There is no place like home. And by “home” I don’t mean where you live or your parents house, even if those are some of your favorite spots. The kind of home I’m talking about is that one special place in your heart. Every time you’re there, you’re in your zone—your groove. A place where you may not be related to everyone, but everyone is family. Where magic happens and memories are made. To many people in Spokane, Washington, the Bartlett was that kind of place.
A Quick Background
Opened in the Fall of 2013 by Caleb and Karli Ingersoll. The Bartlett has been providing high-quality sounds and experiences over the last six years and has become a favorite of many local show-goers. Sadly, this amazing venue will be closing its doors this Fall with their final show being November 8. Last week, Tuesday, October 22, I had the opportunity to go to my first show at the Bartlett. I had always heard and known about it but shortly after it opened, I moved away for college and just came back to Spokane this last May. However, I was presented the opportunity to attend this show. And it wasn’t just any show. Presented by Have You Heard Live, hip-hop heads of Spokane got to enjoy the Bartlett’s final hip-hop show… ever.
Show Time
With performances from some of the Bartlett’s mainstay acts. Past Life Kenny, Matisse, T.S. The Solution, and Jango all took the stage to pay homage to their hip-hop home. Artist ExZac Change was scheduled to be there as well but, do to unforeseen circumstances was unable to attend. Still a huge shout out to ExZac though.
I walked into the venue with a lot of excitement. Like I said I’ve always heard about the Bartlett but was never able to actually go. When I walked in, I saw everything I expected and more. A nice little bar in the front that leads into a bigger room. Not much bigger, this venue only holds about 150-200 people. But when you’re in there with everyone and the artist is on stage killing it you feel like you’re at the best show of your life. The short history of the Bartlett oozes out of the walls, the griminess, and passion of the underground music scene is prominent with hustle, sweat, and tears. When I was watching these artists perform, I felt more connection and emotion from an artist than I have felt at any other show. The people working and performing at the Bartlett clearly care about their craft. This show had some of the best sound work I have ever heard at a small venue and the artist left it all out there in this goodbye to a place that left a huge impact on their lives and careers.
Official Event Recap Video
Before the show I had a chance to talk with Past Life Kenny, Matisse, T.S. The Solution, Jango, and Yung Crown who was the host of the show. Also, shout out to Daethstar for providing the beats to the hip-hop cypher at the end of the show. Yes, that’s right in true hip-hop fashion they let people from the crowd on stage to give us their best attempt at a cold 16. It was dope and I was proud of the talent I was seeing from this small sample size of my city.
Let’s go back to before the show.
I got together with those guys and just got their overall feelings on the Bartlett closing and their expectations for the night. Here is what they had to say.
Photo via: @iyzlowmatisse
Pre-Show Interviews
These interviews were edited for clarity*
RMR: How do you feel about the Bartlett closing, what are your thoughts on the situation?
Jango: Personally, I don’t know what’s going on in the business. But for the hip-hop community, especially the younger cats, to me it’s a devastating thing. I mean, I’m shocked. I had planned shows out in advance for next year, album release parties and stuff. The Bartlett is where I learned a standard in performing and running shows and I want to keep that in Spokane.
T.S. The Solution: Aw man, I’m like, I’m ecstatic for them and the owners are good people. So, the fact that they got bigger and what they believe is a better venue in Lucky U. I trust them and am super stoked for them. This place, in particular, I’m super sad. My first headline show was here in Spokane at the Bartlett when I dropped the Purple in Spokane project. This was a place I always wanted to do a show at just cause of how it sounded and how they treat the musicians. So yeah, I’m sad, but we gonna end it with a bang.
Matisse: Personally, I know me, and a lot of the other artists out here owe a lot to the Bartlett. With everything they’ve done for hip-hop and just music and general out here. They’ve helped a lot of us grow, put a lot of us on. It’s sad to see this place go but you gotta close one chapter and open another. I’m thankful, very thankful.
