Gianni | Photo by Becki Thorley
Written by Haley Parsons
Chop Suey was buzzing on Thursday as the crowd waited for The Black Tones to take the stage and kick off the long-awaited Naked Giants album release party. There was plenty of mingling taking place amongst some of the Seattle music scene’s best, but that all died down when Eva Walker strummed a few quick notes on her guitar, then launched into one of the most impressive jam sessions I have ever witnessed. The Black Tones have everything it takes to make one of the coolest and most unique bands in Seattle. Twins, Eva and Cedric are witty, musically gifted and authentic. Their set was full of songs written about their family members and even one of Eva’s worst enemies, spiders. She introduced the song with, “I HATE spiders. It’s like the Klu Klux Klan and then Spiders,” she used her hands to illustrate how those ugly white supremacists were still worse than those ugly eight-legged creatures. I had to wholeheartedly agree with her as she launched into another tune. The Black Tones mix the blues and punk so eloquently that it’s impossible to isolate the different influences when they play. It’s all led by Eva, who has to be one of the best guitarists ever, with Cedric’s drums as the backbone and bassist Robby Little’s steady beat as the cherry on top.
The next band came from an entirely different planet than The Black Tones. I firmly believe The Fabulous Downey Brothers are from Mars, or something wild like that because they’re just so far out. The band set up their keyboards and monitors in a line of four at the front of the stage and took the audience on one of the weirdest trips ever. Dressed in matching black shirts and pants with white collar accents and belts, the group perfected their look with cardboard glasses and antennas. They looked a bit like Gonzo from the Muppets, which all together made their performance even more interesting. The Fabulous Downey Brothers sound like the B-52s, but more chaotic and conceptual. The graphics on the monitors changed with each song as the group moved through a set with songs that dealt with topics ranging from how our entire lives are Virtual Reality simulations to the audience’s thoughts on worms. With a costume change and robotic dance moves to round out the performance, I was certainly left stunned but satisfied. They were fun to watch! I felt totally free to dance through the entire set because I knew I wasn’t going to be judged by anyone in the venue since I couldn’t be capable of outdoing the explosion of weirdness happening on stage. My friend who was with me was equally as blown away. “I think I loved it so much because I had no expectations. They totally blew me away,” he explained. Those with open minds should be sure to check this group out because they won’t be disappointed.
Finally, it was the moment we had all been waiting for. The Naked Giants were ready to take the stage. They kicked their set off with “Slide” and the show was unstoppable from there. The pit was full of your typical, super tall, ridiculously aggressive dudes, but was still one of the best crowds I have ever been in, thanks in part to the urgent stressing of Gianni Aiello and Grant Mullen that everyone have a great time but be respectful of those who don’t want to be pushed. (Plus, I saw Robby Little in the pit so what more could I ask for?) They debuted deliciously catchy, title track “SLUFF” which was my favorite song of the night and played old favorites like “Pyramids” and “Easy Eating”. The three-piece left the stage dripping in sweat after playing their rock and roll hearts out. During “Green Fuzz”, drummer Henry LaVallee has a drum solo that I have seen him absolutely SHRED, but never like what the audience at Chop Suey got to witness. Henry kept right on drumming until Mullen literally told him to wind it down. Each member has his own special moments, too, with Grant stage diving and Gianni seeming to be blown away by the crowd moshing their hearts out to his songs. It was beyond magical. The Naked Giants are one of Seattle’s most hard-working bands and they deserved their night to bask in the glory of the release of a FANTASTIC record with their friends, family, and fans.
Dedication was the common factor among the three bands on the bill on the 29th. None of these bands do anything half-heartedly. From Eva Walker coaxing the crowd into singing with her to The Fabulous Downey Brothers hypnotizing everyone to Henry LaVallee almost destroying his drum kit, these artists find a way to leave it all on the stage night after night. The really sappy and inspirational part is that they’re bold enough to create music that matters to them and stand by it, which as a fan, I’m thankful for.
Keep up with all the bands here!
Naked Giants | The Fabulous Downey Brothers | The Black Tones
If you like the pictures, check out Becki’s Instagram! @beckithorley
HALEY PARSONS | SLUFF! | KXSU Music Reporter