Block Party line up! Block Party line up! Get it now, and impress all your friends with your insider knowledge. You're welcome! more ›

While The Stranger may have declared the painful death of the Pike/Pine 'hood back in 2006 article, current residents (and their neighbors along 12th Avenue) have made it clear things are just getting started in this corner of the city. In fact, the 12th Avenue corridor is throwing a brand new block party. The first annual 12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival kicks off at noon this Sunday, and for six hours will take over 12th Avenue from Pike to Madison with live music and booths from the local retailers and restaurants. more ›

Before the seasons changed and our rain-induced pseudo-hibernation began, we were able to gather up many fond musical memories during festival season. During one such venture we were able to talk to Hey Marseilles and Fences as part of our Better Know a CHBP Band series. As luck has it the two bands will be playing the Vera Project this Saturday. (Tickets $10, all ages, 7:30 PM) more ›

Artattack Theatre Ensemble has been producing work since 2001, but it's only now that they've finally secured a permanent home: the VoxBox, a little 30-seat theatre at 12th & Pike. Officially, their first performance in their new home was , opening this weekend (tix $10-$14; see below), the company returns to their roots with the character-driven, serio-comic story of an agoraphobic struggling with a vindictive ex-husband and a deeply disappointed burglar. more ›

We had a laid-back, happy time at Dope Emporium on Saturday. It felt like a hiphop block party: a family affair with barbeque, a beer garden, and kids running around doing cute things like breakdancing. There even was a producers' battle from which MTK (of Himalayan Rickshaw Run fame) emerged triumphant. Check out some photos from the event, taken by Seattlest and Terry Creighton. more ›

Hooray! The first batch of the Capitol Hill Block Party line-up for this summer has been announced, and we're thrilled to see what a truly fine list it is. Hot groups such as Vampire Weekend, Les Savy Fav, Kimya Dawson, and The Physics are already confirmed, with nary a six-hour-long Spoon set to be found. (Okay, so maybe last year's Spoon performance wasn't exactly six hours long, but it kinda felt like it.) more ›

Tonight, if you're not already going to the second sold-out Magnetic Fields show, there's still a few tickets left for John in the Morning at Night at Neumo's, with the Duke Spirit, the Voom Blooms, and Tulsa. There's also PWRFL Power's (aka Kaz Nomura) second CD release show at the Vera Project. Since Kaz won a slot at last year's Capitol Hill Block Party (via the Stranger's Block Star contest last spring), he also won a spot in an Esurance ad, resulting in "the most unusual Esurance commercial to date." Check it: more ›

We're all wondering why you're not named on the lineup for The Program at Neumos in December. What gives? Will you be joining Khingz on stage? more ›

Though Seattlest would love nothing more than to give you a proper review of the KEXP barbecue, we've come to the stinging conclusion that it's simply not in the cards. We just got a work deadline thrown at us like a ton of cliches and this is the best we can do for you right now. more ›

Oh Seattle, you make us feel so . more ›

Seattlest arrived on scene soon after the Capitol Hill Block Party had opened. We wandered, checked out the stage locations and thought about getting a beer, then spotted a booth touting free bottled water. It looked like the booth had something to do with praying to the Earth Spirits or some other new wave white hippy crap, but we decided to take our chances. We asked for a water and oddly enough their were no questions asked of Seattlest, no "Is your spirit at peace with the world?" or "Do you ever cry for Mother Nature?" We did, however, get thoroughly eye-fucked by our water purveyor. We told him thank you, took a mental bath and off we went to hear some music. (And before you reactionaries out there start accusing us of homophobia, get over yourselves. We're not talking about getting "checked out." We're talking about a look that said, Right now, in my mind, I'm eating spaghetti off of your chest.) more ›

Not that we care anymore ( crushes will be in Tacoma tonight strutting their stuff for the girlies. We can hardly contain our amusement that this tour is being sponsored by Pop Tarts. That's just brilliant. more ›

This is a big weekend due to the Esurance® Capitol Hill Block Party alone. Tickets are not sold out yet; if nothing else, just by 'em at the door. But what to do if you want to avoid the Hill and the confluence of all those hipsters? more ›

