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Tuesday, Oct 07, 2008
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Where It's At |
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| Smashing Pumpkins, Against Me!, and The Bravery to fete 107.7's 'Endfest 16' | ||
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by Albert Rodriguez -
SGN A&E Writer 107.7's "Endfest 16" w/ Smashing Pumpkins, Against Me!, The Bravery, and others Saturday, September 22 - Noon Qwest Field - $39.50 How's this for a "sweet 16" birthday party? 15,000 guests, beer gardens, karaoke tent, and the Smashing Pumpkins rocking on a giant stage! With this kind of action, screw the cake and ice cream. The bash I'm referring to is Endfest, sponsored by local radio station 107.7 (The End). To commemorate the sixteenth installment of this outdoor festival, the alt music station is taking over Qwest Field's ample parking lot for an all-day shindig that includes three performance stages and a simmering roster of hard rock bands. Among them, the event's headlining act Smashing Pumpkins. Reunited, after years of being on hiatus, the Grammy-winning quartet is creating strong buzz with their newest effort Zeitgeist, currently sitting inside Billboard's 200 Albums chart. The band rose to success in the mid-90s with a string of hits, including "1979", "Cherub Rock", "Disarm", "Tonight, Tonight", and "Bullet with Butterfly Wings". I acknowledge Smashing Pumpkins' album Siamese Dream as one of the best recordings of the past decade. Also on the Endfest bill is Against Me! (uh huh, with an exclamation point), a high-intensity punk foursome from the all-too-popular state of Florida. In August, the group delighted Seattle fans with a ferocious performance of anthem-like songs at the Capitol Hill Block Party. I was so impressed with these guys and quickly downloaded their fiery single "White People for Peace" shortly afterwards. Another band on Saturday's lineup is The Bravery, whose lead singer Sam Endicott interviewed with Seattle Gay News earlier this year. I got to hang out with group members, including Endicott, at a couple of bars following their appearance at El Corazon. They were incredibly nice and very entertaining, and Endicott told some wild and unforgettable stories to highlight the drunken outing. The NYC-based ensemble is responsible for the smash hit " An Honest Mistake", expected to get everybody shaking their stuff on Saturday. Rounding out the field for Endfest 16 are Social Distortion, Bright Eyes, Satellite Party (featuring Perry Farrell), The Used, Shiny Toy Guns, Hot Hot Heat, and Straylight Run. A smaller stage, named after 107.7's nightly program of local talent "The Young and the Restless", will showcase Minus the Bear, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, and recent contest winners Moneta. Veteran punk stars Social Distortion and indie singer-songwriter Bright Eyes are likely to draw their own herd of followers, both able to tout sold out concerts in Seattle within the past twelve months. I caught Hot Hot Heat at the Virgin Festival in Vancouver BC this spring, and they are quite the entertainers onstage. I'm totally in love with lead vocalist Steve Bay's curly-mop hair. Gates open at 11am on Saturday morning with the first bands scheduled to begin playing around noon. The multi-stage concert is taking place on a cement-level surface, so be sure to wear comfy sneakers and padded socks. Smashing Pumpkins will start around 9 or 9:30pm, providing no delays, and expect a shaved-headed Billy Corgan to wail pleasantly for about an hour and a half. Against Me! is banging on a second stage, though no particular set time had been announced when Seattle Gay News went to press. For details, visit www.1077theend.com. Food vendors, beer gardens, and 107.7's "End-A-Roke" (a rock version of karaoke with cute boys and tipsy gals) will be set up for those wanting a break from the live tunes. Since the parking lot is being utilized to host the event, you can find nearby parking in the International District. A. Rodriguez Artist essentials: Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins, New Wave by Against Me!, and The Bravery by The Bravery. |
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