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Sunday, July 26, 2009
Block Party Thank You Capitol Hill Block Party
Posted by Kelly O on Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 3:21 AM
I'm home. So tired. But, can just take this time right here, right now, to thank David Meinert and every other hundred(s) or so people that made the Block Party happen? For lots of reasons, one being that I just stood 3 feet away from Sonic Youth and Kim Gordon. I just took this picture. FUCK. Kim Gordon, I love you. Also, it's 3:00 am and some neighbors in my apartment building are having really *really* loud obnoxious (loud!) sex. I kinda wanna go knock on the door, and give 'em a hush, but, eh, I still believe in love. Let us always, and forever, just have a daydream nation.
1
good for you. i was back in the crowd of morons and it fucking sucked.
but they encored with "death valley '69", and then all was right with the world. well, almost.
but they encored with "death valley '69", and then all was right with the world. well, almost.
2
Im glad someone got to see sonic youth.
I couldnt find a single spot in the two block long concert area where i could see the stage. Im 6 feet tall. Ive been attending shows for 25 years now and this was near the worst, most poorly considered staging ive seen ( or not seen to be more accurate). Was there some reason for a full hour between the gossip and sonic youth? Id like a refund since I did not get to see what I paid to see. Also, the sound was horrid, especially for the jesus lizards set. maybe it was a great show if you were three feet away from kim gordon ..for me and everyone else around me...it was not even a show.
I couldnt find a single spot in the two block long concert area where i could see the stage. Im 6 feet tall. Ive been attending shows for 25 years now and this was near the worst, most poorly considered staging ive seen ( or not seen to be more accurate). Was there some reason for a full hour between the gossip and sonic youth? Id like a refund since I did not get to see what I paid to see. Also, the sound was horrid, especially for the jesus lizards set. maybe it was a great show if you were three feet away from kim gordon ..for me and everyone else around me...it was not even a show.
4
@2 I'm a little over 6' and saw just fine. Between Gossip & Sonic Youth I was LOVING Future of the Left. You missed out, dude.
5
The sound seemed way more muffled on Saturday. On Friday I had no problem hearing Built to Spill when I was standing by the Comet, but on Saturday I was in the same spot and everything sounded so far away.
Since we couldn't see anyway, we went to the Shell station parking lot and the cops let us stand next to the stage for at least half an hour where things sounded great. They put on such an amazing show.
Since we couldn't see anyway, we went to the Shell station parking lot and the cops let us stand next to the stage for at least half an hour where things sounded great. They put on such an amazing show.
6
This was a case of truly having to fight for your right to party (I don't think I've ever said those words before now).
I'm still a little sore from watching Sonic Youth last night. I'm a little under 5'4". The only seat in the house was standing on a bike rack, the view was sort of magical.
I'm still a little sore from watching Sonic Youth last night. I'm a little under 5'4". The only seat in the house was standing on a bike rack, the view was sort of magical.
7
Wah wah wah.
I exited the beer garden as the Gossip finished, and I had no trouble getting to within 20 yards of the stage for Sonic Youth. And I wasn't even one of those assholes pushing through an unmoving crowd, there were streams of people getting through to the front just fine as people cleared out.
If you're complaining about not getting a good spot for the one set you came to see, you're basically complaining about your poor planning, not the Block Party's. What did you expect? That you could waltz up to the stage as Sonic Youth started playing?
And that hour in between sets? If you had bothered to try and get a decent spot for the show, you would have noticed that there were people working on loading off and setting up that entire hour. It wasn't leisure time for the people running this show.
Ya'll act like you've never been to a big concert before and sound like a bunch of entitled babies.
I exited the beer garden as the Gossip finished, and I had no trouble getting to within 20 yards of the stage for Sonic Youth. And I wasn't even one of those assholes pushing through an unmoving crowd, there were streams of people getting through to the front just fine as people cleared out.
If you're complaining about not getting a good spot for the one set you came to see, you're basically complaining about your poor planning, not the Block Party's. What did you expect? That you could waltz up to the stage as Sonic Youth started playing?
And that hour in between sets? If you had bothered to try and get a decent spot for the show, you would have noticed that there were people working on loading off and setting up that entire hour. It wasn't leisure time for the people running this show.
Ya'll act like you've never been to a big concert before and sound like a bunch of entitled babies.
