After arriving at the campground’s adjacent to the Gorge, I had to literally run to the Yeti stage where I could already hear Pearl Dragon’s voice in the air. I laughed at myself the whole way because I never run. Champagne Champagne was in perfect form; the best I’ve ever seen them. I watched them perform, working my camera and the crowd while sweat started to drip. The sweating and the great music continued throughout the weekend. Here are some Blush highlights from the weekend:

Blush @ the Wild Horses Monument

M. Ward rocked a vintage Gibson- and has a striking resemblance to Seattle’s Mark Pickerel. Weird?

Annie Clark; St. Vincent

Spencer Moody said the word “FAGGOTS” during the Murder City Devils Main Stage performance…I was on the Jumbotron screen

Nate (Mad Rad), Thomas (Champagne) and Kelly O’Neil (The Stranger) pose with the main stage behind them.

Jane’s Addiction

Fences and Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Fences

Kings Of Leon

Anthony from Hockey

Passion Pit

Santigold

Santigold’s RAD shoes

Thanks St. Vincent and KEXP for making this happen!

Murder City Devils

The beloved Seattle goth rock band played the second night of a double header at the Showbox at the Market as part of a West Coast reunion tour. The group split in 2001 when Hardy left the band, and have played a few gigs here and there since 2006, but nothing of this magnitude. Part of the cause for celebration is Sub Pop’s limited edition vinyl reissue of all the Devils’ albums, which are for sale exclusively on this tour.

The Devils were joined by openers Past Lives at both Seattle shows and in Vancouver, B.C. and Portland before the Devils headed on to San Francisco. This local shrieking post-punk act rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the Blood Brothers demise in 2007. The mic was not very audible, causing Devin Welch’s saucy guitar riffs to drown out singer Jordan Blilie’s virile wails so that they sounded more like an impression of vocals. Aesthetically, the group is a sight to behold. The rapid motion of drummer Mark Gajadhar’s long limbs thrashing out the beat begins to resemble an octopus pummeling floor toms and smashing at cymbals.

Blilie is downright regal, like a prince in rebellion, with his straight legged, knees locked rocker stance. The man is an undeniable sex-bomb dreamboat, a collective gasp of excitement escaping from many a female in the crowd who got a peek-a-boo at his bare elfish torso when he removed his striped sweater. He treats that microphone like a sex prop, tossing it around his body and the stage, draping it around his neck, pulling his shirt over his head and sticking it in his mouth. He is a genuinely captivating performer dedicated to taking the crowd on the ride of their lives, past and present.

After experiencing the Murder City Devils show when they closed out the mainstage at Capitol Hill Block party in 2006, in which many a crowd surfer lost a shoe and fans were yanked by the tidal force of the crowd so hard it could have caused whiplash, sticking to the sidelines of any potential madness was advisable for anyone not looking for the full body experience at this show. There were those who had a righteous time in the pit, emerging panting and dripping sweat with big shit-eating grins on their faces. And then there were a few stage divers that Showbox security dragged out the front door kicking and screaming like mental ward patients headed for solitary.

As Murder City Devils moved into “Press Gang” from 2000’s In Name and Blood, it was noticeable that the group was much better practiced than at the Block Party, which aside from a secret show the following night, was the last time the Devils played Seattle. The band’s chops were definitely up. And considering they had just performed the night before at the same venue, the energy was spontaneous and didn’t feel forced or contrived in any way. Moody wished a happy birthday to someone called Coco and announced that they were going to play his favorite song as the Devils broke into ”Dear Hearts.” Moody is developing his performative side, swinging the entire length of his arms about whilst clamoring the vocals that give the Devils their signature sound.

He certainly had a lot of fuck you’s for the crowd. “Shut the fuck up!” he exclaimed before the anthemic “Rum to Whiskey.” ”We care about this music very much,” he said, pushing his glasses up with his mic, “Alright, fuck you guys.”

Photos by Blush

Murder City Devils

Murder City Devils

Past Lives

Past Lives

Matt & Kim

Matt & Kim are an old favorite of Seattle, having played many a house show at DIY venues around the city and on the mainstage at Capitol Hill Block Party back in 2007. Their self-titled first full length is a living room dance party staple, “Yea Yeah” a downright fist-pumping anthem. Watching them grapple with their DIY roots as they break into the big time has been so exciting, and the Chop Suey show, the second stop on a nationwide tour to promote their new album, Grand, was no exception. 

