NIGHT SCHOOL

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 8: Kimya Dawson + Dream Hampton. Nov. 7th

2011-10-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 8: Kimya Dawson + Dream Hampton.

An extra special Chamber session with famed writer Dream Hampton and our favorite singer/songwriter Kimya Dawson. Expect some new songs, plus "a dialogue with Kimya about her newest album's major and minor themes: oceans, cancer, transgendered heros, feeling safe in your own skin, saving public libraries and making big albums in a small, familial way."

November 7th. 8pm.

Top Of The Town. Sorrento Hotel. 7th Floor.
$15/person.

Buy tickets here.
Facebook event page.

"Kimya Dawson straddles the line between precious and profound" - Rolling Stone

Kimya Dawson has been featured in Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, NY Times, AOL Spinner session, etc. She has performed live on the View, played the Independent Spirit Awards, and also performed at Carnegie Hall for an REM tribute. THUNDER THIGHS is the first solo album from ex Moldy Peaches Kimya Dawson since the Grammy winning, platinum selling soundtrack from the movie JUNO. Album features guest performances from Aesop Rock, members of the Strokes, Mountain Goats, Forever Young Senior Citizen Rock and Roll Choir, Kimya's 5 year old daughter Panda, and more. Album will be released on Kimya's own label - Great Crap Factory- via Burnside Distribution October 18, 2011

dream hampton has written about music, culture and politics for 20 years. Her articles and essays have appeared in The Village Voice, The Detroit News, Harper's Bazaar, Essence and a dozen anthologies most recently Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic, edited by Michael Eric Dyson. She was an editor at The Source in the early 90s and a Contributing Writer at Vibe for its first 15 years. She co-authored the unreleased Black Book with Shawn Jay-Z Carter and collaborated with him on Decoded (November, 2010, Spigel and Grau.) She's co-authoring Kamal "Q Tip" Fareed's memoir, Industry Rules (Random House, 2011).

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 9: Y La Bamba + Eric & Encarnación. Nov 10th

2011-10-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 9: Y La Bamba + Eric & Encarnación

November 10th. 8pm.
Top Of The Town. Sorrento Hotel. 7th Floor.

$15/person.

We are bringing heart-throb indie band Y La Bamba and flamenco stars Eric & Encarnación from Flamenco de Raiz together for the poetic fact that at the core of their craft is the unmistakable tradition of gypsy music. It is that simple, we want to hear these two beautiful ensembles on the same evening, and we want to sit down for a fireside chat about how they make music.

Buy tickets here.

Facebook event page.

"If you pine for the day when Astrud Giberto records some lounge-inspired Mexican songs with Devendra Banhart, the Portland, OR's Y La Bamba is totally your jam. Produced by the Decemberists' Chris Funk and masterminded by smooth chanteuse Luzelena Mendoza, Lupon is a haunted collection of avant-folk stunners." - Bust

With Y LA BAMBA, Luzelena Mendoza draws from both her strict Catholic upbringing as an only daughter of a Mexican immigrant and a debilitating illness that led her to fall away from her faith, to create what LA Weekly calls "Devendra Banhart-influenced art-folk with hazy femme vocals and traditional Mexican sounds.".

With a raw songbook of home recordings under her belt and a new group of musicians to help Mendoza with her musical vision, Y LA BAMBA began to captivate audiences in Portland and tour stops around the US. Eventually, the quintet would attract the attention of The Decemberists guitarist, Chris Funk, who offered his production skills for the band's first studio recording. Funk worked tirelessly to capture Y LA BAMBA's rustic tones, songs inspired by the traditional tunes of Mendoza's childhood, and her signature vocals that resemble the sounds spilling out of a 1930's Victrola. (Of late the band just inished a tour with Neko Case, and are putting the finishing touches on a new album produced by Stever Berlin of Los Lobos)

Eric & Encarnación

Eric "El Comanche Gitano" has been playing guitar professionally all of his adult life. He has lived and studied extensively in Andalucía, Spain. His most influential teacher has been Martín Chico of the famous gypsy flamenco family los Revuelos. His extensive experience both on the stage and as producer/songwriter bring out a strong sense of composition and melody as well as making him a captivating performer. Eric is the lead guitarist and co-founder/producer of the band "Children of the Revolution", who fuse flamenco, latin, middle-eastern and rock influences. COTR has produced 7 CDs to date, is featured on Putumayo's "Greece" and "Swing around the World" CDs, have and have sold out theaters all over the Seattle area, including Meany Hall, the Paramount Theater, and Benaroya Hall, and The Triple Door as well as touring around the world in major festivals and theater series including headlining Quebec's prestigious "World Guitar festival" with Manuel Barrueco.

Encarnación "La Paloma", dancer/singer/guitarist was born in Barcelona to a family of exiles from the Spanish Civil war and lived between Barcelona and Mexico City most of her life. Still, her family kept her immersed in flamenco music while in Mexico. In Andalucía, she has studied with Belén Maya, Miguel Vargas, Juan Ogalla, Soraya Clavijo, Mario Maya, and Cristobal Reyes. In Mexico, she studied with Manolo Vargas, and Ricardo Montoya, her most influential teacher, with whom she performed in tablaos and theaters all across Mexico as well as touring/recording with COTR.

Together they are bringing top level artists direct from Spain such as Rafael de Utrera to the NW for the first time as well as touring nationally and internationally. Their new live CD "Flamenco de Raiz will be released early November 2011.

Penthouse Symposium No. 15: Rethinking Philanthropy. Nov. 5th.

2011-10-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

An evening of conversation with 6 of our countries most compelling young World Changers: Adam Braun (Pencils of Promise), Ellen Gustafson (Feed Foundation and 30 Project), Sean Carasso (Falling Whistles), Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa (Warby Parker), and Matthew Segal (Our Time).

Saturday, November 5th. 8pm.
Penthouse of The Sorrento.

$20/person. Proceeds will be donated to at least one of their foundations. The audience will cast ballots.

Buy tickets here.

Facebook event page.

Adam Braun. As a college student traveling across the globe, Adam asked a small boy begging on the streets of India what he wanted most in the world. The answer: A pencil. The promise that came in handing out that first pencil led to the sharing of thousands while backpacking through 50+ countries, learning from locals about the need for a nonprofit that built schools based on a model of community ownership and empowerment.

Pencils of Promise was founded in October 2008 with a mere $25 in hopes of building one school in Laos. The movement that grew out of the PoP approach of nonprofit idealism and for-profit business accountability soon encouraged Adam to leave his job at Bain & Company and work exclusively on realizing the PoP dream. Today, that dream has manifested into more than 40 schools in Laos, Nicaragua and Guatemala. In creating a dedicated community of over 250,000 members, PoP has become a leader in social media engagement, sustainable development, youth empowerment and digital innovation.

Ellen Gustafson is the Founder and Executive Director of the 30 Project, a campaign to address global hunger and obesity as one global malnutrition problem and to develop long-term solutions for food system change. The 30 Project is hosting and inspiring dinners around the country and world to promote a new dialogue and new solutions to a better food system.

She is the Co-Founder of FEED Projects and the FEED Foundation, a company and non-profit that create good products which have helped provide over 60 million school meals to children globally. Prior to FEED, Ellen worked at the UN World Food Programme, ABC News and the Council on Foreign Relation. She has a BA from Columbia. She was one of Fortune's 2009 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, Inc's 2010 30 Under 30, has given a TED talk, and is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sean Carasso. An avid adventurer, Sean left college early to travel the world with John Paul DeJoria and with every step wanted to see more. In 2008 he went to South Africa on a TOMS Shoe Drop and traveled north into the Democratic Republic of Congo. There he learned of children sent to the front lines of war, armed with only a whistle.

That night he wrote a small journal called Falling Whistles that was forwarded around the world. He received thousands of emails asking, what can we do? The Falling Whistles campaign was born with a simple response - make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace. Out of his garage-office in Venice California, FW has partnered with local leaders in Congo to rehabilitate hundreds of women and children and is creating a global coalition for peace in our world's deadliest war.

Neil Blumenthal loves helping people see. Determined to radically transform the eyewear industry, Neil and three friends launched Warby Parker (www.warbyparker.com). Warby Parker designs and sells vintage-inspired frames and prescription lenses for $95 whereas comparable quality glasses cost $500. And, for every pair sold, a pair is given to someone in need.

Neil had been the Director of VisionSpring, a non-profit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own business selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. He was responsible for developing VisionSpring's award-winning strategy (Fast Company Social Capitalist Award '08, '07 and '05) and expanding VisionSpring's global presence from one to 10 countries. In 2005, Neil was named a Fellow for Emerging Leaders in Public Service at NYU Robert F. Wagner School for Public Service. Prior to joining VisionSpring, he worked with the International Crisis Group and attended the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution in The Hague, Netherlands. Neil received his BA from Tufts University and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he was both a Social Enterprise Fellow and a Leadership Fellow.

Matthew Segal co-founded OUR TIME (www.ourtime.org) in 2011 to channel the consumer power and voting strength of Americans under 30 in a united membership organization. In building OUR TIME, Matthew merged the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE), a voting rights campaign he founded in college, with Declare Yourself, a national civic engagement organization founded by Norman Lear, which registered nearly 4 million young Americans to vote.

In early 2009, Matthew co-founded the 80 Million Strong Coalition, the largest campaign of organizations in the United States that addressed youth unemployment and other economic challenges facing individuals under 30. In this capacity, Matthew spearheaded a national jobs summit of hundreds of young leaders, provided testimony to the House Education and Labor Committee, and was the only youth representative invited to attend President Obama's conference on jobs and economic growth. Matthew is a contributing writer to the Huffington Post, is frequently quoted in the press, appears regularly on CNN and MSNBC.

Penthouse Symposium No. 14: An evening with Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture For Humanity/TED Prize winner. Nov. 4

2011-10-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 4th. 8pm. Penthouse Symposium
No. 14: Design Like You GIve A Damn II. An evening with Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture For Humanity/TED Prize winner and Summit Series founder Elliot Bisnow with Eric Kessler, founder of Arabella Philanthropic Advisors.