The above vid is a live performance of "Our Bovine Public," the barrelling leadoff track from The Cribs' latest release, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever. Even if the album wasn't really, really good (and basically all we've been listening to lately), we'd have to recommend it based on the awesomely ambivalent title alone. more ›

We know that the weather has been rainy and overcast and downright crummy these last few days, but never fear: things are looking up! And just in time for this weekend's Capitol Hill Block Party, which over two days features three stages and nearly fifty bands. more ›

So a friend gets an email from another friend saying they were on the Capitol Hill Block Party website last night and Viva Voce had just been added to the Friday lineup. She tells us this and we think, Great! Now we can see Neko Case this Saturday and not feel bad about it! more ›

After many on again, off again mis-starts Seattle Out and Proud is abdicating responsibility for Pride festivities this year, as expected. more ›

Finally, someone else sees things our way. Like peanut butter and jelly, there has been one natural combination longing to be put together: having a beer and thinking about your favorite insurance company. Thank God Online providers Esurance have stepped up to the plate. Meshing together insurance needs with scenester whoredom, that's right, this year it's the Esurance Capitol Hill Block Party. more ›

Hip-hop is ruled by ego. Whether it's the ego of an MC, that of a DJ, or a combination of the two, hip-hop is dominated by superlatives. Descriptions of being the biggest, baddest, and richest are the typical trappings of mainstream hip-hop, which is nothing new. The underground scene has its own failings, focused instead on being "realest," clamoring to fit as many syllables as possible into every bar. In both cases, the result is staid, tired output, dominated more by formula than feeling. After the lackluster Boot Camp Clik show a few weeks ago, Seattlest has been lucky enough to see the more desired portion of Sturgeon's Revelation the last few days, with MCs unafraid to be more than lyrical automata. more ›

After kicking our collective asses for four consecutive days, the heat is finally backing down. So pull yourself together. Go outside again -- especially to Capitol Hill this weekend. more ›

Hopefully you didn't waste your money this weekend having lunch in hell, because tomorrow the long-awaited Carnavas from the Silversun Pickups will be released – just in time to pick it up and get acquainted before the Silversun Pickups do their thing at the Capitol Hill Block party this Saturday. more ›

As avid folk music connoisseurs, we’ve done our time in various Unitarian churches listening to obscure out-of-towners mouth off about Bush in the nicest possible (read: no cursing) sort of way. But for the past couple of years, a small venue on Capitol Hill has been integrating The Lord with great music and free coffee on a whole different level. more ›

With the first days of summer already on us, it's a perfect time to start thinking about your summer music plans. There were two recent pre-sale ticket announcements that got the gears turning in our heads at Seattlest: Bumbershoot (Sept 2-4) and the KEXP BBQ (Aug 13). While the complete line-up for both of these events has yet to be announced (We aren't overly hyped on the initial Bumbershoot line-up!), both events will give more than enough bang for your musical buck. Right now, you can get pre-sale tickets to all 3 days of Bumbershoot for just $50 (code: BUMBERFAN) – and pre-sale tickets to the always Sold Out KEXP BBQ for $20. Of course you'll want to start your summer off with a bang at the Capitol Hill Block Party (July 28-29), which just announced their complete line-up over the weekend (a Seattlest guide is on the way). In the meantime, enjoy these local boys done good: Band of Horses (playing Capitol Hill Block Party). more ›

We think a lot of people consider the day Dave Chappelle announced the cancellation of his Comedy Central show to be up there with some of the huge bummers of all time. Black Tuesday, election day '04 or even April 8, 1994 - mere footnotes in history when compared to the end of the Chappell Show. Personally, as many times as Dave made us laugh out loud it only took a few instances of someone doing David doing Rick James loudly and badly in public to make us wish the whole thing would just go away. When it did, we shrugged. more ›

As far as live music this weekend, may we recommend the crazy (or crazee, if you will) the Black Keys at Neumo's tonight. If you like the Liars or any noise rock band, etc, then they are for you. more ›

It was just a single line in the weekly newsletter from the Northwest Film Forum, but it set Seattlest's heart a-flutter: more ›