Covered in pink and gold paint, J GRGRY took the Mural Amphitheatre stage in Seattle Center. Under the gaze of the Space Needle with the sun beaming down on the band, it made for an electric opening for the first day of the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival. Lead vocalist, Joe Gregory, moved across the stage like Perry Farrell and Ziggy Stardust were both possessing his body at the same time. Even that might be a disservice because Gregory was uniquely his own while he was on the stage. The surging guitars and synthesizers were fierce, but his energy kept egging them on to do even more. The push and pull between vocalist and band created a thrilling environment to see one of the city's most compelling acts.
"This is an instrumental about weed," Acapulco Lips bassist Maria-Elena Juarez said pointedly as the band started their set at the KEXP stage. It got giggles at first, but the second they started leaning into their psych-meets-surf jam, the laughter turned into dancing and some serious vibing. It w…
Every week, KEXP features a new local artist with an interview and suggested tracks for where to start. This week, we’re featuring Portland songwriter Dave Depper, who plays Bumbershoot this Sunday at 5:30 PM on the KEXP stage.
Review by Clare McGrane, DJ assistant for Wo'Pop on KEXP
