Three Imaginary Girls - Capitol Hill Block Party 2007

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Viva Voce, The Girls, John Vanderslice, BOAT, Speaker Speaker... aka "Band's we wish we'd seen"

imaginary dana — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:34:21 +0000

28 Jul 2007

Since we imaginaries couldn't be everywhere at once, we wanted to share some photos of the shows that we missed, but our erstwhile photographers -- Laura Musselman and Chona Kasinger -- saw and documented.

The Girls (photo by Laura Musselman)

Viva Voce (photo by Laura Musselman)
We've heard nothing but great things about Viva Voce's set at Neumo's... and really, we would never expect anything less from this Portland duo.

Speaker Speaker (photo by Chona Kasinger)

The Saturday Knights (photo by Chona Kasinger)

John Vanderslice (by Chona Kasinger)
Actually, we did catch about half of JV's great set on the Main Stage... and then had the chance to hear him play to a very small gathering the following day. The difference was staggering; somehow, JV translates better in a more intimate setting, where his stellar songwriting skills really shine. More details about that show coming soon!

Fleet Foxes (by Chona Kasinger)
We expect very, VERY big things from this band in the coming year...

And last but not least, TIG lo-fi favorites, BOAT (by Chona Kasinger)

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

The Girls (photo by Laura Musselman)

Viva Voce (photo by Laura Musselman)
We've heard nothing but great things about Viva Voce's set at Neumo's... and really, we would never expect anything less from this Portland duo.

Speaker Speaker (photo by Chona Kasinger)

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: The Cops

imaginary dana — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:10:15 +0000

27 Jul 2007

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The great tragedy of the Capitol Hill Block Party -- indeed, of all music festival, really -- is that it's impossible to catch every band you'd like to see. Sadly, I missed Seattle band the Cops, one of the all-time fun-time rock and roll bands this town has to offer. Big signs all around.

Luckily, TIG photographer Laura Musselman caught the show and got some great photos to show for it. Talk about big sighs! Just look at those shots...

I also heard a big bad rumor that the Cops have a fantastic new CD forthcoming. So good times all around... even if we didn't get to share them together in person, Coppers.

And now for more of those fantastic photos:

Luckily, TIG photographer Laura Musselman caught the show and got some great photos to show for it. Talk about big sighs!

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Cave Singers

imaginary dana — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:25:59 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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The top three things I loved about seeing the Cave Singers at the Capitol Hill Block Party...

Substantiating the hype. I must confess I was skeptical of a band that rose from obscurity to a Matador signing that played Appalachian rock and boasted a member of the now defunct Pretty Girls Make Graves. Sure I'd heard great things about the Cave Singers, but was this really what the kids were into?
Now, having seen them live, I get it. Through the steamy hot haze of the packed non-air conditioned Neumo's, I heard not a simple folksie band, but one with tribal sensibilities and a dark underbelly, a band that simultaneously reminded me of elements of 16 Horsepower and Sons and Daughters and the Bad Seeds, and yet preserved a sound all its own. No one sounds quite like Cave Singers, and that's a rare thing to find. That said, I found their set got a bit samey by the end... but I did like the sound they made, especially on the more percussive songs that brought in shakers and a washboard to the mix.
Placing the voice. I think I've got the formula to describe frontman Peter Quirk's nearly indescribably odd yet lovely wharble. It's Greg Gilbert from Delays (aka Stevie Nicks by proxy) meets Janis Joplin meets whiskey and grits with butter and salt (not sugar) for supper. Stir it all up with heartbreak and strange hope and you're getting close.
Knowing Grand Archives were playing next. What a super sweet back-to-back lineup that was!

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Through the steamy hot haze of the packed non-air conditioned Neumo's, I heard not a simple folksie band, but one with tribal sensibilities and a dark underbelly, a band that simultaneously reminded me of elements of 16 Horsepower and Sons and Daughters and the Bad Seeds, and yet preserved a sound all its own.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Grand Archives

imaginary dana — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:58:06 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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When I first spied the initial lineup for the Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 lineup, I knew I couldn't miss Grand Archives. Of course, this meant plowing through the Main Stage crowd, searching for the entrance to Neumo's for 20 minutes, and then enduring the overwhleming hot air stagnation of Neumo's for both the Cave Singers and Grand Archives set -- but no matter. As soon as the band started with their pitch-perfect four-part mellifluous harmonies, all was forgiven and forgotten, and I was transfixed.

I spent the show smack front and center on the stage, surrounded by my good pals (including photographers Laura Musselman and Gregory Perez). As the band came onstage, Greg quipped how membership in Grand Archives appeared contingent on being very tall, having lots of tattoes and/or facial hair, and preferably wearing flannel. In short, we decided the band looks like a posse of modern-day mountain men, and claimed that it suited their sound; I explained to Greg that the band sounds like the best of early 1970's Peaceful Easy Feeling rock a la the Eagles, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, or even America or Seals and Crofts, and their somewhat straggly appearance total works with the overall appearance. He explained to me that it had been ages since any band had blown him away, and he was eager and hopeful he would find a new band to adore.