Penthouse of The Sorrento.
$35/person. Includes a copy of Design Like You Give a Damn II.

Buy tickets here.
Facebook event page.

Cameron Sinclair is the co-founder and 'chief eternal optimist' (CEO) for Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organization which builds architecture and design solutions to humanitarian crises, and provides pro-bono design and construction services to communities in need. Over the past twelve years the organization has worked in forty four countries and has over seventy independent city-wide chapters. Projects range from schools, health clinics, affordable housing and long term sustainable reconstruction after disasters.

Sinclair and Architecture for Humanity co-founder Kate Stohr compiled a bestselling book Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises and are currently working on a second volume. Sinclair is a recipient of the TED prize and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. In 2008 Sinclair and Stohr were named as recipients of the National Design Awards and the following year jointly awarded the Bicentenary Medal by the Royal Society of Arts for increasing people's resourcefulness.

As a result of the TED Prize Sinclair launched the Open Architecture Network, the worlds' first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design.
Cameron runs a collaborative design firm that operates at 36,000 ft (in flight) and recently joined as an advisor to USAID with a focus on reforming international aid.

Elliot Bisnow is the Founder of Summit Series. Named the "Davos of Generation Y" by Forbes and "a gift to the United States and the world" by President Clinton, Summit Series draws together a collection of artists, entrepreneurs, activists, philanthropists and musicians and drives the agenda of making what's good for business good for the world.
Through an annual gathering, community-based digital platform, and year-round events, the stage is set for Summitters to forge lifelong friendships, spawn new business ideas, tackle global issues, and in turn, make our world a better place.

Prior to founding Summit Series, Elliott co-founded Bisnow Media Corporation with his dad, Mark. The company currently publishes 25 daily business newsletters, hosts 200 business conferences a year and has 80 employees in eleven United States cities. A former college tennis player and avid world traveler, Elliott spends his spare time connecting with interesting people and learning how to surf and ski.

As founder and Managing Director of Arabella Advisors, Eric Kessler has built a social venture firm dedicated to making philanthropy more effective. His client work at Arabella includes philanthropy strategy, evaluation, foundation management and project execution. Eric has spearheaded evaluations of many of the world's most significant nonprofits and served as executive director of numerous foundations through the Arabella Foundation Managementplatform. He also recently helped build and lead strategy development for a donor collaborative supporting passage of the 2010 Child Nutrition Act. His insights on civil society and effective philanthropy are often quoted by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and National Public Radio’s “Marketplace”.

Penthouse Symposium No. 16. With Mark Bowden (author of Black Hawk Down) and his new book WORM: The First Digital World War. Oct 27th.

2011-10-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Penthouse Symposium No. 16. With Mark Bowden (author of Black Hawk Down) and his new book WORM: The First Digital World War.

In Conversation with Gayle Troberman, Chief Creative Officer, Microsoft.

"Bowden provides lucid explanations of computer-related concepts while narrating an edge-of-the-seat account . . . A nerve-wracking but first-rate inside peek into the world of cybercrime and its vigilant adversaries." -Booklist

October 27th. 7pm.
Fireside Room. Sorrento Hotel.

$25/person. Price includes copy of WORM: : The First Digital World War

Buy tickets here.

Facebook event page.

Mark Bowden is the author of seven books, including Black Hawk Down, The Best Game Ever, Bringing the Heat, Killing Pablo, and Guests of the Ayatollah. He reported at The Philadelphia Inquirer for twenty years and now writes for Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and other magazines. He lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania

DJ Spooky was here. Hope you made the show...

2011-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Night School with Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky on Ice from Scott Macklin on Vimeo.

Night School // ~5 min. Lesson // DJ Spooky // Book of Ice

On September 25, the second season of Night School kicked off as Michael Hebb brought the accomplished composer, multimedia artist and writer Paul D. Miller AKA DJ Spooky to the Sorrento Hotel for a gathering of music and discussion around his latest work, The Book of Ice. Thanks to a unique partnership with the Master's of Communication in Digital Media (MCDM) program at the University of Washington, a video series giving viewers an inside look into Hebb's events will be created throughout the year.

What emerges is an intimate look into DJ Spooky's recent travels to Antartica and his thoughts on climate change, symphonic hip-hop and the future of humanity itself. Mix all of that in with a string quartet playing Spooky's newest compositions that are all inspired by the sounds of ice and you get the essence of what can only happen at Night School. Check it out.

SUMMER SCHOOL No. 1. Bobby Bare Jr, Tucker Martine, Carey Kotsionis, Kevin Murphy (the moondoggies), Jason Dodson (the maldives)

2011-06-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

the other side of nashville, a night of songs and stories. june 19th. 7pm. penthouse of the sorrento (seattle).

bobby bare jr. is a nashville superstar, and an indie rock demi god, and one of the most entertaining charisma-rich brilliant human beings we know. tucker martine is straight up one of the most in-demand producers of our generation (hot off the billboard number one decemberists album) and he is a nashville native and one charming man, and carey k. will melt your heart, period. kevin and jason are heroic musicians, and this night is going to be quite memorable.

from bobby:

"there is more than one type of music made in music city and more than one type of kid that is born in nashville. hear the stories of 2 sons of the city and a handful of remarkable special guests as we evoke the other side of nashville."

grab tickets here. fifteen bucks.

facebook event page (because i am certain you want to invite every last friend)

Bobby Bare, Jr.

A Nashville native and musician who has recorded several solo albums, along with two albums with his band, "Bare, Jr.". In 1974, when Bare Jr. was only eight, He and his father, singer Bobby Bare, were both nominated for a Grammy for the song "Daddy What If." He has performed with his band the Young Criminals Starvation League, an ever-changing group of musicians. They have released three studio albums, an EP, and a live album. His last cd "A STORM-A TREE-MY MOTHER'S HEAD" came out on 30 Tigers/Naked Albino Recordings in 2010.

Tucker Martine

is an American, Nashville native, Grammy nominated record producer, musician and composer who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Mudhoney, Bill Frisell, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, R.E.M., Laura Veirs, Quasi, Spoon, The Long Winters, Jim White, Death Cab For Cutie, Jesse Sykes, Mirah, Brian Blade, and Tift Merritt. Notably, he produced The Decembrists latest album, The King Is Dead, which debuted in January 2011 and topped the billboards at number 1 in the country. In 2010, Paste Magazine included Martine in their list of the 10 Best Producers of the Decade. Martine received a Grammy nomination in 2007 in the "best engineered album" category for the Floratone album with Bill Frisell on Blue Note. He has also released several albums of his field recordings. As a composer and musician Martine has released 2 albums under the recording pseudonym Mount Analog as well as Mylab (a collaboration with keyboardist Wayne Horvitz) and Orchestra Dim Bridges (with violist Eyvind Kang). Additionally, Microsoft called upon Martine's creativity when they asked him to help compose the startup and branding sounds for Microsoft's new operating system Vista.

Carey Kotsionis

A performer with a candy box full of styles, Carey Kotsionis possesses a vocabulary of songwriting from another era. Mixing jazz, blues, country, and pop, Kotsionis creates a sound woven together by her dynamite voice. Carey currently lives in Nashville.

Kevin Murphy of The Moondoggies.

"The Moondoggies write music that takes us deep into the fields, where the stalks of grain or the wild grasses of a prairie reach to above our heads and we're hearing the sound of a hissing wind and, if our senses were more attuned, we'd smell the dirty fur and feathers of all kinds of hidden animals, out there with us. It's a feeling of being lost in our own thoughts - or lost in their thoughts. There is a softness in the group's rustic drumming up of the echoes of the soul that are floating off of the nail pegs of their barn rafters. Both "Tidelands" and their previous effort, "Don't Be A Stranger," are albums that sound like the silhouettes of lonely trees and the footsteps of someone or something that we're dreading, walking somewhere behind us, keeping a reasonable distance, coming out of the shadows from the middle of nowhere. It feels as if, no matter how isolated we might get, how much we try to get away, the footsteps that follow us through these songs will one day catch us and then what?"
- Daytrotter.

Jason Dodson of The Maldives:

The Maldives are an alt-country band from Seattle, Washington known for sold-out live performances described by KEXP-FM as "transcendent". They have released three albums beginning with a self-titled EP in 2006. Their most recent album Listen To The Thunderwas rated the second best "Northwest Album" of 2009 by Sound on the Sound. The Maldives regularly play in Seattle and have performed at the Sasquatch!, Bumbershoot, South by Southwest, and Doe Bay music festivals.In addition to traditional rock instrumentation, the members of the band play violin, lap steel guitar, banjo, mandolin, and accordion.

SUMMER SCHOOL No. 2. Stadler/Roderick/Hebb/NAFTA Tour. July 6th.

2011-06-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

matthew stadler's 12 city nafta tour ends in seattle with the sweet music of john roderick and deep pots of carne en su jugo. july 6th.

(oh, and matthew's heavily anticipated new novel Chloe Jarren's La Cucaracha, with books made fresh that day, like thick tortillas, for each and every guest.)

i will let matthew explain this spectacular twelve city carpet ride (see below), which we are honored to have a small part in... but first, grab tickets here, includes the book, hebb will be cooking, roderick will be singing, and we will be in conversation with our hometown hero mr. stadler.

buy tix, fifty dollars.

facebook event page

penthouse of the sorrento (seattle).

Publication Studio NAFTA Tour 2011

Chloe Jarren's La Cucaracha, made expressly by Publication Studio and Third Place Press for that day and gathering.

more info and dates here...

Matthew Stadler is the author of five novels, including Landscape: Memory, The Sex Offender, and Allan Stein, for which he's been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, and a United States Artists Fellowship, among many other prizes. He was the literary editor of Nest Magazine; his stories and essays appear in ArtForum, Domus, Wiederhall, The New York Times, and Fillip, among other journals.

stadler and hebb in sf and la.

june 21st - san francisco - we are taking over the intersection for the arts gallery / hubsf with chef leif hedendal cooking. grab tickets here.

june 27th - los angeles - we are invading a falling-down-mansion in los feliz with chef colleen french cooking. grab tickets here.

