Our host explains that he had a May Day party, and “We had a maypole
and people really responded to it.” Over the next few weeks, he and his
housemates used the maypole for the main support as they constructed a
massive backyard fort. Tonight, they’re hosting an art show and concert
to celebrate all things summery and fort-y.
The fort is constructed from what looks like wood from grocery-store
pallets, and the walls and ceiling beams are strung up with white
Christmas lights. It’s hard not to feel like a kid getting away with
something in the best fortress ever. Inside the house, there’s an
eight-foot-long papier-mâché fly, and Theinternet, a band
from Vancouver, BC, wearing skeleton masks, are making some glorious
noise.
Back in the fort, a Missoula band named Paper Whale play a lovely
set. They’re two women who first perform a chant, repeating “you and me
and you and me and you” over and over again, then play lovely, quiet
songs that charm the audience. They wow everyone with a brilliant cover
of Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy.” And then the stage belongs to
PWRFL Power, who clearly has his act down. He introduces one song by
saying, “This song is called ‘It’s Okay to Be Yourself,’ I made it up
to be a joke.” And despite all the fun, jokey songs, I’ll be damned if
the guy isn’t one of the better guitarists playing in Seattle today.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor of this improbable fort, everything
feels like magic. 
Want The Stranger to overhear someone remarking
“God, that’s a really well-behaved poodle!” at your house
party? E-mail the date, place, time, and party details to partycrasher@thestranger.com.