I told him he was in luck.

Within minutes of the show starting, he agreed.

For those of you who missed the crazy hype frenzy last spring, Grand Archives is the project of former Carissa's Wierd frontman and Band of Horses member (and igDana favorite musician) Mat Brooke. Here's their nutshell story: Brooke formed the band (then called Archives). They played a couple of shows in Seattle (literally I think, two shows) and posted a few demos to their MySpace page. Within mere milliseconds, Pitchfork proclaimed them the greatest thing since sliced bread, they got slated to open for Modest Mouse on tour, and Sub Pop signed them. Wham, bam, thank you, band! If the Northwest has known a faster rise to indie-rock fame, I can't think of an example.

I caught them back in April at the Crocodile and the band still seemed to be reeling from all their good fortune. As a hard-core Carissa's Wierd fan, I came in with very high expectations, and still was blown away by the show. Of course, their headlining set was super short (only eight songs, including a cover), and a couple of songs still had "bah bah bahs" for lyrics that hadn't yet been written.

Now, seeing them several months later, undoubtedly after several months worth of practice and gelling as a band... whoa. Their sound has grown so much more immense, with such power backing those still glorious harmonies.

While they've grown their sound, they've certainly retained their good natures and self-deprecating senses of humor. A few songs in, Brooke told the crowd (I paraphrase), "We're going to play some old songs from the EP and also some new ones... not that you'd likely recognize the old ones." Though I beg to differ; when they launched into "Sleepdriving," one of the "hits" -- as much as MySpace demos can be hits, anyway -- I know I was one of many singing along.

So despite the heat and less than ideal surroundings, all I can say on this one is: Gush! Gush! Gush! What a wonderful show.

Now, here are some more fabulous photos, from the always fabulous Laura Musselman:

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

As soon as the band started with their pitch-perfect four part mellifluous harmonies, all was forgiven and forgotten, and I was transfixed.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Against Me!

ChrisB — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:30:47 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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Against Me!’s latest album, New Wave, has been the talk of the blogosphere for a few reasons. They’re an anti-capitalist punk band from Florida and many of their fans are pissed that they signed to Sire Records, a division of Warner Brothers. To many, its as if they are simultaneously raging for and against the machine. Also, people were reportedly having their computers not recognize it when they put it in their CD-Rom drives (although my copy seemed to work okay). But the final reason people are talking about this CD is because it is supposedly really, really good. The Village Voice called it a “masterpiece” and Idolator said “it will compel you to print up anti-war pamphlets and renew your MRR [Maximum Rock and Roll] subscription.”

I don’t expect to have room on my top ten list for New Wave at the end of the year, but I do really admire it. I especially appreciate the song “White People for Peace”, which is about the futility of protest songs. “Protest songs in response to military aggression; protest songs try to stop the soldiers guns…but the battle raged on.”

When they played Saturday night at the Capitol Hill Block Party, they were ready to rock. It was interesting to see that one of the most politically aware bands to play this weekend did not have a local politician to introduce them, but that really didn’t matter in the long run.

Starting out with “New Wave,” they continued to rock throughout the 45 minutes they were on stage. They played quite a few songs from the new album (which was produced by Butch Vig, who was also the producer of Nirvana’s Nevermind album). They also played some of their older favorites, like “We Did It All For Don,” “Don’t Lose Touch,” and then closed with “Baby, I’m an Anarchist.”

The final song sounded like an Irish drinking punk song (a la the Pogues), but as I was pondering the lyrics and felt a little ashamed for my passive liberal politics with the verse, which goes:

'Cause baby, I'm an anarchist,
You're a spineless liberal.
We marched together for the eight-hour day
And held hands in the streets of Seattle,
But when it came time to throw bricks Through that Starbucks window,
You left me all alone.

I started thinking of the article I linked to a couple of weeks ago on the TIG blog from The Onion about the current state of punk rock. I finally concluded that even if there actually is a rock and roll heaven, Joe Strummer is surely smiling down upon Against Me!

More photos of Against Me! at the Capitol Hill Block Party (by Laura Musselman):

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

If there actually is a rock and roll heaven, Joe Strummer is surely smiling down upon Against Me!

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: The Cribs

ChrisB — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:16:05 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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Do you know those charts that have three circles, each overlapping a little bit? If you labeled each of the three circles as "Art Brut," "The Arctic Monkeys," and "Franz Ferdinand," the little section that encompasses all three circles would be the Cribs, a three piece rock band from the UK.

