The Presidents of the United Sates of America Rock The Showbox Market, 2/17 and 2/18, By Holly Homan

This Friday and Saturday nights Seattle will witness the return of local icons, The Presidents of the United States of America (Presidents for short). The Presidents, fronted by the charismatic Chris Ballew came onto the national scene back in 1995 with catchy, poppy tunes like Kitty, Peaches and Lump (the latter of which was parodied by Weird Al).

Though the Presidents’ music may be primarily poppy, these guys can really rock their live performances. They exude charisma and non-stop energy, making their concerts one hell of a fun time.

I’ve only managed to see them perform a few times as I was home with babies in the early nineties, but I did see The Presidents perform after a Sonics game at the Key Arena (back when Seattle still had The Super Sonics, of course). I was in the nosebleed seats for the game, but managed to rush to the front to see the Presidents play. It’s impossible to just sit back and watch them perform. Their music and stage performance beckons audience members to get close, to be a part of the show. It’s impossible to resist.

For anyone looking for a fun time this weekend, I strongly urge you to go down and see them. There are still tickets left for their two nights (Fri. 17th and Sat. 18th) at The Showbox Market. The show begins at eight. Be there or be square!

Holly Homan