Hey Marseilles Sells Out

Hey Marseilles @ The Tractor Tavern

Saturday night I squeezed into the Tractor with the rest of the sold-out crowd to see Conservative Dad, The Head and the Heart, and Hey Marseilles. This show was a little while in coming, since Hey Marseilles has been in the studio re-editing their debut To Travels & Trunks for national release and on newly-pressed vinyl. 

Conservative Dad @ The Tractor Tavern

Con Dad started their set quickly before the crowd got too rowdy squishing into the main room. They've been likened to Death Cab for Cutie, but I'm not sure I'd put them in a box like that, especially since last year they put out four EPs, each with a different sound than the last. Sure, they've a familiar sound, and the typical rock band lineup (drummer, singer-guitarist, backup singer-guitarist, and guitarist-keyboardist-backup singer), but there's a little something else mixed in you can't seem to put your finger on that keeps it from being monotonous and boring.

The Head and The Heart @ The Tractor Tavern

The Head and the Heart has been getting a lot of hype around town, but I seem to have kept a wary distance between their music and my ears. Their sound is gorgeous, and they really show that off in a venue like the Tractor. The passion in each of their faces and the way they smile at each other, as if they're sharing some kind of secret, adds a lot to the experience. The overall feeling after their set is sweet happiness, like you're hanging out on the back porch during a warm summer's day with friends, drinking beer, and telling stories.

The night ended with a bang as Hey Marseilles took the stage. Every show they play has its own feel, and that has a lot to do with venue itself. Smaller venues bring the audience that much closer to the band, and that's when this group really shines. One of the best things about them is their enthusiasm for the music they play and the fans; in the intimate setting they're at ease, allowing them to just have fun.

Hey Marseilles @ The Tractor Tavern

I'm never quite sure how Hey Marseilles manage to fit all seven band members on small stages without some kind of vaudevillian mishap, but they manage it with a joyous style all their own. The Tractor show was their last for a while in Seattle. They're back on the road and headed down the Coast, and over into Nevada and Idaho in July. But don't fret, they've got a couple Seattle appearances lined up for June, and they'll play the Doe Bay Fest (if you were lucky enough to have grabbed a ticket to the sold-out event) in August.