Freakout Fest to take over Ballard this weekend

One of Seattle’s annual, homegrown festivals, the Freakout Festival, is happening this weekend, with a line-up that will take over many of Ballard’s music venues on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 16 and 17).

Guy Keltner started the festival, which has morphed over the years but has always been an event to support and promote the local Seattle music community. Record company Freakout Records was born from the fest, which now supports nine local bands.

The line-up for the Freakout Fest 2019 includes Sneaks, Deap Vally, All Them Witches, Night Beats, Los Blenders, and more — check out the full line-up here.* Shows will be all over the neighborhood, with gigs planned for the Tractor, Sunset Tavern, Conor Bryne, Salmon Bay Eagles, Lagunitas, and Sonic Boom Records. There will be some curated stages from Seattle’s Vera Project, Artist Home, Portland’s X-Ray FM, San Francisco’s Sea Witch Productions and KEXP’s El Sonido and Street Sounds.

Tickets are available online ($35 per night or $60 for two nights — tickets valid for all venues).

Photo of Youngblood by Eric Tra/Freakout Records

*An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Shabazz Palaces on the festival’s line-up.

7 thoughts to “Freakout Fest to take over Ballard this weekend”

  1. I came for the blue hair but stayed for the septum rings and lack of physical fitness. Looking forward to watching everyone look at their phones.

  2. Hi, thanks for your support, and let me say: Awww Freakout! Le Freak says Chic! Freakout! Oh wait…wrong kind of Freakout! This Freakout Fest is all pale, white, privileged, probably cis-gendered individuals playing mopey, introspective ‘new folk’, the best kind of white music! Well, here in Ballard, we celebrate our diversity! All genders are allowed, and if you don’t identify as a particular gender, even better! More music by the minorities! Why, I bet we could roundup some of our most vulnerable community members from Ballard Commons and compose them into the Wailing Hobo Chorale Ensemble, featuring Smack and Theft! No more white musical oppression! Get Woke, Friend! And remember, Vote Salty, Vote O’Brine 2019!

    1. The Wailing Hobo Chorale Ensemble. Color me excited!
      Mike, will you be ‘curating’ a stage tonight? I got me a didgeridoo and I could bring it along jam with you.

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