hellogoodbye: Get Your Dance On

hellogoodbye
The Crocodile, Seattle, Wa
05.16.14

The Crocodile sloughed off a long workweek full of dreary May rain with a raucous dance party Friday night, as hellogoodbye rolled into Seattle, and, well, did just that – said hello, followed by a bittersweet goodbye. But, there’s plenty of good tidbits in between that must be accounted for, sorted out, and picked apart. Here we go:

Fresh off of a fall tour with Paramore and Metric, hellogoodbye takes the reigns this time, headlining their own tour as they seek to promote their latest album (Everything Is) Debatable. Inching ever closer back to their hometown of Huntington Beach, Hellogoodbye appeared ready and eager to play, as this show would most efficiently be summed up as a fresh and funky dance party, led by front man Forrest Kline. That dude was not afraid to get down. He is a perfect representation of their style and form. And, even though I’m not the dancing type, I caught myself dangerously bobbing my head and goofily smiling at his antics. At least someone around here has the guts to get the job done in style.

Wielding a nerdy ‘stache, Kline kicked off his 15 song set with When We First Met. Instrument or no, every bone in his body shimmied and shook along with the crowd. With great affinity for his fans, he made an honest effort to interact with everyone in attendance on the floor. At one point, Kline grabbed a camera from the audience and made sure to give it ‘the tour’ before handing it back. Around the halfway point, he disappeared backstage only to emerge with a bag of balloons emblazoned with the hellogoodbye emblems. Some serious volley ensued, as the crowd not only wanted to punch them, but grab them up as souvenirs as well.

Kline ended the set with their most recent hit (Everything Is) Debatable. However, the crowd was relentless in their cheers for an encore, and hellogoodbye returned for two more songs: Oh, It Is Love and Here (In Your Arms). The auto tune on that last one took away all the suspense. Or, reversely, made the crowd even more excited. Half empty or half full – I’d be inclined to go with ‘full.’

Everything is, well, debatable.

Kicking off this festive evening was our very own Seattle-based Mansions, who are currently out promoting their new album Doom Loop. Members Christopher Browder and Robin Dove continue to generate buzz in the indie scene, and I highly recommend that you check out their latest record. Philly-based Vacationer took the second spot and got the crowd slow-mo rocking with their amalgamation of tropical, rock, indie, and throwback sounds. They are currently working on their sophomore album due out in June, so keep your ears peeled for some great new sounds headed your way.

hellogoodbye Setlist:

When We First Met
Getting Old
Finding Something To Do
Coppertone
When We First Kissed
And Everything Becomes a Blur
Swear You’re in Love
Just Don’t Let Go Just Don’t
How Wrong I Can Be
All of Your Love
An External Force
The Magic Hour Is Now
(Everything Is) Debatable