12A • May 19, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Adams and Costello release music video for debut album
Video for opening
track ‘Invincible’
filmed in Cannon
Beach
‘A limitless art form’
Where to find
them
CONTACT INFO: www.adam-
sandcostello.com
By Heather Douglas
For EO Media Group
Julie Adams and Michael Costel-
lo — the talented Cannon Beach
couple of the musical duo “Adams
and Costello” who recently released
their debut album — met by chance
more than twelve years ago at a Lu-
cinda Williams concert at Boston’s
Orpheum Theatre.
As their romance blossomed,
Costello followed Adams, who is
from the west coast, back to Cannon
Beach, planning to stay for a summer.
That one summer turned into five
years, and the couple found them-
selves traveling back to the Orpheum
on the same date — Oct. 7 — to see
another Lucinda Williams concert,
and to celebrate their five-year anni-
versary. This occasion would be just
as memorable as the last.
During the show, Adams and
Costello met up with a friend who
happened to know Lucinda’s manag-
er. The story of a couple from Oregon
who met at her show five years ago,
and then traveled across the country
to celebrate their anniversary, im-
pressed Lucinda so much that she
and her manager agreed to meet up
with the couple at a bar around the
corner after the show.
The group stayed out until 3 a.m.
Costello remarked: “Not only is Lu-
cinda super-cool and fun to hang out
with, but I’m a huge fan of her album
EMAIL: info@adamsand-
costello.com
NEXT GIG: Sweet Basils,
June 3
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Julie Adams and Michael Costello, a Cannon Beach-based musical duo,
released their debut album in 2016.
‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.’ It
became my new ‘Sgt. Pepper.’”
Citing Williams as a huge inspi-
ration, the couple formed their very
own musical duo.
In 2016, they released their first
album “You Better Believe It,” and, a
few weeks ago, released a music vid-
eo, filmed in Cannon Beach, for the
album’s opening track, “Invincible.”
The album was done in live takes
with two acoustic guitars.
Local music scene
Adams and Costello are both
classically trained, the former on the
French horn and the latter on violin,
but Adams wanted to pick up guitar.
For years, she became a devoted stu-
dent of Wes Wahrmund, a Cannon
Beach musician. Her teacher also
turned out to be very supportive by
welcoming them to the local music
scene. Wahrmund offered to accom-
pany Adams and Costello for their
first several gigs, which was a huge
confidence-booster. John Sowa,
owner of Sweet Basil provided a
supportive venue from the begin-
ning. The duo has also performed at
KALA in Astoria.
While Adams is new to live per-
formance, Costello is not new to the
music scene. Years ago, he opened
for notable acts such as Jimmy Cliff
and Buddy Guy with his group The
Razor’s Edge back in Boston. Ra-
zor’s Edge eventually broke up and
Costello left to work in the trades.
Costello started writing songs at 13,
and was inspired by a teacher who
passed along roots blues albums
to him. Costello lists Stevie Ray
Vaughn, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hen-
drix as musical influences.
Adams, who is new to songwrit-
ing, co-wrote “You Better Believe
It,” with Costello. She noted her mu-
sical inspirations: “I was really into
Motown, R&B, Prince — anything
with rhythm.”
“It’s really an album of the two
of us trading songs back and forth,”
Adams said.
The writing process has taken her
by surprise: “I wrote the song ‘Pain’
in my head while I was jogging. I
had to keep humming it until I could
get home and write it down,” she
said.
“Invincible” was inspired by Ad-
ams’ ill and aging father.
“The song is about a moment
when my father, who was a retired
doctor, was asking his own doctor for
a specific procedure,” Adams said.
“That doctor pulled me aside and
questioned my father’s quality of life;
he asked me to let him go.
“It was a moment where I had to
either follow the advice of an expert
authority figure or speak my truth. I
stuck to my principles and my father
lived eight more months of quality
life,” she continued.
“The same doctor saw my dad a
few months later in a cafeteria enjoy-
ing a doughnut and coffee and you
could tell he was shocked.”
Lately, Adams and Costello are
seeking new venues, and aim to take
their music on the road. They are
currently writing new songs for their
next album, which will incorporate
their acoustic/electric sound with
additional musicians and a rhythm
section.
For Adams, becoming a singer/
songwriter is a bucket-list dream she
has held since childhood.
“A jarring event like loss changes
your thinking from ‘maybe one day’
to ‘the time is now.’ Music is expan-
sive, expressive, freeing; you don’t
always know where it’s going to take
you. It’s a limitless art form,” she said.
The couple still gets nervous be-
fore a gig. “We tell ourselves every
time, let’s have fun,” Adams said.
For Costello, the new adventure
has rekindled his desire to perform:
“Doing music with Julie is my second
chance at music,” he said.
LOC AL HAPPENINGS IN BRIEF
Memorial Day book
sale in Manzanita
May 26 and 27 in Manzani-
ta the North Tillamook Library
hosts its book sale featuring
thousands of donated books
at two locations, the Hoffman
Center for the Arts, 549 Laneda
Ave. and Pine Grove Commu-
nity House three blocks away at
225 Laneda.
The sale begins Friday eve-
ning, May 26, from 5 to 7 p.m.
for Friends of the Library only.
The sale for the general public
is Saturday, May 27, from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m.
Beth Willis and Todd
Chatalas in concert
The season finale of the
Cannon Beach History Center
and Museum’s Acoustic Series
takes place Friday, May 26, at
7 p.m. featuring soul-blues diva
Beth Willis and guitarist Todd
Chatalas.
Willis and Chatalas perform
both rock, acoustic and blues
music. Willis, who has played
in Cannon Beach before, is
a local favorite who is well
known for her smoky voice
and stage presence. Willis was
honored at the Portland Music
Award in 2012 with the award
for Best Female Artist.
Seating is limited. Tickets
are $15 and include refresh-
ments. The Cannon Beach His-
tory Center and Museum is a
private nonprofit museum fea-
turing seasonal historic, textile,
and artistic exhibits; 387 South
Spruce St. in Cannon Beach.
Auditions for ‘Alice
in Wonderland’
During the summer, all lo-
cal grade-school children, from
elementary to high school stu-
dents, have the opportunity to
take part in a production of “Al-
ice in Wonderland (and Back
Again),” written by Randy Wy-
att and based on the books by
Lewis Carroll.
Auditions will be held at
5:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, at
the Bob Chisholm Communi-
ty Center, 1225 Avenue A in
Seaside. No prior acting expe-
rience is necessary.
Rehearsals will take place
in Seaside a couple times per
week from mid-June to August.
The performances are sched-
uled for Aug. 18, 19 and 20 at
the Seaside Civic and Conven-
tion Center.
For more information or
audition requirements, contact
Katherine Lacaze at 503-741-
5668 or find Alice Comes to
Seaside on Facebook.
Custom Homes
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Joe Zak
General Contractor
503-440-1500
503-368-3920
zakconst@gmail.com
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