Author: Bridget Benevides
One of the reasons I was so drawn to the city of Seattle was because of its music scene, and I really did not know how much I loved live music until I lived here. There are a few venues that I regularly go to, and I sometimes forget that there are so many more out there! On Saturday night, I got to expand my venue horizons as I went to The Crocodile for the first time! The Crocodile has been a popular Seattle venue since 1991, hosting a vast range of up and coming local, national and international talent, and has even been named one of the best clubs in America by Rolling Stone Magazine. When I got there, I was ushered upstairs to the “under 21” section which at first I was mildly disappointed by, but I got a great spot on the railing overlooking the stage so I was right up in the action.
Opening for Milo Greene way Charley Dam, who actually played bass and sang vocals for Milo Greene as well. He was very nonchalant when he came on stage, fixing microphones and the keyboard and hooking up a tablet with sound effects. To be honest, it took us all a minute to realize he was the artist, but as he sat down and began signing the audience figured it out. As I said, I was on a balcony which made for prime people watching down below. Many members of the audience were very loud and intoxicated and did not pay much attention to Charley Dam which I thought was unfortunate because he had a very unique, silky voice and sang some beautifully sad songs. His whole set was pretty casual and he (rather awkwardly) tried to engage with the audience which contributed to his charm.
After some minor sound issues, Milo Greene came to the stage. Milo Greene is not a person, but a group of five musicians, for those of you who don’t know. They had many instruments that were played throughout their set including drums, bass guitar, tambourine, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, and a sand shaker. All these different sounds created a very dynamic flow to the music. The voices of Graham Fink, Marlana Sheetz, and Robbie Arnett layered with one another seamlessly in a way that I have never heard before. Each one of their songs was different but created a similar dreamy yet excited vibe that made listening easy.
One of my favorite parts of the show was watching the band members interact with one another. They laughed and jokes and danced and got down with the music. Sometimes I wonder how much of this may be “acting” to create a performance that the audience wants to see but watching Milo Greene I did not feel the need to question if their silly playful stage presence was genuine, because I really felt like it was. They played my favorite song “1957” (last but not least) and invited the audience members to stick around and drink with them after the show which I thought was a fun invitation (for those that could partake).
All in all, I had a positive experience seeing Milo Greene at The Crocodile. I was introduced to some new songs (I loved “Afraid of Everything”) that I really enjoyed and will continue to listen to them in the future.
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | Be good to yourself | KXSU Music Reporter