It’s cold out. No worries, we’ll just have the festival inside. This Thursday through Saturday City Arts Fest is taking place at venues all over Seattle and the lineup is looking good. Though there are some artists at the top of the bill who are not local,
the Pacific Northwest is certainly well represented by artists like Grand Hallway, Allen Stone, Shabazz Palaces, Daydream Vacation and some more we will discuss in a bit.
Below is a preview of the festival with a few of the shows I plan to see. I have linked to each band’s festival page so you can read more about them and pick up tickets if you like for that individual show but keep in mind that a wrist band that gets you into any show all three nights is only $69.00! Who do you want to see?
Thursday
Robyn at The Paramount (9:30pm – 11:00pm)
Dancing is mandatory when Sweden’s Robyn comes to town. When Robyn gets on stage she is fierce from start to finish. This is going a great way to start the festival.
Crystal Castles at The Showbox Sodo (11:30pm – 1:00am)
After Robyn I’ll be cruising across town to keep the dance party going with Crystal Castles. I tried to see them at Sasquatch a couple years back but by the time I got to the dance tent the floor was so packed I couldn’t get in. Getting there late is a mistake I’m excited to correct that mistake this week.
Friday
This is where things get tricky. Friday night is packed with shows I want to see. I believe this is the way things will line up for me.
Built to Spill at The Moore (9:30pm – 11:00pm)
Built to Spill is one of my favorite bands that I somehow have never seen live. These guys have been playing together for about 20 years and I can’t wait to see what their live show is like after all that practice.
Helio Sequence: Live Laser Show at the Laser Dome (11:30pm – 12:30pm)
I have no idea what to expect out of this live laser show business but Helio Sequence is one of my favorite bands to see live. Being from Oregon they play in the area often and I always try to catch them because their music is great but also because Benjamin Weikel might be the best drummer I have ever seen. I’m not just saying that. Watching Benjamin play is a mind blowing spectacle that everybody should see at least once. I’ll try to shoot some video at the show to post next week.
Saturday
Grand Archives at The Neptune (Doors at 9:00pm)
Seattle’s Grand Archives is the only reason I’m going to the festival on Saturday. I love this band. Singer/songwriter Mat Brooke, formerly of Carissa’s Weird and Band of Horses, writes beautiful songs. “Sleep Driving” is the first song Grand Archives wrote and played together. I posted it below.
Grand Archives – Sleep Driving by jacksterdemar
Alternate selection
Pickwick at The Crocodile (Friday 9:30pm – 10:15pm)
Like I said, Friday is tricky. There are several bands I want to see and they all seem to be playing at the same time. Though I won’t likely get to see Pickwick perform Friday night, I must recommend them. Pickwick is from Seattle and they are on the rise. I had the pleasure of seeing them twice at Bumbershoot this year and I was blown away by how good they are live. There may not be many more opportunities to see a band this good play in a small venue like The Crocodile.
I shot this video of them at Bumbershoot this year when they performed on the KEXP stage.
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