!Flash! Night School Symposium with Little Bee Author Chris Cleave.

2011-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

A very very very last minute engagement with NY Times Bestselling Author Chris Cleave.

In Conversation with co-founder of Seattle Reads Chris Higashi and director of Sweet Crude/Seattle City Council candidate Sandy Cioffi.

Tomorrow. 8:30pm. Fireside Room. No Charge.

Q: Have you been to Nigeria and witnessed the horrors that are at the center of Little Bee?

Chris Cleave: No I haven't and no I wouldn't - not to the Niger Delta area where the Nigerian parts of the book are set. Westerners there are frequently kidnapped and ransomed. I wouldn't dare. Everything I know about that area is from journalists, much braver people than me.

(In 2005-2008, Sandy Cioffi made four trips to the volatile Niger Delta in Nigeria to film Sweet Crude, documenting conditions there and interviewing the region’s key stakeholders, including leadership of the armed resistance movement. In April 2008, she and her film crew were detained by the Nigerian State Security Services and held in military prison for seven days. She completed Sweet Crude, which has garnered several awards including the Lena Sharpe Persistence of Vision Award at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2009. She is currently running for Seattle City Council.)

Chris Cleave's debut novel Incendiary, about a terrorist bomb in London, was published in Britain July 7, 2005, the day of the London subway and train bombings. It won a 2006 Somerset Maugham Award, was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize, won the United States Book-of-the-Month Club’s First Fiction award 2005 and won the Prix Spécial du Jury at the French Prix des Lecteurs 2007. His second novel is titled Little Bee in Canada and the US, where it is a New York Times #1 bestseller. It is titled The Other Hand in the UK, where it is a Sunday Times bestseller. It was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Chris Cleave has been a barman, a long-distance sailor and teacher of marine navigation, an internet pioneer and a journalist. Cleave is in Seattle May 12-14 for The Seattle Public Library’s Seattle Reads Little Bee program.

Monday. Chamber Vs Chamber continues...

2011-02-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 5

Feb. 7th : No 5

7pm. Fireside Room.

"Cold Landscapes"

Mount Eerie with the OdeonQuartet and rising-star Kaylee Cole.

(Odeon quartet features members of the Seattle Symphony)

These three musical outfits will explore the relationship between music and place, and specifically cold and frozen places.

Ticket: $18 (only 70 seats available). Buy tickets here.

Facebook Event Page

Chamber vs. Chamber. As the musical fraction of the Sorrento's Night School, Chamber vs. Chamber endeavors to spark a dialogue between rock and traditional chamber music, combining classical chamber performances with indie-rock theatrics. Each Chamber vs. Chamber evening will include multiple illuminating performances and a lively post performance conversation between the musicians, hosted by City Arts editor Mark Baumgarten.

Performer Bios:

OdeonQuartet

Formed in 1999, OdeonQuartet is comprised of distinguished artists who are dedicated to presenting concerts of the highest artistic quality and building new audiences for chamber music through performances and educational outreach programs. The artists include Gennady Filimonov and Artur Girsky violin(s), Heather Bentley viola and Rowenna Hammill cello. Gennady has been soloist/concertmaster in collaboration with Rod Stewart, Linda Rondstatt, Tony Bennett, Sarah Brightmann, "Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber" , "Heart" and many others. Artur has been a member of Seattle Symphony Orchestra since 2006. Heather has appeared as soloist with the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, the Northwest Sinfonietta, the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra and the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. Rowena joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble with which she performed for ten years, eventually as Associate Principal and serves as Associate Principal Cello of the Los Angeles Opera.

Mount Eerie is Phil Elvrum. The 31 year-old multi-instrumentalist has played in other bands, and worked as a producer, but remains best known for this solo project, which began under the name the Microphones in 1997. In 2003, he renamed the project Mount Eerie (and added an "e" to his last name, Elvrum) after returning from a trip to Norway, where he lived alone in a remote cabin for a winter. To date, his most critically acclaimed album is the Microphones' 2001 epic The Glow Pt. 2. The first official Mount Eerie album-following the Microphones' final 2003 full-length, also called Mount Eerie-is 2005's No Flashlight: Songs of the Fulfilled Night. It was followed by 2007's Mount Eerie pts. 6 & 7, a 132-page, hardcover book of his photography, packaged with a 10" picture disk. In early 2009, the journals he kept and drawings he scribbled in Norway were released as a 144-page hardcover book called Dawn. It came with 16 color photo cards and a CD of songs he wrote while living in the cabin.

Kaylee Cole played her first Spokane show in April 2007. By January 2008, she was out in Seattle on a mini seven-show tour that warmed the ears of repeatedly rapt audiences. Cole's diverse audiences across Pacific Northwest gigs have gobbled up her two EPs, waiting hungrily for the release of the album. Recorded in September 2008, her self-released album We're Still Here Missing You, collates Cole's unpretentious lyricism with a style of music that does not waver in its organic attention to unique, charming melodies. Now living in Seattle, Washington Cole spends time touring and working on her new record with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek.

Winter/Spring 2011 Session Commences.

2011-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Night School at the Sorrento: Winter/Spring Term commences...

Penthouse Symposium No. 10: Wallace Shawn in conversation with Sean Nelson. No. 11: TBA No. 12: Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts.

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 5: Odeon Quartet, Mount Eerie, and Kaylee Cole. No. 6: Portland Cello Project and Lesbian.

Drinking Lessons No. 17: Blind Vodka Tasting. No. 18: Master class with Simon Ford and Erick Castro. No. 19: Absinthe Soiree Part Deux with American Standard Time

The Silent Reading Party continues with Kyle O'Quin playing Chopin....

Winter term begins with some lovely news, City Arts will now be co-producing the Night School series and documenting each event in a series of journal entries authored by editor Mark Baumgarten and available at cityartsonline.com. We have an incredibly rich line-up of happenings at the hotel, here is the complete line-up, (sorry about the length) stay tuned for a few late Spring additions.

Penthouse Symposium No. 10 : Wallace Shawn in conversation with Sean Nelson.

Thursday, January 20^th.

Wallace Shawn in conversation with Sean Nelson. Topic: Wallace's new book Essays.

The Penthouse Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host some of the leading intellectuals, artists, and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing. Past Symposiums guests have included: Atul Gawande, Garry Wills, Lesley Hazleton, Bill Mckibben, Alan Khazei and many others.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$40/person, includes a hearty stew and a copy of Wallace Shawn's new book. Buy tickets here.

Facebook event page.

Our thanks to Town Hall Seattle for making this event possible.

Wallace Shawn. Known to stage and film audiences as an extraordinary character actor, Shawn is also an Obie Award-winning playwright and best-selling author. His celebrated works include The Designated Mourner and The Fever, along with the poignant film My Dinner With Andre, which Shawn co-wrote. His most recent work, Essays, released in 2009, is a highly personal, often self-deprecating collection of Shawn's perspective on life, politics, morality and the power of art.

Sean Nelson is a Seattle writer/musician/filmmaker. Probably best known for being the lead singer in Harvey Danger, which disbanded last year, he was also in the Long Winters, and has recorded with Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Robyn Hitchcock, the Minus 5, and many other bright lights besides. His debut solo LPs, Make Good Choices and Nelson Sings Nilsson, are due out in 2011. Nelson co-wrote and starred in Lynn Shelton's My Effortless Brilliance. His debut as a screenwriter/co-director, Treatment, will be making the film festival rounds this year.

Penthouse Symposium No. 11: TBA

Penthouse Symposium No. 12: Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, author of Harlem is Nowhere.

April - date TBA. *Pick up the current copy of Harper's for a feature excerpt from Harlem is Nowhere. **Sharifa will appear on NPR's All Things Considered Jan 31^st - check local listings.

Topic: Sharifa's new book: Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America.

$40/person, includes a hearty stew and a copy of Harlem is Nowhere.. Tickets available Feb. 1^st at Brown Paper Tickets.

Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts is a writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, New York Times Book Review, Harper's, The Nation, Boston Globe, Transition, and Times Literary Supplement. She has received awards from the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Originally from Houston, Texas, she graduated in 2000 from Harvard University and was a Fulbright Scholar in the United Kingdom. Sharifa is writing a trilogy on African-Americans and utopia; her first book, Harlem is Nowhere, will be published in 2011 by Little, Brown & Company.

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 5 and No. 6.

Feb. 7th : No 5

7pm. Fireside Room.

"Cold Landscapes"

Mount Eerie with the OdeonQuartet and rising-star Kaylee Cole.

(Odeon quartet features members of the Seattle Symphony)

These three musical outfits will explore the relationship between music and place, and specifically cold and frozen places.

Ticket: $18 (only 70 seats available). Buy tickets here.
Facebook event page.

April 17^th: No 6

7pm. Fireside Room.

"Metal and Resin"

The Portland Cello Project and Lesbian.

Portland's celebrated Cello Project will perform pieces ranging from classical compositions to Motörhead and beyond, fusing the beautiful with the brutal. PCP's collaboration with artful noise architects Lesbian will combine lush string arrangements with their epic musical meanderings, making for an undoubtedly unique and unforgettable evening.

Co-produced by KEXP Seek & Destroy host and City Arts Magazine columnist Hannah Levin.

Ticket: $15 (Only 70 seats available). Buy tickets here.

Facebook event page.

Performer Bios:

OdeonQuartet

Portland Cello Project. Since the group's inception in late 2007, they have performed with a veritable "Who's Who?" list of Portland musicians, from Laura Gibson to The Dandy Warhols, Horse Feathers, Mirah and Loch Lomond, just to name a few... The group's newest full-length is being released on June 9th, 2009 on their new label, local independent Kill Rock Stars. This CD and indeed the relationship forged with this well-suited record label embodies the group's belief that "collaboration is the cornerstone of independence and artistic freedom." Two of the artists who have collaborated with PCP: Thao Nguyen of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down and local musician Justin Power, contribute four songs each to this CD, the Thao and Justin Power Sessions. And the other four songs on the record are strategically placed examples of cello sublimity and madness: from a Pantera cover, to a solemn religious piece by John Tavener.

