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CHS Crow | Justin, Jen & Alex — ‘I want to be that guy someday!’ (CHBP edition)

With a few thousand extra neighbors to choose from this weekend, the crow went searching for some stories from the crowd to illuminate and inspire. Or at least pass some time until the next set.

JUSTIN, 27

Do you have a few minutes to talk to CHS?
Fire away, sister!

We’re here in the Beer Garden, or, as I call this fenced-in area, the “Beer Prison Courtyard.”
I want to go to that prison! If they have beer…

Good point. Are there any Block Party bands that you’re especially excited about?
Major Lazer. They get my body grooving, sister!

How would you describe their music?
Kind of … Reggae meets Electronica meets “crazy.”

Sounds cool. So, this is the first day of Block Party—how do you like the vibe so far?
I’m stoked. Good music, good crowd.

Do you live on the Hill?
Not this hill, anyway. I live on Beacon Hill. But I go out a lot on Capitol Hill.


What are some of your favorite hangouts around here?
The Cha Cha, Linda’s, Social, Perk, Lobby… I could go on and on.

What do you do for a living?
I work for a modeling agency downtown. I scout for models, help run the agency, that sort of thing.

Have you ever used the line “You should be a model…” to get a date?
Oh, no, sister! I don’t date people who are prettier than me!

I love your necklace—a deer’s head. Tell me about it.
I got it on sale at Nordstrom. It’s actually a female necklace—shhhh!

Your secret is safe with me. Is there anything you would change about Block Party?
I wish there were more things to sit on here in the beer “garden.” Maybe a stool, or something?

Have you had any especially memorable experiences here today?
I liked the weird chalk hopscotch area that someone made.

Did you hopscotch?
You know it, honey! I never see a hopscotch without hopping. That would be wrong.

What about Capitol Hill in general? Anything you would change?
I wish people wouldn’t ride their bikes on the sidewalks. That’s really annoying.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Live life to the fullest, on the edge, with no regrets.

Amen to that!
No—gay-men to that, sister!

Gay-men”?
Like, Amen, only “Gay-men”

I’ve never heard that. Is that something people are saying these days?
Not yet—I just made it up. Feel free to use it!

 

JEN, 39

Did you come here today to see any particular bands?
Actually, I work for a record label, Sportn’ Life Records— one of our bands, Spac3man, was playing at Sole Repair. Tomorrow, our band Fly Moon Royalty will be having a live Google+ hangout.

Working for a record label must be fun. Is that what you do full time?
No, I also work for KEXP.

Wow—you’re totally Living the Dream when it comes to the Seattle music scene!
Music is my life. I feel really lucky to do what I do.

So many people would love to have your job/s. How did you get into this line of work?
I’ve been organizing shows around town for ages. Then, when my boyfriend started the label, I got involved with that. It’s our ten year anniversary this year.

Wait—it’s the label’s tenth anniversary, or you and your boyfriend’s?
The label’s. My boyfriend and I have been together for 11 years.

Congratulations on both! Other than the bands on your label, do you have any local favorites.
Just a few that come to mind are Allen Stone, Keyboard Kid—kind of a hip-hop group, The Lumineers…. There are so many, it’s hard to name just a few. I also started a group called Café Society, that’s all about celebrating women in the local music scene.

Do you feel like female artists are under-represented in Seattle music?
Yes, definitely. But it goes beyond that—so much local music programming is designed for a male audience, and I wanted to create programs that are more geared towards women. Our parties are fun—an opportunity for us to dress up, get your nails and hair “did,” and have a night out with your girlfriends. Oh, and there’s dancing. A girl likes to dance, right?

I know I do. Where can people find out about your parties?
We’re on Facebook, under Café Society.

Whenever you have a group of women who are all “gussied up,” as my grandmother would say, you’re bound to get flocks of men. Does that happen, and if so, does it change the environment?
It does happen, but it’s not a bad thing. It’s first and foremost about the women, but if men respect that, and want to and meet some cool ladies who love good music, why not?

What has been the reaction to this concept?
It’s been overwhelmingly positive. So far, it’s been two years, and we’re still going strong. I think a lot of other women have felt the need to create this space for women, both as musicians and as an audience.

 

ALEX, 21

What do you think of the Block Party this year?
It’s great. It’s my first time here, even though I’m a Seattle native. I’m going to come back tomorrow and Sunday, too.

Do you live on the Hill?
No, I live in the U-District. I’m a student at the University of Washington.

What are you studying?
Psychology and anthropology.

Ah, a Liberal Arts degree—you’re just in it for the big bucks, right?
Yeah, I’m not exactly sure what I want to do when I graduate. I want to find a job where I can be happy, but still afford to have a family. I don’t want to sell my soul and work for a corporation, but I can see why people do it. I’m interested in the social sciences—in particular, studying poverty and minorities.

I’m sure there’s a way to study poverty without having to experience it first-hand.
That’s the hope, anyway.

Are there any bands you’re especially excited about seeing at Block Party?
Youth Lagoon is playing tomorrow; I’m looking forward to that. Also, Major Lazer. Father John Misty just played, they were good. There are a lot of pretty new bands here, a lot of them I’m not familiar with. I like finding new music, which is what’s so great about Block Party, as opposed to the music festivals—at a lot of those, it’s all big-name bands that have been around a while. Here, it seems like it’s a mix.

How does this event compare to other music festivals you’ve been to?
It’s weird to be at a festival, but still in the city. I went to Sasquatch earlier this year, and it was great, but you go and camp out. After this, you can just go home.

Is there anything you would do differently, if you were the organizer of Block Party?
Not that I can think of. I’ve had a good time so far. It’s a good crowd. A really young crowd, but I love it that there are also some older people who come out. I see the people in their 50s or older who are here, and I think, “I want to be that guy someday!”

More CHS Crow:

Marguerite Kennedy is a freelance writer, semi-professional thumb wrestler, and recovering New Yorker who currently resides on Capitol Hill. She blogs at www.marguerite-aville.com, and does that other thing @tweetmarguerite.

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DeDe
11 years ago

I didn’t know about that group, but I will definitely check it out. I agree with Jen that a lot of Seattle music is geared towards a very male audience. I said, “hell yeah!” when I read “girls like to dance.” I don’t count a mosh pit or nodding musically while gazing at your shoes as “dancing.”

Snow White
11 years ago

What is wrong with that hat?