Staged Haze Takes Capitol Hill Block Party 2025: Our Recap

Capitol Hill Block Party, Seattle’s go-to summer festival for EDM, indie sleaze, and one hell of a good time just wrapped up its 27th year with some major changes. This was the first-ever 21+ edition and a downsized two-day style festival (RIP Friday). Still, Broadway and Pike were rocking all weekend in the heart of Capitol Hill. The weather was overcast perfection with just enough sunshine to dance in, Seattle’s summer at its finest. And yes, the post-festival Seattle dog still hits just as good.

Day One had the Main Stage lit up with amazing acts and crowd favorites Dora Jar, Slayyyter, The Dare, and DJ Pee.Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), and Thundercat. Personal faves? Had to have been Slayyyter and DJ Pee.Wee.

Slayyyter took to the stage with a booming “ATTENTION!” and grabbed Capitol Hill by the throat. With Hollywood pop princess energy, she commanded the crowd with lusty dance moves, glammed-up chaos, and electric pop bangers. The set was pure hedonistic fun, lighting a post-set cigarette, Slayyyter left everyone high on dance and feeling daddy AF.

One of my most anticipated sets of the weekend was DJ Pee.Wee did not disappoint. I first discovered Anderson .Paak through An Evening with Silk Sonic, his collaboration album with Bruno Mars, and I’ve been hooked ever since. As his DJ alter ego, .Paak kept things cheeky and charming, spinning a mix of nostalgic crowd-pleasers and his own music, jumping in every now and then with live vocals and raps. His friend Maurice was on trumpet that night, adding a smooth, jazzy flavor that amped up the party into a full-on groove session. The energy was unmatched as the crowd was dancing, singing, and vibing as one. Definitely leave the door open for the next time .Paak returns to the Pacific Northwest.

Dora Jar

The Dare

Day Two kept the momentum going with a stacked lineup: Hana Vu, Alemeda, Maude Latour, 100 Gecs, Inji, and Porter Robinson. Running between the Daydream and Main stages felt like a sport in itself, but 100 Gecs and Maude Latour sets were huge standouts.

100 Gecs, the hyperpop legends, were on high on my must-see list, and they didn’t disappoint. The alt crowd showed up in full force, fashionistas and furries galore, all buzzing as we waited for the duo to hit the stage. And the moment they did? Dumbest Girl Alive starts blasting, and instant mosh pit. Safe to say: Capitol Hill survived the 100 Gecs mosh pit.

Headbanging to stupid horse, Hollywood Baby, and One Million Dollars was such a blast. Their chaotic energy, cheeky banger, and the fact that they had just woken up and flown into Seattle hours before made it feel even more unhinged. They’re just like me, fr (sleepy). Experimental and chaotic, I’m glad I got to see the pop electronica duo live.

Maude Latour has been living on my Spotify for years, so she was the artist I was hyped to see on Sunday. The Daydream Stage, lovingly dubbed the “lesbian stage” by fans camping out all day (and honestly, they weren’t wrong considering Sunday’s lineup), had the honor of hosting the pop queen herself.

Her set was pure sugary happiness: dancey energy, playful outfits, and a whole lot of feminine energy. The crowd was screaming every lyric and dancing like no one was watching, especially during favorites like “Cursed Romantics,” “Officially Mine,” and her new anthem, “Miss America.” A highlight of Maude Latour’s set was the rogue giant balloon bouncing around the crowd. Twice landing on stage, getting dropped kicked directly into fans’ faces by the star herself. Her final redemption arc may have been launching it one last time into the speaker stack and popping it. Iconic.