The 2011 Capitol Hill Block Party was a success- It was three days of great weather, spirits, culture and music in Seattle's hippest neighborhood. FYM's thoughts below on the people who made each day so special to us:
BLOCK PARTY DAY ONE: Thurston Moore hit Friday's main stage with passion and sincerity- rocking through an impressive set of his fuzzy classic sound. Moore spoke of his affection for Seattle, always supporting his music projects, and his love for Elliot Bay Book Company.
Frontman Wes Miles (pictured above) along with the rest of Ra Ra Riot's talented crew- rolled out a pleasant series of hits in front of a packed main stage crowd, proving to be a perfect soundtrack for summer.
Along with the music, The Capitol Hill Block Party is also about supporting a great community. We had the pleasure of running into rockstar hair stylist Franz Falkowski of Emerson Salon (FYM's favorite place to get our haircut in Seattle Washington, USA).
FYM captured a beautiful moment over by The Vera Stage, as a bubble machine added to the relaxed Friday afternoon ambiance. (The Vera Project is an all ages venue, silk-screen studio, art gallery- done right, located in Seattle Center, click HERE for more details).
Seattle hip-hop guru SOL, commanded an epic- ready to party Vera crowd with an inspiring set, followed by autographs and pictures with his fans.
Even outside of the party gates, boundless musicians filled the pockets and alleyways eager to showoff their sonic prowess- The Ten Man Brass Band (pictured above) notice the girl in the lower left-hand corner quietly reading as the monumental sound fills the streets.
BLOCK PARTY DAY TWO: Above, Seattle's Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis (Merge Records), ripped through a fiery set of indie pop confection. The band also features Cody Votolato (The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love, Head Wound City) on guitar.
(click all widescreen photos to expand for detail, like Telekinesis above!)
Our highlight of day two was being able to see The Handsome Furs live for the first time. Dan Boeckner (pictured above) along with his wife Alexei Perry, tore through a foot-stomping collection of jams off their latest record- Sound Kapital (Sub Pop Records).
Along with the hits Boeckner also explained that the husband and wife duo road-tripped the whole way to Seattle from Montreal Canada. And propositioned the audience for any leads to finding some psychedelics (mushrooms). Dan later joked that they already had some, making their next stop in Montana assuredly a memorable one.
It's hard not to be won over by lead singer of Best Coast- Bethany Cosentino. The L.A. trio is an FYM favorite, and they didn't disappoint the animated Seattle crowd. Listen to their triumphant debut Crazy for You on Mexican Summer Records HERE.
BLOCK PARTY DAY THREE: Seattle Blues/Rock outfit My Goodness, dominated the main stage, Sunday at The Capitol Hill Block Party. Now that The White Stripes have called it quits, this guitar/drum duo is, dare we say, primed for position as a contender as the next best thing.
Missed their set? See these guys for free in August at the Mural Amphitheater opening for Black Mountain at the KEXP sponsored event. More info HERE.
The Posies proved that they still play with as much heart as in the ealry 90's. These regional heroes, rocked out in front of a young crowd, laying down all of their hits to some fresh ears, with several dedications along the way.
FYM was super stoked for a surprise guest appearance during The Posies set by Visqueen beauty- Rachel Flotard. We still can't get over how hard this Northwest favorite still rocks live!
FYM's highlight of day three was absolutely BATTLES. The New York trio truly delivered something special on the main stage Sunday afternoon. It's the destruction of standard band composition, subjugating a lead vocalist role in their band, championing video remix, and creating digital rock orchestral perfection.
John Stanier (formerly of Helmet), pictured above, is the backbone of Battles ferocious sound. He plays as Ian Williams mixes vocal stylings of digital entities projected on pixelated backgrounds.
Battles were one of the few bands to hit the main stage during the afternoon with an enteraining backgroud behind them, (plus FYM can always appreciate the use of Helvetica type used well). Learn more about their music HERE.
The Explosions in the Sky closed out Sunday evenings main stage lineup. These Texas post-rock instrumental warriors played with just as much heart as any band we saw over the past three days.
The modern day rock symphony has a new record out in 2011 called Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Listen to their best release yet HERE.
As a whole our weekend at The Capitol Hill Block Party went exceptionally well. It's the perfect-sized event that never fails to deliver top-notch local, regional, and nationally acclaimed music to the heart of an incredible neighborhood in Seattle. Thanks again to Steve Manning and the Block Party crew for making this weekend possible. Want more Capitol Hill Block Party Photos? Like forYoungModerns on Facebook and view our extensive collection of pictures from the entire weekend, HERE. Cheers, FYM.
Words. Graphic. J Thomas Codling. Photos. FYM Posse.
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