Maybe the Franz Ferdinand reference is a little easy and cliche since the band's frontman Alex Kapranos produced the band's recent album Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, but it's an apt comparison. The band often adopts a bouncy swagger that mirrors FF. At other times, a few songs are anthemic rock songs, reminding me of the Arctic Monkeys and one of the brothers Jarman (all three members of the Cribs are brothers) has a singing delivery that brings Eddie Argos of Art Brut to mind.

The band has done a fine job of surrounding themselves with excellent musicians. They toured with Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab for Cutie last year and are good friends with the Kaiser Chiefs. But it isn't just who they know as the NME named one of the band's songs ("Hey Scenesters") as one of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems earlier this year.

They definitely have a sound that fits in with the UK bands I've mentioned above, and maybe don't differentiate themselves enough from their peers, but they are still an enjoyable rock band that put on a very good live show, not flashy in the least, but very solid nonetheless.

I read an article in the NME about the Cribs recently (fortunately they were featured in the one issue of the magazine I own; I'd link to it or quote from it if I was at home and not at Caffe Vita on igDana's laptop) and the article focused on how they enjoy playing shows out of their element or comfort zone. In that case, they should have felt right at home playing this show at the Capitol Hill Block Party, sandwiched between singer/songwriters Mirah and John Vanderslice.

Most of the songs from the 45-minute set was made up of songs from the band's new album. They seemed new to most of the crowd (me included, who only gave Men's Needs... one full spin before their set), but the audience seemed to appreciate the consistent and energetic rock show. They didn't speak much between songs, but that isn't what the Cribs are about.

My appreciation of each band I saw at the CHBP increased after watching them play this weekend. The Cribs continued that streak. I'm really anxious to see them again (and they only left the stage two hours ago).

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

They definitely have a sound that fits in with the hot UK bands of the moment, and maybe don't differentiate themselves enough from their peers, but they are still an enjoyable rock band that put on a very good live show.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: The Pop Machine

ChrisB — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 02:33:30 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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My favorite punk band is the Ramones, because they are just as much (maybe even more so) a pop band as they are a punk band. Sure, they've got songs about sniffing glue ("Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue") and beating up people with baseball bats ("Beat on the Brat"), but there is also a softer side. You may need to slow down the driving guitar riffs, but there is a side to the band that appreciates pop, as well. Joey Ramone often referred to the Ronnettes as one of his favorite bands and said that he wanted "Blitzkrieg Bop" to be a catchy anthem like the Bay City Rollers' hit "Saturday Night." A lot of bands that label themselves punk adopt three chords and the nihilism of the Sex Pistols or the righteous politics of the Clash, yet it's very refreshing when a band adopts the pop sensibilities of the Ramones -- and then adds even more sugar.

Which brings us to the Pop Machine, a relatively young punk pop band from Seattle.

I had just heard of the band when I saw the final schedule for the Capitol Hill Block Party and briefly checked them out on MySpace before offering to review this show. I'm glad I did because they have been the most pleasant surprise of the Block Party thus far. They began their set with a theme song of sorts, with three ladies as backup singers and a chorus that goes, "turn on the Pop Machine" (though the backup singers sang probably sang at least 50% of the harmonies, so I'm not sure if they can appropriately be called backup singers). They were more like Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson of the B-52s, integral parts of the band. The band featured lots of surfy guitar chords and the ladies provided their share of "wahh ohh oh"s and "nah na na na na"s, with the final song adopting that part of the Beatles' "Hey Jude."

This set, which lasted a very quick 30 minutes, was the first (and maybe last) with a new drummer. One of the members of the band, I think the bassist (who looks a lot like Captain Sensible of the Damned), shouted "fuck you, Brandon!" out between songs. It turns out that Brandon was the drummer who had recently quit the band and left them with only time for one practice with a new drummer. He did a fine job keeping up and fit in to the band well, but one of the guitarists told me afterward that he was in another band that is getting ready to tour so they are in need of a new drummer before they can book any more shows.

I hope they find one soon.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

For me, the Pop Machine has been the most pleasant surprise of the Block Party thus far.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Spoon

ChrisB — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:57:07 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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Over the past year or so, I’ve grown into a Spoon fan. I was, of course, quite thrilled that they were the headlining band the second night of the Capitol Hill Block Party, though I didn’t expect as big of a crowd for Spoon as Silversun Pickups had the night before.

I was wrong. From where I was watching, the show was packed with people that had, by 10pm on a Saturday night, a difficult time standing upright. I’m not sure what attracted much of the Pioneer Square crowd to Capitol Hill in the first place – it was probably more “block party” and the Seafair Torchlight Parade going on downtown and less Spoon – but hey, whatever. Around 10:30 or so, the Pike and 10th intersection cleared out and left a smaller, but still sizable audience for Spoon. From then on, it was a Spoon/ChrisB love fest.

