SEATTLE — The 25th annual Capitol Hill Block Party kicks off Friday, July 19 at 3:45 p.m. with a performance by Akira Galaxy on the Coke Studio Stage. The festival runs through Sunday with performances spread across seven stages throughout all three nights.
This year's Block Party showcases 69 artists including headliners like Chappell Roan, Remi Wolf, Still Woozy, Elderbrook and Girl Talk, Cannons and Kaytranada.
Among those artists is local musician Oblé Reed who has been making music for almost six years now.
"I make alternative hip hop music, I've been doing it for about six years now," Reed said. "My music is really intertwined with my life, so authenticity is something I preach a lot. You just get different aspects of my life and different parts of me. I want people to listen to my music and feel like they understand me - I'm just trying to find my people through my music."
Reed has been a spectator of the Block Party for many years, but this is his very first time playing it.
"I'm so blessed to be on the lineup this year, I was super excited when we got the offer," Reed said. "The whole energy of it is amazing. For our city to have an event like that where we have not only a bunch of major acts coming to the city for people who don't often get to see those acts, [but] we also have local artists like myself being put into an opportunity to showcase the talent that the city has right here."
Being a part of this year's Block Party isn't just important to Reed as an artist, but as a Seattelite.
"This is something that I've see and I've watched lineups and I've been there," Reed said. "I've experienced the music with the people of the city and not only do I get to do that again for the third time, but I also get to share my art, my experience with everyone. So, it's going to be cool."
For more information on this year's Capitol Hill Block Party, including the full lineup of artists, click here.
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.