Located in the heart of arguably Seattle’s most diverse and eclectic neighborhood, the 22nd annual Capitol Hill Block Party has proven once again why it continues to stands out among the increasingly saturated sea of summer music festivals. Since the festival’s inception in 1997, artists such as Macklemore, Diplo, CHVRCHES, and The Flaming Lips have served as headliner, with countless other artists gracing one of the festival’s many stages. This year’s lineup saw a variety of genres, styles, and personalities, perhaps most notable in the headliners. Day 1 saw Dillon Francis’ bombastic EDM, day 2 saw the rowdy, rap “boyband” BROCKHAMPTON, and day 3 saw the multitalented indie legend, Father John Misty. With headliners this varied, the festival’s lineup may be just as diverse as both the attendees, and the neighborhood’s permanent residents.
Day 1 of Capitol Hill Block Party started the weeknd off with a bang, perfectly exemplifying why time and time again it is such a highly praised and attended event. The crowd came clad in their friday best, which more often than not included colored glasses funky patterns, and an abundance of glitter. But at the end of the day, the festival isn’t about the outfits or the photo ops; it’s about the music.
The main stage had an exciting and diverse group of artists, such as Canadian indie-pop band Alvvays, Seattle based hip-hop artist Sol, and of course, headliner and EDM extraordinaire Dillon Francis. However, the main stage wasn’t the only stage with exciting acts, as the Vera stage had heavyweights like techno-pop master Kelly Lee Owens, and Quinn XCII, an up-and-comer known for his amalgamation of genres like hip-hop, pop, electronic, and reggae. No matter the stage, there was an unmistakable feeling of elation passing through the crowd that made the first day of the festival something special.
As if day 1 wasn’t exciting enough, Day 2 was a whole new beast. It was abundantly clear that throughout the day, despite countless fantastic acts throughout the day, there was one thing on the crowd’s mind: BROCKHAMPTON. From the second the gate opened, the hip-hop collective and self proclaimed “all-American boyband”, had fans determined to get the best spot possible at the main stage. Those who were at the main stage all day were in luck, as electronic producer Pluko, pop duo Oh Wonder, soul band The Dip, and synth-pop goddess Betty Who all graced the stage in the hours leading up to BROCKHAMPTON. That isn’t to say those who stayed at the main stage all day didn’t miss anything, as Opia and Chet Porter both absolutely dominated the Vera stage as well.
As the hours passed, the crowd became more and more densely populated, which was only made worse by the intense Seattle heat. However, all discomforts were quickly forgotten once BROCKHAMPTON hit the stage, as their mixture of high energy, flashing lights, and overblown production had the crowd screaming every word, and going absolutely insane. While watching their set, it became clear why their legions of fans came out in droves, and became without a doubt the most talked about act at Capitol Hill Block Party.
With sore legs, tired eyes, and wide smiles, nothing was going to stop the final day of Capitol Hill Block Party from being one to remember. Seemingly in need of a chiller day after the insanity of BROCKHAMPTON the previous night, Day 3 headliner Father John Misty was a more than welcomed change in pace. There were plenty of acts to keep the party going before the headliner however, as Two Feet’s bass-heavy electronic, Amber Mark’s pop infused R&B, TR/ST’s dark electro-pop, and Cashmere Cat’s glitchy EDM all demanded their fair share of attention. All in all, the 22nd Capitol Hill Block Party was a weekend for the history books, and we are already counting down the days till next year.
| By: Blake Charles | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not! | All Rights Reserved |