Ballard Seafood Fest

I’ve lived in Frelard, that liminal space between Fremont and Ballard, long enough to remember when Fremont was cool and Ballard was home to dive bars for fishermen. I frequent the Ballard Library and their Sunday Market as often as I visit the library and Sunday Market in Fremont. When my kids were little, I fed an unwholesome cupcake habit at Cupcake Royale. But I’ve never been to the Ballard Seafood Fest before. Because really, how much street seafood can you eat in one day? Plus, parking in Ballard is bad enough on a regular weekend. Silly me. I didn’t realize it’s a music festival.

Accidental Festival

Last Thursday a Bands in Town app alert (or maybe it was Songkick, I use both because neither one does quite what I want) informed me that Grizzled Mighty were playing near me on Saturday. When I clicked through, I found out that they were playing as part of Ballard Seafood Fest. We didn’t have much planned for that Saturday, so we decided to take the bus to Ballard, grab seafood for dinner, and watch Grizzled Mighty. When we checked the schedule on Saturday, the rest of the lineup looked good, so we ended up catching a bus right after lunch. We only live a few stops from Market Street, and everyone in the family has a bus pass, so getting there was a breeze.

Acid Tongue

We had just enough time to do a quick walk through and grab some nitrogen-frozen ice cream (tasted like Trix cereal) for the kids when Acid Tongue took the stage. We gave the kids some cash and set them loose, then got in line for the beer garden. We had just gotten our beer and found a spot to watch the band when the kids texted – they were taking a break from the crowds in the quiet of the library. That made it pretty easy to relax and enjoy the band.

We’d seen Acid Tongue before when they played the Tractor as part of Freak Out Fest last fall. Not much had changed. We liked them then and we like them now. The music was perfect for hanging out in the sunshine with a tasty beer.

Smokey Brights

I saw Smokey Brights at Bumbershoot one year – I think it was 2014, but I didn’t blog about it, so I don’t have proof. I think they were playing in the same venue as a couple of Icelandic bands I wanted to see. Young Karin and Hermigervill, maybe. It was a good set.

The kids found us in the beer garden (we talked through the fence) to settle an argument. We clarified that one of them could buying a lemonade to drink while the other one went on the giant bouncy slide was not a violation of the “stay together” rule. Then we went back for another drink while they took off to implement the plan.

Watching Smokey Brights again this year, weird Ballard cocktail in hand…

Aside: It was a Tómas Collins – aquavit, I think some lemon, and pickle juice. It was an acquired taste. That is to say, the first sip was “Blah! Pickle juice!” but additional sips revealed layers of flavor and by the bottom of the glass it was quite refreshing and summery.

Anyway, standing in the shade at the intersection of Ballard Ave and 22nd, cocktail in hand, Smokey Brights was just the thing. I think they’ve gotten better since I saw them last. They had a bluesy feel that I don’t remember from before, and I really liked it. Plus, my husband (who wasn’t at Bumbershoot the year I saw them) recognized the singer as someone who works in his building. Seattle is still a small town, sometimes.

Grizzled Mighty

The kids rejoined us and we all grabbed dinner from different booths along Market Street. Stuffed full of street food, we all came together in front of the stage to see Grizzled Mighty. The kids didn’t remember the last time we saw them. It was at Bumbershoot when Whitney was still the drummer. That time my younger daughter rode on my shoulders and my older one caught a broken drumstick (there were many). The kids had just as much fun the second time. So did the teddy bear in the apartment behind the stage.

I love the Grizzled Mighty. I love the current line up with the drummer from Reignwolf and that bass player! Her name is Jewel, so I’m already a fan. Even knowing that double sided fashion tape is your friend, I’d be scared to move in that jumpsuit, and she was loading gear in it (in heels no less).

She looked kinda bored playing the older songs (when the bass line just echoed the guitar) but started having some fun when there was more to do. I can’t wait to hear more of the new, fuller sound when she gets to cut loose. Granger certainly knows how to recruit badass women.

All Them Witches Cave Singers

I was curious about All Them Witches, but the kids were kind of tired. We were trying to decide whether to stick around when it was announced that All Them Witches had to cancel. Cave Singers were filling in. I fucking love the Cave Singers. I listened the hell out of No Witch and Naomi, and Welcome Joy. And one track, “Elephant Clouds,” from Invitation Songs was on my Quit My Day Job playlist. I admit I kind of slept on Banshee, but I was working like 80-hour weeks for a chunk of 2016 (good thing I quit that burdensome day job, huh?) so I missed a lot of music that year. For all that, I’ve only seen Cave Singers once, at the Showbox in 2012. No way was I going home.

God I love the Cave Singers.

Home Again

Blitzen Trapper was up next. I like them, and I’ve never seen them live. But the kids had hit their limit. We waited a long time for a bus home. I swear, Ballard is the Hotel California. Getting the bus there is easy, but you can never leave. (We missed the last bus at Freakout Fest and had to walk all the way home. It took almost an hour.) We here home by 9ish, tired, happy and sunburned. Only then did we realize that we never ate any seafood.