SOL and Friends at Hidden Hall

When I heard that Sol was having a birthday show at Hidden Hall on December 7, I was excited to check it out. I hadn’t seen Sol live in years—I think the last time I saw him on stage was before the pandemic. He was a staple of the local underground scene in the 2010s, alongside artists like The Physics, Grynch, Brothers from Another, Dave B, and others. We also both went to UW Seattle at around the same time, and I used to occasionally run into Sol on campus. His music is a blend of playful party songs, socially conscious lyrics, explorations of love and relationships, references to his Haitian background, and appreciation for hip hop culture. He is witty and funny, but also sharply political.

Sol’s birthday show opened up with an artist by the name of Jonah Marks. This was my first time hearing the music of Jonah Marks, because the pandemic caused a disruption in my concert attendance and I fell out of the loop of local hip hop for a while. I enjoyed Jonah’s performance and found it very heartfelt and soulful, and there were a couple of great moments when the audience was holding up their phones and lighters while bobbing their heads to the music.

Next up was Feed the Biirds, a duo consisting of Seattle-based singer and songwriter Camila Recchio, and Los Angeles-based instrumentalist Kush Mody. Their set was full of energy and passion, and I could see how much Camila’s vocal talents have grown over the years. Camila is another UW Seattle alumna who I used to run into, and I remember her being a very kind and sweet person on campus in those days. Her performance for Sol’s birthday was anything but kind and sweet, however. Her stage presence commanded respect, with a fiery vocal delivery matched by Kush Mody’s smooth control of the guitar, keyboard, and bass.

When Sol came out, it was like a blast from the past. He played a mix of old and new songs, fan favorites from the 2010s, and a few songs I hadn’t heard before. It was great to see him on stage full of the same style and swagger that I remember from my college days. In between songs, he made jokes and comments about the state of the world, such as the connection between music streaming, Big Tech corporations, AI, and Israel, reminding the audience that we’re not living in a vacuum, and the music we listen to helps power the killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

A noteworthy moment was when special guests Grynch and Thig Natural from The Physics came out, and the trio performed together. It reminded me of Seattle hip hop in the mid-2010s, when Macklemore had just gotten nationally famous with his album The Heist, and there was a spotlight on the local scene. A time before COVID-19, when some of Seattle’s most talented hip hop artists were collaborating on projects, and you could find exciting shows like this every weekend.

The pandemic created a lot of disruption for the Seattle music scene, and Seattle hip hop was especially affected by it. People stopped actively going to shows, and friend groups based around local music fell apart. Which is why it was such a big goal for me to get back into local hip hop in 2025 and reconnect with old friends and acquaintances who I just don’t see anymore.

Sol’s birthday show at Hidden Hall was a fun time. I saw some familiar faces in the crowd, the music was energetic, passionate, witty, and soulful, and the overall vibe of the evening was very positive. In a way, celebrating Sol’s birthday was also a celebration of local music itself.

A few words from the contributor:

Hello, readers. My name is Ivan Mrsic, and I’m the newest contributor to the PlayxEar blog. My columns will focus on the hip hop scene in Seattle. A bit of background info on myself: I have been attending local music shows and concerts since I was in high school in the mid-2000s. My first underground hip hop show was Ra Scion opening up for KRS-One at the old Chop Suey in 2005. Ever since then, I’ve been a big supporter of local hip hop, and I know a ton of people in this community.