Power couple Jay Z, Beyonce to invade Safeco Field

  • By Andy Rathbun Herald Writer
  • Wednesday, July 23, 2014 1:57pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

This was inevitable.

Jay Z and Beyonce are on tour together, as two of the biggest names in music — a pair who also happen to be married to each other — stage a coliseum-shattering run across the country.

The pair will hit Safeco Field in Seattle at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Really, most people don’t need to be told about either performer, but here we go anyway.

Jay Z is the rapper whose records debut at No. 1 out of sheer habit. His rags-to-riches story found him going from peddling drugs on the street, to rapping about it, to making enough money to buy a stake in the Brooklyn Nets — a stake which he dropped after starting the sports management company that brought former New York Yankee Robinson Cano to the Seattle Mariners.

Beyonce, meanwhile, is the singer who was featured on Time magazine’s cover this year as one of the world’s most influential people, because, you know, people like her. A lot. Her last album was a No. 1 hit, despite the fact she released it exclusively online in the middle of the chart week without any publicity beforehand.

The concert itself finds the two artists performing some of their biggest hits, with videos interspersed throughout showing them on a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style crime spree — hence the tour’s name, “On the Run.”

Tickets are $57.95 to $284.35 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Meanwhile, Spoon is back, and so is the Capitol Hill Block Party. The venerable indie rockers will headline the opening night of the Seattle street festival.

The festival itself starts at 4 p.m. Friday and runs through Sunday night. Other notable names playing include rapper A$AP Rocky, the high-energy duo Matt &Kim, critically adored rock band The War on Drugs, and the synth-driven dance pop of Chromeo.

But Spoon, man, Spoon: The Austin-based group got its start in 1994, carving out a niche the following decade with a blend of approachable guitar hooks and experimental rock production.

Eager fans scooped up the band’s last album, “Transference,” which landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. However, the record was not as accessible as past outings. Many were left wanting.

Now, four years later, anticipation is running high for “They Want My Soul,” the group’s new album, which has been preceded by singles such as “Do You,” a track that finds the four-piece in fighting form.

Tickets are $50 for one-day passes to $250 for VIP three-day passes at capitolhillblockparty.com.

The Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery also will host a festival, albeit a very different kind — a Festival of Jazz. The annual show starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Woodinville venue.

This year’s line-up again features a long list of names from the jazz world, including Jessie J, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Spyro Gyra and The Manhattan Transfer.

Tickets are $71.75 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Motley Crue, meanwhile, is selling tickets by the boatload thanks in small part to some savvy marketing.

The group members signed a supposedly-binding contract that will prevent them from future touring, meaning this tour may live up to its name: The Final Tour. The show comes to the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The Crue has made millions in recent years on its tours but, admittedly, is at retirement age. The band got its start on the Los Angeles Strip more than 30 years ago, in 1980. Known for its sleazy take on rock, the group scored hits with “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Dr. Feelgood” and “Kickstart My Heart.”

Tickets are $32 to $144.50 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Finally, Chris Isaak will play the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery at 7 p.m. Sunday. The pop rockabilly singer, known as much for his guitar playing as his matinee idol looks, has slowed down his musical output in recent years. His last proper album, “Beyond the Sun,” came out in 2011 and featured almost entirely covers. Still, don’t be surprised if he plays some of his own big hits, including “Wicked Game” or “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.”

Tickets are $56.35 to $81.45 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

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