Ready to find your new favorite local band? If so Ballard is where you'll want to be Saturday (Oct. 9) because that’s when Seattle Weekly's REVERB Festival will take over the Scandinavian suburb.
Booked by former Sunset Tavern and High Dive talent buyer Kwab Copeland and a panel of Seattle Weekly music writers, one of the great things about REVERB Fest is that it's never the same festival twice. Copeland and SW don't book the same bands on back-to-back years so there's a fresh batch of bands to discover each year. Also, there's no single big name headlining the festival. Actually, there isn't really a headliner at all; there's just bands that play later in the evening.
The daylong fest will feature more than 60 locals spread across 12 venues big and small, ranging from The Tractor Tavern to Hattie's Hat, providing the perfect opportunity to serendipitously stumble upon several locals to call newfound loves. Here are five worth taking the time to discover:
Thee Sgt Major III (4 p.m., Conor Byrne Pub): This punk-pop group (not to be confused with pop-punk) fuses '50s pop girl-band sensibilities with sweaty, messy punk rock, resulting in dance-friendly music that's a perfect way to begin your REVERB experience.
Hobosexual (6 p.m., 2 Bit Saloon): A fun name for a fun band. The 2 Bit should make for a great setting to have a first-time encounter with this two-piece garage-blues band.
Sol (6:30 p.m., New York Fashion Academy): Sol is one of the more promising young MCs in town, and his performances are filled with passion and energy. Like most good rappers Sol can change things up at any time during his sets, switching course from rapping about girls to drugs to partying to more socially conscious topics too.
The Young Evils (10 p.m., Tractor Tavern): What better way to combat a (predicted) rainy October evening than with sunny, male-female harmonies? That's what you'll find here.
Kristen Ward (11 p.m., Conor Byrne): The smooth sultry voice of Kristen Ward is sure to steal your heart. Her pipes, paired with the always fantastic guitar work of the highly underrated Gary Westlake, make for the perfect way to cap a day of bands in Ballard.
If you go: Seattle Weekly's REVERB Festival begins at 3 p.m. Saturday. Tickets allow entry to all shows and can be purchased at each of the 12 venues. They cost $15 for 21+ and $10 for an all-ages pass (most venues are for 21+, but some allow all ages).
