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Parke Ave brings musicians together with Artist Party

August 17th, 2019: The Piranha Shop

Dan Ray August 24, 2019
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Parke Ave brings musicians together with Artist Party August 24, 2019

Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).

At the end of the Parke Ave Artist Party, several local musicians come together for an improv jam session. // Photo by Will Abzu

The Parke Ave Artist Party started at 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 17th at The Piranha Shop in SODO. Walking through the door at 9:04, I was startled to find the room saturated with at least 30 people, mingling amongst themselves, already vibing with the party spirit. There was a line at the bar and a conglomerate around the sound booth filled with local artists, producers, and music industry affiliates reveling in the early-evening glow.

Put on by Parke Ave — an app/collective created by local pop artist Scarlet Parke and Mira Kraft that focuses on bringing local artists together through providing resources, community support through the app, and events like the Artist Party — the party brought in a smattering of local music industry names in both performances and attendees, including hosts Miguel Rockwell and HawkinsBird of The Biggest Podcast.

Sprinkled in one or two-song increments throughout the night, local artists Mariah Belgrod, Even DeVries,Speak Easy, Claudine Magbag, P. Kruise, Zahara, and Laquan Aragon put on performances ranging from indie rock to hip hop. In between sets, there were 10-15 minute intervals to grab a drink, mingle, network, or grab a picture in the photo booth (where there was a lovely stuffed deer head to vogue with — it’s only in writing this that I’m sad we didn’t christen the little buddy with its own name especially for the party).

The best performances of the night easily go to Zahara and Aragon. With only one track, Zahara stopped the party in its tracks. Having seen her back in October 2018, I was hype to see how she had transformed almost a year later. Luckily, the biggest change I noticed was her now-straight hair: her musical prowess, sultry-smooth vocals, and captivating stage presence were just as solid as I remembered.

Aragon, though, had the standout performance of the night — not necessarily for his music, but for his attitude. When the rapper couldn’t get his tracks to play, he started in on his bars a capella, and he drew the crowd in with him. Running through the semicircle edge of the audience, Aragon quickly had party-goers dancing to his groove, with only his voice and go-getter attitude as fuel.

The hyphy vibe of Aragon split into a jam session that continued into the night. Marshall Hugh of Marshall Law Band stepped up to the mic, with a horde of other musicians behind him on the drums, guitar, and trumpet, as well as other emcees adding harmony to the mix. 

Besides the performances — Parke herself put on an incredibly fun and uplifting take of “Luna,” a track off her recent full-length Flight Risk, after the crowd chanted her name, calling her to the front simply to demand a show — the Artist Party also served as the launch event for the Parke Ave coupon book, which features deals on artist needs like studio time, production, and social media consulting. The party also offered $1 raffle tickets for prizes like entry to this Saturday’s Summer Splash, a festival coordinated by Hugh’s Marshall Law band.

Filing out at the end of the night, reminiscing over my conversations at the party — I had an especially enjoyable chat with Belgrod and her DJ/producer Alyssa Wendzel — I got pulled into a conversation with several musicians and party-goers, including Parke. With a Parke Ave chapter active in LA, Parke splits her time between the Emerald City and the City of Angels, hopping up and down the West Coast, dedicating her time to her own artistic endeavors and bringing the broader musical community together. A woman committed to true passion and artistic support, Parke brings a much needed gathering space to Seattle. 

This event was sponsored by Essentia Water, Crater Lake Spirits, and Seattle Cider Company. To inquire about joining the private networking app, visit parkeave.com.

Parke Ave hosts the Parke Ave Artist Party at The Piranha Shop in SODO. Here, partygoers mingle at the start of the evening. // All photos by Will Abzu
Scarlet Parke, local artist and one-half of the Parke Ave founding duo, introduces the evening.
Miguel Rockwell and HawkinsBird of The Biggest Podcast, the hosts for the evening, kick off the night.
Mariah Belgrod, a local pop artist, is first up to perform with two songs off her upcoming EP.
Local singer-songwriter Evan DeVries puts on a compelling second act.
Host Scarlet Parke and performer Mariah Belgrod mug it up in the photo booth.
A recent transplant band from Lansing, Michigan, Speak Easy takes the stage.
R&B artist Zahara captivates the audience with her soulful groove.
Parke, spontaneously called up to the stage by the crowd, performs "Luna," a single from her June full-length, Flight Risk.
From left to right, Dan Ray, Jen Caywood, Seven Sky Spillios, and Will Abzu of the Dan's Tunes team hanging with their new best friend in the photo booth.
Encountering audio issues, rapper Laquan Aragon spits an acoustic verse to a joyous crowd.
After the performances, Parke Ave opens the floor up for a jam to close out the night. // All photos by Will Abzu

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Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).