This weekend, Staged Haze is headed to Seattle to cover our very first Capitol Hill Block Party! Initially launched in 1997 as just a one-day festival by Jen Gapay, the festival became a three-day event in 2010 on, eventually scaling back to two days this year for the first time and also becoming a 21+ event for the first time.
Since its inauguration, Capitol Hill Block Party has featured numerous heavy hitters over the years including Jack White, Lizzo, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Mitski, Odesza, just to name a few.
Capitol Hill Block Party also does an incredible job featuring Seattle artists: this year’s lineup includes locals like Art Gecko, (Self-proclaimed “Gay Space Disco Magic”), Hard Maybe (“neosoul/funk”), and Aurora Ave (“indie”), to name a few.
We’ve compiled a list of the artists (minus headliners) that we think our readers would be interested in checking out this weekend: we hope you find someone new to fall in love with!
Dora Jar, 4:15-5pm, Main Stage
If you know anything about the team at Staged Haze, it’s that we absolutely love Dora Jar. She’s been on our radar for several years at this point, and we’ve loved seeing her career skyrocket to new heights following her stint opening up for Billie Eilish, releasing her debut album in 2024, and currently touring with none other than Gracie Abrams. She’s even set to open up for HAIM’s ‘I quit’ tour this fall: basically solidifying Dora Jar as an artist that everyone wants as support on their live shows.
Dora Jar’s presence onstage is unmatched: she’s loose, goofy, and unapologetically herself: often performing with strange costumes and props, showing off her double-jointed limbs, and often pausing in between songs to tell a story or just tangentially speaking about something random. There’s honestly nobody doing it like her right now, and missing her set at Capitol Hill would truly be a bummer, in my humble opinion. – Kristin
DJ Mandy, 4:15-5pm, Daydream Stage
DJ Mandy is set to electrify the crowd at Capitol Hill Block Party this weekend with her signature high-energy mashups and clever sampling. Known for turning viral TikTok sounds into dance-floor anthems, Mandy has built a reputation for taking the unexpected, from meme snippets to trending audio, and weaving them into DJ sets that surprise and delight. I remember seeing her name on an Elsewhere poster a while ago, and it’s been incredible to watch her momentum grow beyond Brooklyn.
She’s also slated to perform at Breakaway Music Festival in Dallas, Chasing Summer Festival in Calgary, and the legendary Outside Lands in San Francisco. With each appearance, she’s weaving that same trademark blend of viral audio and pulsing rhythms across stages nationwide. This weekend, the Block Party stage becomes her playground—expect wild mashups, infectious hooks, and the kind of joyous unpredictability that only Mandy can deliver. – Jesse
Chanel Beads, 5:30-6:15pm, Daydream Stage
I was really bummed to miss Chanel Beads at Primavera Sound in Barcelona this year—especially after hearing how their dreamy, genre-bending set had the crowd totally locked in. The project, led by Shane Lavers with vocals from Maya McGrory, blends ambient electronica, field recordings, and delicate pop structures into something that feels both intimate and disorienting in the best way. Tracks like “Idea June” and “Embarrassed Dog” sound like glitchy memories: kaleidoscopic, layered, and a little hard to pin down.
If you’re heading to Capitol Hill Block Party this weekend, make sure you catch their set. Chanel Beads are also opening for Lorde on her upcoming tour, which feels like a perfect pairing—both acts thrive in emotional specificity and experimental textures. Between the festival buzz and co-signs from major artists, they’re clearly on the verge of something big. – Jesse
Lexa Gates, 8-8:45pm, Daydream Stage
Queens-born rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer Lexa Gates is a Jack of all trades. From composing melodies as a kid in her DIY basement studio to performing across the globe, Gates’ story is one of pure drive. Her major label debut, Elite Vessel, dropped in the fall of 2024, displaying a more refined yet vulnerable side of the artist: grappling with identity, ambition, and fame’s isolating weight. Lexa’s bold promotional stunt is one to remember, trapping herself in a glass box in Union Square for ten hours straight, capturing the album’s raw themes of visibility and isolation. Gates truly has carved out her own unique space in music through relentless self-expression and an unshakable vision.
But her real power lies in the music. Razor-sharp lyricism, genre-blurring beats, and a ferocious yet feminine presence. She’s built a sound that is nostalgic yet new, polished but deeply personal. Live, Lexa is electric. Whether she’s spitting bars or singing her heart out, she brings Queens with her on every stage. Catch her now while she’s still on the rise. Lexa Gates isn’t just a performer. She’s a movement. If you can’t hang out at Capitol Hill Block Party, catch her at Outside Lands in San Francisco, CA, or Jazz Café Festival in Burgess Park, UK – Jan
Ariyah Jané, 8:30-9pm, Wild Rose Stage
Ariyah Jané is a talented modern soul artist, weaving Gospel, Blues, and Musical Theatre into a sound that is as bold as it is deeply rooted. Jané is a Black trans woman based in Montgomery, Alabama, and her voice brings a rich, lush sound to those who hear it. Jané is truly a Southern Belle now gracing the stages of Seattle. Jané’s 2024 debut EP, Dear Ariyah, is a testament to resilience, self-love, and divine femininity.