For the first half of the set, my hearing was spotty at best. I couldn't pay much attention to John Vanderslice joining the band for a few songs. But still, the most pleasant surprise was that Spoon played a nice sampling of songs throughout the band's very deep catalogue. I was very pleased to spot many of my favorite songs from their 2001 and 2002 albums Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight, respectively.

To me, Spoon is the quintessential American indie-rock band. They have flourished on Merge Records after a major label had no idea what to do with them. Spoon’s latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga even debuted in the top 10 of Billboards’ Hot 200 album chart a couple of weeks ago. They have found a sound that fits well around Britt Daniel’s gifted songwriting. Spoon played for close to an hour and a half and were one of the tightest live bands I’ve heard, not just this weekend but ever. Each song sounded as well it could have on record. No accidental feedback or missed chords. This was a professional band that played a simply wondrous set.

Although my favorite Spoon song wasn’t played (“All the Pretty Girls Go to the City” from Kill the Moonlight), I had absolutely no qualms with the set list. The favorites I recognized are: from Girls Can Tell, (I think) “The Fitted Shirt” and “Me and the Bean”; from Kill the Moonlight: “The Way We Get By” and “Jonathon Fisk”; from Gimme Fiction (2005), I recognized “They Never Got You” and “The Beast and Dragon, Adored”; and from the latest Ga X5: “Don’t Make Me a Target." The final two songs were “Me and the Bean” and rockin’ “Jonathon Fisk,” which made for a perfect ending to a night that got off to such a tough and challenging start.

The last time Spoon played for a Seattle audience was the Sasquatch festival in May (I know it was at the Gorge in Eastern Washington, but I bet more people made the drive from Seattle than the much-closer Spokane) and before that, they played Bumbershoot last September. That’s three consecutive festivals now. I hope the next time Spoon plays in Seattle it’ll be a proper Spoon show with a Spoon audience.

Yet, for all of my bitching about the crowd, I should just listen to Daniel’s words from “The Beast and Dragon, Adored”:

I got the meaning, the meaning sat tight
Said it's not what you expected but it could be right
I got a feeling it didn't come free
I got a feeling and then it got to me

When you don't feel it, it shows they tear out your soul
And when you believe they call it rock and roll.

More Spoon photos from the Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 (by Chona Kasinger):

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Spoon played for close to an hour and a half and were one of the tightest live bands I’ve heard, not just this weekend but ever. No accidental feedback or missed chords. This was a professional band that played a simply wondrous set.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Girl Talk

elle — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:10:04 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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I do not blame Gregg Gillis, the man behind the craziness which is Girl Talk, for quitting his day job. If I had the choice between a laboratory science job or throwing parties for a living, uhm yeah, I'd pick the latter too.

His on-stage set-up is simple: just a laptop. What he does with it isn't so simple though; on the spot he's mixing up and matching hundreds of different samples of familiar top-40, hip-hop, and hell, even indie songs, into an entirely different layout to create what is considered a "new" dance song. Throw in half the audience on-stage with him, and you have what essentially makes up a Girl Talk show.

It didn't take long after his arrival behind the laptop for a stampede of festival goers to hop up on stage and start grinding to his invented mixes. I personally had saved up my energy during the Trucks to dance when Girl Talk came on, so off to the dance floor I went. Perhaps because I had heard he was a biomedical engineer, I thought he would be much more nerdy looking; of course he wasn't at all.

Avoiding the gigantic puddles of -- water? sweat? -- on the floor was difficult and sticky. Nonetheless, it was a gigantic dance party. Girls on stage were provocatively shaking for the audience, guys were showing off their pop-n-locking techniques. Then all of sudden-someone tripped the wire and the music stopped! "Oh!"s were yelled all around, but Gillis is quick and used to it, and the music kept on going in less than 30 seconds.

After more than a hour of non-stop dancing to spliced up and remixed samples of funk, classic 80s hip-hop, late 90s rap, a random Elton John vocal, and rock guitar riffs, I had to call it a night. That seemed to be the general consensus by that time, as everyone had left the stage to just Gillis and his friends, and almost half the venue was cleared out. Girl Talk himself, however, was still cavorting away.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Avoiding the gigantic puddles of -- water? sweat? -- on the floor was difficult and sticky. Nonetheless, it was a gigantic dance party.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Blue Scholars

elle — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:47:11 +0000

27 Jul 2007

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How I envied the group of elderly people atop the building across from the CHBP mainstage. They didn't have to deal with the haphazard placement of the stage, making it all too difficult to move anywhere once the Blue Scholars were performing. Because the main stage was positioned pretty much smack in the middle of the main entrance, the huge crowd gathered to hear the local hip-hop duo created a barricade for anyone else trying to pass into the other half of the festival. In my notes I wrote, "Dancing=futile."

But no wonder such a large audience had formed to hear the much hyped Blue Scholars; rapper Geologic has a smooth steady flow over DJ Sabzi's laid back beats. Although dancing was near impossible, everyone still made an attempt with arms swaying in the air. The crowd was varied too, with other elderly people, like those aforementioned on the roof, joined by the young and everyone in between.

