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Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Block Party / Upcoming Capitol Hill Block Party's New Layout
Posted by Eric Grandy on Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 12:06 PM
The Capitol Hill Block Party, which takes over the neighborhood's busiest couple blocks of bars and clubs on Friday July 24th and Saturday July 25th, is fast approaching (we're all busy right now putting together the official guide to the fest, due out in next week's Stranger). This year's line-up is pretty uniformly fucking stellar, but it's also pretty fucking big—Sonic Youth, the Gossip, Jesus Lizard?—and attendees of past Block Parties have understandably wondered what was being done to prevent the place from becoming a total clusterfuck.
Glad you asked! In addition to lowering the total number of tickets sold this year, there's a new layout for the festival grounds, which should make things considerably more pleasant for attendees. The most significant change: the Main Stage has been moved from the central intersection of 10th & Pike (where it could create a huge bottleneck) down to Broadway & Pike, which should provide plenty of space for the crowd without blocking foot traffic to and from other stages, and the Broadway entrance has been moved around the corner to Pine St. (Also good: looks like the VIP area now connects to Basic Plumbing!) Here's the new map (click to enlarge; downloadable pdf here):
4
Who says a block party by definition has to be free? It's a party that happens on a city block—makes sense to me.
But if you want to be really pedantic about it (and you do, don't you?!), then think of it as just the name of a festival, like how Bumbershoot isn't literally a giant umbrella but rather an arts and music festival, or how Sasquatch is not really a mystical half-man/half-ape but, again, the name of a music festival.
But if you want to be really pedantic about it (and you do, don't you?!), then think of it as just the name of a festival, like how Bumbershoot isn't literally a giant umbrella but rather an arts and music festival, or how Sasquatch is not really a mystical half-man/half-ape but, again, the name of a music festival.
5
@1 The Vera Stage is always isolated and lonely.
I gotta say, I'm not a fan of having to go through the beer garden to get to Neumos. I guess it doesn't matter though, I'm probably skipping since this year's lineup is pretty weak.
I gotta say, I'm not a fan of having to go through the beer garden to get to Neumos. I guess it doesn't matter though, I'm probably skipping since this year's lineup is pretty weak.
6
The Vera stage is isolated for a reason: Children are disease ridden sponges a few steps down the evolutionary ladder from homeless people and homeless people's dogs, then rats, then pigeons and then finally children.
The new layout looks MUCH better.
Also, Eric if you are having trouble with your complexion I would advise Burt's Bee's Wax Coconut Lotion. It may not reduce the amount of scales or cure your forked tongue, but it will give you a softer texture and reduce flaking. Plus it smells good and chicks seem to like it.
Also, I'm pretty sure Anonymous Troll uses it to beat off while obsessing about you.
FWIW.
The new layout looks MUCH better.
Also, Eric if you are having trouble with your complexion I would advise Burt's Bee's Wax Coconut Lotion. It may not reduce the amount of scales or cure your forked tongue, but it will give you a softer texture and reduce flaking. Plus it smells good and chicks seem to like it.
Also, I'm pretty sure Anonymous Troll uses it to beat off while obsessing about you.
FWIW.
7
@1 I kind of like that the Vera stage is where it is because then the sound doesn't bleed over from the mainstage.
9
@3
is that like Jesus Lizard-face?
it's cool that someone's around to take Block Party down a few pegs. if you lived in New York, I'm sure you'd be the only one to ever bag on New Jersey.
is that like Jesus Lizard-face?
it's cool that someone's around to take Block Party down a few pegs. if you lived in New York, I'm sure you'd be the only one to ever bag on New Jersey.
11
fwiw, I wasn't complaining about the vera stage. the new, more spread-out layout looks like a definite improvement especially since last year there were three stages essentially in the same place (cobra, neumo's, & main). too bad the party can't spread out into the park!
12
@5, inverting the beer garden might solve that kerfluffle and save neumo's from being a 21+ venue.
14
@10
that's the best you could do? I haven't worked that job in a year. you must be slipping in your old age. for a person so intimate with my life story, I would think you'd know that, God(?).
that's the best you could do? I haven't worked that job in a year. you must be slipping in your old age. for a person so intimate with my life story, I would think you'd know that, God(?).
15
I finally got paid today, so I'm going out to buy my 2-day pass in a bit. Can you guys give us a serious idea of just how many tickets you're selling compared to last year?
16
Twenty dollars per day is a pretty good price considering who is playing. I would pay 20 bux to see Built to Spill play open for Jesus Lizard at the Showbox any day of the week. Happy to hear less tix are being sold this year. This is going to be fun.
17
Vera stage isn't all about the children tho... and the last couple years it has been sort of isolated unfortunately. The real downside to the isolation though, is they always eff up the set times. I better not miss Mika Miko again!
18
HEY GUYS THIS IS ERIC GRANDY COME BY THE CHA CHA AND DO SOME COCAINE WITH ME. MAYBE YOU CAN SUCK MY INCH LONG DICK AND GET A FREE TICKET TO OUR OVERPRICED 'BLOCK PARTY' AND TRASH CAPITOL HILL AND GET TO RAPE DUMB SLUTS AND TRASH THE NEIGHBORHOOD! I'LL BE HERE ALL NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT!
20
I went day 2 and while the new layout worked for getting around better, and was OK for the less-popular acts, for Gossip and Sonic Youth in particular it meant that only a tiny fraction of the fans got to be close enough to the stage to even see whether the singer was smiling or frowning. I gave up trying to get close for Gossip, but at least the speakers outside Neumos were pumping out awesome sound. For Sonic Youth, I managed to get about 50 feet from the front (jammed together with those one all sides sharing our sweat), but on the 4th song, when some a**holes started shoving, and some folks nearly got trampled and seriously hurt, myself and quite a few others left (probably helping out those who stuck it out I suppose). I made my way back towards Neumos to at least listen, not being able to see the band at all. But the speakers were out. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
21
Putting the mainstage half a mile down a narrow street where only about 5% of paying customers can see the stage...genius! The layout for the vera stage was an even bigger joke..you had to fight your way past a spray painting exhibition, a dunk tank, and the vera tent to get to a stage 1/3 obscured by the amps on the right side. Only the block party can make a great music lineup so hard to enjoy...
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