It’s that time of year again, and The Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) is coming around the corner. For the last 11 years the party has showcased some rather popular bands, and some pretty obscure names.
This year is no different, with the event hitting Capitol Hill on the weekend of July 24 to 25. The party is all about exposing new music to the Seattle community, and there is no better way to get people together than a party.
The event is spread over two days with more than 50 bands on three different stages. Tickets cost $23 for a one-day pass, and $42 for a two-day pass, and re-entry is allowed.
CHBP features bands, primarily from the underground and independent music scene. Most of the artists hail from the Northwest, with a large number of them from Seattle.
Two bands from the Seattle area, who will be performing at CHBP, are Pica Beats and Earth. Both bands received glowing reviews from kooky local paper The Stranger. According to the weekly publication, Pic
a Beats’ recordings sound “like a handful of orchestra geeks left unsupervised in the band room,” and “their songs read like the work of a library shut-in.”
The periodical also said that Earth, an experimental metal band, are possibly the only band of their genre who “could merit a remix album-2005’s Legacy of Dissolution-featuring contributions from decidedly nonmetal artists like Autechre and Jim O’Rourke.”
The Capital Hill Block Party, which is sponsored The Stranger, will be donating proceeds to the Vera Project and Home Alive.
The Vera Project is a music-arts centre that caters to the youth in Seattle. The non-profit organization is involved in organizing events that attract young people interested in film, music and art in general.
Home Alive is also a non-profit organization that educates and provides public services to prevent violence within the local community. Their goal is to “build a cultural and social movement that puts violence in a context of political, economic and social oppression, and frames safety as a human right.”
While the event gives back to the local community and is host to a plethora of local bands, some nationally renowned acts will be performing.
One of the headlining bands that will be gracing the main stage will be Sonic Youth.
The band has been associated with the No Wave movement, an anti-New Wave establishment of the late seventies and the early eighties. This movement, which was a product of the eclectic New York music scene, contributed heavily to Sonic Youth’s gritty, alternative sound.
Today, they have become a staple to the indie rock scene and have gathered a cult following.
However, cult status doesn’t mean they will be dishing out old classics or a predictable playlist; quite the opposite, Sonic Youth are still churning out prime cuts of rock. Their most recent album, The Eternal, has been well received by critics and fans alike.
Will Hermes, writer for Rolling Stone, said that Sonic Youth’s latest album, “sums up almost everything this band has done over three decades, punk sneers and psychedelic guitars pimping a proudly pretentious belief in rock as art.” Sonic Youth will be playing the main stage on Saturday July 25 at 10:30 p.m.
Another band that will be playing is The Thermals. They are an indie -punk rock band from Portland, Oregon. The group formed in the summer of 2002. After only playing six shows the trio were s
Signed to Sub Pop Records and have been touring around the US and Europe ever since. You can catch the Thermal at the main stage on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Seattle community is known for its diverse culture and ever-expanding art community, full of festivals, concerts, and parties. Regardless of the fact that CHBP is getting larger and larger as time progresses, it still contains the close-knit community feel that gravitated people to it in the first place. So, if you have yet to get your tickets, make sure to snatch them up quick and get ready to experience some of the world’s most talented bands.