Many were familiar with Geologic's rhymes, joining in to sing with him on his politically aware lyrics. Much love for the Northwest is also heavy in their music, with shout-outs to different local landmarks and neighborhoods included amongst references to news events. After one song, Geologic brought mention to the recent occurrences to the police brutality. It sounded as if Sabzi had sampled a Peter Bjorn and John song.

Unfortunately, Blue Scholars' infectious ebb and flow was being fought upstream by the interruptive conga line of people trying to push through the crowd. Unless you were insightful enough to arrive very early to catch the boys and stand in the front half of the floor, you were stuck fighting for a stance and auditory ability in the back. Much of their smart and affecting hip-hop was lost amid the din of talking and walking.

More Blue Scholars photos from the Capitol Hill Block Party 2007:

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Unless you were insightful enough to arrive very early to catch the boys and stand in the front half of the floor, you were stuck fighting for a stance and auditory ability in the back. Much of their smart and affecting hip-hop was lost amid the din of talking and walking.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Team Gina

elle — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:41:59 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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Hip-hop and rap had a definite presence at this year's Capitol Hill Block Party. Among others, there was Dyme Def with their harder, "street" style rhythms and Blue Scholars with their politically minded rhymes. But none were as unique as Team Gina, the prideful lesbian duo who's lyrics are in competition with their synchronized outfits and dancing for which is more hilarious.

They kicked off Saturday for the Vera Stage with an opener ode to boobs. "Is it a mac attack/No, a rack attack!" They followed this with an improvised song about the Block Party itself, seemingly penning the rhymes last minute as they used lyric cheat sheets. Their Team Gina theme song contained witty self-proclamations about their lives, being best friends forever, and how they only "pretend" to be rappers. Perhaps the funniest of all was their song about lesbians, in which they woefully observe, "Are there only 12 lesbians in the entire world?" Apparently finding a girl who isn't one of your ex's exes or a huge slut is harder for the ladies than for straight men.

Costume changes were procured by throwing more clothing over their already daft outfits. Wearing matching one shouldered black and white striped shirts, green short shorts, black leggings, and trainers, they quickly put on oversized sleeveless jerseys and backwards baseball caps to become "entitled white suburban 12-year old males" for the corresponding song.

Rapping in character, they covered a topic very true: how easy it is for the demographic of over privileged middle America boys to get away from trouble just because their "mom is the head of the PTA" and "dad is a successful attorney."

But Team Gina's lyricism wouldn't be so entertaining without the stage routine they have down to a T. They pulled out synchronized moves like a dance squad, and sometimes they reacted with each other as if performing a skit. At one point I saw top rocking [the footwork that occurs before breakdancing] busted out. With their old school style beats, I don't blame them for pulling a move like that.

With their bona fide fast rhymes and ecstatic dance moves, Team Gina should stop "pretending to be rappers," and brag about being the real thing.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

With their bona fide fast rhymes and ecstatic dance moves, Team Gina should stop "pretending to be rappers," and brag about being the real thing.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: The Pharmacy

imaginary liz — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 19:15:27 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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I’ve always thought that The Pharmacy were a band that could bring on the party, so seeing them at the Capitol Hill Block Party on the all-ages Vera Stage seemed like a perfect idea to break through the afternoon lull.

The band was not deterred by the fact they were playing with a temporary drummer — word is that their drummer was in Mexico (I’ve learned not to ask any questions when someone says “our drummer is in Mexico and can’t play a show with us”). They found their friend Kellen (?) to fill in — and he did so wonderfully after only two and a half hours of practice. Go team Pharmacy!

Right after they finished playing my favorite song of the set, “Tropical Yeti Song,” they broke out into banter. And when I say THEY broke out into banter, I mean that three of the four members all started talking at the same time. This multi-aural barrage perfectly illustrates what it is like to see the Pharmacy. Any sense of disorder is actually a controlled substance... one of earnestness, energy, and unabashed alacrity that had the audience dancing to their every jagged guitar strum in no time.

Their assured naïveté is disarming and beguiling. Of course, they sprinkled tracks from their debut album B.F.F. and recent single releases, but also surprised us with an unrestrained cover of The Beatles’ classic “Don’t Let Me Down.” Sure it wasn’t the most by-the-book version, but that’s why I like about the Pharmacy — they add a little bit of mayhem to the everyday.

More Pharmacy photos from Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 (by Chona Kasinger):

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Any sense of disorder is actually a controlled substance... one of earnestness, energy, and unabashed alacrity that had the audience dancing to their every jagged guitar strum in no time.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: PWRFL Power

imaginary dana — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:11:45 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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"I always write songs about love and girls, and I decided it's not fair," quipped Kaz Nomura, the one-man band that is PWRFL Power in his understated, amusing way, before launching into a song called "Soft Boy," which chronicled him falling in love with a boy instead, and the subsequent fallout, breakup, accusations of thieving (his camera, clothes, and pills) and insomnia (from having said pills stolen, he bemoaned, "I can't sleep without the pills").

