The masses came out with high expectations for the 2023 Day In Day Out two-day show at the Seattle Center, and they were delivered. Over the August 12 and 13 weekend, the indie-centric festival hosted a crowd with all smiles. Whether patrons danced or sat on the lawn, everyone enjoyed the beautiful Seattle sun.
Credit: Ryley Campbell for Dance Music Northwest
Venue: Seattle Center hosts another successful weekend
It’s common to see an event at the Seattle Center over the summer nearly every weekend and for good reason. The space is well-suited to accommodate crowds of people without feeling too cramped. This weekend was no exception, as the 2023 Day In Day Out was positioned in between the Armory Center and Climate Pledge Arena, just south of the fountain.
A few different food vendors were operating inside the event, as well as a large bar area. One booth gave out free Celsius energy drinks, and the staff struggled to fill the ice buckets quickly enough for eager patrons. In addition to food and beverage, medical services and water stations were also readily available and easy to find. This was crucial due to the heat.
During the security entrance check, patrons were given wristbands like you’d see at a larger festival. This allowed for easy re-entry, which proved to be one of the best parts of the event. Re-entry was especially useful to cool off at the Armory or pick up dinner at Dick’s down the street.
Although most of the staff was friendly and helpful, we experienced confusion about crowd line direction which led to some frustrated security staff. We encountered this early on the first day but the confusion seemed to remedy later in the evening.
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Stage: focused on complementing the sound
Although there were technically two stages positioned directly next to one another, only one was operating at a time. The lineup was structured so that one headliner would play the main stage. When their set finished, a DJ would perform on the other stage while staff set up for the next headliner. Because of this, sound bleed wasn’t an issue, although sound checks frequently picked up during the DJ sets.
The main stage itself was front and center, with two large black banners down the sides featuring the festival logo. One panel in the background displayed the performer’s logo, although some artists chose not to display anything. Finally, the lights at the top of the stage shone different colors intermittently through sets. All in all the production design was minimalist, but the sound quality was top-notch, which was the far more complementary factor between the two.
Lineup: Dominic Fike and Surf Curse stand out
Finally, we get into our favorite topic: the music itself. This year’s lineup featured top-tier indie talent, and stellar local performers. Although it’s hard to whittle down such a diverse lineup, Dominic Fike and Surf Curse stood out.
Performing in the afternoon on Saturday, Surf Curse blew the crowd away. They delivered high-caliber energy through the full set, pulling both from deep off their roster and the crowd-favorite hits. In particular, Disco and Freaks struck a resonant chord with both long-term fans and the angsty TikTokers who recognized the viral clip of the latter.
Later in the night, Dominic Fike left it all in Seattle. From the moment he appeared, the entire hour was filled with screaming fans who accentuated the business case for good speakers. It’s unbelievable that the sound could be discerned, let alone enjoyed, but the performance was a massive success on all fronts. Similarly, Fike drew from a deep roster of crowd favorites and lesser-known but cathartically-loved songs from fans.
Apart from these two, the rest of the performances were killer. Artists across the weekend included Leon Bridges and Bon Iver closing out the first and second night, respectively. Bon Iver performed an array of his more recent experimental sound mixed brilliantly with familiar tracks dating back to the mid-2000s. As the finale of a long and hot weekend, he paused the set twice to call for immediate medical attention for attendees. Although he expressed audible frustration at the response times, it didn’t seem to impede the overall crowd’s energy.
Credit: Ryley Campbell for Dance Music Northwest
Looking ahead to next year’s Day In Day Out
The 2023 Day In Day Out show has come to a close, but we’re already excited for the next. The promoters created an excellent foundation to grow the event. This presents only greater opportunity to tighten logistics around crowd control and medic staffing. It’s always fun to enjoy an event so close to home and in a different flavor from the typical dance music festivals we might attend.
The next Day In Day Out might be a year away, but we already look forward to another stellar show!
Did you enjoy Dan In Day Out this year? Let us know in the comments and on social media!
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