8
I'm pretty much with 7. I showed up toward the end of The Gossip's set, found it pretty packed and thought I'd barely have a view of Sonic Youth. But in the break in between I had no problem getting up in the front area as others cleared out, and for quite a while there was empty space to be had in pretty close proximity to the stage. And I'm a good 4 inches shorter than you, @2.
9
I'm old enough to probably be the fathers of most of the audience for both Gossip and SY sets (in theory, not literally!)... I had a period a few years ago where I was cranky about the fighting-for-your-spot part, but now once I accepted this is clearly a Generation Y and Generation Z crowd here, I was kinda happy that I got over that crankiness, even if securing my spot upfront was painful at times. The Eternal is an amazing record, and this live set was even more amazing.
Gossip's set was really great. THIS is the reason they will become huge. And I really appreciated Beth's shout-out for The Need, who are grossly overlooked to this day. And the surprise acappella encore of "We Are The Champions" was a wonderful metaphor, especially with the crowd joining in to sing the rest.
This is eerily reminiscent of the "Dirty Boots" video.. but I did see a young couple in front of me saying to themselves "this is like the most amazing show ever", and they seemed to have bonded over it. So I have one confirmation of two people's lives possibly changed because of the CHBP 2009. (No, they didn't stage-dive in slo-mo though, lol.)
Gossip's set was really great. THIS is the reason they will become huge. And I really appreciated Beth's shout-out for The Need, who are grossly overlooked to this day. And the surprise acappella encore of "We Are The Champions" was a wonderful metaphor, especially with the crowd joining in to sing the rest.
This is eerily reminiscent of the "Dirty Boots" video.. but I did see a young couple in front of me saying to themselves "this is like the most amazing show ever", and they seemed to have bonded over it. So I have one confirmation of two people's lives possibly changed because of the CHBP 2009. (No, they didn't stage-dive in slo-mo though, lol.)
10
I'll also add that the Block Party stepped up their game at a huge risk this year, and it paid off in reputation in my eyes (and hopefully literally paid off.) I'm GLAD they made more of a walkable festival instead of a literally block party-- but with locals supplying the food instead of the same elephants ears/brick of fries/gyros places you see at all the other festivals. (I like the latter food, but it was nice to have a change, and get Really Good Pizza at a rock fest for a change, and not have it be as over-charged.)
I want One Reel to succeed, but between this, Sasquatch this year, and the Georgetown music fest, Bumbershoot is looking way more past its prime than ever before.
I can count the complaints on one hand, but:
* it was hard to get much needed water to drink in the festival. Possibly hard to avoid given the heat and humidity.
* it was a little confusing to first get your tickets. I had a different answer from every security guy
* More signs warning of fainting or heat stroke. I was next to a couple of people who passed out due to dehydration. Good thing it was actually cloudy. Had it been sunny all day, this would have been worse.
That said, these are common shortcomings with festivals, and for a first shot as something this relatively large in scale for the Block Party, it was pulled off really really well. I was really happy.
(A lot of people above complain about the crowd. I don't count concert-goers' behavior as a shortcoming of the festival, as that's not the festival's fault. That's just what you deal with at rock shows.)
I want One Reel to succeed, but between this, Sasquatch this year, and the Georgetown music fest, Bumbershoot is looking way more past its prime than ever before.
I can count the complaints on one hand, but:
* it was hard to get much needed water to drink in the festival. Possibly hard to avoid given the heat and humidity.
* it was a little confusing to first get your tickets. I had a different answer from every security guy
* More signs warning of fainting or heat stroke. I was next to a couple of people who passed out due to dehydration. Good thing it was actually cloudy. Had it been sunny all day, this would have been worse.
That said, these are common shortcomings with festivals, and for a first shot as something this relatively large in scale for the Block Party, it was pulled off really really well. I was really happy.
(A lot of people above complain about the crowd. I don't count concert-goers' behavior as a shortcoming of the festival, as that's not the festival's fault. That's just what you deal with at rock shows.)
12
Unfortunately the crowd for me detracted from SY, who otherwise totally rocked. But I got burned by a cigarette, pushed and shoved HARD, and so finally gave up after about 45 minutes of standing on tip-toe to see Kim and Thurston (I'm 5'8 and was standing nearby that apartment balcony of dancing ladies). I SO hate to be an old fogey, but I've been seeing bands for 25 years (I'm 38) and that was one of the rudest crowds of jerks, almost all of whom (the jerks) were young kids, that I've been a part of.
