Countdown in Photos #11: The Quiet Life

Over the month of December I am planning to delight you with tales of my adventures as a concert photographer in 2011. They may be the best shots I took, or the best moments I experienced. Either way, it would be a shame for those to fall by the wayside and be left sitting dormant in my feeble mind. Keep coming back, there'll be a new one each day.

Check out yesterday's post with The Hold Steady.

The Quiet Life at MusicFest Northwest in Bunk Bar

There were about twenty reasons I fell in love with MusicFest Northwest this year. It was the first time I'd had a chance to visit our sister city to the South for this magical festival and I was in awe. Parking was cheap and easy to find, there was never a dull moment and anyone could find a band they would enjoy at every turn, the people at every venue were super nice and cordial and there were shows I never would have experienced otherwise.

One of the shows I was most surprised and excited about was a small but rowdy one at the Bunk Bar. A local band called The Quiet Life just popped out at me while I was putting together my fest schedule. I dropped by, knowing how tiny and sweaty the show would probably be and made my way inside near the stage. I noticed Abbey Simmons from the well-known Seattle music blog Soundonthesound.com standing nearby and at that moment I knew I was in the right place.

Apparently The Quiet Life had toured with The Moondoggies early this year where they had become fast friends. This got me even more revved up for the set soon to come and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Despite the stigma of folky twang being low-key and sometimes boring... these guys jumped into sixth gear the moment they took the stage. The crowd was packed in like sardines and despite the low (some would say sexy) lighting the whole place was jumping. It was well worth the effort to see them and I hope they make their way to Seattle sometime very soon.