Capitol Hill Block Party grows to impressive proportions

Capitol Hill Block Party grows to impressive proportions

by Jessica Price - SGN A&E Writer CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY JULY 25 - 26 SOUTH CAPITOL HILL Perhaps it's a good thing that the Block Party was on a Friday and Saturday this year so that all of Capitol Hill could collectively nurse their hangovers, be they literal or just an overdose of revelry. This year's street festival was hands down, the craziest one I've seen yet. Its reputation is growing and so is the star power it's able to attract for one weekend each summer. I don't even know where to begin, so I'll try to break down highlights of both days. Friday (5:30pm) The line was already wrapped around the corner with people scrambling for last minute tickets due to the triple threat of Girl Talk, Les Savy Fav, and headliners Vampire Weekend. As afternoon turned into evening, a mass exodus of hipsters seemed to be streaming from apartments all over the Hill, everyone walking with a purpose up to the intersection of Pike and 10th. Under-agers with their best Urban Outfitters/American Apparel threads and people of all ages and stripes lined up, because in Seattle in the summer absolutely everybody loves a party. Girl Talk's afternoon mini- dance party started off with promise then fizzled a bit, seeing as everyone who'd eagerly jumped onstage looked lifeless and bored after about ten minutes of dancing on stage in daylight. I ran over to catch a little of locals Say Hi, who were a soothing dose of relative calm after fighting the mass of sweaty bodies packed around the main stage. Les Savy Fav once again, left everyone declaring them the "Best Live Band Around" and singer Tim Harrington stripped off, put back on, and laid himself out on equipment as if he was flying. They know how to work a crowd (sometimes even frighten a crowd), and you will likely get hit with sweat or perhaps a hot dog if you are anywhere near the front of the stage when the Favs start tearing things up. Vampire Weekend sounded fabulous, an upbeat and pleasant way to cool things down and a fitting sendoff to prepare for day two. I've missed Vampire Weekend live up to this point and they were well worth the wait. A perfect end to a chaotic day. Saturday (6:30pm) Saturday's schedule was an all-star lineup as well, featuring the much-hyped Fleet Foxes, Chromeo, The Hold Steady, and DeVotchka. The crowd wasn't quite as jam-packed as Friday, but festival-goers were definitely amped up to a fever pitch and ready to rock the Block Party until the garbage trucks came. People seemed to be in it for the long haul on Saturday, whereas the night before people seemed just plain ravenous. Hanging around the beer gardens and VIP lounge areas, I met people who'd flown in, driven from miles around, and plenty of people from the neighborhood. The festival seems to be growing bigger as a Northwest music attraction every year. The first act I was able to catch was Fleet Foxes, who were perfect in the mid-afternoon sun. Chromeo took the stage next and did a much more impressive job of creating an outdoor dance party than anyone had the day before. I ducked into Havana with friends to get out of the sun for a bit, where a mix of DJ's were throwing a party of their own. When we finally emerged, we ducked into Neumos for the biggest surprise and most fun of the entire weekend: Steed Lord. This electro-house foursome from Iceland had already started when I arrived. A tiny slip of a platinum blond girl dressed a bit like 80's era Boy George was belting out the most savage house vocals I've ever heard live, and all of it completely authentic - no lip synching, just some reverb thrown on top. She was amazing. Neumos gave way to a sea of dancing bodies, every one completely enthralled. I kept asking everyone around me who they were, since everyone was dancing as if it was their last day on earth- but nobody knew. Finally towards the end of their set, a chant of "Steed! Lord!" started and I was able to dig up some background. I hear they've got a few dates supporting Chromeo in the coming weeks. If you want some dirty "electro-crunk" that really hits the mark live, keep your eyes peeled for future visits from Steed Lord. They sound a bit like Justice but with female vocals that are like a slap in the face. Singer Kali absolutely floored me. I searched around online afterwards, and the band's recordings don't even begin to show what this girl can do. She's got a hot set of pipes and will, without a doubt, be burning up dance floors across the US before long. Afterwards, I rushed back out to catch the end of The Hold Steady, ever reliable and whipping out "Sequestered In Memphis", "Stay Positive" and thankfully, "Your Little Hoodrat Friend". By this time, there were so many dance parties going on (Havana, the space behind Quinn's which as far as I know, doesn't even have a proper name, and at Neumos) that I actually was about through with rock and roll and just followed everyone else wandering around looking to cut some rug. Regrets. I have a few. There's really no simple way to organize this festival, but there has to be a better way to get people around and into the different areas without so much confusion. There's so much talent to take in at once, and with the pathways so difficult to get through, it's hard to catch everyone you want to see in quick succession. My biggest regret was missing Kaylee Cole's apparently stunning early set Saturday at Cha Cha's unadvertised stage due to the long lines, missing hot new LA band Airborne Toxic Event because Girl Talk was on the main stage, and missing the entire set by The Dodos due to the fact that both Les Savy Fav and locals Say Hi performed simultaneously on Friday. Heartbreak! You can only see so much. But I can't wait to see who comes to Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party next summer.