And, okay, I have to say it, but "kids today" need to understand that its fun to push around, rock out and dance, etc, but shoving and cussing and CIGARETTE BURNING is totally uncool. And not in the spirit of rock, or Sonic Youth, if think about it. So chill, kids!
All that said, does anyone have a Sonic Youth set list, since I missed out on the end of the show?
And, okay, I have to say it, but "kids today" need to understand that its fun to push around, rock out and dance, etc, but shoving and cussing and CIGARETTE BURNING is totally uncool. And not in the spirit of rock, or Sonic Youth, if think about it. So chill, kids!
All that said, does anyone have a Sonic Youth set list, since I missed out on the end of the show?
13
Enough about your sight-lines to the stage. Did anyone listen to the show or am I the only one that heard Sonic Youth aurally create the Big Bang or a Nuclear blast followed by a relentless and burning dry wind? That was the most astound and awesome sound I have ever witnessed. I may not have seen the end of the world, but I can now say I have heard it. Thank you Sonic Youth!
14
hey mitten i was over there too. terrible terrible crowd full of young 'uns who had no idea what they were doing...they just seemed to be moving forward for no reason. i wanted to grab them and say, "do you even know the name of this song? do you even know the name OF THIS GROUP???".
and number 7, good for you. i wish i had planned better but you have to admit that if you were more than 10 yards away from the stage (like most of the crowd) the view and the sound sucked.
and number 7, good for you. i wish i had planned better but you have to admit that if you were more than 10 yards away from the stage (like most of the crowd) the view and the sound sucked.
15
The Vera stage had some STELLAR bands play this year. I was really impressed. I spent a fair amount of time at Vera & Neumos and was really into the Sat. line up. A Lonely Forest were pretty stunning. Wild Orchid Children were the surprise newfound local band (for me) of the weekend and Future of the Left gave SY a run for their money.
The festival was well worth the cost of admission. I don't know Meinart. Nor do I know why people bad mouth him all the time. Organizing these types of events can be a nightmare. I give the organizers mad props for addressing some of the complaints from last year (of which I had many). I vowed never to go again, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt after they addressed some of the problems. I was glad I did. I had a blast. I don't know that this was the ideal configuration, but it was a definite improvement upon last year's set up.
We are lucky to have an event like this in the neighborhood. Lucky. The businesses and residents of the area should be APPLAUDED for sharing their space with us. I'm sure for some it was a serious hardship. This is my neighborhood; I live a few blocks away from those most impacted. As the neighborhood grows (and it will), new residents should be forewarned that these events will occur. And we should be grateful that they do. Do not take this festival for granted. I've seen similar events in other cities go away because of excessive complaining.
Improvements for next year:
a) More water. Pitchfork had a trough for people to fill up water bottles last year. At 90+ degrees, it was a godsend. Look into it.
b) Get a bathroom clean up crew at Neumos. That shit (literally) was disgusting!
c) Even more food vendors in the parking lot. The selections were pretty limited, especially if you just wanted a snack and not a full street food meal.
Thanks again to all. Esp. the bar staff, venders and servers who were slammed.
More...
The festival was well worth the cost of admission. I don't know Meinart. Nor do I know why people bad mouth him all the time. Organizing these types of events can be a nightmare. I give the organizers mad props for addressing some of the complaints from last year (of which I had many). I vowed never to go again, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt after they addressed some of the problems. I was glad I did. I had a blast. I don't know that this was the ideal configuration, but it was a definite improvement upon last year's set up.
We are lucky to have an event like this in the neighborhood. Lucky. The businesses and residents of the area should be APPLAUDED for sharing their space with us. I'm sure for some it was a serious hardship. This is my neighborhood; I live a few blocks away from those most impacted. As the neighborhood grows (and it will), new residents should be forewarned that these events will occur. And we should be grateful that they do. Do not take this festival for granted. I've seen similar events in other cities go away because of excessive complaining.
Improvements for next year:
a) More water. Pitchfork had a trough for people to fill up water bottles last year. At 90+ degrees, it was a godsend. Look into it.
b) Get a bathroom clean up crew at Neumos. That shit (literally) was disgusting!
c) Even more food vendors in the parking lot. The selections were pretty limited, especially if you just wanted a snack and not a full street food meal.
Thanks again to all. Esp. the bar staff, venders and servers who were slammed.
