Then in November we headed to Seattle to see our old pals at Freakout!and they delivered another killer fest. It raged across a shit ton of venues spread all over town, showcasing a novel lineup scheme that leans international, headlined by Melt-Banana (who came in from Japan and completely melted everyone’s bananas) and Reyna Tropical. Some of CREEM’s favorite North American acts like Color Green, Population II, and Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country played too, but almost everyone on the bill is good and there are too many bands to list, let alone see. Sounds familiar...wait, is Freakout! slowly turning into the SXSW of the PNW? But instead of barbecue-induced acid reflux and meeting up with Bandido coke dealers, it’s seafood nirvana and avoiding tech types in company-branded outerwear? Keep Seattle weird, y’all.