First Upstairs set a hot sweaty success

Whew, it's hot up there! Sexton Blake are finishing up the last upstairs block of the night right now, so I snuck down to get some cool and blog before the big closing roundout explosion of Please Step Out of the Vehicle, Old Time Relijun, Viva Voce and Siren's Echo.

Dramady:

Why are two pieces always so good in this town? This muscular duo of bass and simultaneous drums/keys played the kind of punk-disco hybrid that, like so mayn good mergings of opposites, somehow never seems to lose its power. They told me that they haven't played that many shows and thy seemed both super nervous and highly psyched. Also, there was totally a line of awesome punker high school kids kicking it throughout this whole set.

We're From Japan:

Festival veterans, these classic Portland shoegazer-types did better in the more intimate and densely packed upstairs than they had downstairs, which can feel a little lonely when it's not actually over official capacity. This year they this also brought something of a lighter more intricate touch to what can sometimes seem like Portland's favorite genre of music: a bunch of dudes playing loud, effect-washed, lushly layered guitar atop battering drums in a style that ranges all the way from My Bloody Valentine to Godspeed You Black Emperor. This set, by contrast, was far more melody driven and extroverted, which is a good thing.

Sexton Blake:

Maybe the most actually pop of any group so far, Sexton Blake played this set of catchy, sunny songs with their keyboards balanced on upturned garbage and recycling cans from the green room. They make a big buzzy sound (they may have been had some technical problems, the sound guy kept apologizing) which really sets off their delicate glowing harmonies.

Anyway, that's all for me right now. Please Step Out of the Vehicle is getting started and I've got merch booth duties to attend to. Hmm. . .maybe I'll blog this last set of bands from my bed when I get home after the end of tonight; it's been a long day and there's still so much rocking yet to be done. . .