A man walked out of Neumos and stared in bewilderment at the scene before him on Sunday night. A sea of swaying humans, huddled shoulder to shoulder across an entire city block, raged as famed party starter Diplo conducted from the main stage DJ booth.
His voice was inaudible through the throbbing bass and the screeching of synth lines fueling the chaos, but his lips were unmistakable: “Ooph,” he exclaimed with a deep sigh.
Undeterred or simply out of options, he removed a bootleg PBR (two for $8 inside) from his pants and continued on, elbowing his way through the jungle of sweaty bodies in search of his friends, God, or a quiet place. to drink an illicit tallboy. .
Capitol Hill Block Party is back, honey.
One of Seattle’s top music festivals returned with a bang for the first time in three years this past weekend, taking over the city’s nightlife epicenter with a packed lineup headlined by alt-pop star Charli XCX and producers of dance Jai Wolf and Diplo. beyond our first day vibration controlhere are some of the highlights, presented in the form of simulated prizes. Congratulations to all the winners (and losers).
The best rapper in Seattle…
…was actually from Spokane. Any Seattle fan who mistakes fiery Eastern Washington rapper Jango (or is it just Jang now?) for a 206er can be forgiven considering the foothold he’s establishing on this side of the mountains. The artist to watch ignited a small Neumos crowd with his punk rock energy over sinister, booming beats reminiscent of the murky Florida underground of the early 2010s. Seattle stalwart Sam Lachow, whose last appearance on Block Party was a filler slot on the main stage in 2018, making a cameo appearance for a joyous run through their stretchy collaboration, “Merchandise.”
healthier Y Awkward Moments: Danny Brown
During his sometimes slow set, colorful Detroit rapper Danny Brown pulled a little boy out of the crowd for an on-stage dance session and some adorable banter that kept the crowd happy. “Sometimes I feel like rapping; sometimes I don’t,” Brown proclaimed earlier. “But they’re paying me to rap.” Despite getting over a series of cuts from his 2011 hit “XXX,” Brown, who also has a podcast, seemed more interested in chatting Saturday, bringing up Phoenix Jones (loves him), Seattle homelessness (lo scares) and Seattle rapper Raz Simone (“That’s my [guy]I’m not going to lie,” he said to awkward applause). Simone is accused of sex trafficking and physical abuse in a civil lawsuit, and she was recently involved in a tort claim related to the shooting death of a teenager around the Capitol Hill organized protest area in 2020.
Worst Product Placement: Big Soda’s Big Boombox
On Saturday, brand enthusiasts from a major soft drink corporation (not Pepsi, the other) set up a giant boombox-shaped DJ booth on Pike Street to promote a “limited edition.” queue collaboration with a famous DJ that may or may not taste like marshmallows. Rolling eyes, whatever. But the dance music emanating from the installation of the thirsty engagement announcement faded to stage number 2 of the block party, about 30 meters away. Wasn’t it a Doritos set that ruined South By Southwest? Just say’.
Best Product Placement: Toro y Moi Enumclaw T-Shirt
Chillwave forefather Chaz Bundick and his merry band of synth men delivered what was arguably the most vibrant set of the weekend to a massive, tight crowd on Saturday night. He did so while representing his recent tour mates Enumclaw, the boisterous indie rockers from the Tacoma area who played earlier in the day, wearing the local band’s jersey on stage. It was a big salute on the main stage to locals preparing to release their debut album this fall.
The best reason to feel old: josie on the rocks
Anyone who can correctly identify a Discman might feel like they’re 100 years old knowing that the daughter of Seattle rock royalty Chris Cornell and Susan Silver is now making her way onto the local scene. A splinter of the musical family block, Lily Cornell Silver fronts the new Josie on the Rocks quartet, which helped set the Sunday afternoon vibes on Vera’s stage. Calling the concert a “dream come true,” a common theme for young local bands who grew up attending as fans, Silver and crew’s songs ranged from breezy jangle pop to a rocking ode to “our beloved Sonics” with a riff heavier psychedelic. that could have been copied from the “Superunknown” sessions.
Less Functional Dress: Duckwrth
“Why did I decide to wear black today?” the Los Angeles rapper/singer wondered aloud, taking a well-deserved breather after leading his band through a high-octane “Power Power.” Despite going shirtless under a black blazer, his black slacks, chunky boots and leather mitt on microphone hand weren’t the most functional outfit for the hottest weekend afternoon, as temperatures on Sunday reached the 80 degrees. Even without the air conditioning he enjoyed when he electrified the Climate Pledge Arena with Billie Eilish a few months ago, Duckwrth’s progressive mix of hip-hop, dance music, funk rock, and dreamy R&B (among other things) with a band slam in alive was a guarantee. Block party hit.
Best Call & Response: “Positive Affirmations” with Remi Wolf
Alternative pop singer-songwriter Remi Wolf and her three-piece backing band (which sounded 10 times bigger) swept an ecstatic crowd Sunday with dubbed soul rockers, sun-soaked pop tunes and Wolf’s thunderous voice. At one point, the cool singer swapped her microphone for the drums, while her drummer, who “can’t sing for [expletive]”, led the crowd to sing a series of “positive affirmations” aimed at improving our human condition. They included “My happy thoughts will become my reality” and the dad-approved “I know how to do my taxes.” It was the most responsible thing that happened all weekend.
Most likely to confuse your parents and future children – 100 Gecs
Hyperpop brain melters slammed into the main stage like an errant Mario Kart racer on speed-boosting mushrooms (the fun kind) on Sunday night. The duo’s wonderfully erratic digi-noise is a mix of snapping and gripping video game sounds, crunchy hip-hop beats, glitchy electronics, ska and metal riffs, and heavily auto-tuned vocals that sound like they’ve been filtered. through a dial-up modem. The sonic equivalent of a Tumblr page coming to life, 100 Gecs might only make sense in these desperately online times, and even then, I’m not so sure. The Gecs were the most glorious oddity of the weekend.
The best reason to root for the continued success of the Capitol Hill Block Party: local bands
For better or worse, most music discovery happens online these days. But it’s not the same as walking into a room full of people and getting carried away by a band you’ve never heard of. That wasn’t possible during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, and it made performances by Seattle bands like dreamy indie rock quintet La Fonda and indie upstarts Sea Lemon even more special. While some artists have had issues with Block Party’s pay rate for local artists in the past, it’s still an event where Seattle talent has the potential to play to larger crowds than they would otherwise. . And that is worth celebrating.