Bumbershoot Look-in: Craft Spells

Craft Spells

Local popsters Craft Spells played the Capitol Hill Block Party in July, but they haven’t been in town for a while. This afternoon, though, the act took the Fountain Lawn stage to make what was their first Bumbershoot appearance. Having just returned home from a month-long tour, frontman Justin Paul Vallesteros thanked the crowd for coming out, including his roommate and various family members.

The shoutout to family felt appropriate as children splashed in Seattle Center’s International Fountain, adjacent to the stage. Under a brilliant blue sky, Craft Spells played a strong set of their 80s-inspired pop songs, making it through much of this year’s ‘Idle Labor’ while adding a new track. Bright, warm guitars and perfect vocals made the songs come alive in the afternoon sun, effecting a more dynamic sound than any Craft Spells currently on record. The songs felt stretched out, too, like a month on the road had helped the band find what the songs could really do.

The crowd, which included a diverse cross-section of ages and the city’s scenes, responded appreciatively throughout the performance, reacting particularly warmly after a perfectly played rendition of the shimmery, summertime single ‘After the Moment.’ For many in attendance, this Craft Spells performance was the first stop on their Bumbershoot schedule and the band played a set that felt a perfect introduction to the weekend.