16
fair enough, Im a big crybaby and apparently most of you could see just fine. what was I expecting? not to waltz right up and get a great view of sonic youth, but to at least be able to see little blips on the stage from a block away like at any other large show. I dunno...a taller stage? a steeper hill maybe? No biggie, that'll be my last large show, I know im too old to enjoy this kind of thing anymore.
I knew the crowd would be a bunch of tools so that much I expected, I just thought maybe I'd also get to see the bands to make enduring the endless elbows to the side, cigarette burns, and weird people touching me for no apparent reason at all, worth the considerable effort. oops..sorry Im crying again. glad you all could see and had a good time. I'll shut my piehole and go away now. :)
neumos stage, staff and sound were excellent. so Im not a total dick (as far as you know)
I knew the crowd would be a bunch of tools so that much I expected, I just thought maybe I'd also get to see the bands to make enduring the endless elbows to the side, cigarette burns, and weird people touching me for no apparent reason at all, worth the considerable effort. oops..sorry Im crying again. glad you all could see and had a good time. I'll shut my piehole and go away now. :)
neumos stage, staff and sound were excellent. so Im not a total dick (as far as you know)
17
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
$25 DOS/$42 adv. two-day pass
18
#17, block parties also feature your white hippie neighbor's mariachi band and not Sonic Youth & other nationally famous acts, so get over it.
19
@12
01 No Way
02 Sacred Trickster
03 Calming the Snake
04 Stereo Sanctity
05 Poison Arrow
06 Walkin Blue
07 Anti-Orgasm
08 Hey Joni
09 Antenna
10 Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso)
11 Massage the History
12 ’Cross the Breeze
ENCORE
13 What We Know
14 Death Valley ’69
01 No Way
02 Sacred Trickster
03 Calming the Snake
04 Stereo Sanctity
05 Poison Arrow
06 Walkin Blue
07 Anti-Orgasm
08 Hey Joni
09 Antenna
10 Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso)
11 Massage the History
12 ’Cross the Breeze
ENCORE
13 What We Know
14 Death Valley ’69
20
@17 then move it to somewhere other than in the middle of the fucking street and stop calling it a block party when all it is about is GREED
PURE GREED
PURE GREED
21
So wait, The Stranger is essentially giving themselves a blowjob over their own job well done at the Capitol Hill Block Party, whose main attraction, Sonic Youth, did little except for shitting out some amp noise in the 1980s? Dammit, Stranger, I at least expect some EFFORT to not cum to the thought of yourself!
BTW, the only good band there was most likely the Japandroids, the rest of the lineup looked like it sucked balls.
Fuck Sonic Youth, fuck The Stranger's self-fellating writers, fuck their little block party. Wait 'till Bumbershoot, that's how a festival should be done. Until The Stranger pulls a GOOD lineup out of their collective assholes, I'm not seeing jack shit that the Stranger's put on, it's just better for everyone involved.
BTW, the only good band there was most likely the Japandroids, the rest of the lineup looked like it sucked balls.
Fuck Sonic Youth, fuck The Stranger's self-fellating writers, fuck their little block party. Wait 'till Bumbershoot, that's how a festival should be done. Until The Stranger pulls a GOOD lineup out of their collective assholes, I'm not seeing jack shit that the Stranger's put on, it's just better for everyone involved.
24
Sonic Youth are still amazing, but WAY TOO BIG to play a little festival like this. I could actually hear them a lot better from outside, and I didn;t get smushed. Next year, I'm just going to listen from outside.
25
@16 "No biggie, that'll be my last large show, I know im too old to enjoy this kind of thing anymore."
I was too old for large shows a long time ago, not because I'm a cry baby - at least not about crowds. It's because large shows suck. I can have a really good time packed into the tinniest of spaces with a lot of people. I love packed shows a the Comet. But big shows are way different - you can feel completely detached from the the band and the music in that kind of crowd. To much distance and more immediate things happening to you. In a smaller place It can feel like everyone is on the same page.
I had a good line of site above he crowd for Sonic Youth and with them I don't mind being able to see or even closing my eyes altogether because.... well auger described the sound pretty well. If I wasn't nuts about Sonic Youth for all the right reasons I wouldn't want to hang out in that crowd.
I was too old for large shows a long time ago, not because I'm a cry baby - at least not about crowds. It's because large shows suck. I can have a really good time packed into the tinniest of spaces with a lot of people. I love packed shows a the Comet. But big shows are way different - you can feel completely detached from the the band and the music in that kind of crowd. To much distance and more immediate things happening to you. In a smaller place It can feel like everyone is on the same page.
