JOHNNYSWIM Made Seattle Feel Love at the Neptune Theatre

JOHNNYSWIM w/ Shelby Earl
Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
11.05.15

A night full of acoustics in the Neptune Theatre started off with Shelby Earl, a local Seattle singer and songwriter. She has a bit of a Zooey Deschanel style with thick bangs, big eyes, and a pop of red lipstick. She shared cute stories about all of her songs, like explaining her dream in which she discovered the chorus to “Sea of Glass.” In her dream, The Flaming Lips were singing it. She googled it in the morning to make sure it wasn’t real, and in the end it was not a real song, so she made it into one. This girl definitely has a sweet, approachable, coffee shop appeal. A perfect intro for Johnnyswim.

Johnnyswim might be the most unbelievable couple you’ve ever seen. Attractive, personable, and very musically talented. This amazing married duo sang in perfect harmony while husband, Abner Ramirez, played guitar. The duo were accompanied by a third guy on a bass guitar and bass drum that added a nice depth to the music. This couple emanated love and happiness.

They maintained a lot of eye contact with each other throughout the night. They sang fun songs, like a slow sultry duet of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” and Ramirez did a solo cover of Musiq Soulchild’s “Just Friends.”

They sang songs attached to emotional stories. Ramirez retold the moment that he wrote “Adalina” while in pajamas as his wife, Amanda Sudano, was cooking an aromatic pasta dinner. The song now serves as a reminder of those perfect comfortable nights at home with your loved ones. Sudano sang a beautiful song she wrote just a week prior, in honor of her late mother, Donna Summer. She fought back tears as she painted a picture of her childhood vacations, memories of her mother, and what she hopes to leave behind for her own child.

Johnnyswim came off of the stage and into the crowd for their final song. They unplugged and sang in the center aisle, as everyone held their breath so that they could hear them in the raw. They played a compilation of their hit “Home” mixed with parts of Johnny Cash’s “Jackson” and “Folsom Prison.” They encored with “Annie.” If there is such a thing as true love and soulmates, Johnnyswim is it and they pour it into their music, loud and clear for all to hear.

Review by Renae Koepke
Photos by David Endicott

JOHNNYSWIM