February 19, 2022
Showcase #2 — Saturday, February 26, 2022
Showcase #3 — Saturday, March 5, 2022
Without further ado, let's meet the 11 artists taking part in this year's Sound Off! music showcase!
Whether it’s falling in love in the 50s to being a famous actress, with Emma Wang’s music you can be whomever and however dramatic you want. If music is an escape, why not take it to the extreme? It's pop with hints of glittery childhood imagination playing on a vintage CD player whilst you play dress up to your hearts content.
Gavon Leo is a singer/songwriter/former head chef of the Krusty Krab. With a passion for music since the rear-facing car seat days, Gavon thinks music is so cool in the fact that it is so universal. Pretty much everyone can feel the rhythm and stomp their foot to a beat and that is amazing. There are not many things on this planet that can bring people together like music and that is what Gavon loves, bringing people together and having a great time with their music.
Instant Crush is all about blurring the lines between glitter and grunge. Mixing high-energy guitar riffs with sparkling synths and vocal melodies, their music transcends the pop genre by creating something organic. Starting as the solo project of Megan Cannon, Instant Crush has since evolved to a collaboration between friends who want to capture lighting in a bottle.
The first thing you hear when Kiddus Fecto takes the stage is the deep bass of his voice, and though he immediately commands a space when he sings, you’re also drawn into the depth of his craft as a songwriter, producer, and performer. Swinging naturally between hip hop and R&B, and fiercely devoted to the music community, Kiddus lifts his listeners up.
Lexi Lalauni describes herself as a dreamer, lover, singer, songwriter, and performer. Her soaring, dynamic voice and contemplative lyrics show that she is all those things and more. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and a desire to connect directly to her listeners, Lexi’s brilliant mix of dream pop and indie style invites you along for a musical adventure.
Maceo Sky is a Seattle-based artist, intent on delighting the brain and twisting the familiar. His music is an auditory adventure, with lyrics that drift from poetic, to playful, to conversational, and a sound that combines the sophisticated rhythms of hip-hop, the addictive pulse of dance music, and the colorful textures of rock, in a marriage officiated by story.?
REFUGIO is a Mexican hip-hop artist who uses his music to express his wide array of feelings regarding social, racial, and economic inequality. REFUGIO tackles injustice through his raps, no matter where his voice lies, REFUGIO's emotion is always felt. As someone who identifies as bisexual, REFUGIO tackles themes of identity. As someone who grew up in a traditional Mexican household, his sexuality and expression has always been a point of struggle, and though he is still figuring it out over instrumentals, REFUGIO aims to be a voice for kids like him that he never had growing up.
Rooted from North Seattle, electronic artist Saezo — the stage name of Sam Clement — instills a sense of hope, belonging, and wonder in his listeners. His live shows are a hybrid of traditional electronic and acoustic sets, combining real instruments and singing with pulsating synth and drum grooves. Sam has a broad musical background, starting with drums and piano in elementary school, and playing in a wide range of groups of styles ever since, including jazz groups, metal bands, and even a klezmer group. After playing drums in the 2020 Sound Off! finalist jazz-metal band Tiny Planet, he will debut his solo electronic-centered project Saezo in the 2022 edition of the show.
Sam Ashkenazy is a Singer, Producer, and Multi-Instrumentalist with a deep passion for songwriting and performing. Growing up in Seattle, Washington, Ashkenazy began performing his own music live at the age of 13 with influences in jazz, rock, funk, hip hop, and blues music.
Started in Portland, The Sleepy Haunts are an indie-pop band with rock influence. Inspired by artists like Chloe Moriondo, Beach Bunny, and Alanis Morissette, their music is a teen anthem highlighting the anger and insecurities of adolescence while exploring the beginning of first loves. Currently, The Sleepy Haunts is composed of songwriter and singer Gillian McMahon. Their debut album, queendom, came out on all platforms December 2020 and they're working on their next album.
Trevor Eulau is a composer and guitarist based in Seattle, Washington. He is equally at home in the classical, jazz, and pop realms, writing music for string quartets, voice, jazz combos, and rock/pop bands. Above all else, Trevor makes music that is visceral and that freely combines ideas from his disparate musical backgrounds.
We know you may be curious about health and safety protocols, so here are the extra steps we’re taking for these in-person Sound Off! showcases in our 140,000 square foot museum:
More information about our COVID policies is available on our website.
Can't attend the live Sound Off! showcases this year? You can still support MoPOP's youth artist development programs by making a gift.
Special thanks to our Sound Off! community partner KEXP.
Learn more about Sound Off! 2022 + RSVP for this year's showcase on Facebook! For contests, the latest news, and behind-the-scenes content, be sure to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you like what you see, support our work by making a donation or planning a visit to our nonprofit museum today!
