Capitol Hill Block Party

On Friday I slept instead of going to see Band of Horses and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Saturday redeemed. The Capitol Hill Block Party brought bands nearly as familiar to Seattle as the afternoon's cloudy skies, which is to say largely unfamiliar to me.

The Silversun Pickups played up to MetroD's hype. Playing songs from their new album, they were a little rough but stayed comfortable and maybe enjoyed it more than the crowd. Music fan of the day also goes to SSP's lead singer Brian Aubert lounging backstage sitting on a speaker, smoking, and watching the bands that followed him.

Minus the Bear appealed to their local fan base, but two songs later seemed like a good spot for me to go find my minus - the beer. On Neumo's side stage I found The Divorce. While other people left, I filled in forward to the end of the set. Loud, brash, young punk, I'm looking for their next show.

Back outside I found a spot stage right. Right behind a drunken behemoth bouncing a section of chain link fence off the ground trying to keep time with the throbbing music. She couldn't keep up. The Black Angels turned her to a docile and lowing animal using the fence just to stay upright. None of this distracted me from the best music of the afternoon. The Black Angels start their tour this week to promote Passover. Experimental, psychedelic soundscape screaming around entrancing drone tracks on top of a religious percussive experience. A full track, samples, and video on their site. Go to the shows, be amazed.

Common Market followed. Seattle's great hip-hop hope? I'll buy it and go to their show next Sunday.

I'm new here. I have no context for Murder City Devils. They aren't supposed to exist anymore. But they played a show last night and I believe in ghosts. Scary intense. Trent Reznor swings mic stands with one hand. Spencer Moody swings mic stands with both hands - with the mic gripped in his teeth - while screaming the chorus - and spitting on the first three rows. I'm a late coming believer. Here's wishing reunion is reforming.