Lesbian http://www.myspace.com/lesbianwitch

Drinking Lessons No 17,18, and 19.

Jan. 24^th : No 17.

"Vodka... Blind"

7pm. Fireside Room.

Andrew Friedman, owner of Liberty and the President of The Washington State Bartenders Guild is co-hosting this unique evening dedicated to understanding and appreciating that fine white liquid known as vodka. Expect a blind tasting of 8 local and imported spirits. Everyone has a favorite vodka, but how will yours stack up? Reserve your seat now and help us pick the winner- taking the crown as the Drinking Lessons Vodka of the year.

$20/person per class. Sorrento Hotel, Fireside Room. Buy Tickets Here.

Facebook event page.

March 2nd: No. 18.

"Gin Roundtable and Master Class with Simon Ford and Erick Castro (Rickhouse/SF)"

Simon Ford is hands down one of the most renowned bartenders and liquor professionals in the world, and we are thrilled he will join us to teach two courses on a subject he knows better than almost anyone. Star mixologist Erick Castro from the renowned Rickhouse in SF will be joining Simon for two distinct Drinking Lessons.

March 2^nd. 6:00pm. Penthouse/Sorrento room. Gin Roundtable - only twenty tickets available. Engage in a two hour exploration of the history of gin with Simon while Erick mixes golden age gin cocktails. $40/person. Buy Tickets Here.

Facebook Event Page

March 2^nd 8:30pm. Penthouse/Sorrento room. Gin Master Class - only twenty tickets available. Previous bartending experience suggested. 2 hour course on gin history, cocktail technique, and philosophy. $30/person. Buy Tickets Here.

Facebook Event Page

Simon Ford (Industry Visionary and International Ambassador) currently works in the capacity of International Ambassador for Plymouth Gin and the Director of Brand Education for Pernod Ricard USA. Over the past seven years, this role has taken him across the globe training the experts and first-time barkeeps alike as well as directing on-premise strategy for a portfolio of brands in the US. From running a wine shop to opening some of England's most lauded cocktail bars, judging spirits in competition and marketing some of the biggest brands on the planet have made Mr. Ford a highly respected voice in the spirits industry.

Simon received the award for Best Brand Ambassador at New Orleans Tales of the Cocktail 2007 and was named an Industry Visionary in the UK. His bar in the UK has won numerous awards including Best New Bar, Theme Magazine 2002, Best Bar, Theme Magazine 2003 and Best Cocktail offering, Theme magazine 2006 in addition it was named in the Guardian News Paper as one of the top 10 cocktail bars in the UK and as one of the Great Cocktail Bars of the World by the Diffords Guide.

Erick Castro / Rickhouse. After earning his chops at Bourbon & Branch, Castro was assigned the beverage director position at its newest sister bar, Rickhouse. Since it opened in June of 2009, and under the direction of Castro, Rickhouse has been named one of the World's Top Bars by Food & Wine magazine. Recently, it also won The Cheers: Benchmark Award for Top Cocktail Lounge 2010.

April 18^th : No 19.

"Absinthe Soiree Part Deux with American Standard Time"

7pm

"An absinthe soiree" with Gwydion from Marteau Absinthe and Marc from Pacifique Absinthes and star bartender Nathan Weber from Tavern Law. Held in the Fireside room - the more the merrier. This more casual drinking lesson is only $20 and includes absinthe tasting, history, tasty bites from the kitchen, and several absinthe based cocktails will be available. Greg Vandy of KEXP fame and American Standard Time will be spinning "absinthe" inspired tunes throughout the evening.

$20/person per class. Buy Tickets Here.

Facebook Event Page

Behind the Bar:

Gwydion Stone. Maker of Marteau absinthe, Gwydion founded The Wormwood Society, an organization devoted to absinthe education...

http://www.absinthemarteau.com

Marc Bernhard. Owner and distiller of Pacific Distillery, makers of Voyager gin and Pacifique absinthe, Marc professional background is in herbs and spices...

http://www.pacificdistillery.com

Nathan Weber. Star bartender and Bar Manager at Tavern Law, awarded top 25 bars in America by GQ magazine.

DJ Greg Vandy, Was once a bartender but is better known as the famed DJ behind KEXP's Roadhouse and author of the spectacular new blog American Standard Time.

The Silent Reading Party continues...

Five new dates for the Reading Party, now with special guests and music. Kyle O'Quin (Wild Orchid Children and Kay Kay) will play Chopin and other delights on that piano. Come early! January's reading party was sitting-on-the-floor-packed.

Upcoming Dates: February 2^nd, March 2^nd, April 6^th, May 4^th

Special Guests: each month we bring in luminaries from the Seattle community, to read silently, and entertain us with their post reading party "book reports" published on the SLOG. Past special guests have included: John Roderick, Heather Mchugh, and Dow Constantine.

The Reading Party runs from 6pm - 9pm in the Fireside Room. There is no charge. Happy hour menu is available for the duration of the event.

Facebook Event Page

"The Reading Party. Silent sustained reading at a bar, because no one wants to read alone."

- Christopher Frizzelle

Mr Frizzelle has more to say about these popular gatherings here...

What is Night School?

Night School is a collaboration between the Sorrento Hotel, Michael Hebb, an array of intellectuals, artists, writers, filmmakers, mixologists, chefs and the leading cultural institutions in the Northwest. Night School was established to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Sorrento Hotel. Please visit www.nightnightnight.com for more information.

Return of Silent Reading. 10/6 and 11/3 and 2011 dates!

2010-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Silent Reading party continues. And this time we have special Guests.

Upcoming dates and special guests (the special guests will just be there - silently reading.)

10/6: John Roderick, Sarah Rudinoff, Linda Derschang.
11/3: Guests TBA
1/5: Guests TBA
2/2: Guests TBA

An Invitation from the Editor of the Stranger, Christopher Frizzelle - who usually is not so short on his words:

"The Reading Party. Silent sustained reading at a bar, because no one wants to read alone."

Join the silence. This is a free event. 6-9pm. fireside room. sorrento hotel.

Drinking Lesson number 15: All Things Whisk(e)y October 13th

2010-09-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Join us for a special Drinking Lessons with our friends at the Washington State Bartenders Guild--yes, the most fabulous guild ever. The Guild and Andrew Friedman (WSBG president and owner of Liberty Bar) will invite a few of their friends and the oaked, wheated, peated and barleyed best they represent for an evening of whisk(e)y tasting.

Guests will convene in the Fireside Room (where else?) to sample bottlings of brown from around the world--American, Scotch and Japanese included--and receive a short, liquid-aided tutorial on this single-colored but far from one note spirit. To be followed by an open tasting of whisk(e)y for attendees, including Maker's Mark, Ri1 and Whistle Pig. Guests for this event will receive a keepsake of cocktails, recipes and spirits discussed at the event. Tickets here.

Drinking Lesson Number 16: Jay Kuehner of Sambar on Improvisation

2010-09-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

This lesson will focus on the alchemy of cocktails. As the main bartending force behind Sambar--the adjoining cocktail lounge to Ballard's Le Gourmand--Jay doesn't just create repeat customers, he creates disciples. His specialty is in the extemporaneous, taking cues from the parched by way of a choice of alcohol or single main ingredient, accented by a kitchen's worth of his special concoctions and adjuncts.

Guests can expect an animated two hour lesson in the preparation and history of at least three distinct cocktails. To temper the libations the Hunt Club will pepper the evening with a few small bites from the kitchen. Sessions are limited to twelve individuals only. Tickets for 6pm. Tickets for 8pm.

Alan Khazei Penthouse Symposium. Sept. 27th.

2010-09-16T17:35:00.001-07:00

Night School and the Penthouse Symposium series continues with CITY YEAR founder and author of Big Citizenship, Alan Khazei, Monday September 27th, 7:30pm. In conversation with Reuven Carlyle, Tim Burgess, Joel Connelly, James Kelly, Gaurab Bansal, Susan Rich, Stephanie Delaney and special guests.

Monday, September 27th
Doors open at 7:30pm.
Stew served at 8:00.
Conversation begins at 8:15.
Alan Khazei. BIG CITIZENSHIP: How Pragmatic Idealism Can Bring Out the Best in America.
Get Tickets Here.

The Penthouse Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host some of the leading intellectuals, artists, and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing. The Symposiums are held in the historic Sorrento Hotel penthouse "Top of The Town". We have been lucky enough to host Garry Wills, Bill Mckibben, Atul Gawande and many other remarkable thought leaders.

Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$30/person, includes a hearty stew made by onepot.org, a cash bar and a copy of Alan Khazei's new book Big Citizenship (Retail $25.95). Makers Mark is a generous sponsor of the Penthouse Symposium series.

BIG CITIZENSHIP

Two months before the 2008 Election, Alan Khazei capped a twenty-five year career as a social entrepreneur by persuading Barack Obama and John McCain to appear together on national television to agree that national service was good for America. With their backing he helped frame the Edward M. Kennedy Service Act, which was signed into law within 100 days of Obama's inauguration-an extraordinary example of effectiveness in action.

In Big Citizenship, Khazei shares his experiences founding and growing his City Year program, saving Americorps, and creating the new national campaign called ServiceNation, offering inspiration as well as practical advice. He addresses how to balance private and public funding; work with all levels of government; build bipartisan support on even the most contentious issues; attract volunteers, and get young people involved.

Alan Khazei is the founder and CEO of Be the Change, Inc. Alan previously served as the co-founder & CEO of City Year, a youth service corps that helped to inspire the development of AmeriCorps. Alan serves on the boards of City Year, New Profit, and Share our Strength. In 2006, US News & World Report selected Alan as one of America's 25 Best Leaders. An honors graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Alan currently lives in Brookline with his wife, daughter, and son. Full bio here.

Reuven Carlyle: Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 36th district since 2009

Tim Burgess: Seattle City Council Member and chair of the council's Education Committee

Joel Connelly: Political Columnist for the Seattle P-I.

Gaurab Bansal: Families and Education Levy Oversight Committee.

James Kelly: President of the Urban League.

