Slog - Comments on This is What Capitol Hill Block Party Looks Like

Comment by El Seven

El Seven — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:03:12 -0800

BS. That's an Obama rally.

Comment by holz

holz — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:37:32 -0800

nope, that is 1/10 the size of an obama rally.

and not nearly as racially diverse.

Comment by teddy b

teddy b — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:39:07 -0800

a sea of smelly hipsters... too boring for school...

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:47:24 -0800

Kids, cocaine is awesome.

Comment by it'smarkmitchell

it'smarkmitchell — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:59:41 -0800

Last year I enjoyed the headbanging of Himsa and the barbecue.

Not even an all-access bracelet tempted me this year. I hear they're letting in people who AREN'T EVEN FROM CAPITOL HILL.

Bogus.

Comment by Poptart

Poptart — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:18:06 -0800

wow. thanks.
glad i'm not there!

really really really really really glad.

Comment by Magic Space Goggles

Magic Space Goggles — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:25:04 -0800

Exactly. Why would I pay $18 to be surrounded by thousands of drunk screaming hipsters?

Comment by Super Jesse

Super Jesse — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:30:54 -0800

hahaha, swimming at the lake is soo much better than drinking $10 beers in a huge crowd of vapid posers listening to the stranger editors friends bands like it's some sort of privilege.

Comment by mike

mike — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:42:38 -0800

i was paying $4 for beer, which is about 1.2 as much as previous shows i've attended.

Comment by mike

mike — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:43:23 -0800

1/2, not 1.2

Comment by tabletop_joe

tabletop_joe — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:40:18 -0800

Are you kidding me, commenters? It looks like a lot of fun. I wish I could go.

There's always next year. I say that every year.

Comment by bob

bob — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:45:50 -0800

I hope some year they get smart and rearrange it so that crowds coming through the main entrance don't have to go *through* the crowds watching the main stage to get to the rest of the party. Brilliant layout!

Comment by broadway todd

broadway todd — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:33:30 -0800

i havent paid for cocaine since 88'

Comment by CM

CM — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:42:21 -0800

Seattle was built on hipsters

Get over it

Comment by Andy Niable

Andy Niable — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:51:28 -0800

Where's Waldobama?

Comment by Ihatelines

Ihatelines — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:04:57 -0800

I loved waiting 45 minutes in line to get in on Friday just in time to catch all the remaining horrible bands. Fortunately, I was able to bribe one of the security guards to let me and my friends cut through the line. Sorry, everyone who was ahead of me.

At that point, I sure needed a beer instead of listening to this crap - oh but there is a 20 minute line to get into the poorly placed beer garden followed by another 30 minute line to get beer.

Screw that. Fortunately the Cha had $2 tall boy PBRs - and better bands playing.

Comment by Bee

Bee — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:18:31 -0800

I WANT the CHBP to be awesome and excellent. I really really do. And I even bought tickets again this year even though I left early both days last year. Here's the deal - if that's a picture from Friday, I'm in the back with no possibility of getting anywhere closer to the stage due to an impressive crush of humanity. And I can't even HEAR the damn stage. Shouldn't live music be loud enough to appreciate?

So once again, I left early Friday and didn't even return Saturday. Even though I've been looking forward to the Hold Steady and DeVotchKa for weeks, I knew I'd just be disappointed. Thanks Stranger, thanks KEXP, I'll know better than to buy tickets next year.

Comment by exelizabeth

exelizabeth — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:19:58 -0800

YOU KIDS STAY OFF MY LAWN, you hear me?

To the people who didn't go: thank you. We did not miss you. Believe me. No one cares that you don't like crowds, or hipsters, or beer, or music. I know that the internet has made it so you can share you crotchety oldness with a much larger audience now, but that doesn't mean you should. Please go back to complaining about "Kids these days" in the privacy of your own hermitage. Thank you.

Also: the tickets went on sale in April. I don't feel sorry for people who had to wait in line to get one.

Comment by omg look at my 2 toned hair!

omg look at my 2 toned hair! — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:55:35 -0800

The only thing missing is a tanker truck full of gas and a book of matches.

Comment by Bee

Bee — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:46:56 -0800

Oh, exelizabeth, it's not a rant about kids these days. (Though that hipster blonde in the front does have an especially douchey headband on.) It's two things: quality of the purchase (I expect to be able to HEAR the bands I bought a ticket to see) and safety. Poor little Christopher Frizelle, who is NOT little, was lifted off his feet by the crowd. I had the same thing happen last year in the same spot. It's dangerous to put soooo many people into such a small space. I'm just saying it's not safe, and I no longer choose to participate by throwing my money around a death trap of an event. And I bought my tickets in April, thank you.

Comment by a.d.

a.d. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:53:38 -0800

It saddens me to say I will also no longer go to the block party. I bought my tickets the day they went on sale. Yet it is organized SO poorly I couldn't deal with it. On Friday the 21+ wrist bands ran out early so I couldn't go to the Neumos stage, the one place I wanted to be. Staff didn't bother to shout this to the large groups of people who were still standing in line for a wrist band. Also they had no way of tracking the capacity. It was a HUGE mess.

Comment by Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:04:42 -0800

Block parties are like Christmas; I am always hopeful and inspired in November, and somewhat disappointed and exhausted in January. I always promise myself of necessary changes in my approach to the next holiday, and I move on.
Kimya Dawson was amazing, truthful, inspiring, and a refreshing presence in the debunked world of "hip" music. Devothchka played wonderfully, but I was distracted by a group of 10 coked out hipsters splashing energy drink into the crowd while dancing in a fashion only severe inebriation can produce.
Block Parties should be about community, celebration, great music, shared interests and a great way to spend your free weekend. Sure sometimes we get sticky, and the music doesn't sound like a $100,000 home stereo system, but think about all of the other great things that did occur. People came out of there homes and tried to have a good time in their own way. Beer was consumed, businesses were supported, economy was stimulated, laughs were shared, connections were made, and all we had to do was spend $18 and wait in line for a bit? I can do that.