Missing Records

photo by Kate Becker

It was a love fest last night at the Moore Theater in Seattle. Rising local stars The Head & The Heart returned fresh from a national tour and quickly ignited the clamoring crowd with a virtually flawless set. I love seeing bands return home after a long tour because typically the songs are super tight from months of playing and the energy is ripe from a crowd of supportive hometown fans. This perfect storm was evident last night and it was great to hear the crowd erupt after almost every song from the band's debut album. 

photo by Kate Becker

The Head & the Heart's debut album is quickly becoming a classic and its re-release on Sub Pop has catapulted this beloved local band to national fame in a very short time. So great! They are "well on their way" indeed. 

Opener's Ivan & Alyosha and Grand Hallway provided inspiration and really exemplify the deep talent pool we have here in Seattle. For a big fan of Grand Hallway it was like a set of greatest hits. The lovely "Raindrops" really connected with the crowd and started a wave of excitement that lasted the entire evening. The set had a nice mix of classic older songs like "Blessed Be, Honey Bee" and "Sirens" mixed with hot songs from their upcoming album Winter Creatures. My favorite new song last night was "Wildfire" and I loved watching both Tomo and Shenandoah come alive on the Moore stage while singing "I don't want to die" in a beautiful swarm of melody. 

Thematically, both Head & the Heart and Grand Hallway examine that relationship between the joys of life and it's fleeting nature. It's heavy subject matter that they both somehow deliver in a lighter way that builds comfort as opposed to anxiety. It's a sense that acceptance of our limited time here together only strengthen's our need to appreciate one another. Last night we did, it was truly a genuine love fest for these well deserving, hard working local bands.  Awesome!