About a year ago, I had the opportunity to check out this band when they visited good ole Puddletown, but I dawdled and I missed out.  Fortunately, I will get a chance to see Wakey!Wakey! as they are playing at the Doug Fir on Sunday, October 5.

As I read the band’s bio, I discovered that Michael Grubbs (the front guy and the guy who writes the material) thought he was going to be a preacher but The Universe had some other plans for him:

“There was a point in my childhood when I thought I was going to be a preacher,” says Michael Grubbs, the frontman-songwriter behind Brooklyn’s Wakey!Wakey! “I was going to have a congregation, talk to them about life, about how to get by. I guess this is kind of my pulpit now.”

One of his songs, War Sweater, was featured on the hit show, One Tree Hill, and the rest is history as the band hit the mainstream as the newest indie-pop superstars to fill our ears with danceable melodies.

Ever since his single “War Sweater” jettisoned him into stardom five years ago (thanks to a game-changing plug on One Tree Hill), the indie-pop singer has built a following that’s as passionate as his compositions. His fans have bought 45,000 copies of his self-released debut, the exquisitely tortured Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said the Last Time I Saw You. They’ve permanently inked his lyrics on their bodies (you can find them on display at the “W!W! Tattoos!!!” Pinterest board).

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Perusing their web site, I discovered that the band is also into philanthropy with a project called Wakey Tigers.  They accept toy donations at shows for kids in order to share those goodies with local organizations. The program was created after a show right here in Portland:

“One day in Portland, Oregon, after a show we found a small stuffed tiger sitting on the merch table. We asked around and no one claimed him, so we gave him a home. We put a wakey sticker on him, and he’s been touring with us ever since. During most of our shows you can find him tucked around somewhere on stage hiding and watching the show. He’s brought us a lot of joy through the past 4 years. So much in fact that after joking with fans that everyone should have a wakey tiger of their own, we’ve decided to do something about it.” -M

The band has blessed us with several albums since 2007 and the latest offering, Salvation, is now available for our listening pleasure and after a couple of shows in Seattle and Vancouver (Canada), they will land in our proverbial laps for a concert on October 5.  Ben Fields and Luke Wesley share the bill.

Doug Fir
Sunday – October 5
Doors open at 8 pm
Show starts at 9 pm
21+
Purchase advance tickets here.

Hope to see you at the show!

— Dennise
Host of Trixie Pop
Saturdays – 11 am to 1 pm

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