KEXP Suggests: It's Getting Hot in Here - Benefit for the Washington Environmental Council 8/17

While climate change may be something that members of our federal government have decided to ignore and/or flat-out reject, it's difficult to ignore the fact that summers in Seattle have gotten increasingly warmer. On August 8th we broke the previous record of 51 days without rain, making it the dryest summer since 1951. The Washington Environmental Council has been laboriously working to protect, restore, and sustain Washington's environment and they need our help in order to make any progress in our current political landscape. That's why it's the perfect time for It's Getting Hot in Here, a benefit show for the non-profit this Thursday, August 17th at Fred Wildlife Refuge.

The interactive event will include sustainable shops featuring vintage wears from local female vendors, a free photo booth, homemade Cuban food, booths from organizations that deal with climate change, opportunities to purchase art from local female visual artists, and an all-femme lineup of Emma Lee Toyoda, DoNormaal, Michete, and Chong the Nomad.

Emma Lee Toyoda makes self-described "sadgirlrock" and is a favorite at KEXP. She broke onto the scene with her performance at MoPop's SoundOff! competition in 2015 and has been winning hearts with her debut full-length sewn me anew. The album is incredibly eclectic, with a multitude of instruments being utilized that aren't often involved in rock these days, such as violin, saxophone, and flute. Her set at Fred will be much more intimate than what you hear on sewn me anew, with Toyoda being the sole member performing. You won't want to miss it.

Another station fave (and recent Song of the Day receipient) is DoNormaal. Since Jump Or Die released in 2015, the rapper/chanteuse has become a household name to anyone who goes to even an occasional show. Her latest release Third Daughter was highly anticipated and has lived up to the hype, taking its listeners on a long but incredible ride through the mind of Christianne Karefa-Johnson.

Don't call Michete a rapper. While, yes, technically she raps, she likes to think of herself as more of an underground pop star. And it feels fitting. Her shows are of the caliber of someone with all the makings of pop star royalty, with well-thought-out costumery/outfits and an innate ability for crowd interaction. Most everyone who has never heard of her before leaves the show a loyal and enthusiastic fan. You'll want to be one of them.

It's been a big year for Chong the Nomad, who cut her teeth at this year's BeatMatch, put on by Austin Santiago and judged by Ryan Lewis (among others) at the Vera Project in January. As the sole female DJ in the competition, she proved that she could hold her own and play with the boys. Not a small feat in the historically sexist world of electronic music. From there, she went on to play sets at Capitol Hill Block Party. Looks like it's only up from here.