If you haven’t heard, the Posies are turning 20 years old, and they’re celebrating with a string of Northwest shows to celebrate the occasion. They’ll bring that celebration to Hell’s Kitchen Wednesday, May 14.



In honesty, events like these always make me feel a little retrospective — and a lot old. Every year stuff like this happens, and every time it does I feel a little grayer. For instance, it’s now been 14 years since Kurt Cobain killed himself, and almost 17 since Ten was released. That’s enough to make any child of the ’90s feel a little over the hill.



But I’m not going to wallow, or let the Posies 20th birthday freak me out. That would be nonsense, especially since Mr. Auer and Mr. Stringfellow are being nice enough to include Tacoma in their birthday celebrations. Though the band started in Bellingham and has earned a spot on the lengthy list of acts that have come from the Northwest and gone on to national and international success, a Tacoma birthday party isn’t as easy as it once would have been for the Posies. For one, Ken Stringfellow lives in Europe — and has for the last five years. He’s a frequent traveler, but still. That presents some logistical difficulties. Secondly, these guys are busy. Super busy. Stringfellow and his Posies partner, Jon Auer also play in Big Star. Not to mention they both have solo careers and Stringfellow is about to release a new record with his Paris-based band the Disciplines.



There are plenty of reasons why the Posies could have decided a 20th birthday party in Tacoma was too much work. But the important thing is they didn’t. They’ll bring the same jangly, alterna-pop power to Tacoma that made Frosting on the Beater a classic, and has given the Posies enough staying power to survive 20 years in the music business (aside from that small breakup).



Just one breakup in 20 years? That’s no small feat.



I caught up with Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer this week (Stringfellow still in Europe, Auer having just returned), and the purveyors of pop perfection leveled with the Weekly Volcano about the state of the Posies.  



WEEKLY VOLCANO: It’s been 20 years. While it hasn’t exactly been strictly monogamous, what keeps it exciting? There’s a quote from Jon Auer in the Posies’ bio that says “It truly amazes me that we have been around the proverbial block and still can come up with ways to surprise each other.” How do you do that? What kind of things surprise you guys?



KEN STRINGFELLOW: Well I for one am always surprised by the longevity of the music itself. People are still interested, into and discovering us, and that adds new energy all the time.



JON AUER: I gave that quote after making our last CD, Every Kind of Light. That particular record was essentially created in the studio in about three weeks and I’d be coming up with a jillion ideas on the spot everyday, trying everything and anything to get the job done. I remember many times sharing an idea with Ken and judging by the look on his face I could tell he wasn’t prepared for me to come up with what I did, that I’d triggered something fresh and unexpected. The reverse was true as well. That’s the kind of surprise I meant and still mean.



VOLCANO: Why did you include Hell’s Kitchen and Tacoma in your 20 year celebration?



AUER: Why not? Our goal was to give the Northwest a dose of us as a rock band for our 20th Anniversary, to blanket the area as much as we could. Tacoma is a natural and Hell’s Kitchen is a good place to bring the rock.



STRINGFELLOW: We have had great shows here in the past, and, why not? We didn’t have a lot of time for these shows. I’m only in the states for a couple of weeks (some of it spent in studio) so we wanted to do as many shows as possible.



VOLCANO: With all the different projects on both of your plates, why do you guys always come back to the Posies? Do all your musical collaborations feel similar, or is there something distinct about working with each other?



AUER: I have to add our long history to The Posies equation. Along with music, there’s also a tremendous amount of time we spent together just growing and learning about life. Sure, we had problems along the way, like any long term relationship usually does, but at some point I think we kind of “broke through” and realized this can work for as long as we want it to. Ultimately, we chose to keep adding to this history, to see how far it can go. As long as the desire to perform together is there, true desire, I think it can last.



STRINGFELLOW: It’s about a feeling that we have when we play together — we are still our individual selves, but there’s something else present when we are in combination. And that something else has an effect on us and the audience. I cannot generate the same thing, the same effect, when I’m on my own or playing with someone else. I can do other things, but not “this” thing. And “this” thing, this feeling, is an important part of my musical life. I would be very sad to have to live without it.



And the world would be a sadder place to live without the Posies. They may be 20, but they’re still worth paying attention to, which makes their 20th anniversary show on Wednesday, May 14 one not to miss. There’s a reason Mr. Auer and Mr. Stringfellow have lasted this long. It’s because they’re good. If you need a reminder, I’ll see you at Hell’s Kitchen.



[Hell’s Kitchen, the Posies, The Joshua Cain Band, Bumma Stooge, Wednesday, May 14, 9 p.m., $12 at TicketWeb.com, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]