Susan Rich: a Seattle poet, author of three books, most recently, The Alchemist’s Kitchen, published by White Pine Press, New York. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer, Amnesty International Student Coordinator, and Electoral Supervisor in Bosnia.

Stephanie Delaney: a college administrator and lifelong volunteer. Her current volunteer activities including serving on the Self Help committee of Legal Voice and coordinating the volunteers for the St. Martin de Porres ministry for homeless men at Christ the King Parish.

12 writers 12 musicians 12 conversations = August 2nd

2010-07-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

12 writers + 12 musicians = 12 conversations.
Monday, August 2nd. Sorrento Penthouse
A Night School event, in collaboration with Bumbershoot, as part of the 40 Ways to Celebrate Bumbershoot's 40th Festival.
A fundraiser for 826 Seattle.
7pm - 10pm. Suggested Donation $15 - $30
Space extremely limited please email Kerri@hotelsorrento.com to reserve.
All Ages.

12 intimate conversations between past and present Bumbershoot writers and musicians, nestled into 12 resplendent and well-mic'd hotel rooms. Voyeurs can expect spontaneous song, life-changing conversation about the arts, and well stocked bars.

12 books : the Sorrento will feature books by these authors in the 12 book store for the next three months. 12 books is a small carefully curated bookstore in the Sorrento lobby - hotel guests are able to order these books as a Room Service option from a handsome book menu.

Musicians

Rachel Flotard - Visqueen (2003, 2005, 2009, 2010)
Jesse and Kimberly - The Dutchess and The Duke (2009)
Scott Reitherman - Throw me the Statue (2008)
Rob and John - Awesome (2006)
Sportin' Life Crew - Fatal Lucciauno (2010), Spaceman (2009), D. Black (2007,2009)
David Bazan (2010)
Sarah Rudinoff (1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009)
Tilson (2006, 2007, 2008)
Lori Goldston (1997, 2004)
Spencer Moody (2000, 2007, 2009)

Writers

Ryan Boudinot (2007)
Stacey Levine (2007)
Matthew Stadler (1999, 2004)
John Roderick (2003, 2009)
Storme Webber (2004)
Anne Focke (1971, 1972, 1973)
Greg Lundgren (2007, 2009)
David Schmader (2008, 2010)
Lesley Hazleton (2004)
Rachel Kessler (2000, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010)

Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival, taking place this year September 4-6 at Seattle Center, is celebrating its 40th annual festival. As part of the 40th festivities, Bumbershoot invites the community to participate in 40 Ways to Celebrate Bumbershoot's 40th Festival, a summer-long series of events, programs, and contests currently underway, which highlight Seattle's rich history of creating and supporting music, art, culture and community.

For more information on Bumbershoot, please visit www.bumbershoot.org

Announcing... Hotel 503. July 25th. Run on Sentence.

2010-06-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Night School and City Arts Editor Mark Baumgarten Announce: Hotel 503.

Sunday July 25th, 7pm, free, all ages.

Hotel 503 opens the doors of the Sorrento Hotel to the vibrant Portland music scene for this new monthly residency, wherein the top talent from the 503 area code spends one Sunday evening at the Sorrento Hotel. At each of these free concerts, the artist, joined by friends and bandmates, will fill the Fireside Room with some of Portland's greatest songs before retiring to a room at Seattle's oldest luxury hotel; perhaps with a stop at the bar for a whiskey and a chat with the locals between. The inaugural event will feature an acoustic set by Hush Records artist Run On Sentence, who will be playing songs from its upcoming sophomore release, You, the Darkness and Me.

2010-06-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Penthouse Symposium with author Phil Campbell and Charles Mudede of The Stranger, Thursday, July 8th.

Doors at 6:30pm. Free, Cash bar, all ages, seating extremely limited. Please rsvp by emailing kerri.benecke@hotelsorrento.com

A discussion about capturing the spirit of time and place in both words and film. Campbell's first book, Zioncheck for President, a Seattle memoir, is currently being turned into a feature film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal. The film is being shot in Seattle and stars Jason Biggs ("American Pie") and Joel David Moore ("Avatar"). Mudede will briefly discuss film in Seattle, and then Campbell will read from his latest book, a global-warming satire set in Memphis, Tennessee.

Phil Campbell was once an award-winning alt-weekly journalist, first at The Memphis Flyer and then at The Stranger. But then he was fired from The Stranger. He got unemployment benefits and managed a Seattle city council campaign, which lost. But then he wrote about the experience and got a book deal. And then Hollywood gave him a movie deal. Campbell is now an inspiration for fired people everywhere.

Campbell is currently finishing his second book, Memphis Del Mar, a global-warming satire. For no real reason, he is also organizing a 2011 convention of guys named Phil Campbell in the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. He lives in Brooklyn.

Charles Mudede is the writer of Police Beat and Zoo. He currently writes for The Stranger.

The Penthouse Symposium (formerly Midnight Symposium) concept is simple: we will continue to host the leading intellectuals, artists, activists and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing. Previous Symposiums have included: Atul Gawande, Garry Wills, Bill Mckibben, Lesley Hazleton, Lauren Bush, Ellen Gustafson and Jesse Sheidlower.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

New Night School series... NO CURTAIN.

2010-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

"No Curtain". Monday July 12th with Kate Whoriskey, Artistic Director from Intiman Theatre. Featuring performances from and discussion of the Seattle premiere of Lynn Nottage's Ruined.

Doors at 6:30pm. Performance 7pm. $20 per person. Cash bar, all ages. Seating extremely limited. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/117698

NO CURTAIN. A new Night School series bringing the city's leading theatrical, dance, photographic, and musical theatre artists out from behind the curtain. Each "No Curtain" event will focus on a group of artists or singular performer/practitioner unveiling the process behind their craft in an intimate salon setting in The Sorrento's Penthouse. The first event will feature artists performing scenes from Intiman Theatre's upcoming production of Ruined, as well as a conversation moderated by City Arts Editorial Director Tim Appelo delving into how the play was created and developed with Artistic Director Kate Whoriskey and several actors from the production.

Ruined is the most acclaimed play of 2009, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. The play is set in a small mining town in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, where Mama Nadi both protects and profits from the young women who seek refuge in her rain forest bar and brothel. Expertly navigating relationships and politics, this remarkable story is rich with humor, music, hope and humanity.

In 2004, Lynn Nottage and Kate Whoriskey traveled to the bordering country of Uganda, where they spent two weeks interviewing Congolese women who had fled their country and found refuge. Inspired by these women, they created a story that would be specific to the complexity of what is happening in the Congo. The next year, Nottage returned and interviewed refugees fleeing armed conflicts in Congo, Uganda, Sudan and Somalia. Together with Whoriskey and their collaborators, she developed the play over five years.

Kate Whoriskey is in her first season as Intiman's Artistic Director. She has directed the world premieres of three plays by Lynn Nottage: Ruined (Goodman Theatre/Manhattan Theatre Club), Fabulation (Playwrights Horizons) and Intimate Apparel (South Coast Repertory). Her other credits include the world premieres of Julia Cho's The Piano Teacher at South Coast Rep (which she also directed at Vineyard Theatre) and Massacre by José Rivera at the LAByrinth Theatre Company, of which she is a member. She most recently directed the first revival of William Gibson's The Miracle Worker on Broadway.

Tim Appelo is the Editorial Director of City Arts Magazine and a former drama critic for The Nation, Seattle Weekly, Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, and KCTS.

Ruined begins July 2 at Intiman Theatre and will run through the summer. Information is available at www.intiman.org or 206.269.1900. Night School is a partnership with the Sorrento Hotel, providing a space to explore contemporary art and ideas in a historically rich setting.

The New York Times Gives Night School BIG LOVE.

2010-05-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hotels Book Unusual Events to Draw in the Public
By JULIE WEED
Published: May 24, 2010

She said she used to choose from a few familiar hotel chains because they offered a predictable experience. Now she looks for hotels like the Sorrento in Seattle that has started to offer cultural and social events, including author readings and current event symposiums. “It’s nice to have a reason to come out of my room,” she said.

The Sorrento Hotel started programming its “Night School” events, in part, to change the way business travelers thought of the hotel.

The hotel was attracting guests because it is an elegant historic landmark, its co-owner, Barbara Malone, said, but it was not very vibrant.

“We wanted to make the Sorrento a cultural and social epicenter,” she said. One offering is “Chamber vs. Chamber,” which pairs, for example, an orchestral percussionist and a rock musician.

Among the other events there, Garry Wills has discussed his book, “Bomb Power,” and two of the principal dancers of the Pacific Northwest Ballet shared stories of life behind the scenes at the ballet. Continue reading here...

Chamber Vs. Chamber III. Awesome, Sarah Rudinoff, and Nick Garrison. The First Video(s)...

2010-05-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

A teaser... More to come.

Last minute addition: Ellen Gustafson and Lauren Bush of FEED Projects to join Midnight Symposium May 24th

2010-05-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Doors open at 8pm.
Stew served at 8:30.
Conversation with Ellen and Lauren begins at 9:00pm.
Get Tickets Here. Tickets include a FEED 50 Haiti bag.

Night School Founder Michael Hebb met Ellen and Lauren last week at the DC Summit Series, the three immediately connected, and a Symposium was planned on the spot. The Sorrento is thrilled that the Night School community and Seattle will have an opportunity to break bread and converse with these remarkable women that are redefining the war on hunger.

Topic of conversation: The FEED Foundation is launching a new initiative focused on global food system change called the 30 Project. Along with FEED's work selling social-conscious products around the world, the 30 Project is a new strategic partnership and awareness campaign to connect the problems of a billion people hungry and a billion people overweight. Let's talk about how to change the system.

Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson are the Co-Founders of FEED Projects, LLC, a charitable company that creates good products that help FEED the world. They are also the Co-Founders of the FEED Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to improving the global food system starting with ensuring nutritious school food for all children. FEED has so far provided over 55 million school meals to children around the world by selling over a half a million FEED bags. Lauren and Ellen have also been featured as two of Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs.

