Live at Bumbershoot 2014, Day 1: The Lonely Forest

The guys of indie band The Lonely Forest represent much of what it is to be born-and-bred Pacific Northwest musicians. The four, from Anacortes, WA, were launched into the local music scene in 2006 when they won EMP's Sound Off! competition. This under 21 battle of the bands has been the catalyst for many young local bands, and every year The Lonely Forest is boasted as a notable past winner. The Lonely Forest has a lot to show off in their near decade of playing music together. Their fourth album, gloomily titled Adding Up the Wasted Hours, was released last October. The album, anthemic and PNW-influenced as ever, was created with help from fellow local indie leaders Chris Walla and Karl Blau. The band, who we've watched develop from Sound Off! hopefuls into indie-rock mainstays, announced an indefinite hiatus in May, with today's performances at Bumbershoot being their last.

The Lonely Forest modestly greeted their audience at the Bumbershoot Music Lounge with whispers of "hi," which were immediately contradicted by the loud confidence of "Blackheart vs Captain America," from 2009's We Sing the Body Electric! Frontman John Van Deusen, donning a teal guitar and a matching Seattle Sonics hat, moved around the stage as if in reverse.

Before playing the ironically titled "Turn Off This Song and Go Outside," Van Deusen reminded the crowd of their imminent final show later today, an announcement which was met with a resounding "no!" from their fans. The song, a reflection of what the band itself will be doing in a few hours, ended with a giggle from Van Deusen.

The band moved through their set with veteran skill into a song that surely resonated with their Pacific Northwestern audience. "Live There," a love song for the band's hometown of Anacortes and the evergreens native to the region, then became "Coyote," from 2011's Arrow.

Lightening the mood, the band announced their next project; become a Black Sabbath cover band. Thankfully, what followed was not an enthusiastic rendition of "Iron Man," but the emotionally charged hit, "We Sing In Time," ending The Lonely Forest's (second to) last show.