But first Seattle’s Champagne Champagne took the stage. Featuring MCs Pearl Dragon and Thomas Grey and Mark Gajadhar, aka DJ Gajamagic, the Seattle group garnered whines from irritated underage hipsters wanting the hip-hop to stop. All the Matt & Kim reaction did, though, is prove that this was a mismatched bill. Considering the gushing praise from all over the city, this group of hip-hop rebels have become a must-see. That grimy beat of “Soda and Pop Rocks” will make your lips purse into an “Oh, fuck yeah” sneer every time. Thursday night was no exception, as the song quickly took the energy in the room from 0 to 60 in .5. Gajamagic’s rib rattling bass paired with righteous flows that reference everything from the Murder City Devils to Peaches to Molly Ringwald give this act a vivacity and uniqueness that can’t be properly harnessed in a recording. The live show is not to be missed.  

As Matt & Kim appeared, the Seattle crowd welcomed the duo with open arms, a few kids presenting Matt with a birthday cake as he got his gear set up on stage. Matt is a virtual poster boy for Red Bull, pounding cans of the stuff between banging out sweet synth riffs, mustering the energy of a boy half his age. Kim is a pint-sized powerhouse with punk rock prowess, leaping atop her drum throne in one swift movement to shout lyrical incantations at the crowd. Closing with “Silver Tongue” to uproarious applause, an all too familiar bass beat dropped and the room dissolved into a hysterical dance party. “Go shorty, it’s your birthday,” 50 boomed over the speakers, ”We gon’ party like it’s your birthday.” An incendiary set of tracks both new and old, the crowd chanting every line to every song, is a great way to ring in a new year for any Aquarius.

 Photos by Blush

Matt & Kim

Matt & Kim

Pearl & Kim

I’ve decided that the Vera project is a darling way to spend one’s Sunday afternoon. It’s walls are painted in all colors, kids playing air-hockey, trendy outfits and hairdos are plentiful, and Coca Cola is flowing like PBR. It occurs to me there was no place like Vera when I was a teen.

TacocaT did end up sitting for some band portraits and followed with an awesome set! They were wearing mittens, woven hats and scarves, knee-high rubber boots (and for the ladies- leggings and tights), which was appropriate for the winter-wonderland that was in progress outside. Their hilarious sound check quickly exposed their personalities to the audience and welcomed everyone to move closer. It was so good to see TacocaT today!

Thank you, TacocaT!

Emily, Eric, Bree and Lelah

©Blush Photo

Mad Rad

The show switched gears a bit with Portland based thrash rock band, White Fang, taking stage. Well, a least part of the band took stage. Choosing to go the more intimate route, White Fang had the crowd surrounding the guitar player and lead singer on the dance floor as they rocked and rolled all over the floor (literally—the lead singer was rolling on the floor at one point). Although this band was a totally different genre than anything else on the bill, the group had really great energy, which segued nicely into Mad Rad’s irreverent rhymes and pulse-racing beats.

Looking like slinkster cool hipsters but spitting fresh rhymes, Mad Rad has something everyone can enjoy. With tongue-in-cheek lyrics and outrageous dance beats, the music is already of a high caliber, but these boys also understand the value of performance. From the second the beat dropped on stage, I got why MC Terry Radjaw earlier said he was “saving his energy for the show.” Fresh from tour, the three MCs and a DJ act opened strong with “Electric Sheep,” which starts chilled out, but crescendos to a body gripping dance beat. The energy was built masterfully, with the MCs spasming atop the stage to the digital sounds interjected into the beat.

These guys are so good at connecting with their audience and commanding a crowd’s undivided attention. First of all, any band that already has synchronized dance moves that their friends all know (such as Mad Rad’s “Glitzerland”) wins a much deserved hat tip. Buffalo Madonna lived up to his official “crowd dancer” title, running through the crowd, interacting with all the kids rocking out to the show. By the end of the show he was naked from the belt up and shaking the sweat dripping from his mop of hair all over the first couple rows. The show was ridiculous fun. Mad Rad had sweat dripping down my face unlike any show I’d been to for quite some time, and their catchy hooks made it super easy to get into, even for a newbie. Listen to Mad Rad at myspace.com/madandrad 

Mad Rad

Mad Rad