The Midnight Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host the leading intellectuals, artists, activists and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing. The Symposiums begin closer to 8pm - and occasionally will continue til midnight. Previous Symposiums have included: Atul Gawande, Garry Wills, Bill Mckibben, Lesley Hazleton, and Jesse Sheidlower.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$60/person, includes a hearty stew, a big bottle of whisky to be shared, and some wine. If you like to drink heavily we encourage you to bring additional bottles. Tickets include FEED 50 Haiti bag.

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 3 with "Awesome" + Sarah Rudinoff, Nick Garrison and Special Guests. May 23rd.

2010-05-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 3 with "Awesome" + Sarah Rudinoff, Nick Garrison and Special Guests.
chamber music vs. chamber (indie) rock

"Lessons from West" : Sunday, May 23rd 2010, Fireside Room, 6:00pm doors, $12.
Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/110388

A night of music and operatic lushness with "Awesome" and very special guests + post-concert conversation hosted by Mark Baumgarten, City Arts Editor, Matthew Richter (director of West), and the musicians. Photos by David Nixon.

As the musical fraction of the Sorrento's Night School, Chamber vs. Chamber endeavors to spark a dialogue between indie rock and traditional chamber music, combining classical chamber performances with indie rock theatrics. Each Chamber vs. Chamber evening will include multiple illuminating performances and conversation between the musicians and leaders in the classical and indie rock canon.

After "Awesome" fills the Fireside Room of the Sorrento with musical banter, Mark Baumgarten (Executive Editor of City Arts Magazine) and Matthew Richter (Director of West) will lead a discussion between the audience and musicians, touching on the inspiration behind the music, and the influences of both classical and indie rock repertoires. This specific Chamber Vs. Chamber will focus on the historical trajectory that includes the advent of opera and the evolution of theatrical music through the compositions of Kurt Weill, "Awesome", and others...

"West"

West was developed and premiered to much critical acclaim and sold out shows at On the Boards April 2010.

"In "West," their epic-scale and near-epic-length new show at On the Boards, the video wizardry of "Awesome" has taken a quantum leap.
- Seattle Times

"Awesome"

Part band, part art collective, "AWESOME" combines lush, dense vocal harmonies with a unique mix of electric and acoustic instruments including: guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, accordion, mandolin, banjo, theremin, typewriter, kitchen utensils, and anything else lying around that makes an interesting sound.

"Awesome" aren't the best at what they do...they're the only ones that do what they do. To see them is to be completely awed by what masters and visionaries they are.
- Seattle Weekly

Sarah Rudinoff // Nick Garrison.

These two superstars require little introduction...

"Sarah Rudinoff is so talented it's goddamn ridiculous. A pageant of moxie, a carnival of fabulous."
Adrian Ryan, The Stranger

"Nick Garrison is a pocket-size Piaf who could galvanize a room with his outsize charisma and chameleon's gift to become whatever song he sings."
Steve Wiecking, The Seattle Weekly

**Sarah and Nick we will be joined by Chris Jeffries (1st Stranger Genius Award Winner in theatre, composer extraordinaire) on Piano and Brendan Kellogg (of We Are Golden) on Cello.

More Silence.

2010-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Silent Reading party continues: An Invitation from the Editor of the Stranger - who usually is not so short on his words:

"The Reading Party. Silent sustained reading at a bar, because no one wants to read alone."

Join the silence: May 19th, June 2nd, June 16th, and June 30th in the Fireside Room, from 6:00-9:00pm. This is a free event. The Hunt Club's happy hour menu will be available until 9:00pm on these evenings.

12 books Spring Book Menu.

2010-05-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

12 books
Spring 2010

books to read in the hotel.
books delivered to your room.
books to take with you.

Garry Wills Bomb Power 28

From Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Wills, a ground breaking examination of how the atomic bomb profoundly altered the nature of American democracy and has left us in a state of war alert ever since.
***Garry will host a Midnight Symposium on Feb. 8th. 7th Floor.

Max Watman Chasing The White Dog 25

In Chasing the White Dog, journalist Max Watman traces the historical roots and contemporary story of hooch.
***Max will host Drinking Lessons on Feb. 28th. The Hunt Club.

Drinking Lessons Volume Two 10

Our bar at The Hunt Club has become the destination for the leading bartenders and cocktail historians in the country. These are their recipes.
***Drinking Lessons are held bi-monthly in the Hunt Club bar.

Munro Leaf The Story of Ferdinand 8

The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers.

Karen Finneyfrock Ceremony for the Choking Ghost 15

After losing her sister to heart failure, Finneyfrock was unable to write poems for three years. Her voice came back, whispering at first and then screaming.
***Karen will read her work at the hotel on April 26th. 7th Floor.

Wayne Koestembaum Hotel Theory 16

Less hard theory than a string of ruminations inspired by books, films, and artworks that have taken the hotel as their subject.

Joey Veltkamp Scenes from a Hotel Volume One 20

Celebrated Seattle artist Joey Veltkamp has taken The Sorrento as his subject matter in this inaugural volume of gorgeous illustrations.

Michael Lewis The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. 28

The roots of the bubble and the story of Wall Street's collapse can be told no clearer — nor with as much humor — as by Lewis.
***Michael will read from his work April 14th. Fireside Room.

Bill Mckibben Eaarth. Making A Life On A Tough New Planet 24

Twenty years ago, McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long....
***Bill will host a Midnight Symposium April 20th. 7th Floor.

Ruth Forman Prayers Like Shoes 17

Whit Press, in partnership with Hedgebrook, is proud to present this magnificent new collection of poetry from highly acclaimed writer and poet Ruth Forman.
***Ruth will read from her work April 26th. 7th Floor.

Peter Mayle A Vintage Caper 25

Set in Hollywood, Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseille, Mayle's newest and most delightful novel is filled with culinary delights, sumptuous wines, and colorful characters.
***Peter will read from his work July 16th. 7th Floor.

Meiro Koizumi The Corner of Sweet and Bitter 30

The book documents Japanese artist Meiro Koizumi's exhibition, The Corner of Sweet and Bitter. Open Satellite, Bellevue, WA.

Chamber Vs. Chamber II. Sean Nelson and Erin Jorgensen. The Video(s).

2010-04-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

12 books poetry and hip hop salon presented by Night School, Larry Mizell Jr., Hedgebrook, and Whit Press.

2010-04-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

April 26th, 8pm - Penthouse - Sorrento Hotel This event is free. All ages. Full bar

Poets: Ruth Forman, Karen Finnyfrock, Rich Jensen, Kary Wayson, Jeremy Richards, Rachel Kessler, Trent Moorman, Storme Webber, and Tara Hardy

MC's: Larry Mizell (Mash Hall), Geologic (Blue Scholars), Gabriel Teodros, D. Black, Fatal Lucciauno, Hollis (Canary Sing), Tilson (The Saturday Knights).

Why? Because Seattle has one of the most remarkable hip hop communities in the country & Seattle is home to some of the best poets and publishing houses on the globe... And we think it is important to bring these two essential crafts together.

What? A casual evening of readings in the gorgeous penthouse of the historic Sorrento hotel. Picture a lavish room overlooking the city, candlelight, full bars, and about 75-100 people lounging about in decadence and listening to verse. Conversation among the artists/writers will be encouraged.

More information on the Sorrento Hotel's unique bookstore, 12 Books, HERE. Plus we well be announcing the Spring 12 books list at the salon.

BIll Mckibben. Midnight Symposium. April 20th

2010-03-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 20th
Bill Mckibben. EAARTH: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. Click for tickets

The Midnight Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host some of the leading intellectuals, artists, and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$50/person. Includes a hearty stew, a big bottle of whisky to be shared, and some wine. If you like to drink heavily we encourage you to bring additional bottles. For reservations email: nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

Bill Mckibben

An American environmentalist and writer, Bill McKibben is the founder of 350.org, an international climate campaign. Bill is a frequent contributor to various magazines including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Rolling Stone, and Outside. He is also a board member and contributor to Grist Magazine. Read full bio here.

An Absinthe Soiree March 7th. Drinking Lesson number 14.

2010-03-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

An Absinthe Soiree. Forget the Academy : The Green Goddess is better than the Red Carpet...

*With Robert Hess, Gwydion from Marteau Absinthe and *Marc from Pacifique Absinthes, and esteemed cocktail historian Paul Clarke. Held in the Fireside room - the more the merrier. This more casual drinking lesson is only $20 and includes absinthe tasting, history, tasty bites from the kitchen, and a bar selling several absinthe based cocktails. The evening will feature the sounds of French cabaret performers Nikki Dee & Bonnie Birch. Tickets here.

* they will show you how to drink copious amounts of the mythic spirit. it is in the ever luscious fireside room, there will be live cabaret music to get dizzy to...

drinking lesson no. 12. max watman + christian krogstad = feb. 28th

2010-02-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

max is a brilliant writer, an nea fellow, and author of a hugely anticipated new book called chasing the white dog ; an amateur outlaw's adventures in moonshine. christian is owner of house spirits and one of the most celebrated micro-distillers in the country. guests receive the new book, cocktails, food, and the quiet shoutings of two amazing boozy minds. there are only a couple seats left... fifty five dollars. click for 6pm. click for 8pm.

Let the Silence Begin. Silent Reading Party with Christopher Frizzelle

2010-02-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

12 books. The Reading Party with Christopher Frizzelle

An Invitation from the Editor of the Stranger - who usually is not so short on his words:

"The Reading Party. Silent sustained reading at a bar, because no one wants to read alone."

Join the silence: February 24th, March 10th, March 24th, and April 7th in the Fireside Room, from 6:00-9:00pm. This is a free event. The Hunt Club's happy hour menu will be available until 9:00pm on these evenings.

More information on the Sorrento Hotel's unique bookstore, 12 Books, HERE.

Chamber Vs. Chamber No. 2 “Valentine’s Day is Over” : a night of music and romantic agony with Sean Nelson, Erin Jorgensen, and very special guests.

2010-02-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

A night of music and romantic agony with Sean Nelson, Erin Jorgensen, and very special guests + post-concert conversation hosted by Mark Baumgarten, City Arts Editor.