Now based in Seattle, Jané is more than just a singer here. She is also a creative pillar who uplifts independent artists. Helping to curate the Seattle music scene with PrideFest, Black Pride, and Capitol Hill Block Party. She brings a rare authenticity that radiates joy, power, and purpose. Jané’s live performances feel like a church sermon: transformative, healing, and outstanding. From gospel harmonies to fearless affirmations of identity, Jané creates a space for everyone to feel seen. If you are looking to be moved, uplifted, and reminded of what music can do for the soul, write this down. Jané is a celebration of selfhood and spirit playing at Wildrose Stage on Saturday at Capitol Hill Block Party. Jané does more than sing. She preaches light into the world. – Jan
Caroline Kingsbury, 3:50-4:30pm, Daydream Stage
Caroline Kingsbury is one of the most compelling voices booked at Capitol Hill Block Party this weekend. Her music is a seamless blend of bold singer-songwriter intimacy and expansive indie-pop textures: think raw, emotionally charged lyrics wrapped in shimmering production. Onstage, her presence is quietly magnetic, inviting the audience into deeply personal stories that unfold over her soaring choruses and understated yet unforgettable hooks.
Listening to her new single “Shock Treatment,” I can already imagine how fun her set is going to be. Her vocals are amazing, perfectly capturing a bittersweet vibe. Intimate but expansive, personal yet universal. She’s also set to perform at All Things Go, Lollapalooza, and will be touring her own “intergalactic sapphic pop show of your dreams” this fall. If you’re wandering through the festival, don’t miss her set—it’s shaping up to be the perfect music festival performance: captivating, emotional, and unforgettable. – Jesse
Snow Strippers, 4:15-5pm, Main Stage
Snow Strippers, composed of Tatiana Schwaninger and Graham Perez, redefines electronic music with bold aesthetics and a sound that takes you straight to an underground mall rave. Since their debut single, Keep Holding On, back in 2021, Snow Strippers have been dropping hot blends of witch house, EDM, and electroclash. Many of their fans have compared them to Crystal Castles and 100 Gecs.
Their visuals and sound are dripping with Y2K nostalgia, but nothing about Snow Strippers is a Thursday Throwback. This duo is embarking on an intergalactic journey into the future and controlling the creative elements themselves. With collaborations with Lil Uzi Vert and shows spanning from Europe’s hottest bars to sold-out underground venues across the USA, Snow Strippers have become a nexus for the rising EDM renaissance. This sensory overload experience taps into the adrenaline-soaked chaos. If you like your dance music dark and unforgettable, Snow Strippers is a must-see at Capitol Hill Block Party. – Jan
Hana Vu, 6:05-6:50pm, Daydream Stage
Hana Vu is a Los Angeles-born singer and songwriter whose voice carries the weight of a thousand diary entries—deep, raw, and unmistakably her own. Blending melancholic post-punk, indie rock, and shimmering pop, Hana Vu crafts songs that feel both alive and intimate. Her critically acclaimed 2024 album, Romanticism, explores the emotional turbulence of early adulthood with sweeping sounds and aching vulnerability, earning praise and a spot with Pitchfork, Teen Vogue, and Dazed.
Live, Hana Vu’s performances distill her music to its emotional core. Her voice cuts through with haunting honesty, channeling twentysomething angst and the ache of lost youth. For fans of soul-baring lyrics, dreamy textures, and cathartic releases, Vu delivers a set that will stay with you long after the lights go down. Catch her while you can at Daydream Stage on Sunday. She’s shaping the future of indie rock, one sad-girl anthem at a time. – Jan
INJI, 7:20-8:20pm, Daydream Stage
There’s not much I love more than an underdog story, and 24-year-old İnci Gürün, better known by her stage name INJI, is basically the definition of the word. Initially finding success releasing her music on TikTok back in 2021, with debut single “Gaslight” and then “Madeline,” INJI has become an unplanned success story: “Gaslight” was produced by Gürün’s friend and classmate Alex Graf (the two attended Penn State together). The song was apparently made in “about a week” and eventually reached 300k streams on Spotify in under two weeks after it was independently released (it has since hit 21 million streams).
Since then, INJI has collaborated with NOTD, Dillon Francis, Flyana Boss, and others: making her a force to be reckoned with in the dance space. She’s someone I’ve had my eye on for years at this point and I just know that girl can put on a show and rile up a crowd like nobody’s business. I’ve yet to see her live, and I know that she’s someone I would NOT miss if I were attending Capitol Hill Block Party this weekend. – Kristin
Maude Latour, 9-10pm, Daydream Stage
Much like Dora Jar, Maude Latour has been a staple at Staged Haze for like…over five years at this point: we even interviewed her back in February 2020, and it’s safe to say that her career has completely exploded since then. She’s released three EPS and her debut album, Sugar Water, in August 2024, toured extensively, and is set to make her debut at one of the most coveted indie festivals in North America right now…All Things Go 2025. But if you’re not planning on attending that festival, which is probably VERY sold out at this point, checking out her set at Capitol Hill is an ideal alternative.
I’ve seen Latour perform a couple times: both at her own shows at indoor venues, but I feel like her vibe on an outdoor festival stage is unmatched and a perfect opportunity for her to gain even more fans. Her energy is contagious and there’s really not anything better than seeing an artist onstage who’s truly so happy and appreciative to have the chance to perform. Maude’s humbleness radiates off of her onstage, and I think that alone is a reason she’s going to attract plenty of new fans in Seattle this weekend. – Kristin
Check out the full Capitol Hill Block Party lineup here.
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