Oh, to be in the Northwest over Memorial Day weekend! Over the mountains in Eastern Washington, there were thousands of campers (including our own Zack Klassen) enjoying Sasquatch!’s ever diversifying line up and back in Seattle, others were celebrating the Pacific Northwest with its 42nd Annual Northwest Folklife Festival. While festival season is certainly is off to a strong start with Coachella and Sasquatch!, the solo gigs showcasing local talent have not been overshadowed and are still keeping non-festival folks buzzing.
This past Friday, The Crocodile played host to a night of local acts headlined by the dance-pop quintet The West. The band played an impassioned set of tracks from if its debut full length album, In Low Light. While the energy the band brought was certainly marked, it was the band’s interaction with each other that stood out the most. They all seemed just unabashedly excited to be playing and weren’t afraid to share that emotion. There were no cool glances or off-putting smirks; rather, direct laughs were unapologetically exchanged between the group to create a relaxed atmosphere.
The youthful energy of the performance was not mirrored in any sort by a juvenility in musical quality. With the coupling of succinct synthesizers from all keyboardists and direct precision from drummer Bob Husak, The West replicated the calculation of their recorded sound in this setting without compromising the joy of live spontaneity.
The West were preceded by Ozarks, Prism Tats and Tomten (all Seattle locals). In the months since seeing Tomten last at Barboza, the band has added a new member (whether this is just for live shows, or for recording purposes as well, I’m not sure) and is sounding more filled out and better than ever.
While The West might be taking a brief hiatus from the stage, you can check out their music on their official website and their bandcamp.
