Seattle – After a successful kickoff on Friday, the sun continued to grace the streets of Seattle as day two of the Capitol Hill Block Party commenced. Festival goers cultivated a beach party vibe with hitting beach balls, spraying water hoses, enjoying ice cream cones, and grooving to sunny tunes by great new bands such as Poolside, The Dip, SOL, and Hundred Waters.
While much of today’s lineup was filled with indie electro-pop, diverse acts ranging from hip hop to funk kept the sounds of the festival fresh.
Cymbals
Cymbals kicked off the day’s Main Stage lineup with 80’s-influenced dance pop. The London four-piece created great synth beats, complemented with Jack Cleverly’s impressive falsetto and shimmery guitar licks, Dan Simons’ catchy keys, Luke Carson’s great bass, and Neil Gillespie’s strong percussion. Their easy listening and electro-pop, especially on tracks like “The Natural World,” made for a perfect summer afternoon set.
The Chain Gang of 1974
“It’s early, it’s daylight, but let’s have some fun,” The Chain Gang of 1974’s Kamtin Mohager said to the afternoon crowd gathered around the Vera Stage. For the last show of the LA-based musician’s tour promoting his new album Daydream Forever, Mohager created heavy, alternative dance music. His high energy delighted the audience members, whose heads immediately started to bob and hands were thrust in the air. With his hair flying every which way, primal screams into the mic, and infectious enthusiasm, Mohager was a great showman who engaged everyone watching his set – even those lucky enough to be watching from their apartment balconies.
Katie Kate
I’ll admit it, I’ve been partial to Katie Kate ever since I interviewed her back in April, and so I was pretty pumped to catch her live. She’s a genre-defying artist with a badass attitude, empowering lyrics, well-crafted beats, and a sexy, honest stage presence. Performing songs off her upcoming album Nation, which has a physical release of August 5, Katie Kate was backed by the excellent team of Radjaw on vocals, Trent Moorman on drums, and Lena Simon (who’ll have another Block Party appearance on Sunday with Pollens) on bass. Though she’s seen much success in the Seattle music scene in recent years, Kate seemed surprised by the number of festival goers in the Vera Stage audience. “Holy shit, look how many people there are!” she humbly shouted.
Beat Connection
Reed Juenger, Tom Eddy, Mark Hunter, and Jarred Katz – otherwise known as Beat Connection – took the Main Stage in matching jerseys. As acid-washed video graphics were projected on the screen behind them, dancers lined the stage with graceful, upbeat choreography, and numerous beach balls were bouncing among the crowd, the Seattle four-piece wooed the audience with well-produced beats (courtesy of Juenger, who gave his task of manipulating electronics a sense of musicianship – not just standing at a computer), strong rhythm and bass (Katz and Hunter), and sexy, rockin’ vocals via Eddy (who also impressed the Block Party attendees fronting his eponymous group on Friday and in funk/soul band The Dip earlier in the day). On the cusp of releasing a new album after 2012’s The Palace Garden, Beat Connection showed their evolved sound on new single “Hesitation,” filled with Afro-beats and a disco vibe, while playing early favorites such as “Palace Garden, 4 AM” and “In the Water.”
Pillar Point
More indie electro-pop filled the Vera Stage Saturday evening, courtesy of local recent artist Scott Reitherman, under Pillar Point. Reitherman’s delicate croon paired with synth and a heavy rhythm and bass section gave his set momentum. It was a danceable, enjoyable performance as the sun set over the Block Party.
Stay tuned for a recap of day three of Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party.
Crowd Photo By Jim Bennett – All Others By Caitlin Peterkin
Caitlin Peterkin
With degrees in journalism and music, Caitlin’s written for Paste Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and MajoringinMusic.com. She loves cheese, laughing at GIFs of corgis, road trip sing-alongs, and connecting with people over good beer and good music.
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