Summer Music

By Elinor Serumgard

Amidst the sea of Tommy Bahama chairs and Pendleton tote blankets, I found happiness. On this sunny June afternoon I attended my first outdoor concert of the year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Perfume Genius. The air hummed with excitement as groups laid down their picnic blankets and checked out what local brews were on tap. 

Summer concerts are special in Seattle. Marymoor Park has a “rain or shine” rule which means I have been rocking out in anything from sunny skies to the brink of storms. In fact, in 2019 I was lucky to have a ticket for night two of Death Cab for Cutie and Car Seat Headrest, because night one had to shut down because of thunderstorms. Once lightning gets in the mix, it’s all over. On this first Wednesday of June 2023 though, the sun and spirits were high. 

I just couldn’t stop smiling! I’ve seen my share of shows at Marymoor: 107.7’s all day festival Summer Camp in 2012, Weezer, and The Shins to name a couple. This year, returning to the sloping lawn, it felt like a homecoming of sorts. Marymoor’s stage is surrounded by towering evergreens. The whole venue is surrounded by string lights which give the whole area a charming backyard feel. 

There are plenty of food trucks along with a wide variety of local beer and wine. I opted for the Kalua Pork plate from Buddha Bruddah and a peach mead (which felt appropriately hipster). The food was delicious and the mead delightfully sweet. At Marymoor you are allowed to bring food and an empty water bottle. If you’re planning to bring food/chairs/etc. to an outdoor concert check the venue’s webpage for specifics; please don’t be the jerk that brings tall chairs and sits them in front of everyone else. 

Marymoor isn’t the only great outdoor concert opportunity in the Seattle area. There’s Zoo Tunes at Woodland Park Zoo, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Capitol Hill Block Party, Day In Day Out Fest, and more. If you want something smaller scale, check out your local community center or get together with friends and put on a show in your yard! As we break out of Juneuary, go outside and enjoy the local scene! Northwest summers are a glorious prize awarded to us for enduring the Big Dark of winter, and nothing makes it better like live music.