Capital Cities kicking off the summer in Portland
Enduring the standard downpour of the Pacific Northwest while trekking through the Portland City Rose Festival left me with my feet wet but my excitement at an all time high. Nothing beats kicking off the summer like a spectacular show and luckily for us Portlanders “indietronica”-deemed duo Capital Cities were to perform as part of the 101.9 KINK on the Waterfront concert series and you could feel the crowd’s anticipation as if it was punching you in the face.
The Los Angeles-based band, founded in 2010 by Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian—just 2 short years after meeting through Craigslist, first hit it big on Latin American radio that led to their first tour in South America. With some self-funded promotional campaigns to gain U.S. radio play, Capitol Records took notice and signed Capital Cities, releasing their debut album In a Tidal Wave of Mystery in June 2013.
Within just one year Capital Cities’ notoriety has skyrocketed with plans to play every major festival including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza (South America) and Coachella back in April but not without starting a summer off right with a killer show in Portland! May 25 Capital Cities, along with their unbelievable band (bassist Manny Quintero, guitarist Nick Merwin, drummer Channing Holmes, and trumpeter Spencer Ludwig), came fully equipped with booty shaking bearded men and flawless covers of the Bee Gees and Sinead O’Connor. You heard me, BOOTY SHAKING BEARDED MEN and covers of the BEE GEES AND SINEAD O’CONNOR. I’ll let that sink into your brain for a minute.
This band has a way of making the crowd whip into a dancing frenzy—shirts a-swingin’, beach balls flying, spastic clapping, you name it. A crowd pleaser (and personal favorite of mine) was Ludwig on trumpet just bringing the place to an uproar with his dazzling solos—quite the show-stealer, that one. As a collective, however, they were unstoppable.
I only provided just a few of the highlights but if these don’t convince you to head to a Capital Cities show then I don’t know what will! They’re blowing up and I don’t see their explosive energy and stage presence dying down any time soon.
**In case you’ve been living under a rock here are some of Capital Cities’ infectious singles and don’t forget to catch them on the first leg of Katy Perry’s summer tour!**
Katy Perry Prismatic World Tour feat. Capital Cities:
June 22: Raleigh, N.C. (PNC Arena)
June 24: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
June 27: Nashville, Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena)
June 28: Atlanta, Ga. (Philips Arena)
June 30: Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Times Forum)
July 2: Sunrise, Fla. (BB&T Center)
July 3: Miami, Fla. (AmericanAirlines Arena)
July 9: New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)
July 11: Newark, N.J. (Prudential Center)
July 15: Montreal, Quebec (Bell Centre)
July 16: Ottowa, Ont. (Canadian Tire Centre)
July 18: Toronto, Ont. (Air Canada Centre)
July 22: Pittsburgh, Pa. (CONSOL Energy Center)
July 24: Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclays Center)
Aug. 1: Boston, Mass. (TD Garden)
Aug. 4: Philadelphia, Pa. (Wells Fargo Center)
Aug. 7: Chicago, Ill. (United Center)
