Tony Award Winner Eureka Day comes to Seattle Rep's Leo K. stage on September 24.

During the show's first day of rehearsals Meet & Greet, Sound Designer Evan Mosher described some of the music that lit his imagination for Eureka Day, including the classic "Laurel Canyon" sound of the late 60s and early 70s.

While we wait for this witty satire to begin, check out our show-inspired playlist below, which includes a few Laurel Canyon icons and folk singers from the 60s and 70s, alongside some contemporary folk-rock artists that we think suit this play perfectly. Stream on YouTube or listen below. Enjoy!

 

Cat Stevens – “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out”

While Cat Stevens was born in the UK, many of his songs bring to mind the sunny, feel-good vibes of the Laurel Canyon movement. This track was written for the cult classic film Harold & Maude (AKA my favorite movie of all time)—another piece of drama that embraces both the humor and beauty to be found in life's darker moments. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "And if you want to live high, live high. And if you want to live low, live low. 'Cause there's a million ways to go. You know that there are."

 

Nick Drake – “Pink Moon”

Like Cat Stevens, Nick Drake was a UK musician (born in Burma and raised in England). While largely unknown during his lifetime, Drake's music style is akin to the introspective, acoustic, mid-20th-Century "troubador" style of many Laurel Canyon musicians. "Pink Moon" is an omen. In terms of the play, the song is quietly anxious—it's stripped-down to acoustics and Drake's voice—while the sinister lyrics belie that peaceful melody (much like the undercurrent of unrest that runs through Eureka Day School's community during the events of this play). Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "I saw it written and I saw it say. Pink moon is on its way. And none of you stand so tall. Pink moon gonna get ye all."

 

The Lumineers – “Ophelia”

"Ophelia" by The Lumineers is ostensibly a song about heartbreak. If we think about it in terms of the play, this heartbreak embodies the feeling of watching something you love so much (the school, the community) change and slip through your fingers. This song came out only a decade ago, two years before the first performance of Eureka Day. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "I, I, when I was younger. I, I, should have known better."

 

 

First Aid Kit – “Fireworks”

"Fireworks" by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit is a more layered sound than previous tracks on this list. When thinking about the song in terms of Eureka Day, we can relate to the melancholic saudade-mood of the song, the disappointment, the messy heartache of reality when weighed against memories and expectations, much like the community of Eureka Day when reality dissolves all illusions about their ideals. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "Wherever I went I always knew, always knew. 'Till I didn't know."

 

 

Weyes Blood – “A Lot’s Gonna Change”

The whole sound of Weyes Blood (AKA Natalie Mering) is built around the musical legacy of Joni Mitchell's Court & Spark and Karen Carpenter's soft orchestral rock. "A Lot's Gonna Change" points to parental fears and anxieties about the future of their children at Eureka Day School. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "… And no good thing could be taken away. If I still believe that hearts don't lie. You're gonna be just fine. But, babe.…A lot's gonna change. In your lifetime."

 

 

Sufjan Stevens – “For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti”

This song is from Sufjan Stevens' Michigan-cycle album (his plan to write a full album about every US state ultimately ended as of now with only two albums—one for Michigan and a follow-up for Illinois). While he was writing about the Midwest, not California, and the layered, delicate musical arrangement style with banjo accompaniment speaks more to Americana-style than other songs on this list, the combination of stripped-down style and lyrics embody the grief that exists in the undertones of a loved one's illness. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "I've have called you children I have called you son. What is there to answer If I'm the only one?"

 

 

Joni Mitchell – “California”

Absolute Laurel Canyon gold. Joni Mitchell might be the epitome of that musical movement. And "California", with its cheerful melody juxtaposed with her mournful vocals and lyrics plucks the heartstrings with feelings of longing (while poking a bit of fun at oneself) for home, feeling distant from something or someone you love, and the weight of lost ideals—aside from the geographic reference, a lot about this song mirrors the ways that Eureka Day presents its characters as real people (not caricatures), who have good intentions and real emotion for their community—with some good-natured teasing that questions ideas, not peoples humanity. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "Reading the news and it sure looks bad. They won't give peace a chance. That was just a dream some of us had....California, I'm coming home."

 

 

Gregory Alan Isakov – “Sweet Heat Lightning”

Gregory Alan Isakov is a contemporary indie/folk musician, who lives in the United States, but is originally from South Africa. "Sweet Heat Lightning" is slow, quiet, haunting, almost sparse melody, punctuated every once in a while by the weight of a strong, percussive beat. Isakov's lyrics and vocals relay childhood fears and anxieties, while the atmospheric, tension-building mood is a perfect companion to the play. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "Monsters. Beneath your bed. What's real? What's in your head?"

 

 

Cat Power – “Nothin' But Time”

"Nothin' But Time" by Cat Power (AKA Chan Marshall) is a parent's song of comfort and reassurance to their child. The song's musical slow build is a buffer of hope. In Eureka Day, parents are ultimately trying to protect their children and shield them from pain however they can. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "I see you, kid, alone in your room. You got the weight on your mind. And you're just trying to get by....Let 'em in one by one. Keep 'em safe from all the harm."

 

 

Lord Huron – “Ends of the Earth”

Lord Huron's "Ends of the Earth" sets a cinematic mood as the lyrics paint a picture of going to extremes for the people we love. The parents in Eureka Day strongly disagree on issues that they are passionate about, and factions are born from these disagreements which require complete loyalty. The song lyrics actually fit with either side of the parents' debate in the play, each person so dedicated to their ideals that they are willing to die on that hill. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "I'm on a river that winds on forever. Follow 'til I get where I'm goin'. Maybe I'm headin' to die, but I'm still gonna try. I guess I'm goin' alone."

 

 

Sharon Van Etten – “One Day”

Sharon Van Etten's "One Day" is a vulnerable confessional with an uplifting tune. The song spells out a message of hope that "one day" things will change, very fitting for the Eureka Day School community as they try to picture a future beyond their current crisis. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "Kicking myself, I know that you're tough. Yeah we can pretend we're that. Gotta see how, you gotta leave that. One day I'll be fine with that."

 

 

The War on Drugs – “Under The Pressure” 

The War on Drugs sound is more an atmospheric combination of classic Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen than Laurel Canyon, but still somehow fits the mood of this playlist. "Under The Pressure" (even the title takes us right into the headspace of these characters right away), is about an emotional journey, dealing with stresses of life, being stretched thin, edges fraying as the pressure grows and the life you thought was coming never happens. Most Eureka Day-coded lyric: "You were raised on a promise. Found that over time. Better come around to the new way. Or watch as it all breaks down here."

 

 

 

 

Experience Eureka Day for yourself, playing at Seattle Rep September 24–November 15th

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