Slowdive Dives Headfirst Into the Paramount

The concert tonight got started with Creepoid who opened up for Slowdive at the legendary Paramount Theater in Seattle. A night filled with big music and big energy. Creepoid hails from Philadelphia and brings shoegaze as well as a heavier, more melodic side to shoegaze that rocked the theater. The band, in a way, was one of the best openers I had seen for a show like this in Seattle. The city, being known for the heavier punk scene, felt extremely fitting for a band like Creepoid to bring a nice fusion of the two scenes together. Their heavy bass mixed with soft and dreamy guitar leads weighted down the sound to our ears. Creepoid will open for the last show the US tour in Oregon as well.

Slowdive is one of the founding bands of the genre, shoegaze. The UK band is best known for their 1994 album, Souvlaki. If you’re unfamiliar, long notes and soft chords build an atmosphere of dreamy ambience and wonder. As Slowdive played, the large room of the Paramount Theater swelled with the sounds and droning of massive chords. A wave of sound and the slow beat of the drums could be felt all the way in the front entrance.

The dreaminess and soft nature of the music made this one interesting to shoot because instead of pointing and looking for the action, I felt like every shot I took had to be super intentional and have the power of the lights, stage, and music to really complete each shot. As Slowdive played, the crowd couldn’t help but sway to the sounds and feel of the music. The whole venue was like an ecosystem, each piece feeding off one another as the music continued. Perfect for long drives and nighttime hangs, Slowdive brings the best of the genre to one of their final west coast shows before heading back over the pond in June.