Moving away from the angsty-ness of my earlier post I decided to put up some constructive criticism of the CHBP. Now I've never been that huge a fan of festival type shows before but a few hold a special place in my heart, and CHBP is certainly one of them.
What the open air takeover of the main drag of Capitol Hill in Seattle for a day and a half manages to do what most concert promoters should look to emulate is create an all ages venue that doesn't feel strictly under-16 oriented. But that could also have something to do with the great people at the Vera Project having a hand in the Seattle music scene for some time now.
With just three stages, and one specifically over-21 it truly was an all ages event, which is definitely something my high school self would have benefited from way back when. Even so, all the braces, acne, terrible haircuts, and squeaky voices made me feel both old and grateful that I had the freedom to go where ever I chose and drink whatever I wanted to.
But getting down to the acts, I only went one day, Saturday, and only for a few hours at that, but enough time to see The Thermals, The Gossip, and Sonic Youth. I went basically just to see Sonic Youth and only Sonic Youth, but the other two bands were an added bonus to getting to see one of my favorite bands ever.
The Thermals are an easy enough band to like, they play fast catchy songs that are accessible to anyone with even the slightest ear for music and basically apart of the repertoire for anyone who claims to listen to punk. They are fun to listen to and watch. They don't really arouse much emotion or other thoughts in me.
The Gossip was a rollicking good time. Beth Ditto is probably the best front-person in the past decade, and obviously the best of our generation as far as rock goes. She draws you in and keeps your attention the entire time she is on stage, and you completely enjoy giving her the attention. Circling through their hits the absolute high point was the band's cover of Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody." Although I gotta say it was one of the first moments I felt old, because absolutely none of the kids who showed up to watch the Gossip knew any of the words to the song, while anyone obviously my age or older was seriously rocking out.
The second moment I felt old that night was when about 90% of the people under twenty left the main stage after The Gossip's set, while the rest of us moved in to watch the dozens of guitars get loaded on stage.
If there's one adjective that can sum up Sonic Youth's career at this point is that Sonic Youth is damn cool. They are years away from collecting social security but they still manage to be just... fucking cool. While I loved the songs from the new album I would have rather seen a longer set and one incorporating songs from the past albums, the ones that made me fall in love with the band. But man, I got to see Sonic Youth perform. What a fuckin' deal.
Showing posts with label Capitol Hill Block Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capitol Hill Block Party. Show all posts
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
What the Fuck Have I Been Doing?
It's a very valid question seeing as I've taken friggen forever to post here, seeing as I find time time to post other places. Well shit happens, people get busy, and sometimes people are just away from computers, like earlier this month when I was back in Sacto and met up with my man Scott post-family obligations.
But that's neither here nor there unless you count shameless plugs as somewhere; I want to talk about music, specifically live music. This past weekend I was lucky enough to get a pass to the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle. One of the city's best music festival which may or may not be approaching critical mass if the lack of comfortable space this year is any indication. But really it could be because of the acts in this years line-up. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Thermals, Built To Spill, The Gossip and, most notably, Sonic Youth.
That's right I got to see Sonic Youth play. For free. and It would've been a dream come true if it weren't for certain people, mainly assholes. These people really impacted mine and many others concert experience. To put it mildly, you fuckers made it less great than it should've been. So here are the dicks that ruined a perfectly good moment of my life. Don't be these people.*
The Asshole Who Has To Get Closer After Everyone Else Has Settled Into Their Spot:
I don't mean the people who try to get closer after you've found your spot in the crowd or even the ones who slither through during sound check. No, I'm talking about the people who shove past you after everyone else is without elbow room and then decide to stand right in front of you where you can feel their body heat and you're left wondering if this is the type of person who would screw at a public (frat) party because they seem wholly unconcerned with your crotch very clearly grinding on their body anytime anyone moves.
The Lady With Sunhat, After It Gets Dark:
It's twilight, and I know you've been out here for all day at an outdoor festival and it's been warm. I agree you shouldn't let your shoulders get so red they peel, but now you can take off the hat. Seriously it's blocking my view, they guy next to me's view, his "not a date's" view, the people behind us, and anyone shorter than you within line of sight. Messenger bags are trendy now, buy one for your hat.
The Dude Taller Than Me Who Has To Stand Right In Front Of Me:
I'm shorter than you dick, you don't need to be this close to see everything. You're part of the reason I moved closer anyway, thus putting my ability to hear in the future at stake.
