I proceeded directly to Big Mario’s for a pre-game meal consisting of two slices of pepperoni and a tall can of Rainier.

I’ve been to the Capitol Hill Block Party, in some shape or form, for the last five years. It’s usually hot and crowded, but chock full of great bands playing all over the place. This year, it was eerily empty on Friday afternoon, meaning I was able to navigate the multiple stages and venues with ease.  I caught most of Kurt Vile’s surprisingly mellow set while meeting up with friends. We made our way to the front of the main stage for Thurston Moore without so much as a push or jostle. 

Thurston played a mellow set too, but I expected that from what I’ve heard of his latest solo release, Demolished Thoughts. The Sonic Youth frontman brought a second guitarist, drummer, violinist, and harpist along. They played a great, very intimate set that culminated with some classic feedback, much to the delight of the now-thickening crowd. 

By this time it was just after 7 p.m. and the after work attendees gave the event a more familiar, crowded feel, but I was still able to grab a quick beer at the Comet Tavern and cross the street with plenty of time to catch the last few songs from Woods, a band I will seek out again. They have a jam vibe, but aren't obnoxious. In fact they are infectious and very cool live.

I used Cults' sound check to nail down my spot in front of Neumos’ stage. This Manhattan band has been enjoying strong radio support for the first two singles off their self-titled debut album, “Abducted” and “Go Outside,” and the early crowd at Nuemos was evidence of their swift popularity.

They opened with “Abducted”, which resulted in a hair swinging sing-along from the huge crowd. They have a great sound and all their tunes are ridiculously catchy. 

Then my Block Party experience took a change for the worse. I had been Tweeting my adventure all afternoon and noticed an increasing lag in my phone’s performance. By the end of Cults’ set it had completely died, which coincided with an uppity, faux-hawked photo enthusiast with a messenger bag deciding that I was in in the way of his perfect shot. A steady stream of elbows resulted in me taking the time to explain that I did not care about his shot and thought he was a total ass.

Cults finished their fantastic, yet brief set, and then I realized what had happened during the time I watched their ethereal performance: the crowd had not just swelled, but exploded. It was like when you find you’ve swum too far out into the ocean, and now shore is too far, and the theme from Jaws begins to play in your head.

I followed some very determined girls as they blazed a trail out of Nuemos, only to find that the sea of people was vast and undulating outside as well. I had a charger and was betting on making it to my practice space across the street and back to Nuemos in time to fight my way up front for Fucked Up.  

No such luck.

By the time I made it clear of the fenced in area, I found even more human cattle choking the surrounding streets. The phone was unresponsive and left for dead, but by the time I made it near Nuemos and could make out the familiar sounds of Fucked Up’s Damien Abraham screaming, I knew there was no chance of getting anywhere close, let alone inside. 

I ended up milling about aimlessly for a bit, then arrived at the Vera Stage an hour later for Sub-Pop’s newest artist, THEESatisfaction. Saving my night from an otherwise poor ending, these ladies killed it from the jump, performing one super funky, can’t-help-but-dance song after another.

When their short, but super strong set wrapped, I broke free from the crowd and began my walk home, listening to Fucked Up the whole way, happy after an incredible day of music. 

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