The best moment of the insane Block Party weekend wasn’t even part
of the fenced-off festival, but it was one of the most exciting musical
experiences in recent memory.
Sub Pop buzz band and Los Angeles heroes No Age weren’t
playing another big stage at Block Party—as they had recently for
both SP20 and last week’s KEXP benefit. Instead, they played a secret
basement show right under the Block Party’s nose. The anticipation for
the show was extreme: One of the country’s most popular new bands would
be playing one of Seattle’s most beloved underground spots. But there
was plenty of worry, too: Could the little venue handle a potentially
gigantic crowd? Would it all get shut down?
“Looks like you all found out about the secret show,” said openers
Talbot Tagora. Before they had even started, there was already a
massive crowd gathered for what would become the sweatiest show I have
ever seen.
By the time No Age took to playing their set, the walls and floors
were dripping wet thanks to fellow Angelenos Abe Vigoda and
Mika Miko‘s raucous and sweaty sets. The crowd had topped off at
maybe 300 or so, with several more people trying, unsuccessfully, to
bribe the volunteer doorman to let them in.
From start to finish, No Age’s crowd was so intense and energetic,
they should have been music video extras. When drummer Dean
Spunt sang, “It’s our duty to feel overwhelmed,” in their song,
“Cappo,” they looked dutiful enough, swarmed by crazy kids flying
around and knocking into everything, rather than playing isolated
onstage, surrounded by monitors. At one point, when the crowd surged
forward onto guitarist Randy Randall’s pedals, cutting off his sound,
it seemed like the show might have to stop, like maybe it all really
was too much for the place to contain. But Spunt pounded away to keep
the momentum while Randall tried to repair the problem, and as the
crowd clapped along, Randall’s guitar squeaked, chirped, and eventually
came back to life with a triumphant roar. The band, and the
crowd, would not give up that easily.
No group of music fans can be more skeptical about a band selling
out than the “punk” community, and No Age must realize that. Still,
stunts like this show aren’t just a calculated effort to keep their
cred. Talking to Randall a few days afterward, he explained simply
that, even though the band is now also their job, “some shows are for
the bills and some are for fun.” Paying the bills is nice, of course,
but after Friday’s show, I wish they all could be just for fun.