The song was typical of the PWRFL Power repertoire: lyrically irreverant, musically understated, and as warm and intimate as your college roommate experimenting with songwriting his heartbreak out on your futon.

PWRFL Power came into, erm, power (or at least, local indie press fame) by coming out of seemingly out of nowhere to win the much-hyped "Block Star" contest, sponsored by the Capitol Hill Block Party, eSurance, and the Stranger over a host of other better-known local bands (such as Speaker Speaker, Skullbot, and Optimus Rhyme). With the bizarre charm of lo-fi songs like "The Tomato Song" ("If you are mean to me, I'll throw a tomato at you"), he won the honors of, among other things, getting a 30 second national TV spot in an eSurance TV commercial, and appearing on the Main Stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party, and igLiz and I made sure we were front and center to hear. And as it turned out -- to laugh. In fact, I can't remember giggling so much at a live show since the last banter at the last Long Winters show. His quirky little tunes lyrically cross into some uncomfortable territory, but with his gentle, slightly-accented talk-singing, he pulled it off with aplomb and without making his audience blush -- just to laugh.

My favorite ditty was presumably called "Chopsticks." The song chronicals his date with a girl who he apparently really likes, but who can't wield chopsticks properly: "You're so pretty, but you're holding them wrong," he repeated with varying degrees of gentleness versus annoyance. The story evolves that his own father had beaten him as a child for improper use of the sticks, but that "He doesn't want to beat her, cause she's so pretty" (I paraphrase). I know it sounds potentially distasteful, but he was so disarming, it was truly charming.

While PWRFL Power brings new depths to lo-fi (it's just Kaz singing and sparsely playing along), there's more going on behind those simple guitar melodies. I'd be very interested to hear how PWRFL Power would translate to a studio recording, without the feedback from his audience. And I'm completely intrigued to hear how it's going to translate to an insurance commerical. I'd like to imagine a roomful of squares at eSurance HQ listening to Kaz, and the subsequent emails and board meetings to discuss exactly how this extremely unusual singer-songwriter could possibly help them pawn their insurance wares. I'm guessing the squares had no idea what the kids would be into these days.... and that makes me smile as big as Kaz's lyrics do.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

His quirky little tunes lyrically cross into some uncomfortable territory, but with his gentle, slightly-accented talk-singing, he pulled it off with aplomb and without making his audience blush.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: My Unofficial Review of the Blood Brothers

elle — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:55:10 +0000

27 Jul 2007

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Although I was not assigned to review the Blood Brothers, I feel I should say something since I was right smack in the middle of the front crowd:

There is currently someone's sole imprint in my ankle, and there is an accompanying cut on the top of my foot. I must say, out of the four shows I've seen of the Blood Brothers in the past two years, this is one of the most energetic...for the crowd. I don't have a very good track record at mosh pits, so I was perilously dancing on a fine line at this show, right on the edge of the thrashing. I feared for the crowd surfers, as it was just the concrete street below the strangers they trusted to hold them up. When the kids started to run around and swing their arms I knew it was time to hide behind my 6'3'' boyfriend. For him, he felt awkward as the seemingly oldest in the dancing crowd [he is 23.] People were going crazy; shoes were being thrown, water was being splashed in the air, girls in bikinis were risking the mosh pit. A kid stood next to me with sweat with pouring off of him, so mercifully I gave him the rest of my water. I immediately sort of regretted that, since dancing like a fool in the hot sun made me sweaty too.

But... while the crowd was going crazy, the band was not. Johnny was still flittering around in his signature way, but Jordan was markedly reserved. Staying near the back of the stage during most of the set, he rarely went near the edge to pump up the crowd as usual. Musically, my friend put it perfectly: "They are playing the music...but they're not really into it." It was sort of apparent they're bored and burnt out. There was absolutely no banter between the band and crowd. The songs were played at noticeably slower tempos. And on a few songs, like "Love Rhymes..." the singing just sort of...died off before it was supposed to.

Perhaps it was just the hot weather, but it seemed the Blood Brothers were very tired and worn out with their music.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

While the crowd was going crazy, the band was not.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Matt & Kim

imaginary liz — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:07:35 +0000

27 Jul 2007

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As much as I was looking foward to the Matt & Kim show, there was no reasoning with the traffic and the late dayjob deadline that prevented Dana and I from getting to the Block Party as early as we had planned. Once we arrived, the Party was in full swing with the around stage hosting my beloved M&K full of eager fans.

