KDUP’s Johnny Boddy & Marina Choy visit Capitol Hill in Seattle for their annual block party.
Seattle is home to a cheerful community at Capitol Hill kick ass enough to throw a massive block party each summer. What began as a free-to-attend, grass roots block party event, has nowadays turned into a major festival with headliners and corporate sponsorship.
The festival spans several blocks and crowds spend time weaving between bars, beer gardens, pizza joints and of course, the stages. Two stages, the vera and main stage, are pop up builds on the street. Other venues such as Barboza and Neumos are well established venues on Capitol Hill.
Day One
It is a cloudy Friday afternoon in Capitol Hill, but the rainbows painted on the street promise sunshine. Seriously, there were a lot of rainbows painted on the ground as crosswalks. Capitol Hill is First and Gay Ave. A large display in a window reads,
“Make America Gay Again.”
I chuckle.
The Dip, a soul-funk band featuring three members of the illustrious indie-pop band Beat Connection, started off my Friday just fine.
The next to go on that day was one artist I was eager to see perform, Sango. A small crowd gathers to hear this native Seattleite hip/hop producer. Sango’s most recent project is his collab with rapper Dave B, who came out on stage to perform a couple of songs with Sango. Most known for his three Da Rochina mixtapes, Sango melds American trap music with Brazilian drum patterns and Portuguese lyrics. Most notable moment was his Portuguese “Hotline Bling” cover.
The girl who really stole the show day one was MØ. She was incredible. Her voice was amazing and she owned the stage like the pop star she has become. Her most notable performance was “Kamikaze.”
As the dust settled from MØ’s kick ass performance, Crystal Castles emerged from the wake. Having seen them get booed off stage in Austin, TX earlier this year I was apprehensive. The music starts, and I hear Edith Frances’ vocals come over the mic and I think the poor girl’s intestines are being pulled out of her mouth. This music originated in grimy, crowded, sweaty punk basements. For the masses it just doesn’t land, yet Crystal Castles remains very successful online. Then they begin playing “Baptism” and I am reminded why I love them. The overbearing pouring of the synth bass hits you like the symbolism in a Hawthorne novel. Waves of synth and 8 but electro pour over you in unrelenting fashion so you mosh and toss your head around as if it were an Ozzi show. Edith Frances should have bit the head off of a bat, that would have been cool. After about three songs they repeat Austin. Sound cuts out, and the band walks off stage to the dismay of the crowd. Although this time, the band came back out and finished their set. Is this a gimmick? Seems to me this is a gimmick.
Washed Out finished off Friday the right way. Simply a dream to see them perform live. The most fun I have had in a long time.
I wandered into the basement of Barboza to stumble upon some dance beats by JET, a house duo, not the rock band (much to my dismay). The beats were fresh, but I was tired, so I took a Lyft home to recuperate after day one.
Day 2
The sunshine promised earlier finally came out Saturday. Good news for the crowd but it meant I would need to drink water as well as beer today.
Car Seat Headrest are the indie rock heroes we need, but not the ones we deserve. The thing that separates CSH from other mediocre indie rock bands is the crushing insecurities of Will Toledo and his ability to turn these anxieties into beautiful music. It’s gloomy but not overbearing, sad but not depressing. Most of his lyrics I hear and think “Dude, same.” So much respect for their live show, especially when guitarist Ethan Ives smashed his guitar on stage.
Later that day Tourist took to the stage dropping dance house gems I had never heard before. Will Phillips himself is a bit of a loner. A man consumed by music one listens to with headphones on bus rides to and from home. His demos became internet famous within the electronic community and now he is coming off the release of his first full length album U.
Next on was Big Wild. I feel that the strength of his live show comes from his hip/hop roots. This man knows how to mix popular hip/hop with upbeat indie electronica.
“I have one request, can you all have a good time tonight?” – Jackson asks the crowd.
Good times were had.
ODESZA brought it home in their hometown Saturday night. Notable moments included when they brought out Beat Connection’s lead singer Tom Eddy to perform their “Soala” remix. That was a legendary moment for Seattle electronica. ODESZA had a string quartet, they had the Seattle drum line Blue Thunder for “Bloom,” they had it all.
Day 3
To start the day Clams Casino put on an awkward performance for an early crowd. Props to the recent album 32 Levels and much love to Clammy Clams, but I believe it takes a Boiler Room type of person to appreciate his music and there were few in the crowd. A looped scream sends chills down your spine overtop deep 808 bass and hi-hat intricacies. Michael Volpe is an introverted genius making insomniac beats for some of the best MC’s in the game. Most notable moments were when he dropped “Norf Norf,” a song by Vince Staples that he produced.
Up and coming Seattle rapper Dave B performed next. Dave B was a last minute replacement for the scheduled GoldLink. Much to my disappointment, GoldLink tweeted that he had to stop touring due to “Unforseeable circumstances.” Mick Jenkins was also supposed to perform CHBP but he backed out as well, retweeting GoldLink with the caption, “What he said.” Anyways, no rapper was more lit than Dave B. He’s hungry, and he’s young. Coming off a Friday release his Sunday show in the 206 was lit af fam. Beyond showcasing his new music, he performed so many covers he flipped the show into a party. His personality was so infectious he had the whole crowd on his side.
Next to perform mainstage was STRFKR, another group to finish an album that Friday and play Sunday. Portland natives and crowd favorites, they came out in space suits to an ecstatic crowd and proceeded to blow minds away. Surfing the crowd on massive swan floaties, shooting streams into the crowd, and chilling in epic astronaut attire. Amazing.
Last to play main stage Sunday was CHVRCHES. Pounding synth bass chords beat me over the head with seismic force. An airy voice comes across swiftly and gracefully lifting me higher with a divine feminine caress. I understand now. CHRVCHES is a better Crystal Castles. A bigger Purity Ring. They all fit the brooding industrial witch house criteria but I think CHVRCHES does it in the most palatable way.
