Smokey Brights
Frolik, Seattle, WA
07.06.17
The vibe was: heat, for the first installment of Motif Seattle‘s Summer Concert Series, starring local rock darlings Smokey Brights. Hosted at the fifth-floor rooftop of Frolik Kitchen & Cocktails, local networkers mingled with out-of-town hotel guests. Nestled in the heart of downtown Seattle, the space might not boast spectacular views, but it more than made up for it in service and amenities. Like a fully stocked bar and plenty of tasty bites. Add in a full band setup and the requisite string lights and everything was present to make for a swanky summer night.
Servers in mismatched stripe tees wandered the post-work crowd bearing champagne buckets and wooden trays of crudités while the five-piece band got off to a great start. Led by the husband-and-wife team of Ryan Devlin (guitar/vocals) and Kim West (keys/vocals), the band worked their way through two sets, with a short break in between.
Trippy psychedelic guitars met sweet vocal harmonies on tracks off their 2016 sophomore full-length, Hot Candy, which played well with new, unreleased material. An attentive crowd caught wind of the band’s 70s rock influences and laid back sound with a kick. By the end of the first set, every table on the patio was full and it was standing room only for the band’s sultry cover of the classic Prince track, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and their own new track, “The Other Way.”
During their second set, the band got a little looser, showcasing boisterous beats against lo-fi tones that fit the summer vibe just right. If the rest of the concert series can hit as perfect a mark as the Smokeys did, Motif will have a perfect combination of music-meets-mingling on their hands. Check out the rest of the lineup and grab a date for the next show!
Review and photos by Stephanie Dore
Smokey Brights
