Behind the Festival: South Sound Block Party
Returning to Olympia, WA for its third year, South Sound Block Party is bigger and better than ever in 2024. In addition to their usual slate of diverse local artists, their headliner is arguably the most important band to ever come out of Olympia: Bikini Kill.
The festival has a unique location in the Port of Olympia that places the music and festivalgoers right on the water, complete with boats, birds, and sunsets that make it a classic Pacific Northwest experience.
I sent some questions over to organizers of the festival including: Christen Greene (aka cg), the owner, producer, and talent buyer, Ian Imhof, the associate producer, and Jane Damage, the head of backstage and hospitality.
Keep reading below to find out what it was like to land a dream headliner, how their location adds to the experience, and what else makes South Sound Block Party special:
This year's South Sound Block Party features iconic punk bands Bikini Kill and X as headliners. What was it like landing these artists as a small, grassroots team in just the festival's third year?
Christen: I’m incredibly grateful to the bands and their teams for taking the call, listening to the pitch and saying yes. I’m not sure how else to say it - we don’t have LiveNation or AEG money - but we do have a bigger mission and are building something really special. It's bigger than ‘just another music festival’ and the co-sign from these 2 legendary acts really helped solidify our place in the PNW festival landscape. On a personal note Bikini Kill (and Kill Rock Stars) helped raise me musically. The band shaped a large part of my musical identity, ethos and my feminism. I’m a huge fan. So when that fell into place I geeked out pretty hard. Honestly it feels like one of the biggest milestones in my career.
Ian: Bikini Kill was always a dream get, both due to their iconic status and being a local to Olympia. When cg landed them it was a pretty surreal text to get, she shot her shot for sure. Wild that her and I went from standing on stage with them at Riot Fest 2019, long before SSBP was a concept, to having them headline our own fest just 5 years later. As for X, I know they don't tour a lot anymore so getting them on felt like a pretty iconic moment that I knew would get the region talking.
Jane: Every year has been so much fun with such amazing artists on, but this year is definitely a dream come true. I saw X play with Violent Femmes with my parents years ago and when cg, Ian and I were going back and forth with artists that would pair well with BK it just seemed like the perfect choice .One of the first songs I ever learned to play on the drums was Rebel Girl - I was in 4th grade and at a Girl's Rock n Roll Retreat in Minneapolis. That's what really sparked my love for drumming and music and would lead into drumming in an all female rock band. Which is how I met Christen - she managed us! So this is pretty full circle and incredible.
I've worked some huge shows, but being one of the main people working on an independent festival and landing Bikini Kill and X is unbelievable. You talk about dream line ups and try not to get your hopes up when the offers get sent…but we got that dream line up this year.
The rest of the lineup showcases regional and local acts, diverse in sound and personnel. What values guide the curation of the undercard?
Christen: Great question!! I aim for a ’something for everyone’ approach musically. Nothing is off the table. And I like to book bands who have released music, have some touring under their belt, are actively working on their craft. A festival set is a bit of a pressure-cooker situation - line checks and shorter sets - so we like bands with experience. It’s important to me too, when thinking about the regional acts, that they have played Olympia - or they’re at least trying to develop the market.
Ian: Inclusivity, Diversity, and Local Focused are our biggest drivers. A goal every year is to identify the up and coming artists that are either "doing it" or who we see really have that potential to take it to the next level given the right guidance and support. A&R is at the heart of what CG and I have done for a long time, so there's definitely that aspect to it, especially when it comes to the hyper local Olympia based artists.
Jane: I think for all of us, having those regional and local acts is so important. Part of Christen's vision with this festival has been to create something that the PNW & specifically Olympia can be proud of and to build community with. Olympia has such an interesting music scene and definitely has been thriving more since Christen moved to town. People love to see their favorite local band thrive and get the opportunities that a lot of these bigger festivals don't give much of a chance to. It's the die hard Crane Wives and Oblé Reed fans that are what will make this festival. The undercard is as important as the headliners on an event like this - I love the years’ entire lineup.
The festival has a unique location right on the Puget Sound. Was that a deliberate choice from the beginning? How does it factor into the vibe of the event?
Christen: Our location is AMAZING. It’s usually the first thing people comment on when they get to the grounds. The views, the breeze, the boats - it’s classic PNW - it’s gorgeous. I’m super grateful to The Port for their support.
Ian: We had looked at a couple of other spots, but when the Port became an option it was a no-brainer. Size, location, and vibe all hit the checkmarks and we really couldn't ask for a better spot or partners in the Port and City of Olympia. Someone once told me it's the "West Coast Fort Adams" (Newport Folk Fest Location) and damn it that wasn't a big approval mark for me. A great sea breeze off the bay and untouchable sunsets. Bring your boat, your paddle board, seaplane, whatever and come by for a good time.
Jane: After seeing the Port, it was the obvious dream spot. For the artists and festival goers, looking out at the water just makes the whole weekend. You go to other festivals and everywhere you look is dust and dirt from people running around, you leave dirty, sweaty, and exhausted from the sun beating down. Being next to the water where there's that nice breeze, the birds flying, boats going by, sun shades. Watching a band as the sun sets and reflections off the water is the perfect way to end a day of music. At my cabin every year for the 4th of July we take our boats out at dusk and watch fireworks over the lake that are in sync with music. It's beautiful and wholesome and that's the vibe of SSBP - it's like you're up north with your friends and family (but without your aunt's pot of baked beans and with the best oysters you've ever eaten instead).
Are there other festivals that inspired the creation of or continue to inspire South Sound Block Party?
Christen: Oh goodness, of course. I know Janey wants to model her backstage world off of our Riot Fest backstage and VIP experience. I find inspiration in the voice of RiotFest too, actually - on Twitter. It’s a slightly irreverent voice, not too serious but spitting facts and shutting down the haters. Our Social Media Interns borrow from that - I think it’s great. Treefort (Boise) and Fisherman’s Village (Everett, Wa) are also inspirations for me personally on the community-building and talent buying aspects. Those teams really put their money where their mouth is and have a great blueprint - I’ve learned a lot from them.
Ian: Both Christen and I have been involved in live music and touring our entire careers so one thing we really wanted to do was take all the greatest pieces of the countless festivals we've been to, worked on, or worked at and scale them for Olympia. From great local festivals like the Capitol Hill Block Party and Sasquatch, and bigger national/international ones like Lollapalooza, Osheaga, and Roskilde, there are pieces of each of them in the DNA. I was recently on tour in Australia for a number of festival dates and I'm looking forward to adding a bit of the flare from Beyond The Valley and Field Day to this years SSBP.
Jane: Christen & Ian have worked so many different festivals and events that they've really taken the best pieces of all of them and put it into SSBP. For me & the backstage hospitality, I always just think about Riot Fest’s (Chicago) backstage. They had activities and delicious food and everyone just hung out and chatted with each other. Between that and taking pieces from all the riders I've ever shopped, I like to think I know all the essentials for artists.
Anything else you'd like people to know about this year's South Sound Block Party?
Christen: Don’t miss Oblè Reed.
South Sound Block Party is August 23 and 24th at the Port of Olympia in Olympia, WA. Weekend passes are availble here! Don’t wait, because VIP has already SOLD OUT!