 |
||||||||||
| The Blakes Live @ The Baltic Room Seattle, WA February 8, 2006 By Cheryl (Sugarbuzz Seattle Correspondent) Photos by Cheryl |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
| I have no idea who said, “Hey, you should check out The Blakes ” back in January, but for some reason I wrote down their name in my notepad. I had a faint recollection of hearing their name here and there last year… but for all I know, I could have dreamt this scenario. Who are The Blakes? Either divine intervention or my acute intuition told me to see for myself on that February evening. The Blakes, my friends, are the pure joy of some bluesy, toe-tappin indie rock from Seattle… but not trying with all their might to sound like many other too-cool-indie-fuckin-shoegazer bands in this town. The Blakes will get you (and drunk Canadians, as I witnessed) movin and ready to party with tunes similar to early Stones and Kinks with a touch of new wave (sans synth) powerpop, jacked-up-to-Jesus in the garage with Nirvana and The Vines. You’ll dance, you’ll shout and you’ll keep on playing their tunes in your car, like me. |
||||||||||
| The venue added some glam to this gritty, party rock show: Seattle’s Baltic Room, located on Capitol Hill, looks much like an exotic opium den, complete with red velvet curtains, deep wood walls and red silk lanterns, oversized mirrors, tall ceilings.
I waited outside for a spell as some drunk guy kept ranting that he wasn’t gay, (I’m gonna leave that one alone) as the water he was gifted from the friendly bartender dripped quickly from his chin. Waiting for dramatic events, I grew impatient and cold, so I headed in. A DJ spun an eclectic mix of new wave, Britpop andrandom beats that people like to dance to… while I swilled $1.50 PBRs and waited for that drunk guy to reappear and entertain me further. He did, of course. Its 11:40… and The Blakes finally take the stage on this school night. While modestly setting up, this 3 man attack let loose with steady, melody of Garnet onguitar over Snow’s throbbing bass and Bob’s tight work on his minimalist kit results in a sweet and dirty sound spiking The Blakes catchy, pop beat. My picks: Two Times, Pistol Grip Lilting and obliquely rockin!! (I asked… no one in the band is actually named Blake). |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
| www.myspace.com/theblakes | ||||||||||