Five Capitol Hill Block Party Acts You Can’t Miss

For its 20th year, the annual rite of summer has loaded its Main Stage with dazzling acts. Here are the highlights.

By Andrew Callaghan • July 22, 2016 3:00 pm
Odesza performs one of two sold-out shows last fall at Chicago’s 3,224-capacity Aragon Ballroom. Photo by Jonathan Gipaya
Odesza performs one of two sold-out shows last fall at Chicago’s 3,224-capacity Aragon Ballroom. Photo by Jonathan Gipaya

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Capitol Hill Block Party once again invites revelers to take over the Pike-Pine corridor to party, drink, and dance to the sounds of more than 100 acts. The party, which features five stages (two outdoor and three indoor), will rage throughout the weekend, June 22-24. Oh, and for those of you who dwell on the Hill—good luck getting anything done this weekend. So you may as well go. Here are our picks for the five acts you just can’t miss.

Friday, June 22

Crystal Castles Electro-punk trio Crystal Castles is known for its chaotic live performances and lo-fi, experimental sound. Although based out of Toronto, its smooth melancholic sound strikes a familiar nerve with us Seattleites, who have all, at one point, spent our dreary mid-winter months dodging seasonal-affective disorder. Although the group hasn’t released an album since III in 2012, its fourth album, Amnesty, is expected to make waves when it is released on August 16. Main Stage, 9:15 p.m.

Washed Out Ernest Greene, also known as Georgia-based singer, songwriter, and producer Washed Out, will bring his dreamy, drowsy, psychedelic sound to the Party. His 2013 album Perecosm, released on Sub Pop, sold 13,000 copies in its first week and topped the Billboard chart as the #1 selling vinyl record in the country. He hasn’t released much music since then, so it should be interesting to see what he brings to the stage this weekend. Main Stage, 10:45 p.m.

Saturday, June 23

Odesza Formed at Western Washington University in 2012, this refreshing electronic music duo has courted a colossal wave of fans due to its unyielding work ethic—these guys are total music festival junkies. Odesza recently headlined national tours in North America and Australia, but have been busy this summer with performances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Sasquatch, among others. Although the popular 2014 album In Return was an iTunes bestseller, the duo’s allure goes beyond Mp3 downloads and SoundCloud plays; its dynamic live performances have proven to be the supreme arbiter of Odesza’s star power. See what all the buzz (and wobble bass, synths, and 808s) is about. Main Stage, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 24

Goldlink There is genuine substance to rapper Goldlink’s sound, and behind boisterous bars he often tackles deeper issues such as social injustice, romantic instability, and growing up in the ghetto in the D.C-Maryland-Virginia metroplex. His personal genre, which he calls “future-bounce” often blends filtered R&B samples laid over bouncy hip-hop drums, giving his music a funky flare of nostalgia. His witty lyricism and machine gun-tempo flow cause him to stand out. This isn’t a performance to miss. Main Stage, 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 24

CHVRCHES Smooth, glowing vocals from lead singer Lauren Mayberry fused with clean, harmonic synthesizers and looping vocal samples give CHVRCHES’ poppy music a vivacious audial aesthetic which has been frequently imitated but never duplicated. Since the release of its well-received 2013 breakout album The Bones of What You Believe, CHVRCHES has maintained a steady international following. Main Stage, 8:45 p.m.