Capitol Hill Block Party 2018: Saturday Guide
Capitol Hill Block Party
July 20-22, 2018
Saturday Preview
Seattle, Wash.
By Sean Jewell
The 22nd installment of the Capitol Hill Block Party is underway. As you gear up for the second day of action, here’s some quick festival advice: Hydrate. Eat something. Don’t forget your earplugs. Be patient, be kind. The main stage gets more crowded as the night goes on (station yourself early if you want to be close to Brockhampton). Cha Cha will also fill up beyond capacity, get there at the end of the show prior to the one you want to see to get in (ahem, Pink Parts!). Mario’s Pizza is great (right?), but if the line is too long there’s a great food truck corral across the street. There is more than one line into the beer garden, have your ID ready. Tip your servers and bartenders, they work here everyday and make this a great place to play.
Here’s some suggestions for a day of discovery, dancing, and revelry. Capitol Hill forever.
Blackillac – Seriously? Y’all know this is the Gary Clark Jr. produced hip hop project with veteran Austin MCs ZEALE & PHRANCHYZE right? What a way to kick off Saturday! VERA STAGE 2:30 p.m.
Spirit Award – One of Seattle’s greatest exports is its endless fount of psych-pop and post rock. Driving guitars dense as the cloud cover, and rewarding songs built out of struggle are Spirit Awards stock & trade. MAIN STAGE 2:15 p.m.
VOX MOD – Enigmatic electronic producer beating his work into otherworldly sounds. Vox Mods music is the score to interstellar and inter-cellular exploration. NEUMOS 3:00 p.m.
PLUKO – The earlier electronic shows have become one of the better parts of CHBP in recent years. PLUKO will have his bass heavy bedroom beats that twist four on the floor and house into his own brand. MAIN STAGE 3:30 p.m.
Hand Model – Lets get weird real early. Handmodel’s obtuse, fearless, casio tone pop at CHA CHA 3:45 p.m.
Main stage crowd Friday at CHBP 2018. Photo Eric Tra.
Lion’s Ambition – How many people are in this damn RnB n’ funk n’ rap n’ roll band? I have no idea, but bars and live beats and a huge band are a recipe for dancing. NEUMOS 4:00 p.m.
AYO DOT & The Uppercuts – Ayo Dot helping put a stop the scourge of laptop performances by bringing a whole band to back them with slick beats for their intense bars. BARBOZA 4:45 p.m.
TERMINATor – Punk rock returns from the femme-future to annihilate you. Come to this show if you want to live. CHA CHA 4:45 p.m.
Jamila Woods – Black Lives and folk traditions are the basis for Woods’ avante-garde R&B. She’s holding up the mic at the intersection of spirituality, funk, and black self-determination. Her 2017 album HEAVN saw heavyweight guests Chance The Rapper and NoName. MAIN STAGE 4:45 p.m.
HIBOU – Barsuk Records artist. Sensual vocals, lush new wave guitar and percussion on this synth pop project. NEUMOS 5:15 p.m.
Dyed – These post-punker’s 2018 EP had Bauhaus licks and B-52s spirit CHA CHA 6:45 p.m.
Paris Alexa (#41for2018) – 2018’s Seattle artist most likely to break out! She’s released two glowing hot EPs this year. BLOOM was slow jams and mixtape jawns, and FLEXA was boss-lady bangers. Do not miss. VERA 6:15 p.m.
Paris Alexa @ Upstream Fest 2018. Photo Eric Trac.
Falon Sierra – She sings with her whole soul, and has a singular voice she layers over gauzy bedroom beats. Every live performance is 100%. BARBOZA 6:45 p.m.
Pink Parts – You’ll have to get to the venue early because it will be at capacity for this band’s timely feminist punk rock. CHA CHA 6:45 p.m.
Betty Who – Incredible vocal talent mashed with sweet pop production, heavy 80s and 90s vibes. Get over there and dance. MAIN STAGE 7:30 p.m.
Swishblade – Heavy, head-clearing, harsh synth, found sounds, glitched samples, terrifying compositions. CHA CHA 7:45 p.m.
Gavin Turek – powerful, funky, pop music. Turek has worked with everyone from Mayer Hawthone to TOKiMONSTA, lending her vocals and dance, and she’s breaking out on her own with hits that sound like Betty Davis meets Prince at the disco. VERA 8:45
Kuinka – One of Seattle’s best live acts. Pop with folk roots you can dance to, and just wait til you hear them sing. NEUMOS 9:30 p.m.
Great Grandpa (#41for2016) (Pictured above performing @ Upstream Fest 2018. Photo Jake Hanson.) – Listen to your elders. Come rock out to groovy, grinding guitar. Math rock elements, 90s alternative nostalgia, and addictive sing-a-long hooks. VERA 10:00 p.m.
Brockhampton – You made it. You partied hard today, and you deserve this. Brockhampton is a traveling music industry, a self-made internet sensation, 14 or so folks banded together to craft party jams to take you well into the night. MAIN STAGE 10:30 p.m.
Don’t forget to enjoy the after hours dance party’s at NEUMOS, BARBOZA, and CHA CHA til 2 a.m.