Saturday February 20th, Fireside Room, 7pm doors, $12.
Tickets Here

Pairing a French-lyricist and classically trained marimba player with the former lead singer of Harvey Danger, the second installment of Chamber v. Chamber looks at the sounds we create when we want forget about the holiday of Love.

As the musical fraction of the Sorrento’s Night School, Chamber vs. Chamber endeavors to spark a dialogue between indie rock and traditional chamber music, combining classical chamber performances with indie rock theatrics. Each Chamber vs. Chamber evening will include multiple illuminating performances and conversation between the musicians and leaders in the classical and indie rock canon. Take this link to see videos of the first Chamber event: Loch Lomond, Spectratone, and Lori Goldston.

After our musical guests fill the Fireside Room of the Sorrento with rich melody, Mark Baumgarten--editor of City Arts Magazine--will lead a discussion between the audience and musicians, touching on the inspiration behind the music, and the influences of both classical and indie rock repetoires.

Sean Nelson is a Seattle writer/musician/filmmaker. Probably best known for being the lead singer in Harvey Danger, which disbanded last year, he was also in the Long Winters, and has recorded with Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Robyn Hitchcock, the Minus 5, and many other bright lights besides. His debut solo LP, Make Good Choices, recorded as Sean Nelson & His Mortal Enemies, will be released by Absolutely Kosher Records this Spring. Nelson co-wrote and starred in Lynn Shelton's My Effortless Brilliance, and just wrapped Treatment, his debut as a screenwriter/co-director.

Erin began playing piano when she was 4 and eventually graduated to mallet percussion in marching band. This led to a stint in drum corps and eventually a partial college education at Western Washington University, where she studied Percussion Performance and Music Composition. She dropped out to focus on playing marimba and has since become Seattle’s “premiere punk rock marimba player” (The Stranger). She plays music ranging from J.S. Bach to Johnny Thunders, as well as original compositions. More info at erinjorgensen.com

Midnight Symposium Winter Schedule.

2010-01-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

Monday, Jan. 11th
Atul Gawande. THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO: How To Get Things Right. Click for tickets.

Monday, Feb 8th.
Garry Wills. BOMB POWER: The Modern Presidency and the National Security State. Click for tickets.

Tuesday, April 20th
Bill Mckibben. EAARTH: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. Click for tickets

The Midnight Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host some of the leading intellectuals, artists, and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$50/person. Includes a hearty stew, a big bottle of whisky to be shared, and some wine. If you like to drink heavily we encourage you to bring additional bottles. For reservations email: nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

Atul Gawande

A surgeon and a writer, Atul Gawande is a staff member of Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the New Yorker magazine. He received his B.A.S. from Stanford University, M.A. (in politics, philosophy, and economics) from Oxford University, M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health. He served as a senior health policy advisor in the Clinton presidential campaign and White House from 1992 to 1993. Since 1998, he has been a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine. In 2003, he completed his surgical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and joined the faculty as a general and endocrine surgeon.

He is also Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Research Director for the BWH Center for Surgery and Public Health. He has published research studies in areas ranging from surgical technique, to US military care for the wounded, to error and performance in medicine. He is the director of the World Health Organization's Global Challenge for Safer Surgical Care.

In 2006, he received the MacArthur Award for his research and writing. His book COMPLICATIONS: A SURGEON'S NOTES ON AN IMPERFECT SCIENCE was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2002 and is published in more than a hundred countries. He was editor of THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE WRITING 2006. His most recent book, BETTER: A SURGEON'S NOTES ON PERFORMANCE is a New York Times bestseller and one of Amazon.com's ten best books of 2007. He and his wife, Kathleen Hobson, live outside Boston and have three children: Walker, Hattie, and Hunter.

Gary Wills

Garry Wills is a Puitzer Prize winning author, journalist, and historian specializing in American politics, American political history and ideology and the Roman Catholic Church. He has written nearly 40 books and has been a frequent reviewer for the New York Review of Books since 1973.[1]

A conservative and early protégé of William F. Buckley, Jr as a young man, Wills became increasingly liberal through the 1960s, driven by his coverage of the civil rights and the anti-Vietnam War movements. Although a Catholic, he has been an excoriating critic of the Vatican and its policies and theology.

He won a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction[4] for Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America (1993), which describes the background and effect of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. He was awarded the National Medal for the Humanities in 1998. He has twice won the National Book Critics Circle Award, including as a co-winner for nonfiction in 1978 for Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.

Bill Mckibben

An American environmentalist and writer, Bill McKibben is the founder of 350.org, an international climate campaign. Bill is a frequent contributor to various magazines including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Rolling Stone, and Outside. He is also a board member and contributor to Grist Magazine. Read full bio here.

Drinking Lessons 10, 11, and 12.

2010-01-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

Our Winter Line-up (click date for tickets)

January 18th: Jamie Boudreau
February 21st: Duggan Mccdonnell w/ Neyah White: Rare South American Spirits
February 22nd: Neyah White w/ Duggan Mccdonell: From Barrel To Barrel
*February 28th: Max Watman + Christian Krogstad: Chasing the White Dog
**March 7th: Robert Hess + Gwydion Stone + Marc Bernhard: An Absinthe Soiree.

Drinking Lesson guests can expect an animated two hour lesson in the preparation and history of (at least) three distinct cocktails. To temper the libations the Hunt Club will pepper the evening with a few small bites from the kitchen. Sessions are limited to twelve individuals only.

In an effort to not only imbibe – but also to document the new American cocktail we are honored to continue partnering with the web-based cooking encyclopedia Foodista.com. Foodista will have staff on hand at all Drinking Lesson events to document the recipes, transcribe them to the web in real time, and create a web-based event out of the proceedings so that people around the globe can take part in the intimate experience at the bar. $55/person per class.

+ Our first edition of recipes Drinking Lesson: Volume One is now available at the Sorrento. Featuring recipes by Murray Stenson, Ryan Magarian, Robert Hess, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler. $10.

* Guests at the Watman/Krogstad events will receive a copy of Watman's new book: Chasing the White Dog

** "An absinthe soiree" with Robert Hess, Gwydion from Marteau Absinthe and Marc from Pacifique Absinthes. Held in the Fireside room - the more the merrier. This more casual drinking lesson is only $20 and includes absinthe tasting, history, tasty bites from the kitchen, and a bar selling several absinthe based cocktails. "To hell with Hollywood, lets drink Absinthe," says Barbara Malone (Our soiree is held on the same night as the Academy Awards). The evening will feature the sounds of French cabaret performers Nikki Dee & Bonnie Birch.

The Bartenders:

Jamie Boudreau. Legendary Canadian mixologist named one of the greatest bartender’s in the world by WIRED magazine… Read full bio here.

Neyah White. Bay area bar star from renowned SF restaurant/bar Nopa… Read full bio here.

Duggan Mcdonnell. Food and Wine recently hailed Duggan one of the best mixologists in the country… Read full bio here.

Max Watman. NEA writing fellow and author of the forthcoming CHASING THE WHITE DOG: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine… Read full bio here.

Christian Krogstad. Founder of the renowned distillery House Spirits in Portland, OR... Read full bio here.

Robert Hess. Celebrated cocktail historian and founder of the American Cocktail Museum… Read full bio here..

City Arts documents Chamber Vs. Chamber no. 1

2010-01-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

Loch Lomond and Spectratone share the chamber
December 17, 2009 at 2:11 PM | by MARK B

While billed as something of a smackdown, the first ever Chamber vs. Chamber event was anything but. Held within the woody confines of Seattle’s charming and historic Sorrento hotel in early November, the event featured a bevy of musicians who are as friendly and considerate as they are spirited and transfixing. The original concept for the evening was to pit a traditional chamber group against a pop chamber group. But what it became was an evening of performances where the only challenge was in seeing how many eager music fans could fit into the Sorrento’s space to witness a gut-punch performance by Portland pop group Loch Lomond and the energetic compositions of the internationally inflected folk instrumentalists of Spectratone.

The evening began with Spectratone member Lori Goldston. The cellist, whom you might remember from Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged, performed four songs, including this Bach Cello Suite.

Lori Goldston was then joined by the rest of Spectratone, including Kyle Hanson on accordion, Kane Mathis on oud and Jane Hall on percussion. The group performed its own compositions, with a tip of the hat to contemporaries the Black Cat Orchestra, as well as chamber innovator Bela Bartok

Loch Lomond closed out the night with a full set of music from throughout its five year history, including this electric performance of “Elephants and Little Girls” from a split 12-inch the band released with fellow Portlanders the Builders and the Butchers in 2008.

Shortly after this song, the band was beset with technical difficulties due to the building’s aged electrical system (the price for all that historic beauty) and abandoned their electric instruments for all-acoustic versions of their songs to closeout the night. A seeming disaster, the hiccup felt purposeful as the band’s music washed over the assembled crowd with no help from modern technology. For a moment, it was timeless.

Keep an eye out for the next episode of Chamber vs. Chamber hosted by City Arts and the Sorrento this spring.

All videos filmed and edited by Brad Curran.

Midnight Symposium. Pulitzer Prize Winner Garry Wills. Feb. 8th.

2010-01-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

Monday, Feb 8th.
Garry Wills. BOMB POWER: The Modern Presidency and the National Security State Click for tickets.

The Midnight Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host some of the leading intellectuals, artists, and writers of our time for an intimate and casual course on a subject of their choosing.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$50/person. Includes a hearty stew, a big bottle of whisky to be shared, and some wine. If you like to drink heavily we encourage you to bring additional bottles. For reservations email: nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

Garry Wills

Garry Wills is a Puitzer Prize winning author, journalist, and historian specializing in American politics, American political history and ideology and the Roman Catholic Church. He has written nearly 40 books and has been a frequent reviewer for the New York Review of Books since 1973.[1]

A conservative and early protégé of William F. Buckley, Jr as a young man, Wills became increasingly liberal through the 1960s, driven by his coverage of the civil rights and the anti-Vietnam War movements. Although a Catholic, he has been an excoriating critic of the Vatican and its policies and theology.

