Chris Mess

Chris is a Seattle native, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who toiled in an array of Seattle rock n’ roll, indie, and punk bands through the years, as leader and sideman. He got his live wings schlepping his battered gear across a cross-section of Seattle stages of today and yore—Darrell’s Tavern, The Blue Moon, The Sunset Tavern, The Crocodile Cafe, The Fun House, and defunct but fondly remembered 206 dives like The Lobo and Sit ‘n Spin.

On the road to realizing Chris Mess, several things collided: Chris’ childhood spent listening to 1970’s Seattle radio stations like KJR and KZOK—the bright AM radio shimmer of KJR’s top 40; the deep cuts KZOK FM hard rock playlists of that decade. Later on, a brief, hair raising time gigging in Hollywood, California. And then, contemporary life in Seattle.

At some point, the thought was: what better time to embrace the majesty of rock, the pageantry of roll—a bit of pomp to go with current circumstances. Whatever. Against odds and good sense, Chris Mess was born.

Chris Niccoli writes songs and sings, Brooks Clark plays guitar, Steve Page survived the New York City club scene to hold down the bass, Andy Olson plays drums. The band that is Chris Mess has a sound rooted in and inspired by original era glam, rock ‘n roll, indie and power pop aesthetics: A bit of loud Cheap Trick strut, with a smattering of absurdity and vocal craziness a la Queen, The Darkness, Ziggy-era David Bowie, and The Sweet—striving to move the needle forward, not back. Chris Mess has received airplay on Seattle indie KEXP 90.3 FM on the “Audio Oasis” program. The Chris Mess EP’s and single are available in all the usual places—along with fantastical companion music videos.

IN EVERY DISASTER 2022 – EP:

NO GOOD (EP Mix) – #2020 commentary, in a rock n’ roll wrapper.
BLINK – the anxiety of city driving, as metaphor for relationship turbulence.
DISASTER – looking for silver linings, amidst abyss.
REQUIEM – heartfelt goodbye to a fallen glam star.
QUEEN BITCH – a bedazzled twist on a Bowie standard.
HELLO TUSHY – the ‘end’.

PROMO SINGLE 2020:

NO GOOD – EP preview…

CHRIS MESS 2016 EP:

Selected highlights:

SONG FOR ZED revisits and reshapes surreal dialog from the 1974 cult classic film “Zardoz” into a belated—and utterly unsolicited—glam-rock theme song, replete with 13-part “bohemian” voice harmonies.
BONG FOR YOUR MOM takes a look at Seattle’s cannabis legalization landscape, through a musical filter The Sweet might employ.
VITAMIN D paints the ceiling of an insomniac’s bedroom with vivid hallucinations.
A revved up SUFFRAGETTE CITY tips the hat to the man with the snow white tan.