Crosscut Tout: SIFF's spotlight shines on The Maldives

The nine-piece country band from Ballard will perform a live score tonight (May 25) to the film "Riders of the Purple Storm."
The nine-piece country band from Ballard will perform a live score tonight (May 25) to the film "Riders of the Purple Storm."

The Seattle International Film Festival has always had its share of music-related films and events. This year one of the festival's must-see musical offerings involves a silent film, the Triple Door and Ballard's own country cowboys The Maldives.

The nine-piece group will perform a live score to the 1925 film "Riders of the Purple Storm" during two live sets tonight (May 25). The film is based on the 1912 novel by Zane Grey. According to SIFF'ꀙs website the film 'ꀜis a consistently action-packed Western featuring quick-draw cowboys, numerous outlaws and villains, a cattle stampede, and an avalanche.'ꀝ

The Maldives' Jason Dodson said the band chose the film in part because Mayor Mike McGinn compared the band to the 1960s group New Riders of the Purple Sage during a concert held as part of his inauguration week celebration. While the comparison is merited, The Maldives really couldn'ꀙt have chosen a better film to score. The group'ꀙs down-home country tunes are perfect for a film set in the wild, wild West and should make for a truly unique musical and cinematic pairing.

If you go: "The Maldives: Riders of the Purple Sage," 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. tonight, The Triple Door, 216 Union St., Seattle. Tickets cost $18 and are available here.

  

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