Photos and Words by AJ Dent
The Physics
Seattle favorites The Physics absolutely devoured the Fountain Stage with their set. Of course, after fifteen years of Thig, Monk, and Justo making funk together, it was inevitable. Shout-outs of lyrics highlighting local areas could be heard by pockets of the audience throughout the show, but what made this a Saturday standout was all the grooving. There wasn’t a single down moment thanks to the backup singers backin’ it up, the crowd clapping along, and the rhymemasters themselves coordinating shuffle-jigs. With the sun splattering through the bandshell, they made use of every inch of the stage and proved why they still have staying power. As if it was ever in doubt.
Gary Numan
“So… what is he?” a young concertgoer I’d never met before asked me as workers prepped the TuneIn Stage for Mr. Numan. This twenty-something had seen my press pass and approached me for details, figuring I’d know what’s up. The fact she dropped “what” rather than “who” about him says a lot. Maybe it’s his Numanoids fanbase of old, or his positive atheist rep, or his impact on new wave noise, or his faux-cameo via Stewie singing on Family Guy. All I know is, several of my friends told me I had to catch this electronica original, and I was highly, highly entertained. There’s just something about legendary British gents that render me unable to look away. My guess is, ya know, the decades of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll ingrained in their very aura. Which is why my answer to the young Bumbershooter beside me that evening was a simple, “Just watch.”