He won a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction[4] for Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America (1993), which describes the background and effect of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. He was awarded the National Medal for the Humanities in 1998. He has twice won the National Book Critics Circle Award, including as a co-winner for nonfiction in 1978 for Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.

p.s. we will be hosting a midnight symposium with atul gawande on january 11th

2009-12-14T03:42:00.000-08:00

let us know if you want to pre-reserve. nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

Anu Apte and Zane Harris. Night School at the Sorrento. Drinking Lesson no. 8.

2009-12-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

Dec. 7th. 6pm/8pm.

If you follow our strange meanderings you might know about drinking lessons. There are a couple seats left at our sparkling next installment. Anu and Zane are damn smart and they make damn smart cocktails at their establishment Rob Roy and they will make you damn smart as well. About booze that is… and maybe about other things.

6pm class / $50 / includes many drinks and small bites
grab a seat
8pm class / $50 / includes many drinks and small bites
grab a seat

12 books Launch Party: Text/Context No. 1 with Bruce Benderson and friends. 7pm. Nov. 12th Fireside Room.

2009-11-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to include Benderson’s much anticipated Pacific Agony on our 12 book list and delighted that Bruce will be reading at the Hotel as part of our first Text/Context event. Joining Bruce is American Book Award winner Matt Briggs, who will be reading from his newly re-printed novel Shoot the Buffalo. Songwriter/Musician/Journalist John Roderick of the Long Winters will be reading from his new volume Electric Aphorisms, and singing a song or two. Beloved Seattle native Matthew Stadler will finish the evening with a hosted conversation among the writers. Matthew will also have on hand publications from his new guerrilla press Publication Studio and discuss the controversy surrounding his bootleg editions including Pacific Agony.

Chamber Vs. Chamber = Indie Rock Vs Classical... Death match. Loch Lomond, Lori Goldston, Spectratone

2009-11-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Sorrento Hotel, City Arts Magazine and Night School present “Chamber vs. Chamber”.
Nov. 7th, 2009. Fireside Room @ The Sorrento. 7:30 PM. $15.
Loch Lomond, Lori Goldston (solo cellist) and Spectratone.

Mozart, Hindemith, and Brahms are sadly losing relevancy by the day, symphony audiences are dropping, and “chamber music” is not a word you read on twitter.

Yet in the midst of this shift away from the classical repertoire, indie rock musicians like The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear, Andrew Bird, Loch Lomond, Portland Cello Project, and Jherek Bischof are thriving and incorporating chamber instruments, classical music sensibility and theory into their music--and filling clubs across the country doing it.

Night School at the Sorrento suggests that we spark a dialogue between these two related musical disciplines and combine classical chamber performances with those of indie rock darlings. Each “Chamber Vs. Chamber” evening will include multiple performances that culminate in a conversation between musicians and leaders in both the classical and indie rock universes. We will fill the Fireside Room at the Sorrento with music, people, cocktails, a roaring fire, and thoughtful conversation.

Our inaugural event combines performances by celebrated cellist and composer Lori Goldston, rising chamber indie rock stars Loch Lomond and cross-disciplinary veterans Spectratone. The evening’s conversation will be hosted by the Executive Editor of City Arts Magazine, Mark Baumgarten and classical music critic and historian Zach Carstensen (www.gathernote.com). To close the festivities, Loch Lomond and Spectratone will perform together. City Arts will capture video and produce films documenting each “Chamber Vs. Chamber” performance.

Seating is very limited, and tickets are available at:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/85366
facebook event page
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164027301921

Night School at the Sorrento: Night School is a collaboration between The Sorrento, Michael Hebb, an array of intellectuals, artists, writers, filmmakers, mixologists, chefs and the leading cultural institutions in the Northwest. Stay tuned…

12 books. Begins.

2009-11-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

12 books – A different kind of book store.

As part of Night School and in collaboration with Elliot Bay Book Company, Kim Ricketts, and University Book Store – we are establishing a small carefully curated bookstore in the Sorrento lobby - in an effort to give greater resonance to the literary events beginning to fill the walls of the Hotel. Additionally, hotel guests will be able to order books as a Room Service option from a letter pressed menu of the 12 books.

Our selections will reflect a sampling of books that are presently being published or written in or about the Northwest. We will also include titles that specifically touch on Hotels, public/private space, and authors that collaborate with the Sorrento to host readings, symposiums, and various literary happenings.

Our first 12 books:

Jesse Sheidlower The F-word
Joey Veltkamp Scenes from a Hotel
Bruce Benderson Pacific Agony
Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are
Lesley Hazleton After the prophet
Nassim Assefi Aria
Wayne Koestembaum Hotel Theory
Heather McHugh Upgraded To Serious
Matt Briggs Shoot the Buffalo
Ryan Boudinot Misconception
John Roderick Electric Aphorisms
Josh Beckman Your Time has Come
Drinking Lessons Volume One

Midnight Symposium continues

2009-11-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

Midnight Symposium with Lesley Hazelton, celebrated author of After the Prophet, the epic tale of Shia-Sunni split in Islam. November 11th 8pm.

Our first Symposium was a riotous success, with sold-out attendance, and much bawdy inquiry into the F-word with Jesse Sheidlower. Expect a podcast of the evening soon. We continue the series with acclaimed journalist, novelist, and all around grand dame of letters Lesley Hazelton.

The Midnight Symposium concept is simple: we will continue to host some of the leading intellectuals, artists, and writers of our time for a casual course on a subject of their choosing. On Nov. 11thth 40 guests will take the elevator to the 7th floor Penthouse of the Sorrento, glasses will be filled, bellies will be sated and a late night symposium will begin.

Symposium Number Two: "The Ugly American: arrogance, ignorance, or innocence abroad -- or are they all related?" with Lesley Hazelton. November 11th 2009.

*Upon confirmation of their reservation guests will receive a pdf of required reading. In a Symposium dialogue is encouraged.

$50/person. Includes a hearty stew, a big bottle of whisky to be shared, and some wine. If you like to drink heavily we encourage you to bring additional bottles. For reservations email: nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

LESLEY HAZLETON is the author of four acclaimed books about the Middle East—After the Prophet, Israeli Women, Where Mountains Roar, and Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Other books include: Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography of the Virgin Mother and Jezebel. A former psychologist, she reported from Israel for Time magazine, and has written on Middle Eastern politics for The New York Times, Esquire, Vanity Fair, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Review of Books.

Drinking Lessons no. 3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9.

2009-09-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Our first two late night boozy seminars were packed with eager drinkers and volumes of knowledge. take a moment to browse through the real-time documentation of ryan magarian and murray stenson as they delivered their respective sermons: captured by foodista: . www.foodista.com/nightschool

The series continues as several more of the countries leading bartenders and drink historians take up residence at the hunt club bar. Here are the dates.

September 20th - 6pm/8pm Robert Hess
September 22nd - 6pm/8pm Jeffery Morgenthaler
October 20th - 6pm/8pm Erik Hakkinen
November 16th - 6pm/8pm Kathy Casey
November 23rd and 24th. 6pm/8pm Alex Day and Toby Cecchini
December 7th - 6pm/8pm Anu Apte and Zane Harris

** Follow all classes online with real-time documentation by www.foodista.com/nightschool

Drinking lesson guests can expect an animated two hour lesson in the preparation and history of three distinct cocktails. To temper the stiff drinks the hunt club kitchen will pepper the evening with a few small bites. Guests will receive a copy of our quarterly Drinking Lesson recipe books in the mail in the weeks following the lesson. Sessions are limited to twelve individuals only. This is a night school event. $55 includes tax. $10 for chapbook of recipes. For reservations email: nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

Drinking Lessons begin. High Priest or Pusherman?

2009-08-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ryan Magarian spoke from the pulpit with passion and fury for hours and hours last night - he was a freight train - he is a man on fire. And thanks to the remarkable efforts of foodista.com we have some beautiful real-time documentation of this sermon.

www.foodista.com/nightschool.

Night School begins.

2009-08-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

drinking lessons. august 18th, august 24th, and dates tba.

murray stenson + toby cecchini + ryan magarian + alex day + jeffrey morganthaler + jamie boudreau + the rest of leading bartenders in the country = drinking lessons at the sorrento hotel

what we have here is a rare thing. the sorrento hotel has agreed to let me gather the american cocktail gods behind their gorgeous bar . one after the other they will arrive. take up residence. and we will begin a full on study of the american cocktail. these charming savants (click here for bios and the full list of those that have committed thus far…) are deeply in the midst of rethinking the cocktail – and we are lucky enough to get an opportunity to drink their craft.

while we imbibe we will come to understand the techniques and histories at the core of each drink. think of it as the most sensually appealing seminar ever. only twelve seats per session; expect three remarkable cocktails, an earful of history, and some well crafted bar snacks from matthew mina to soften the soft blow of the booze. (if you haven’t been to the hunt club bar think don draper, 3pm, 1962, tucked into his third martini imagining the bedrooms above)

August 18th : Ryan Thomas Magarian 5:30pm and 8pm
August 24th : Murray Stenson 5:30pm and 8pm

the lovely thing: despite the fact that we have only 12 seats per session – those gin-loving encyclopedists at foodista.com will be on site documenting each session – posting the recipes and media in real time and allowing people in iceland to join in. you can follow the action here (starting next week) www.foodista.com/nightschool. we will also be publishing small quarterly chapooks of the recipes.

Cost: $50 (+ $10 for the quarterly Drinking Lesson recipe chapbook)
To make a reservation request click here: nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

this is part of a new collaboration with the sorrento hotel called night school.

On the hottest night of the year...

2009-08-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mudhoney, Dave Bazan, The Dutchess and The Duke, Throw Me The Statue, The Pica Beats, The Blakes, Rocky Votolato, Sera Cahoone, and folks from The Long Winters, The Dandy Warhols, Pete International Airport, The Moondoggies, and Say Hi took pirate-like-possession of the history rich top floor of the Sorrento Hotel. As Seattle dripped sweetly below this cosmic cast of musicians made music-upon-music atop-food-atop-drink-atop-mirth. The images and moving frames captured by Chase Jarvis tell a story only Tom Wolfe could commit to words…This is what we call songs for eating and drinking.