By Marquetta Miller
I stepped into Zorro Vintage to find the space mostly cleared out for the evening's show; only a few tastefully-curated racks of clothing in soothing creams and pastels dotted the walls as a reminder of the room’s intended use. Zorro proprietor Leslie Ellis was an enthusiastic host, and is hoping to hold more events in the future.
The audience was largely comprised of local musicians and friends of Benjamin Verdoes, (Iska Dhaff, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band), many who had attended rum.gold's September show at LoveCityLove. The intimate setting was well-suited to both of the evening's performances; Iska Dhaaf collaborator Ephraim Nagler played a set of delicate yet intense jams that brought to mind some of Thom Yorke's “The Eraser” era work, and rum.gold offered a cozy and gentle exploration of neo-soul, a highlight being the early single, Where There's Smoke. It was a warm and welcoming evening spent in good company, listening to good music.
Fun Facts with rum.gold
Origin Story: From D.C. to Boston by way of Berklee College of Music, (a degree in Jazz Trumpet becomes evident when listening to the most recent rum.gold single, "Get Through"), rum.gold now calls Brooklyn home.
Connects: The artist first connected with de facto booker/agent Benjamin Verdoes through an internship for Verdoes' band Iska Dhaaf. After the move from Boston to Brooklyn, the two reunited, and Verdoes went to work, sharing his discovery with friends and fellow musicians in a series of intimate shows.
Postal Service: rum.gold and producer James Chatburn keep their distance; the Atlantic Ocean to be precise. Chatburn lives in Berlin, so he and the artist share tracks and ideas via video chat and email.
Creature Comforts: A rum.gold pre-show ritual includes a soothing cup of Prince of Peace Ginger Honey Crystals, a tea concentrate that the artist generally finds in New York bodegas.
Heavy Rotation: Daniel Caesar is an obvious rum.gold favorite; the artist does a lovely cover of "Best Part", enlisting the audience to handle the harmonies originally performed by H.E.R. The artist finds the tenderness and honesty of Caesar's brand of masculinity both appealing and inspirational.
Moving Forward: Early 2019 will see a proper rum.gold EP, and a European mini-tour is in the works; though the details are still under wraps, the artist is excited about some top-secret potential collaborators.
Check out rum.gold's newest release "Get Through" on Soundcloud
You can find Zorro Vintage at 1205 E. Pike St. in Seattle