Because I was in Redmond celebrating Sub Pop all day yesterday, I missed everything Seattle had to offer, like Lisa Loeb falling in love with Donte Parks, and this impromptu pop show at the Fremont Troll. Luckily, Stranger contributor Matt Garman was still around to catch it.

In a bit of last-minute promotion via Myspace, I was clued-in to a free acoustic pop show at the Fremont Troll on Saturday afternoon at 4pm. The show was supposed to be Cristina Bautista from Connecticut Four (formerly of Paxil Rose), D. Crane of BOAT, and Eric Michener aka Fishboy. The afternoon was beautiful, the price was right, it was very near my nest in Ballard, and the confused tourists would be priceless to observe.

^{Photo by Keenan Dowers}

D. Crane couldn’t make it, and instead of being simply a Cristina Bautista solo engagement, it turned out to be an acoustic performance from her new band. Surrounded by a crowd of 30 or so people with the afternoon heat peaking, Ms. Bautista perched under the Troll’s nose to play a few songs on the ukulele. In spite of the traffic thumping overhead and the chopper cycles rumbling past, Bautista’s voice carried well. She performed a couple of her own songs, a Ted Leo cover (“Hours”), and was then joined by C4’s drummer Valerie Brogden (ex-Mechanical Dolls), who… tap danced. Not on the dusty (dusty!) ground, but a board of as-is lumber. It was bizarre, and the first of many utterly charming moments throughout the afternoon. Next C4 guitarist Meghan Kessinger (ex-Racetrack) grabbed her acoustic, Bautista scooted down from the Troll, ditching the ukulele for an acoustic guitar of her own, and suddenly we were witnessing the sorta Seattle debut of Connecticut Four.

^{Photo by Keenan Dowers}

All band members agree that this was not a Connecticut Four show, properly speaking, but nevertheless the trio ran through three unplugged versions of songs from their set list, with foot-stomping in tap shoes to suffice for drumming. They are a power pop group, with catchy melodies and compelling stage (er, earth?) presence. The fact that everyone involved has already been in an accomplished band is evident, even in the dirty space before the Troll. They do not have a show booked yet in Seattle, but are playing the Old Foundry in Bellingham on August 14.

The tourists were daunted by the performance, wondering how to get pictures of their kids in front of the Troll without a band being in it. Eric Michener of Fishboy encouraged them to take their photos throughout his set of twee pop, and so indeed they did. Watching Asians, Europeans, and Texans wander up behind him to pose was amusing and perfectly weird, if that makes any sense. A tourist in his own right from Denton TX, Michener meanwhile confidently stalked the open ground, accompanied by Adam “Sweatpants” Avramescu on trumpet, tambourine, egg shaker, and harmony vocals. Sweatpants clambered up onto the Troll’s hands and head, dropping in trumpet solos with remarkable skill, then landing with a thump and a cloud of rolling dust. He also kicked up dust as percussion, and generally complimented Michener’s disarming presence.

The entire experience was disarming, a reminder that the best shows have unexpected moments. It’s easy to get jaded with show after show in the same old venues. The setting, the tap dancing, the tourists and the traffic made it special, and I am so glad I didn’t miss it to see Fleet Foxes in Redmond.