Capitol Hill Block Party 2023: Saturday Recap
Capitol Hill Block Party
July 21-23, 2023
Saturday Recap
By Todd Terry; Photos by Alley Reutzel
My plan for covering the Capitol Hill Block Party this year was to not have a plan. Like the great leader John “Hannibal” Smith was fond of saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Armed with my Lagwagon t-shirt and crossbody bag (picture Steve Buscemi in 30 Rock. “How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?”) I set off on my journey. Free of both agenda and expectations, I was able to see partial sets by 12 different artists on that sunny Saturday a couple weekends ago. Time is a flat circle and memory is both fleeting and selective, but a few thoughts and observations persist.
Seattle DJ/producer Samurai Del using his Kenjutsu to get a daytime dance party started.
Realizing that TikTok famous singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb is definitely someone’s Taylor Swift.
Hearing Seattle performer Hannah Duckworth describe herself as both emo and punk, and not quite hearing either in her set.
Paper Idol making synthy dance pop and knowing what the clean-cut young people are up to these days.
Mr. Dinkles bringing the noise and awkward stage banter to the uncle’s basement that is Barboza.
Underscores having party of one, and still wondering how to work a diacritical mark reference into this recap.
Lemon Boy wearing the required uniforms and bringing some Shonen Knife vibes.
Catching only the last song by Fortress of the Bear, and realizing that was just fine.
Catching Ghost Fetish at the Cha Cha and wondering why this was still my favorite Block Party spot even though it is always crowded and does not have a stage.
Seeing Coral Grief and wondering if their band name was a great pun or terrible pun.
Jamming to Redveil and his kerchief knowing we has my Denzel Curry for the evening.
Trying to remember Spanish verb conjugation while watching Future Tense and planning an exit strategy.
In order to avoid the forecasted convergent swarm of Taylor Swift and MLB All-Star Game attendees converging on downtown Seattle, I hopped on the light rail, and like a weary traveler of yore headed north toward Alaska: the rush, the rush was on. Until next year, Capitol Hill Block Party!
For more of Alley’s Saturday photos – including great shots of headliner Denzel Curry – check out our Capitol Hill Block Party 2023 photo album on our Flickr page.