This was one of the most intense show that I have been to. Mostly on account of the sheer number of people who came and what that experience by itself was like. I heard about this show in the weeks leading up to it by diifferent friends in different groups around Seattle and how enthusiasitic they were about Ligtning Bolt playing again in Seattle. Part of the enthusiasm was because the band booked their show at Healthy Times Fun Club but there was definitely disappointed / upset cats on account of the fact that if you didn’t have a ticket, you couldn’t come into the space. DIY shows don’t really ever do that unless it’s for a specific reason and when this was brought up to me, I explained why this was necessary. During the entire show there were people hanging out in the stairwell who really wanted to be inside but couldn’t.

Healthy Times had a limited capacity that when it was filled up, the average was around 100 people. Furniture was moved out of the way in preparation for the event and. This show pushed the it’s absolute limit (well beyond 100) and the ticket idea was for the concern of going overcapacity.

I had showed up extra early to help, to setup this recording, and to hang with the crew that was around. It was a gradual flow of people coming into the show and was pretty sparce when Planets started playing and by the time Flexions came on after, there was a greater amount of people.

Then came the big squish.

Lightning Bolt had backlined their gear- amps that were towering an upper-limit of around 15 feet. The most amps I have ever seen inside a room. While they were setting up, everyone was patiently waiting and psyching out each other. They started after the drummer, Brian Chippendale, put his miked face mask on and both him and bassist, Brian Gibson, did a quick sound check to make sure everything was loud enough. They started pretty quickly. You could say that it was a lightening-fast sound check.

Remembering this night is kind of blurry. I don’t remember when I did it- probably pretty quick before their set- I had pressed record and managed to hop on top of the the rooms’ unused left PA speaker because I know that I was going to have a greater time not being heaved back and forth in a crowd. Everything got packed super-quick. There were people standing around and kind of in Lighting Bolt’s performance zone and I was having a hard time figuring out how I was going to get down from my position if need be. 1/3 of my left foot was on the ledge of the bottom speaker that the top one was set on and holding onto the top of that speaker.

It was hellish. A room full of friends and fans all with their faces flushed red wearing t-shirts and dripping with sweat. Looking over this human sea that had flooded Healthy Times, it was the most spectacular sight I’ve seen. The monoliths overlooking a room full of insanity; people pushing, pulling, shouting.

How loud that I was wondering how much electricity was being pulled and if a breaker would switch. The power did go out though but it wasn’t a breaker. Something had happened where an extension cord was moved or something (no one really knew) and people were anxiously sustaining their Lighting Bolt high while the squished group of people to the left of a PA stack I was on were trying to see what the problem was. Nothing seemed to be wrong and I don’t recall whether or not I forfeited my position to see if I could remedy the situation.

It was a good break for everyone to chill from the mayhem. It wasn’t long after the mess of cables was fumbled around with that Brian G. started shredding bass again. That was good for maybe five or 10 minutes* until the power went out again and that was kind of it. This entire phenomena was about an hour long and who knows how much longer it could have gone. I feel like Lightning Bolt puts their audience as a priority and perceives what they do as less of a band and more of a social experience that they just happen to curate. It was an amazing experience.

I hadn’t had a clue what I was getting into either. Basically, my friends were so excited about this in a way I didn’t really understand. I had told Taylor Wingett (Secondary, Footwork) that I’d never heard, seen, or even watched an internet video of Lightning Bolt and when he relayed that to William Statler (Punishment), William said something to the effect of, “Wow! I’d wish I could to relive what that was like again.”

This event is burned into my mind.

*It was hard to keep track of time. It really only felt like only half an hour