David's Van Advances to Sound Off! Finals, Mirabai Kukathas Moves on as Wild Card

The band's set was over, but the crowd was still chanting their name.

"David's Van! David's Van! David's Van!"

Calls for the metal trio rang out from the loud crowd gathered in front of the Museum of Pop Culture's Sky Church stage, where the Woodinville group had just finished performing "Bring Your Own Grandma (BYOG)," the first track they ever wrote.

Hearing that comically heavy rock song, coupled with a handful of other headbangers, was enough to earn favor of the judges for Sound Off! 2020, the nonprofit museum's annual 21-and-under music showcase. Following amazing sets from fellow Sound Off! artists, including R&B producer Talaya., jazz specialist Seven Sky, and indie folk singer-songwriter Mirabai Kukathas, David's Van was selected by a panel of industry professionals to advance to the program's finals on March 7.

With Saturday's semifinal show in the books, the lineup for the Sound Off! finals is set. Next weekend, David's Van will play alongside noise duo The Human Missile Crisis and hip-hop collective 49th Parallel, bands who moved on from the first and second Sound Off! semifinals, respectively, as well as Mirabai Kukathas, who MoPOP's Youth Advisory Board picked to perform in the Sound Off! finals as a wild-card selection.

"You all have rocked my socks off," Kukathas said in between her semifinal songs of the Sound Off! community she had grown to be a part of since artist orientation in January. "Literally, I came with socks on, left, no socks."

Talaya.

Seven Sky

Mirabai Kukathas

While it was David's Van and Mirabai Kukathas who heard their names called post-showcase, a pair of Sound Off! artists from weeks past also received recognition. Timberfest, the outdoor music festival held in Carnation, offered a sneak peek of their 2020 lineup, revealing punk pairing Mr. Dinkles and singer-songwriter Searows would be part of this year's fest. Tickets and the full lineup for the July event will be available this Thursday, March 5. 

Learn more about MoPOP’s Sound Off! program + for contests, the latest news, and behind-the-scenes content, be sure to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.