By Jasmine Kozak-Gilroy
Friday 12/2
Hari Kondabolu Album Release Show
Capitol Theater. 9pm. $12. 21+
Hari Konduolu, returning to Olympia for the third time, is well known for his politically charged comedy, which often centers around his experiences growing up as an Indian immigrant and living in the United States as a person of color. He is touring to support his second album, Mainstream American Comic, which features comedy tracks such as “All Lives Don’t Matter” and “My Mom (Accent Not Included)”. He has done standup on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, and has had his own half hour special featured on Comedy Central Presents. He earned his Masters in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and eventually becoming a human rights organizer in Seattle, focusing on immigration reform and the rights of immigrants. In an interview by NPR, Konduolu spoke on centering his comedy around race and other ‘charged’ topics, saying, “I see people staring at me and not laughing,” and, “Talking about race, there are definitely some white people who don’t like that. And it’s not even always the content, it’s just saying: “white people.” Because a lot of white people are not used to being called white. They get to be “people,” “human beings,” their first name.” About the heavily political tone of his comedy, he jokes, “I’m a killjoy who does comedy”. His jokes prove that political humor doesn’t have to be cheap or mean- it can simply be delightful.
Friday 12/9
Last G.L.O.S.S. Gig
The Eagles Ballroom. 8pm. $10.
G.L.O.S.S., arguable the most famous band to come out of Olympia in the last ten years (and likely the cutest), will be playing their last show on Friday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are ten dollars, and all proceeds will go to organizations fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock. The band, known for their aggressive, intimate lyrics and their “true hardcore” sound, have gained a cult following, and their discography (which runs 13 minutes and 2 second in its entirety) has been acclaimed by media outlets like NPR and Pitchfork. Noisey named their demo one of the best albums of the year in 2015, ranked higher than Drake, Fetty Wap, and Bjork. In September, they turned down a $50,000 record deal from Epitaph and decided to break up instead. In a letter posted on the Maximum Rock n Roll website, they explained, “The punk we care about isn’t supposed to be about getting big or becoming famous, it’s supposed to be about challenging ourselves and each other to be better people. It feels hard to be honest and inward when we are constantly either put on a pedestal or torn down, worshipped or demonized.” The day the letter was posted, site crashed due to the overwhelming traffic. Their mythos is sure to live on past this last show, but outside of all the lore and gossip, they happen to be killer live, so if you go to one show this year, make it this one. They will be joined onstage fellow hardcore bands from Olympia and Seattle; Deep Trench, Xylitol, Lowest Priority and FRANKY.
