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Posted by damara - filed in 18+, echo, events

mtsthelens

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band || Watch || MP3

On Saturday night, Seattle indie rockers Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band captured a rare piece of rock history by becoming the first band in the continental U.S. to ever play on an active volcano. The fact that the quintet played the volcano in which they take their name, Washington State’s Mt. St. Helens, made the performance even more unusual as they treated fans/hikers/mountaineers/park rangers to an hour-long set of brand new tracks and favorites from their self-titled debut.

After signing a few autographs for devoted fans, lead singer Benjamin Verdoes and Co. didn’t waste anytime jumping into crowd favorite “Who’s Asking,” the first song off of their celebrated album from earlier this year. The band’s 14-year-old drummer, Marshall Verdoes, was notably relaxed and didn’t seem the least bit rattled by the mountainous challenge. As his older brother stated in between songs: “Who knew that when Marshall came up with this crazy band name when he was 11, one day we’d actually get a chance to play here?”

As the two Verdoes brothers kept the groove steady, fellow bandmates Jared Price (bass), Traci Eggleston (keys/vocals), and Matt Dammer (guitar/moog) handled the more quirky, esoteric sounds that give MHSVB their signature feel. After finishing the guitar heavy “Masquerade,” Eggleston (who is married to Benjamin) announced to the crowd that the group would be playing two new songs: “George Clark,” an upbeat rocker with a seemingly looping guitar riff and the more delicate “At Night.” Appropriately for the setting, the latter began with the sound of crickets, bugs, and other insect noises, before Price used a rewired telephone receiver as a microphone. – Spin

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