I had a good line of site above he crowd for Sonic Youth and with them I don't mind being able to see or even closing my eyes altogether because.... well auger described the sound pretty well. If I wasn't nuts about Sonic Youth for all the right reasons I wouldn't want to hang out in that crowd.
26
Great party except this year, as many have said, the stage was TOO LOW!!! I couldn't see the bands on the mainstage. It needs to be higher please.
27
Are you guys done sucking your own dicks over your little half-assed hipster party?
how bad did capitol hill get trashed? I hope you are out there cleaning it up, since you didn't last year
how bad did capitol hill get trashed? I hope you are out there cleaning it up, since you didn't last year
28
"But big shows are way different - you can feel completely detached from the the band and the music in that kind of crowd."
I share this sentiment, but I do think the crowd-factor is part of it. At a big show at the Showbox or even say the Tacoma Dome, everyone is there for the same reason, they love the band are into it. At festivals 50%-75% of the crowd often aren't really into the band you're watching, they don't know the songs, they are in a totally different place. You've lost the intimacy and energy of a small show from the get go, but then you also of a fucked up crowd vibe where you aren't all in it together. That's pretty much most festivals unless they are really genre specific. And sound is always pretty bad when it's outside...
I share this sentiment, but I do think the crowd-factor is part of it. At a big show at the Showbox or even say the Tacoma Dome, everyone is there for the same reason, they love the band are into it. At festivals 50%-75% of the crowd often aren't really into the band you're watching, they don't know the songs, they are in a totally different place. You've lost the intimacy and energy of a small show from the get go, but then you also of a fucked up crowd vibe where you aren't all in it together. That's pretty much most festivals unless they are really genre specific. And sound is always pretty bad when it's outside...
29
@7 & @8. i disagree. i arrived early, and had a nice spot a little behind the sound booth (not that close). it was relatively roomy when we moved there. about three songs into the set a bunch of people started pushing, and ... uh... moshing, and it was not pleasant at all.
i understand people wanting to push to the front at the last minute, but people were starting to be really aggressive and assholeish about it.
really, the only thing you can say to me is that if i don't want to get pushed, i shouldn't go to a show. because your other comments do not apply. i arrived early, found a place where it wasn't crowded, and still wasn't close enough to see much of anything.
i'm not being entitled; some people made it impossible to enjoy from even as far back as we were. it was the entitled people showing up at the start of the set and just pushing through that ruined it.
many of those people you refer to as streaming out? i was one of them after my date was burned by a cigarette and then smashed into the side railing. she did not feel safe, and could not enjoy the show.
i understand people wanting to push to the front at the last minute, but people were starting to be really aggressive and assholeish about it.
really, the only thing you can say to me is that if i don't want to get pushed, i shouldn't go to a show. because your other comments do not apply. i arrived early, found a place where it wasn't crowded, and still wasn't close enough to see much of anything.
i'm not being entitled; some people made it impossible to enjoy from even as far back as we were. it was the entitled people showing up at the start of the set and just pushing through that ruined it.
many of those people you refer to as streaming out? i was one of them after my date was burned by a cigarette and then smashed into the side railing. she did not feel safe, and could not enjoy the show.
30
As i was standing at the edge of the pit in the 21+ section, I looked down and saw that someone had dropped their 7" knife.
This was my first time seeing SY. Didn't really expect the violent, knife carrying, drunk, pit kind of crowd.
This was my first time seeing SY. Didn't really expect the violent, knife carrying, drunk, pit kind of crowd.
31
Also, during the Pains set, the lead singer mentioned that it was Thurston's birthday and joked about how he was only 16. Then a U.W. girl in frond of me turned to her friend and said, "wow, he's only 16." yeesh...
32
i didn't get a chance to go to the block party this year, and am not a huge sonic youth fan, but thurston moore and kim gordon came into my store on saturday in belltown doing a little shopping and man, they are indeed fucking cool. so fucking cool.
33
Dudes push-pitting to Sonic Youth in the beer garden... what a sad, tragic display.
OLD PEOPLE: I'm 22 and I was getting pissed off by your ilk shoving each other like they were 12-year-olds at a fucking Rage Against The Machine concert.
OLD PEOPLE: I'm 22 and I was getting pissed off by your ilk shoving each other like they were 12-year-olds at a fucking Rage Against The Machine concert.
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