We ran to the Main Stage 15 minutes into their set and the duo was warmed up and charming the audience with their excited, appreciative banter and catchy songs. Ah, it was nice to be among friends -- a sweaty mass of enthusiastic friends baking in the late afternoon sun grinning with M&K glee.

They played most songs from their album (I can't attest to the completeness of featuring all the songs from their catalog since we missed a couple songs in the beginning), but my favorite bases were covered ("Yea Yeah," "5K," "Light Speed").

But, for me, what was most exciting is when they debuted a couple new songs.

Matt's super-giddy state and the buzz of the speakers made it hard to hear what Matt said the title was, but I did hear him say that one of them was about Harry Potter. Whether that is true or not, the crowd loved it. Harry Potter and indie rockers are a natural match after all.

That's how Matt & Kim roll: they can win over any audience of stoic indie rockers with their infectious congeniality and good will. Throughout the show Matt talked about how thankful he was to have everyone there and even pointed to a guy in the front row and complemented him on his rad white-framed sunglasses.

The show ended with the pair standing tall on their chairs, thanking the audience and proclaiming "this breeze feels amazing on my shirtless back" and encouraging us all to make this the craziest summer of our lives. After a way-too-short half hour of dancing to their lo-fi, infectious songs and watching them enthusiastically gush with glee (at each other and to the audience) I was convinced that was a grand idea.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

That's how M&K roll: they can win over any audience of stoic indie rockers with their infectious congeniality and good will.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Natalie Portman's Shaved Head

ChrisB — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 08:53:25 +0000

27 Jul 2007

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No band with a name like Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head can ever be accused of taking themselves too seriously. In a world with a Smashing Pumpkins reunion, prog rock, and God knows how many masturbatory Sonic Youth records, that is hardly a bad thing. NPSH is nothing if not fun.

The laughs began, however, before NPSH took the stage. The Capitol Hill Block Party has a tradition of bringing in local politicians to introduce bands. Sometimes it's great when there is a music fan like King County Councilman Dow Constantine introducing a given band, but in this case it was Constantine’s colleague Larry Gossett who introduced the band, and it was, to say the least, awkward. He was dressed in a long-sleeved dress shirt and tie (I spotted him earlier in a suit but he ditched the jacket before coming to the stage; he should have lost the tie, too). He visibly read from a bio of the band and referred to them as “Natalie Portman’s Skinned Head." I’m also reasonably certain this is the first time he’s ever used the term “electro” as an adjective.

NPSH quickly cut the tension by doing what their live shows promise: creating a dance party.

About half way through the set, one of the three singers introduced the band by saying that he was Matt and his bandmates were Kim, Peter, Bjorn, and John, but collectively Natalie Portman's Shaved Head.

Sure, their songs are juvenile and silly and they bear more than a striking resemblance to Seattle favorites like the Fitness and the United State of Electronica, but that’s the point. The fact that they are silly is irrelevant – so are They Might Be Giants and (sometimes) Fountains of Wayne, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know their way around a catchy pop song. Also like TMBG and FOW, there is an intelligence that is present but is not always overt. Moreover, when was the last time you heard a teenage band drop Curtis Mayfield’s name in a rhyme?

I’ve mentioned here before that NPSH blends elements of every electro-pop band you love. You can hear the beats of Le Tigre and the silliness of Gravy Train!!!! or Junior Senior and the enthusiasm of USE, NPSH’s closest ideological brethren. Even if they are not terribly original (besides, pop music has long history of artists borrowing from their influences), it didn’t matter to the young and energetic crowd. A song about beards received the ultimate validation: two teenage girls standing behind me sang along, knowing every word as if it was today’s number one radio hit.

One of my favorite CHBP moments came in 2005 when the great USE played on the main stage in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday afternoon under temperatures approaching (or maybe even exceeding) 90 degrees. The members of USE through water balloons out in the crowd to an audience desperate to both dance and get some relief from the heat. NPSH mimicked that action by throwing frozen Otter Pops to the crowd. When they ran out of Otter Pops, they through ice cubes.

The band closed with its song “Iceage Babeland” that has the chorus that instructs the crowd to “keep it on the dance floor; otherwise, what’s your booty for?” Isn’t that sage advice that everyone should heed?

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Sure, their songs are juvenile and silly and they bear more than a striking resemblance to Seattle favorites like The Fitness and the United State of Electronica, but that’s the point. The fact that they are silly is irrelevant – that doesn’t mean they don’t know their way around a catchy pop song.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Silversun Pickups

ChrisB — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 08:06:33 +0000

27 Jul 2007

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Nikki Monninger! Silversun Pickups! Nikki Monninger! Silversun Pickups! Yeah!

Okay, I heard that Ms. Monninger’s name is the most searched for on this fine website and I’m trying to shamelessly increase the hit count for this review. Consider her the Obama Girl of TIG, if you will.

