EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Sub Pop 20 - Sat.

07/13/2008

Editor’s Note: BLURT’s Gillian G. Gaar, embedded as she is in all things Seattle and with a long legacy of covering the NW scene, is filing daily reports from the Sub Pop Records’ 20^th Anniversary bash. For general info about what’s going on, read our earlier preview HERE. Then check out Gaar’s travelogue through all things Sub Pop — you can also read yesterday’s breakdown of Thursday-Friday happenings, and tomorrow she’ll recap the Sunday concert.

By Gillian G. Gaar

Saturday, July 12

SP 20 — Marymoor Park, Redmond WA

Time was, you’d never have expected the phrases “Sub Pop” and “family friendly” to go together. Yet there they were: a punk rocker wearing bondage pants and a hat sporting a pentangle, next to a little girl romping around in a red dress with white polka dots. The first day of the SP 20 festival drew a sell-out, inter-generational crowd; evidently, the kids who grew up listening to Sub Pop bands have now seen fit to bring their own progeny to experience the finest in “grunge,” past and present.

A section of the park (which is quite large) was cordoned off for the event, with two stages side-by-side, which allowed for rapid-fire changeovers; no downtime between sets. There were the usual overpriced food and beverage offerings (one unfortunate attendee found a staple in his collard greens), and if the beer price of $6 a cup made one grumble, there were at least an impressive nine selections of brew available (causing one woman to learn Black “Butte” Porter isn’t pronounced “Butt”). Among the booths promoting all-ages Seattle venue The Vera Project, skateboarding for girls (and women), and Obama ’08 (“We’ve given out a few thousand stickers,” a staffer proudly informed BLURT), there was actual swag to be had: the “Official Free Thing” compilation CD.

Music got underway shortly after noon, with a fine garage rock-tinged set from New York’s own Obits. At the same time, outside the SP 20 gates, another garage rock flavored Sub Pop act, Girl Trouble (whose lead singer, Kurt Kendall, sounds like the brother of the Cramps’ Lux Interior), miffed at not being able to play the event proper, pounded out an acoustic set while tossing bags of chips to onlookers, an act later deemed “punk fucking resistance!” by John Robinson, the Fluid’s lead singer. Back at SP 20, a pair of Canadian bands followed; the Constantines, who turned in a sizzling set, and Eric’s Trip, the first Canadian band to be signed by Sub Pop.

(Obits, Constantines, Eric’s Trip)

Loud continued to be the order of the day for a while; how do The Helio Sequence manage to kick up such a (pleasing) racket with only two people? Then it was time for a little old school rocking on the second stage, starting with Seaweed, still as tight as they were back in the day, even drawing Sub Pop co-founder Bruce Pavitt down to the front. Not to be outdone, the younger Pissed Jeans, whose first Sub Pop album came out last year, were just louder than loud.

(Helio Sequence, Seaweed, Pissed Jeans)

The press area, off to the left, was actually a decent enough viewing place, with picnic benches, shade, and, most importantly, free beer (the Elysian-brewed Sub Pop “Loser” pale ale). But the real action, as always, was in the VIP area, where folks chowed down on ribs and soft tacos, made frequent visits to the ice cream truck, and drank more beer. David Cross was seen being interviewed by Billboard (he was most looking forward to the Vaselines); Linda Derschang, of trendy Seattle nightspot Linda’s Tavern was on hand; Eugene Mirman, dismayed at the length of the food lines, instead exchanged pleasantries with BLURT; former K Records co-owner Candice Pedersen was spotted; author Michael Azerrad was still hanging out; and BLURT found the time to talk shop with LA Times scribe Ann Powers, who was once a Seattle resident herself, before she moved on to the bright lights big city. Indeed, as much as the bands represented the musical side of the Seattle scene of the last 20 years, the backstage attendees featured many of the movers and shakers that helped get the scene up on its feet.

(Fleet Foxes)

It was somewhat ironic to see a man wearing a t-shirt reading “I don’t give a fuck how they do it in California” as the Fleet Foxes began their set, for the Foxes’ croonings on “Sun Giant” were straight out of the Beach Boys’ playbook. There was actually a hush over the crowd during their set, though that mood was broken soon enough when the Fluid took over the second stage. John Robinson wore a nifty purple shirt and black vest, and was soon leaping about, holding the mic stand above his head, and finally jumping into the crowd for a spate of body surfing.

(Fluid)

And then came Mudhoney. Who doesn’t love Mudhoney? Only fools, my friends. And they didn’t disappoint, not only bringing back classics like “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Sweet Young Thing (Ain’t Sweet No More),” but also more current, timely tunes like “Hard-On For War.”

(Mudhoney)

The (bitter) sweeter-than-thou Vaselines couldn’t have provided more of a contrast. The reunited group’s first ever Seattle show (indeed, their first ever US show was July 9 at Maxwell’s in Hoboken) had all the songs most people know because Nirvana covered them (“Son of a Gun,” “Molly’s Lips,” “Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam”), interspersed with plenty of ribald commentary. Despite Frances McKee’s pleas to make it a “smut-free zone,” she then cheerfully informed the crowd the band’s extended absence was due to her being kidnapped and sold into white slavery, with Eugene Kelly unable to pay the bill. “Just give Frances $20,” Kelly deadpanned back, “and you can dry hump her.” McKee later queried whether the crowd’s low energy level was due to all their “dry humping in that field over there.” Alas, no such activity was observed by BLURT.

(Vaselines)

Iron and Wine then provided the calm before the storm, with Sam Beam simply standing center stage, quietly playing acoustic guitar, not something many people can do while still holding one’s attention; his cover of the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” was a highlight. Then the energy ratcheted back up again for Flight of the Conchords, who unfurled a jolly cache of tunes to end the evening on a high note, “Robots (The Humans Are Dead),” “Boom (She’s So Hot),” “Jenny,” and “Ex-Girlfriend” among them. Comedian Todd Barry was brought onstage for “Business Time,” and all and sundry were then sent home at a reasonable hour.

(Iron and Wine, Flight of the Conchords)