Ahoy, me new wave, keyboard lovin’ mateys. While toothless, eye patch wearin’, grog swillin’, wench rapin’ gentleman o’ fortune may ne’er be synonymous wit’ atmospheric, keyboard powered, electronic age bands like Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode and t’ Cure, that’s not to say we pirates don’t like t’ stuff. We do, begad! In fact, me buckos ‘n me love t’ new wave so much we started we own Echo and t’ Bunnymen pirate tribute band. We be called T’ Yo Ho Ho Men.  

  

But me’s Echo and t’ Bunnymen pirate tribute band called t’ Yo Ho Ho Men be not t’ point of tis writin’, matey. T’ point of tis writin’ be simple. When me was last in dis port, known as t’ City o’ Destiny, me fell in love wit’ t’ band known as Umber Sleeping. When me and t’ other swabs headed back to sea aft Tall Ships Tacoma ’05, all me’s had to remember Umber Sleeping by was me iPod — where me’s kept some rough buccaneer bootlegs o’ a show t’ band played at Hell’s Kitchen. Every time me’s been swabbin t’ deck since, or workin’ out on t’ pirate elliptical machine on t’ ship, me’s been listen’ to Umber Sleeping.



Then me heard Umber Sleeping be on hiatus. Tis tough to recollect, but me thinks me heard t’ news in 2007, and me thinks twas on MySpace. Tis difficult to say because me was drunk dat whole year.



So, imagine me surprise to learn dat this year, right quick aft Tall Ships Tacoma 2008 pulls out o’ port, Umber Sleeping be releasin’ a new CD, playin’ a show at Hell’s Kitchen on Thursday, June 10, and debutin’ der new four-piece lineup to Tacoma. Me addled pirate heart could ne’er be more broken. One o’ me favorite bands, who me thought twas on hiatus, be back and (perhaps) better dan ever, and me’s gonna be yankin me lever on some bilge sucking dingy.



Tis just this pirate’s luck. Me’s never won a doubloon playin’ t’ scratch cards either.



Aft t’ band’s original keyboard player left Umber Sleeping to pursue marriage and t’ like, close to two years ago now, drummer Peter Tietjen was stuck wit a blimey predicament. (Der only be two members o’ t band to begin wit.) He didn’t want to see Umber Sleeping wit t’ black spot, but he be hard pressed to find a new bucko wit similar musical aspirations in Tacoma. Fer a long time he looked, but t’ right dude(s) never seemed to surface.



Until, that tis, recently, when guitarist Doug Morse, bassist Glynnis Johns and keyboardist B.J. made Tietjen and Umber Sleeping whole again. Twas a good day fer new wave pirates t’ whole world o’er. When t’ band releases a brand new album next Thursday at Hell’s Kitchen, twill be even a better day fer swabs like me.



“Not a lot has been going on for about a year. I was pretty turned off by trying to find someone new,” ‘xplained Tietjen (who has t’ Three’s Company theme song on his answerin’ machine) of tryin’ to replace Chris Jones.  “I kind of was thinking for a while it might just turn into a recording thing. I couldn’t really find anyone as good as Christ, and who was into the same thing. It’s not so much that I was looking for a superior musician, it’s just finding someone that’s into the same things isn’t easy.”



“When (Umber Sleeping) was only two people, there was a lot more space to fill. Now I don’t have to play all over the place all the time, which is nice,” continues Tietjen. “For me, I probably won’t collapse after every show now.”



T’ decreased work load, not to mention t’ new freedom of t’ four piece, seems to have Tietjen lookin’ forward to t’ future. He also be lookin’ forward to t’ release of t’ new record, which is 14 tracks and goes by t’ name of Theme From Science Films. According to Tietjen, it be t’ band’s best work to date.



“The recording quality is a lot better,” says Tietjen. “(Theme From Science Films) is more straight forward in ways. It doesn’t ponder as much — but maybe it does? Who knows?”

No one yet, but ye be gettin’ a chance this Thursday, June 10 at Hell’s Kitchen. Not only will Umber Sleeping be releasin’ der new CD, but they’ll be playin’ a swashbucklin’ new wave show to boot. Whether you be a pirate or a landlubber, dis show be not for t’ missing.



[Hell’s Kitchen, Umber Sleeping, The Drug Purse, Joy Wants Eternity, Massive Moth, Thursday, July 10, 9 p.m., $3, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003].759.6003]