Another weekend passes and to no shock of mine, I found myself at the Black Lodge yet again. This time it was for Seattle based band, Night Beats, who graced its hometown with what I feel I can now say with some authority, the best show the Black Lodge has put on recently. Not only was the star-studded lineup prime (including Ty Segall’s newest project, Fuzz) but also the entire night was accompanied by an old-school oil light show that was always winningly fitting for the music and the mood.
Ty Segall’s newest band in a string of many, Fuzz, released a 7” earlier this year “This Time I Got a Reason” that sold out of hard copies within ten minutes. That’s a lot of hype for the prolific garage rocker to live up to, which is something he certainly did at the Black Lodge. While most renowned as a guitarist, Ty Segall has changed the setting a bit in Fuzz, still taking lead vocals but this time behind the drums. In Fuzz Ty Segall is joined by Charles Moonheart on the guitar and Roland Cosio on the bass and the newly formed trio is already playing naturally like a seasoned group.
And then came the Night Beats. Night Beats are a Seattle band that started playing at Black Lodge as musical infants. For the somewhat small niche in this city that Night Beats caters to, this event really felt like the audience were parents welcoming home its college-aged kids for the holidays. The band only has one full-length album out, Night Beats, so we got to hear most of our classic favorites like “Puppet on a String” intermixed with new tracks, leaving us hopeful about what’s to come.
Unnatural Helpers and Wimps opened for Fuzz and Night Beats. Unnatural Helpers also had a drummer lead-vocalist and the soundboard did a great job (for both bands where this was the case) balancing the extremities, which made for an energetic set that was simply a blast. Seeing Wimps was kind of like seeing members of Sleater-Kinney before they became Sleater-Kinney, in the best way possible. They played a ridiculously fun set with all the makings of something really great.
Night Beats certainly left us wanting more and are spreading their vibes down the west coast before playing Austin Pysch Fest the last weekend of April. After that, the band heads eastward and onward to Europe but you can check out here for when they’ll be playing near you. Also keep an eye out for Fuzz, who are set to release another 7” shortly, and even are rumored to be gearing up for an LP release later this year. If it’s anywhere near as hyped as “This Time I Got a Reason,” you’ll have to act fast!
