Photos: Capitol Hill Block Party w/ Hey Marseilles

Posted on 08/24/2013 by BBS

Seattle’s own Hey Marseilles played the main stage this year at Capitol Hill Block Party. They’re heading on an October tour which will take them all the way across the country to cities such as Brooklyn, NY and Dallas, TX. United States: Look out for this charming band!

Hey Marseilles – photo by Abby Williamson

Hey Marseilles – photo by Simon Krane

Hey Marseilles – photos by Abby Williamson

Hey Marseilles – photos by Simon Krane

Hey Marseilles – photos by Abby Williamson

Hey Marseilles – photos by Simon Krane

Show Review & Photos: We The Kings @ Showbox at the Market

Posted on 08/22/2013 by BBS

We The Kings @ Showbox at the Market, 7/23
Show Review & Photos by Heather Fitzpatrick

We The Kings envisioned a tour that would embrace the adventure and fun the months of summer bring, thus creating Summer Fest 2013. This national tour brought them to Showbox at the Market on July 23rd. Opening bands for this stop included: Breathe Carolina, T. Mills, The Ready Set, and Keep It Cute. I’ve enjoyed seeing We The Kings perform over the years in different settings and seeing their fanbase grow steadily. This may be in part to the daily “diary” type videos bassist Charles Trippy and his wife produce, keeping fans even closer to the band than ever. These videos allow fans to get a glimpse into the band’s daily lives and what they do on and off stage. For this tour, they have also brought a photographer friend (Josiah Vandien) along to document each show, posting personal pics to the band’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. We The Kings continue to make more personal connections with fans because of their song content. For example, one of their newest singles, “Just Keep Breathing” was inspired by lead singer, Travis Clark’s personal battle with bullying. It has resonated with fans, and has become more than just a hit song for the band. Their shows are fun, energetic, and inspiring. . . and I’m not just talking about how I perceive the fans in the crowd. The band exemplifies these traits from the stage, making their shows an even more inspiring experience. They love what they do, and it shows. The fans love what the band brings to the stage, and it shows. I’ll definitely see them time and time again.

We The Kings

Photos: Capitol Hill Block Party Day 1, Fri. w/ Radiation City, Grave Babies, Fly Moon Royalty, Bleached, Danny Brown & More

Posted on 08/13/2013 by BBS

Streets and clubs on Capitol Hill swelled with attendees for Day 1 of Capitol Hill Block Party as the day offered Seattle acts Grave Babies and Fly Moon Royalty, plus visiting acts Bleached and Radiation City. That’s just the beginning of Block Party. All photos by Simon Krane:

Radiation City

Grave Babies

Atmosphere at Girl Talk

Fly Moon Royalty

Danny Brown

Bleached

Atmosphere at Dillon Francis

Photos: Rat City Rollergirls @ KeyArena

Posted on 08/11/2013 by Kirk

Although I recall watching roller derby on television 20+ years ago, this was my first experience to see it in person – and photographing it was a challenge. The event was the last of the season and it was against two respected teams from New York City. The first bout of the evening was the Rat City Rain of Terror vs. the Gotham Girls Roller Derby Wall St. Traitors followed by the main event, the Rat City All Stars vs. the Gotham Girls Roller Derby All Stars. While the outcome wasn’t what the hometown fans would have liked, it was absolutely clear that they love their Rat City Rollergirls.

Rat City Rollergirls

Review & Photos: Capitol Hill Block Party, Day 2, Sat. w/ Brent Amaker and the Rodeo, Pickwick, Purity Ring & More

Posted on 08/10/2013 by BBS

Capitol Hill Block Party, Day 2 – Sat. w/ Brent Amaker and the Rodeo, Pickwick, Purity Ring & More
Photos by Abby Williamson & Simon Krane
Review by Abby Williamson

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo – photo by Simon Krane

It’s almost unbelievable how different Block Party felt on day 2 compared to day 1. With bands like Rose Windows and Pickwick bringing the soul and Country Lips and Brent Amaker and the Rodeo with their old school country, the day felt much more relaxed – and definitely way more up my alley.

A few of my other favorites from that day included Seattle’s own Land of Pines and The Flavr Blue. Land of Pines brought a considerable crowd out to the Vera Stage in the 5 o’clock heat, and they reminded that crowd several times throughout their set – “stay hydrated, guys!” The Flavr Blue filled Neumo’s with their upbeat and dance floor-ready hip-hop. But the biggest out-of-towners of the day, Purity Ring – killed it on the mainstage. Their eerie brand of “nightmare pop” as I like to call it translated across the three blocks of Capitol Hill, which is pretty crazy considering it’s just two people up on that stage with a bunch of weird hanging light fixtures.

To close out the night, local darlings Pickwick brought it home, so to speak. I’ve seen Pickwick in all kinds of venues, from an outdoor at the Seattle Center Mural Stage to the Crocodile, a Presbyterian church in Tacoma to the opening day of the Mariners. Their journey to being “Seattle Hipster Band” has certainly been an exciting one, and it was kind of amazing to see what kind of response they got on the main stage. It felt so great that I stayed in the middle of the crowd for the whole show, heavy camera gear and all.

(Editor’s note: See more of Williamson’s photos here.)