It's a big (Vampire) Weekend for music, and Capitol Hill

Get the latest from the Capitol Hill Block Party on our Festival blog!

How big is Vampire Weekend?

So big, even the governor is going to get nose-pierced and body-tattooed so she can fit in with the Capitol Hill Block Party crowd and catch the band's set at 10:45 tonight on the Main Stage.

OK, we lied about the piercing and the tattooing. But Gov. Christine Gregoire will be there tonight to introduce Vampire Weekend, the Ivy League rock band whose Afro/Cuban/indie mash-up has made the former Columbia University dorm mates one of the hottest new bands in pop music.

Landing Vampire Weekend is one of the reasons that this year's Block Party promises to be the best ever. The annual neighborhood-oriented, beer-soaked wallow in state-of-the-art rock tops even Bumbershoot as the city's best summer rock festival. Every year it's a crash course in the hottest Northwest club bands, with top national acts sprinkled throughout to add some enticing spice.

So, how did Block Party organizer David Meinert land Vampire Weekend?

"We just asked them to play," he responds with a laugh, adding that KEXP and The End radio stations here have been so supportive of the band that they wanted to come here. "It's a natural fit."

Meinert says it's the Block Party's best music lineup ever. "It's pretty deep this year. We were able to add a stage, so it's let us do a lot more local groups than we've done in the past. It allows us to do some more heavy rock, like Zeke, Lesbian and Book of Black Earth. That's exciting to me. It's a really solid lineup. I'm really happy with it."

His top sleeper band: The Airborne Toxic Event. "They're really blowing up, a huge band in L.A. right now. I also recommend that everybody come see DeVotchKa. They're fantastic."

The party is much more than music. There are food and vendor booths, and the restaurants and bars, both within the Party grounds and nearby, do big business.

"The bars and the clubs, it's benefitted them in a huge way," says Meinert. "For a lot of businesses, it's their biggest weekend of the year."

The Party draws 6,000 to 7,000 a day. In-out privileges allow ticket-holders to come and go.

A big chunk of Partygoers lives on the Hill, or close enough to bicycle or bus it. And there's plenty of parking nearby.

Officially, the Party runs until midnight tonight and Saturday night. But the party rolls on until closing time at Capitol Hill bars and restaurants. Hot fun in the summertime!

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com