Grownup Trouble

Being an ambassador just doesn't carry the mark of distinction it once did. It was weird enough when Richard Nixon tapped former child star Shirley Temple to serve at the UN, but nowadays, with everyone from Angelina Jolie to Ginger Spice scampering around the globe on behalf of some organization or another, all you need is a passport and good teeth to become a cut-rate diplomat.

Border Radio can't predict what the out-of-town date by Seattle country quartet Grownup Trouble will do for their international standing (they play at the Stanwood Hotel this Saturday, June 18). But if we must send some of our brave Emerald City boys out into the wilderness-Stanwood, on the former waterfront of the Stillaguamish River, is about an hour north up the I-5-we couldn't ask for better representation. Their new five-song CD, Hoon (GT slang for a drunken bonehead, and/or a loyal compadre), kicks major ass, plain and simple.

Out of the gate, "Conversation," a no-nonsense honky tonk tale of infidelity, grabs the listener by the scruff of the collar and drags you toward the dance floor. But elsewhere, the foursome-singer/guitarist Brent Lorang, songwriter/guitarist Jed Callarman, bassist Aaron Andrews, and drummer Rob Sin-show their political savvy, too, with "The Man Behind." On this brooding, mid-tempo tune with a hint of Southern rock, GT take aim at neither pro- nor anti-war activists, but instead fix their sights on those who sit back and take no action at all. These are folks who, to paraphrase Callarman, have zero sense of social responsibility.

"I think it's a well-written song, because it represents both points of view, and then, at the end, lays its burden on the shoulders of the person who never actually gets their hands dirty," opines Lorang, over pitchers of PBR at the U-District's Monkey Pub. "Well, if you're not doing jack shit, then shut the hell up."

Grownup Trouble have been kicking around town in different configurations for three years; most of the members cut their teeth in popular country cover band Ford & the F250s, but eventually they got tired of singing other artists' songs. "We quit right when we were peaking," admits Lorang. "We were looking at the casino circuit, which pays a hell of a lot of money. But we were burned out."

They also didn't always see eye to eye with party-band audiences. "Everybody wanted us to play Tim McGraw shit, and that stuff sucks. It's not country music, by anybody's standards," continues the Montana native. "Plus, I don't sing Faith Hill that well."

If you're too city-bound to brave Stanwood, you can catch Grownup Trouble at the Sunset on Sunday, June 26 as well. Meanwhile, you can also find worthwhile roots music that doesn't call for half a tank of gas this weekend. Just swing by the Fremont Fair this Sunday afternoon, June 19, where the entertainment on the Redhook Mainstage includes Radio Nationals, Dusty 45s side-project Vinyl Avengers, and high-octane bluegrass courtesy of Texas quintet the Weary Boys. ¦

kurt@thestranger.com - Kurt Riley

"As often as clubs open and close in Seattle, we're lucky that the demise of one space is never the death knell of an entire music scene. Unfortunately, that's potentially the case with the tight-knit community of Stanwood, a charming small town about 75 minutes north of Seattle. The Stanwood Hotel, many a Seattle band's home away from home there, is an aesthetically grimy and spiritually vibrant tavern that hosts an inspiring mix of punk, garage rock, and alt-country every weekend. They're closing their doors at the end of this month after seven sweaty years of memorable shows, including local stalwarts like the Mono Men and Grownup Trouble, far-flung touring bands from Japan and Brazil, and local up and comers like the Emergency, all of whom were drawn to the venue's vintage appeal and outsider ambience...."

- Hannah Levin