Past Life Kenny: I mean it’s sad, but it’s brought a lot of the people together in the community so I’m prouder just to be here. But, to be part of this right now, to say farewell, is gonna be sad because this is where it really started for a lot of us
Yung Crown: It’s definitely a bummer, so many careers have started here especially in the regional scene. But when one door closes, another door opens. They obviously have already obtained Lucky U which is like the coolest new venue. And it actually plays a roll in both spectrums which I like. It has that lower unit which is pretty much the same capacity and then upstairs they have that unit that’s about three times the capacity. So, I think it’s gonna be a lot easier of a transition for local artists on getting bigger shows. And it will also bring in a lot of other regional artists that might not usually come here.
RMR: Tell us about your first time/show at the Bartlett
Jango: So, my first show at the Bartlett actually was also my first headlining show and we sold that bitch out! It was my very first time selling anything out. Literally it just felt like a boy to man type moment. We sold all my Jango merch it was the first time I really felt that impactful community support. I felt like the dude for like a week haha.
T.S The Solution: So I actually hit up my boy Mitch and brought up the show idea and we once we got our show approved and we had that first show. The sound and experience were so amazing and Karli and Caleb have always shown love so it was like. Whatever show I did, I did at the Bartlett.
Matisse: My first time performing here was actually just a set feature. My dude Cody brought me on stage for his set, but I wasn’t on the bill or nothing. But man, when I stepped up and grabbed the mic… the sound in this place. It’s smaller than a lot of other venues but the sound and the way the message carries are just incredible.
Past Life Kenny: It honestly brought me back to music because I was doing any shows at that point, wasn’t dropping new music. I was kind of outta the scene and was just going to stay outta the scene. But then, I got the opportunity to perform here and we sold out. So, I was like “oh snap I could really be doing this.” Made a new song for the show, killed it. It was all love.
Yung Crown: Man, it was the first concert I had ever hosted, traditionally I was a club host in Seattle like on Capitol Hill, so it was totally a different vibe. It was with T.S. and his Purple in Spokane show. It was in January, it was snowier than a bitch, and we put 120 people in that for our first show together which really motivated us.
RMR: What are your expectations for tonight in hip-hops homage the Bartlett?
Jango: We got most of the performers we had for that very first show I was talking about so I’m expecting a repeat and expecting people to want to homage to hip-hop at the Bartlett. Other than that, I’m just happy to get back out there enjoying my people and be comfortable at home in my community.
T.S The Solution: We got the cypher coming at the end of the show which is going to be dope. And really, I’m just excited to get out there I know it’s because gonna be a crazy night and a night to remember.
Matisse: My expectation I this shit is crazy. I was supposed to perform with my boy Exzac but in the last 48 hours some stuff came up, so he won’t be able to make it. But I have been grinding the last few days got a whole new song putting in work. It’ll be weird not having my ExZac with me but I’m fucking ready!
Past Life Kenny: Oh yeah, it’s gonna be very exciting. I’m kinda getting the pre-game jitters right now, trying to get rid of those. But we gonna see something crazy tonight, I’m telling you that.
Yung Crown: For sure packed, like dumb packed. Every artist on the bill has performed if not put on a sold-out show at the Bartlett. This is like a super cool give back to the community that it’s free. It’s gonna be crazy high energy, insane… yeah insane.
RMR: Anything coming up that you want to talk about?
Jango: Absolutely, 2020 I do have a project I will be releasing. Early 2020 full video package and everything. I’m so ready to expand.
T.S The Solution: Oh yeah, we dropping new music every month. Me and homeboy DJ Spicey Ketchup, he makes the beat, sends it over to me, I make the song, and we ship it out. Our whole thing is not overthinking the process we just want to keep putting music out there and keep getting better and better.
Matisse: Me and Exzac just dropped the video to our new single “Road Maps.” Got some more shows coming up, got a Halloween show coming Friday the 31st at The Big Dipper. And got a couple more singles, working on a video, and the album rollout soon.
Past Life Kenny: Weeeelll, I gotta be a lil hush-hush, but I got few singles coming out next month. And November 1st I got a show at the Coeur d’ Alene Castle House. Be there or be square
Yung Crown: I got a lot of surprises for you guys. I can’t talk about a lot of them at the moment just because they aren’t fully ready to be released but in the next three to four months, you’re gonna see some pretty big moves happening, it’s gonna be dope.
