Capitol Hill Block Party 2016 Recap

July 28, 2016 playxear Leave a comment

The 20th anniversary of the Capitol Hill Block Party was everything we expected and more. This weekend was not only a chance to hear some amazing music but also gave us the opportunity to network and interact with people within our city. Wherever you decided to stand or sit it was easy to just start a conversation with others around you.

There was no shortage of talent both local and international making the event one of my favorite outings this year. The weather was more

than cooperative in Seattle and Capitol Hill filled with crowds ready to have a fun time in the beautiful summer atmosphere. Below are our favorite moments from this years CHBP which we already can’t wait for the next one.

While everyone was eager to see Washed Out on Friday night the real party was happening at the Neumos stage where Zoolab X King Snake closed the night out with an intense laser show and an surprise appearance by Maiah Manser. There was a lot of dancing on the floor that was fueled by the drum and beats that were provided freely.

Odesza played to a sold out crowd in their hometown as they keep rising to the top of the dance world. They brought out a marching band on stage and surprise guest Tom Eddy of Beat Connection. Saturday night ended with an amazing set that had everyone dancing around on the streets.

There is never a dull moment when you’re part of a STRFKR show. They came out dressed as astronauts along with their friends on stage, some of them crowd surfed in inflatable swans later, brought inflatable dinosaurs, and Pearl Nelson came out to sing with them. So.much.fun.

The J GRGRY show at Barboza was probably my favorite act there on Sunday. The visuals along with the songs tied so well together it made for a magical moment. Didn’t know much about them but I was happy to check them out as they were really good.

This year also brought Thunderpussy back but this time on the main stage Saturday. There were a lot of riffs, bass notes, loud drumming, and explosive singing done that were probably illegal on some level of awesome. The ladies brought out dancers, pabst, and a lot of rock n roll to the hill. You’re welcome Seattle.

CHVRCHES was probably my favorite act of the festival simply because I wasn’t expecting to enjoy them so much. But I did. More than I could ever imagine, the night ended and I wanted more hoping they would come back to town soon. Martin Doherty stopped for a moment to comment on the swing coming out of the loft of the first floor close to the stage. Lauren Mayberry caught herself projected on one of the apartment building walls and laughed, “I’m like Godzilla”. More like an angel who came from heaven to serenade us. I’ve never heard an artist so crystal clear at a festival, making the performance even more impressing.

MO played the first night of the festival proving that maybe she should’ve been the headliner that night. Her performances are so strange but you just can’t go anywhere else as she just draws you in. She ended her set with “Lean On” and crowd surfed towards the end that made it one of my favorite moments of the weekend.

The amount of local artists that were part of the festival is something we need to mention as that was really a treat. Iska Dhaaf, Tangerine, SassyBlack, The Spider Ferns, Manatee Commune, Grizzled Mighty, Duke Evers, Dude York, Acapulco Lips, Lisa Prank, DoNormaal, Wild Powwers, and Porter Ray were some of our favorites giving us such a proud feeling about the music coming out of Seattle at the moment.

Joy Formidable rocking out early in the day was one of the best things ever. All members were on point feeding off each other but Davies and Thomas stole the show. Thomas was strategically placed on the right side of the stage destroying his drum duties making it a joy to watch him play.

It was my first time catching Big Wild and I really liked the energy he put out and all the dancing I got in at his set. He really brought the party on the main stage and so did his light production. He was transmitting great vibes and the audience followed along without complaint.