Show Review: Someone’s Daughter, Spanghew, Pink Steam at Riot House Seattle.
January 11, 2025
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Tearing up the suburbs
January 12th, 2025
On a chilly January night, we rode the light rail to Shoreline and wandered down an eerie strip of fog coated forest before stumbling into Riot House, a hidden treasure of a house venue nestled inconspicuously in suburbia. We navigated through an open garage into the backyard, past a group of people gathered around a campfire discussing the politics of Sonic 3, and into the basement (complete with exposed pipes and a concerningly low ceiling) where Someone’s Daughter, Spanghew, and Pink Steam rattled our bones, our eardrums, and the very foundation we stood on. Here’s what we experienced:
Someone’s Daughter immediately snatched our attention with the sharp snap of cymbals, vibrating bass and riotous guitar furiously bouncing against the walls of the tight space. The crowd quickly followed suit, thrashing and moshing to the vocalists’ passionate declarations of “I’M JUST KIDDING.” The two vocalists engaged in a sonic conversation of anti-incel and pro-eating out interjections over nonstop strumming and crashing drums. The band manipulated both sound and energy like spiders crafting their web as they eased in and out of tension building and raucous, high-speed punk tempos. We were on our toes, running a race with no finish line, until Someone’s Daughter followed an impassioned ballad with a final, swift kick in the face, closing the set with their raucous energy still ringing in our ears.
Spanghew followed with a droning, trembling buildup before ripping a thick fabric of anticipation with chilling wails. One of the drummer’s cymbals toppled onto their drum kit during the first song, but they kept slamming away to the melancholy metal rhythm. Spanghew’s performance was simultaneously sinister and atmospheric; the feeling of annihilation grew as fog filled the space and we followed the sound of the pulsating bass further into darkness. The crowd headbanged and swayed in perfect unison as if the sludgy guitar and oversized googly-eye stuck to the lead singer’s chest pulled us into a hypnotic trance. Spanghew, the harbingers of destruction. We, their loyal minions. In the final song, the band slowly peeled off their layers, ending with isolated vocals repeating a wallowing chant before breaking into screams one last time. The end has come, and you are alone in the devastation and gloom with echoes of Spanghew’s music pulsating in your memory.
Pink Steam closed the night and shifted the vibes back to punchy punk energy. The lead singer, wearing a white t-shirt with “I HATE MUSIC” scribbled on, introduced them as a “shitty band” before slamming into electric, energetic distortion. We’ve seen Pink Steam play a few times at this point, and one of their most defining features is their careless ease, the bassist swaying coolly while the guitarists take turns goofing around onstage before effortlessly slipping into a catchy riff or intricate solo. Don’t let this self-awareness and nonchalance fool you: Pink Steam are ridiculously talented musicians, and their music is fast, clever, and addictive. The stage is their playground, and the music is their toy. An additional vocalist intermittently joined to dance around the cramped performance space and provide piercing harmonies, and the show finished with the lead singer crowd surfing, his face barely an inch away from grazing the ceiling.
House venues are the backbone of not just Seattle music, but music scenes as a whole. Riot House provided a cozy, welcoming space with free zines, harm reduction resources, and a community meeting with free dinner after the show (that we unfortunately could not attend as we had to face the long journey back downtown). Someone’s Daughter, Spanghew and Pink Steam delivered intimate and powerful performances that brought a magnetic and unapologetic energy to the audience. Be sure to keep up with Riot House and the bands to catch another incredible night of Seattle sounds!
| Keywords: | Riot House | Seattle | Disposable Parts | Someone's Daughter | Spanghew | Pink Steam |
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