Variety show 'Sample Seattle' to debut in Leavenworth over MLK weekend

LEAVENWORTH – Sample Seattle, a three-day variety show featuring western Washington musicians, will debut in Leavenworth over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Each evening will feature a different genre of music at the Leavenworth Festhalle hosted by magician “the American Mystifier,” who will also perform in between musicians. The event was created by impresario Lee Dancy, who saw an opportunity to support artists in an area where living expenses are high while gig payouts are low.

“The concept was to be able to bring people that old style of variety entertainment that couldn't come to Seattle to see these great people in the bands that they might be playing in, and at the same time give these musicians a chance to start earning a little bit better money,” said Dancy.

Friday night will feature “Lubbock” playing country rock covers, followed by southern rock and blues covers by “Hard Days and Hard Nights.” Saturday evening will begin with old school soul by “Boundary Bay” and close with “Stank Foot” playing 70’s and 80’s funk. Sunday night will close out the weekend with “Dansa del Sol” playing Latin jazz and “Thelonius” performing bebop to fusion jazz. The evening will have light bites catered by Simply Garcia Catering.

“There's more than one opportunity for the folks up in the Upper Valley to get a chance to come get their groove on,” said Dancy.

Dancy had originally intended to host Sample Seattle’s first event in Alaska in September, but had faced technical challenges with the website while launching the event. The variety show pivoted to Leavenworth, a location that was closer in proximity with a lot to offer. If all goes to plan, Dancy hopes to bring the event back to Leavenworth in February. Eventually, the event will debut in Alaska.

“Leavenworth does two things for me. It punches two holes. It punches a hole of the German side: I spent 14 years in Germany…Secondly, I think of the Leavenworth area as a mini Alaska, because some of the very same activities and some of the very sorts of people you would meet there, you will meet up in the hills,” said Dancy.

Tickets for one night are $45 in advance, and $60 at the door. The event also offers VIP tickets for $130, which offer perks during the event, as well as access to the after party located at Dancy’s Nasonhof Farm, located in Merritt, each night.

The nightly shows run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. The bands will have a warmup session at 3 p.m. each afternoon, to which the public is invited to watch free of charge.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media