The phenomenon of Silversun Pickups is fascinating. The band's rise has been meteoric, to say the least. Their influences are obvious: Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth are the first that come to my mind, yet they’re lower maintenance than the former and more accessible than the latter. I think that’s where their genius lies. Silversun Pickups can be enjoyed by both serious music listener (mostly because of their prog rock sensibilities) and the casual listener. That’s where I would fit in. I own a copy of the latest album, Carnavas, and gave it a few spins and admired it quite a bit, but never found the ambition to even upload it to my iPod.

Yet, judging by the band’s slot headlining the first night of the Capitol Hill Block Party and giant mass of humanity that was packed (and uncomfortably so) to watch them, I was in the minority. I was at the last Seattle show the LA-based band played, which was in April at Neumo’s. It was a set that I thoroughly enjoyed and remembered thinking that that was probably the last time I’d ever see Silversun Pickups in a club. Each song can feel both epic and intimate. I’m not sure how they manage that, but like that spring evening, the sound tonight filled out the entire area and made it seem that the outdoor air wasn’t big enough to contain it.

The band took the stage at 9:45, promptly, after a kind introduction by badass liberal King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, who seems to really make an effort to listen to the bands he’s introducing. The first big applause of the set came about a minute in to the first song, when Monninger played a brief solo on her bass guitar. SSPU fans are crazy for her. She seems to have replaced Meg White (who replaced Sonic Youth’s bassist Kim Gordon) as the ideal indie rock girlfriend of the moment. Monninger is passive and soft-spoken, a fine bassist who lets her talent speak for itself.

Unsurprisingly, though, the biggest applause came at 10:30 when the band broke into its recent hit “Lazy Eye.” Nearly everyone in the crowd (or at least those around me) were singing along and knew every word. Also not surprising: a significant exodus for the gates began towards the end of that song. The band ended up playing until exactly 10:45, after being on stage for exactly an hour, and playing almost exclusively songs from Carnavas.

They were brought back for an encore after a polite applause and played three songs, all of which they said were from its debut EP Pikul. No sooner do I write in my notepad that nearly every song the band played is a rock song and not a ballad, they close with a ballad. I believe the one my friend and colleague Betsy Boston referred to as “the song from Pikul that Nikki sings lead on (can't think of the name, too tired to look)”.

Same with me. It’s that one.

Actually, Monninger has a soft voice that makes for a nice contrast with lead singer Brian Aubert. It was a smart move to end with that song. Shortly after 11, the crowd was sedate, tired, and satisfied.

More Silversun Pickups photos (by Laura Musselman):

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

Their influences are obvious: Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth are the first that come to my mind; yet they’re lower maintenance than the former and more accessible than the latter.

I love living two blocks away from the Block

elle — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:01:18 +0000

Here's my first installment of running commentary for the Capitol Hill Block Party, as I live only two blocks away from the bash. I must say, coming home to drink a beer is MUCH cheaper than paying for one at the beer garden.

One of my favorite things about festivals, besides the music of course, is canoodling with tablers and vendors. If you're thirsty and don't want to pay for water, Snowboard Connection is giving bottles away for free, and they told me all about some great sales on gear. There's many a-Pro-choice activists at the Party, if you're a supporter of such opinions. I deeply questioned an upstart artist collective booth, who said they wanted to revive the Dadaist movement, so we'll see if they start stirring up the modern way of thinking as the original movement did. Middle of the street art installations? Hmm...

Of course the volunteers at the KEXP booth were extremely friendly, as always, and I picked up a free poster, stickers, and buttons to support the station. Sign-ups for an AIDS awareness walk were available at another booth, with their volunteers also very friendly.

Musically, I was going to check out Talbot Tagora, but their sound check was taking much too long, and it's extremely hot to stand around. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head... well, I'll just say that personally I'm a fan of the Fitness. The Saturday Knights were pumping up the early crowd though, which makes me interested to see the rest of the hip-hop acts [especially since I'm supposed to be reviewing them!]

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007

three imaginary girls — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:49:03 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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The Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 outdid itself. In its fifth year, the festival has grown from featuring the best of the 'hood to drawing major national talent -- while still continuing to champion our local homegrown hero bands.

Three Imaginary Girls had five writers and two photographers at the festival this weekend, rushing to and fro, rocking out, and continually updating the site with words and images to document our experiences in the sun. We're still posting new articles for the next day or so (we've got 17 now, and counting!), so check back often, and please chime in with your comments about the event -- we'd love to hear all about your Block Party too!

And now, our CHBP 2007 reviews so far...

Check back often, and please chime in with your comments about the event -- we'd love to hear all about your Block Party too!

Tonight and Tomorrow's Recommended Show: the Capitol Hill Block Party

imaginary dana — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:08:02 +0000

In case you've been living under an indie-rock rock that's larger than the city of Seattle... this weekend, Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood will be inundated with 45 or so local and touring bands to rock our socks off Friday and Saturday.