On a sunny and hot (too hot if you ask me) Seattle Friday night, I made my way down to Fremont, singing away to kitschy Cyndi Lauper songs in the car and maybe missing a turn or five (thank you, Google Maps). Upon arrival at Bad Jimmy’s Brewing Co. for EPOCH Shows’ debut event on August 12, I noticed four main things: 1) the ultra cute pop-up zine shop, 2) the pulled pork and ale stations, 3) the sound of live music from Bad Jimmy’s neat patio-styled stage, and mostly 4) the deep stress I had in not knowing what to experience first.
As I stated previously in my preview of this event, I was stoked to see such a musically diverse lineup. From electro-pop to semi-classic rock, the folks who curated the lineup really did a good job in encompassing Pacific Northwest music (shout out to our bud, Marcus Shriver).
The first band to grace the stage was the electro-pop duo, Neu Yeuth. With their slick stage presence, purely electronic and synth-based sounds, and their sweet harmonies, Neu Yeuth was very reminiscent of one of my other favorite duos, Sylvan Esso. Huntington and Claire effortlessly split melodies, and even alternated in working the synth. I can imagine a dude yelling, “Do you even make your own beats bro?” and in this case, yeah, they do, and they’re pretty great at it, too. Neu Yeuth was birthed after these two met on Craigslist in 2015, and although they are a fairly new duo, after seeing them on stage performing together, I could have been fooled into thinking otherwise. Their set was effortless, fun, and the perfect way to start off the night. I thank Craigslist and the music gods for bringing them together.
Next up was the alterna-punk trio, Moguls. They played what I’m pretty sure was mostly new songs, most of which were much more rock-based and beat-heavy as compared to their previously folk-inspired sound. These fellas are no strangers to KXSU, and we cannot wait until they officially release their new music.
I would like to note that throughout the first two sets, there were two folks dressed in stellar bright outfits, dancing, weaving, and sloshing through the crowd. They looked so familiar to me, and so naturally I tried so hard to rack my brain to remember where I had seen them before. It did not occur to me until I saw them hit the stage that, ladies and gentlemen, these fellas were a part of Swoon Records’ glam-rock band, Fruit Juice. With all four members covered in glitter, paint, and everything glam-rock worthy, Fruit Juice put on a fast-paced and energetic set as glittery and glamorous as their outer aesthetics proved to be. Their sound makes me think of the theoretical music child of David Bowie and Ty Segall—strange, colorful, and kind of irresistible.
Portland’s Animal Eyes captured the attention of the ever-growing crowd with their psychedelic-meets-PNW-rock sounds. With some songs leaning more towards gaze-y and poppy sounds, and others definitely leaning more towards that of earthy ballads, Animal Eyes’ set was an implicative reflection of their newest album, Where We Go. Similar to the album, their set was a mixture of different tempos, experimental sounds, and memorable riffs that all perfectly fit together.
I’ve seen Fauna Shade play live quiet a few times since I’ve been in Seattle (most recently at the Sloucher album release party at Rancho Bravo) and I can honestly say that they are one of the few bands that I can (and want) to see live multiple times. The mixture of guitar reverb, dreamy strums, and manipulated vocals all came together to create Fauna Shade’s classic sound. The layers created by their classic rock instrumentals and Scotty’s fascinating vocals get me every single time. Go Fauna Shade.
In addition to the impressive musical lineup (have I mentioned that the lineup was impressive?), the night offered amazing food, truly “intense” ales, and a pop-up zine shop featuring the creative works of SU alumni including Megan Castillo, Marcus Shriver, and Amanda Bell. The zines centered on topics from raccoons doing things to soda streams to damn cute coloring book drawings of plants. I’ll have you know that the stress I initially felt turned into pure bliss, as I circled the entire event and hit every single station with joy on my sleeve (except the pulled pork station, which I’m still crying about).
A special thanks to Marcus Shriver, Kellyco Enterprises, and Bad Jimmy’s Brewing Co. for putting together that rad night.
APRIL JINGCO | Regretful of not getting a pulled pork sandwich | KXSU Digital Media Director