Tucked away in the Southeast corner of the Seattle Center stood the softer side of Oakland, California (which is known more for hyphy movement hip-hop than it is for sweet pop): Rogue Wave. As disco-era nostalgics packed into Blondie’s set and tons of teens crowded the mainstage for Hawthorne Heights, the quintet, with their soft blend of both rock and folk music, provided possibly one of the least age-polarizing sets of the day.
“This is the kind of music that spans all tastes and ages,” commented Brad Andres, a 24-year veteran of Seattle’s art and music extravaganza. “My 21-year-old son lent me a copy of their record and we both had to come see them.”
Rogue Wave stuck to the tunes off their docile 2005 release, Descended Like Vultures, and as they eased through crowd-favorite “Bird on a Wire,” showgoers swayed with both delight and approval with each echoing vocal harmony and during drummer Pat Spurgeon’s delicately building timpani rolls. And as the band flirted through their mid-afternoon set with lyrics both charming and desperate, their sound remained sweetly thick yet soft. JOSH SABROWSKY
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PHOTOS BY ZOFIA GIL
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At Bumbershoot ’06, Spin is on the ground with our college correspondent program. Eight college students — four writers, four photographers — earned the opportunity to cover the festival for SPIN.com, live, all weekend long. Sound appealing? Stay tuned to SPIN.com for future opportunities to apply for our college correspondent program!