The Drunk and High People Who Keep Moving Through The Crowd:
There is seriously nothing and no one so important you have to leave and go back to where you were standing four goddamn times. FOUR GODDAMN TIMES. You aren't using the bathroom, you aren't getting food. Did you decide to mainline heroin during that first trip away from the stage? Stop following the shiny things everywhere, there's more if you just pay attention to what's in front of you, that's what everybody else here is doing. Be a lemming, follow the crowd.
and finally,
Those Asshole Who Feel They Have To Mosh and/or Slam Dance At Every Halfway Loud Song:
Fuck off you brainless waste of space, flesh, and genitalia. I seriously hope you never reproduce, because obviously your critical thinking skills have been negated by all the jumping around you do to relieve "aggression" and "emotions". Here's a few rules for everyone out there to follow if you cannot figure out whether or nor to fail your body about in crowd during a band's set.
1. If the band's first few albums are more like free jazz or jazz fusion you aren't allowed to slam dance no matter how loud the next few albums are.
2. If the band in question has released more than six or contemplative songs in the span of two albums, under no question do you mosh, you can pogo though.
3. If at the beginning of the band's set there isn't a mosh pit, don't start one. Bands who have regular mosh crowd always seem to have their pit form before the act starts playing, not after.
4. The band's most recent albums have no moshable songs.
5. You have to mosh to get to other moshers.
6. The band is as old or older than your parents... And you've stopped living with them a few years prior.
7. If more than one person gets crowd surfed to security for being a dick, you're probably next.
And lastly, 8. If it looks like I'm about to commit a horrible range of violence upon your entire being, I am, because your forearm just hit me for the final time.
People, please, Don't be this person.
*With apologies to Lindy West for totally biting her style.
But that's neither here nor there unless you count shameless plugs as somewhere; I want to talk about music, specifically live music. This past weekend I was lucky enough to get a pass to the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle. One of the city's best music festival which may or may not be approaching critical mass if the lack of comfortable space this year is any indication. But really it could be because of the acts in this years line-up. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Thermals, Built To Spill, The Gossip and, most notably, Sonic Youth.
That's right I got to see Sonic Youth play. For free. and It would've been a dream come true if it weren't for certain people, mainly assholes. These people really impacted mine and many others concert experience. To put it mildly, you fuckers made it less great than it should've been. So here are the dicks that ruined a perfectly good moment of my life. Don't be these people.*
The Asshole Who Has To Get Closer After Everyone Else Has Settled Into Their Spot:
I don't mean the people who try to get closer after you've found your spot in the crowd or even the ones who slither through during sound check. No, I'm talking about the people who shove past you after everyone else is without elbow room and then decide to stand right in front of you where you can feel their body heat and you're left wondering if this is the type of person who would screw at a public (frat) party because they seem wholly unconcerned with your crotch very clearly grinding on their body anytime anyone moves.
The Lady With Sunhat, After It Gets Dark:
It's twilight, and I know you've been out here for all day at an outdoor festival and it's been warm. I agree you shouldn't let your shoulders get so red they peel, but now you can take off the hat. Seriously it's blocking my view, they guy next to me's view, his "not a date's" view, the people behind us, and anyone shorter than you within line of sight. Messenger bags are trendy now, buy one for your hat.
The Dude Taller Than Me Who Has To Stand Right In Front Of Me:
I'm shorter than you dick, you don't need to be this close to see everything. You're part of the reason I moved closer anyway, thus putting my ability to hear in the future at stake.
The Drunk and High People Who Keep Moving Through The Crowd:
There is seriously nothing and no one so important you have to leave and go back to where you were standing four goddamn times. FOUR GODDAMN TIMES. You aren't using the bathroom, you aren't getting food. Did you decide to mainline heroin during that first trip away from the stage? Stop following the shiny things everywhere, there's more if you just pay attention to what's in front of you, that's what everybody else here is doing. Be a lemming, follow the crowd.
and finally,
Those Asshole Who Feel They Have To Mosh and/or Slam Dance At Every Halfway Loud Song:
Fuck off you brainless waste of space, flesh, and genitalia. I seriously hope you never reproduce, because obviously your critical thinking skills have been negated by all the jumping around you do to relieve "aggression" and "emotions". Here's a few rules for everyone out there to follow if you cannot figure out whether or nor to fail your body about in crowd during a band's set.
1. If the band's first few albums are more like free jazz or jazz fusion you aren't allowed to slam dance no matter how loud the next few albums are.
2. If the band in question has released more than six or contemplative songs in the span of two albums, under no question do you mosh, you can pogo though.
3. If at the beginning of the band's set there isn't a mosh pit, don't start one. Bands who have regular mosh crowd always seem to have their pit form before the act starts playing, not after.
4. The band's most recent albums have no moshable songs.
5. You have to mosh to get to other moshers.
6. The band is as old or older than your parents... And you've stopped living with them a few years prior.
7. If more than one person gets crowd surfed to security for being a dick, you're probably next.
And lastly, 8. If it looks like I'm about to commit a horrible range of violence upon your entire being, I am, because your forearm just hit me for the final time.
People, please, Don't be this person.
*With apologies to Lindy West for totally biting her style.
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