BY MATT KITE for WEEKLY VOLCANO 6/20/25 |
Friday, June 20, Bob’s Java Jive will host a benefit for Porchfest, with Sam Cori headlining, the Singin’ MacGills playing the middle slot, and the Good Vibes Brigade opening—all for no cover at the door. The intriguing lineup promises a musical portal of sorts, guaranteed to take you back in time.
For those who’ve never had the pleasure of catching her on stage, Sam Cori is an old soul whose playful music and charming delivery belie her youth. Winner of the Washington State Independent Music Awards’ Up-and-Coming Artist for 2025, Sam Cori delivers full-bodied vocals over a sparse backdrop of piano and/or acoustic guitar. Unlike some of her contemporaries, she sounds real, like a grown woman with stories to tell. The usual tropes and affectations are absent; in their place are humor, wit, and heart.
Her new single, “Kiss Me Before We Say Good Morning: The Music Box Song,” is a timeless piano ballad that sounds as if it could have been written a century ago—which makes sense: it tells the story of a music box that went down with the Titanic in the spring of 1912. “Titanic Down” uses the same bare instrumentation to back Sam Cori’s soulful vocals and a chord progression that could have easily found a home on a Queen or Elton John album in the seventies.
Sam Cori’s emotive voice is delivered straight, no chaser, without the studied mannerisms that make so many modern singers sound trapped in whatever’s trending among the herd. Her single “831 in the 253 (Douche Bag Sequel Song)” features lyrics and a delivery that are at turns raunchy and clever. The performance is theatrical and the type that could succeed on a big stage or in an intimate coffee shop. “Oh Lucy,” a folk ballad, is sung over acoustic guitar and reveals Sam Cori’s first-rate storytelling. Other song titles, including “Douche Bag,” “Dad Bod,” and “Moby Dick,” make use of satire and double entendre. Whether she’s reaching for a ribald refrain or an almost bluesy wail, Sam Cori has the power and the guts to bring down the house.
The Singin’ MacGills, meanwhile, is the brainchild of Casey MacGill, a veteran performer and composer with a back catalog that stretches back toward a bygone era. His latest release, Love Letter, is a two-volume collection comprising fifty years’ worth of original music. A mix of instrumentals and vocal pieces, it produces pure, undistilled old-school music that feels as if it must have been birthed from a smoky nightclub in the 1950s. Whether you’re a fan of jazz, bossa nova, or swing, you’ll find something to love in Love Letter, a potpourri of vintage-sounding modern classics made for vinyl. Horns, percussion, xylophone, stand-up bass, and jazz drum kits with brushes—all and more find a home in MacGill’s music. His jazzy pop-styled vocals ooze character while transporting you to an era populated by cool cats and classy dames.
“Who’s Gonna Buy Your Drinks Tonight?” showcases the apparent ease with which MacGill sings over a variety of traditional tones and instruments. Everything sits comfortably in the mix. In “So Far So Good,” the fast-moving bass line and upbeat energy are delivered with confidence without being ham-handed. The title track, meanwhile, features some serious crooning and, like everything else on the album, harkens back to another era. Listening to it is like stepping into an old-time detective novel—part dusky noir, part optimistic callback to a time that looks lovely in the rearview mirror. “Are You Fats Enough?” is a playful ditty with jazzy vocals and witty rhymes.
The Good Vibes Brigade, the show’s opener, brings another time-tested ingredient to the musical recipe: tuba! The brass and woodwind combo transports you to a bustling Eastern European town, circa the twentieth century, for a sonic tour through pop, funk, and tunes that make the body move.
Porchfest Fundraiser at Bob’s Java Jive Friday June 20th 6-9 p.m. 2102 S. Tacoma Way., Tacoma WA 98409.
