Northwest Music Blog

Indie, Rock, Hiphop & Pop in Seattle, Portland, Olympia & the NW

 

Many More Reasons why Capitol Hill is a Horrible Place

Author Jared Nelson   Filed under Music, NW Show Critic   August 10, 2007  

Last night we played the Comet Tavern. We were psyched ’cause we were on the bill with three touring bands ranging from New York, Japan, San Francisco to Olympia. Not so psyched ’cause we were in Capitol Hill and we would be performing last (and on a four band bill at the Comet, this virtually guarantees a 12:45 a.m. to 1 a.m. start — which on a Thursday night, is not ideal). We (Wah Wah Exit Wound) were pretty burned out from our own various daily personal lives and ready to watch the bands and go on and go home. But of course, this is Capitol Hill.

Note please, that the pepper spray was not from the Comet crowd or the freaky rock folks and hipsters hanging about, but the ridiculous club Sugar next door where occasionally four man brawls would spill out into the streets.

Popularity: 9%

 
 

Hipsters around the block unite!

Author Jules   Filed under Music, NW Show Critic   July 31, 2007  

It almost felt like everyone made a stop at Urban Outfitters before showing up at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Saturday, July 28th. Lemme tell ya, premo people watching for the year happened here. And I have to say, all was pretty much a good time except the big clusterfuck of a crowd in the beer garden by the stage while Spoon was on. Never in my 15+ years of concert going have I been in such a messy crowd of people shoving, grabbing and being downright mean just to get out of the crowd. It was very uncomfortable. Ok, ’nuff said about that. John Vanderslice was a highlight playing his indie-pop tunes. He came out at the perfect time, late afternoon with sun shining and the crowd pretty much non-existent. Britt Daniel was spotted many times (by my friends as well as myself) meandering thru the beer garden and into Caffe Vita. Next up on stage was Aesop Rock. Not my cup of tea so headed into the Comet for some PBR tall boys then out for some food at the Six Arms afterwards. Made it back for Spoon where we ran into the aforementioned crowd of unpleasantness.

Popularity: 17%

 
 

Block Party pics

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic   July 30, 2007  

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>>>>>Here<<<<<

Photo sequence goes something like this: (sorry they’re not labeled)

The Blakes, Matt and Kim, Blood Brother Cody Votolato(?), View from the Comet, Blood Brothers, Matt and Kim, Things, Things, Things, Stuff, Blue Scholars, Stuff

Popularity: 10%

 
 

On a Scale of One to Ten

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic   July 28, 2007  

…I give the Capitol Hill Block Party organizers a middle finger.

The last act, Girl Talk, couldn’t be seen by (at least) several hundred people who got to Neumos before it started (midnight). Doors were jammed, fan-security pushing matches broke out, and general ill-feeling and non-communication ruled. A girl had a terrible, screaming claustrophobia attack near one of the doorways, an area that was shoulder to shoulder for 30+ minutes.

Why pump Girl Talk (I’m looking at you, KEXP) as one of the headliners for the past month, and put him in Neumos and not on the main stage?

If you don’t want headliner, last-act-of-the-night crowds, don’t put it in the smaller venue. How hard is that?

Twenty dollars (with all the “service” charges) is a lot to pay for a block party. Going to see the act I’ve pimped for over a month on these very pages, and not being able to get in is a fucking cockpunch. I had a joint rolled for it and everything.

Popularity: 10%

 
 

Feist @ Moore Theatre

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic   June 24, 2007  

After shows like this I’m forced to create adjectives. Like outgoddamnstanding and superlafuckingtive, because there aren’t suitable ones already.

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Popularity: 13%

 
 

Deerhoof @ LA Museum of Natural History

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic   June 5, 2007  
Deerhoof @ Los Angeles Museum of Natural History
June 1, 2007

This venue was — without a doubt — the most unconventional I’ve seen used to host a major act. Who can forget an indie band playing to a thousand hipsters in a room filled with goat exhibits?

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Popularity: 6%

 
 

Mr. Pacman & Girl Talk @ Bluebird

Author matt   Filed under NW Show Critic   June 4, 2007  

Several years ago I’d heard my friend Jim Compton had formed a band called Mr. Pacman, and that he played the Commodore 64 in it. Nice.

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My recent 7-day stay in Denver intersected with a Mr. Pacman date at the Bluebird. Well well well.

So what would you expect from a show billing “Mr. Pacman” and “Girl Talk”?

I expected entertainment galore from the former, and not much from the latter based on what I knew: he/they is/are a DJ (and well, that’s it).

Popularity: 9%

 
 

One Golden Ticket to the Beastie Boys at the Croc

Author Jules   Filed under NW Show Critic   May 29, 2007  

Wednesday morning I woke up knowing I would get a Beastie Boys ticket to the Crocodile for Friday nite. Was it intuition or just determination? Not sure but I could just feel it in my gut. When 4 o’clock turned up — the time the tickets went on sale at ticketmaster.com, I did what thousands of other Seattleites did, kept clicking “refresh” until the screen popped up to buy a ticket in hopes of getting one of the less than 500 tickets available for a rare Beastie Boys appearance at a tiny local venue, The Crocodile Cafe. And then bingo, I got thru! However to my dismay — when I entered in my 2 tickets I wanted to buy — it told me none were available. What? I kept trying and trying but got the same message. I then walked over to my friend’s desk and told him how sad I was that I missed out and he said to keep trying — so I ran back to my desk and did just that. After about 10 more tries, I got my ticket — I felt like Charlie when he found that golden ticket in the chocolate bar. I knew my gut feeling from that morning wouldn’t let me down. I scored one of the hottest tickets in town since I don’t know when…

Popularity: 17%