“Do you like it hard, or do you like it soft?” Kele Okereke, front man of Bloc Party, asked Friday night at the Showbox SODO. “Let’s have a show of hands… Soft?” About fifteen people raised their hands. “Hard?” The crowd roared. An ecstatic Kele yelled, “Don’t be a pussy Seattle, show us what you’ve got!” and the band careened into “Ares” from their second album Intimacy. The show debuted hard-hitting tracks from the band’s new release, Four, with hammering guitar and four-on-the-floor drums. Though they bring powerful energy to the usual set, the heavy drums frequently drowned out the melody, sounding almost messy. The band sprinkled in old Silent Alarm favorites like “Banquet,” “Positive Tension,” and “Helicopter,” sending the crowd into a frenzied, frothing swirl, fueling their energy for the new tracks. “Hunting for Witches” and “Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” from Weekend in the City were no exception.
Drummer Matt Tong walked out on stage with his shirt already off, ready to kill it. Russell Lissack, lead guitarist, brought his signature shreds and swishing shock of brown hair. On bass, glockenspiel, and piano was Gordon Moakes, sauntering about the stage with a cool indifference, adding backup vocals from time to time.
Kele ended the evening with a sobering, heartfelt message. The last time the band was in town, they had a falling out after their show at the Market and effectively split up for awhile. It was a bad time for them, so it was an emotional evening to be back in the Emerald City. Reassuring the crowd that it was the best night of the tour so far, the band segued into “This Modern Love” from Silent Alarm, the perfect soothing end to a glorious return. Openers were hardcore-punk rockers Ceremony from Rohnert Park, California.
SETLIST
So He Begins to Lie
3×3
Hunting for Witches
Positive Tension
Kettling
Waiting for the 7:18
Song for Clay (Disappear Here)
Banquet
Coliseum
Day Four
One More Chance
We Are Not Good People
___________
Signs
Ares
Flux
Helicopter
____________
Octopus
This Modern Love
