Why? ::: Photo by Chona Kasinger on assignment for Sound on the Sound

[Editors Note: We're excited to welcome the first contribution from local photo phenom Chona Kasinger, who as it turns out is a mighty fine writer as well. Now that we can almost legally unleash her on Seattle's bars and 21+ shows, Chona will be contributing to Sound on the Sound whenever her little heart (or shutter finger) desires. -abbey]

The dynamic Berkeley based indie/folk/hip hop trio Why? Was joined by two additional members Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson at the Vera Project on October 14, 2009. The show totally sold out, and by the looks of the line of anxious fans outside eager to get in and see the show; some were left in the cold that night, unfortunately.

Vancouver band No Kids opened up the show, followed by Washington’s own Mt. Eerie (who were joined onstage by several members of No Kids).

Long time friends of Vera and supporters of the local all ages music scene, Why? Was greeted to a scrumptious vegan feast backstage (some of which I was able to partake in) prepared by Vera’s Joshua Powell.

Frontman Yoni Wolf owns the stage like a hypertrichotic Chihuahua with a Napoleon Complex and stage presence off the Richter chart. Commanding to say in the very least, Wolf’s antics included some pretty impressive dance moves, jamming the phrase “mother fucker” into as many sentences as possible, and repeatedly threatening the audience with coronary thrombosis by feigning jumping headlong into them.

Wolf has described Why’s latest album Eskimo Snow as “the least hip-hop out of anything I’ve ever been involved with”, and I definitely concur.  The change, however, I feel is a natural and healthy direction for the band and the new album is as delightful as it is insightful. Wolf’s lyricism and ability to shape seemingly grave matters into painfully witty and comical lines is uncanny. In the song “Yo Yo Bye Bye”, Wolf declares, “I’m fucking cold like a DQ blizzard”. If that kind of poetry doesn’t speak to you, maybe you ought to reassess where you are in your life.

The band kicked off their set with the third track “Against Me”, off their most recent release and rocketed through just under 20 songs through the trajectory of their set. The perpetual lightheartedness and intensity of their sound on album translates powerfully onstage- the band’s cohesiveness (a result of playing together for over a decade) proves to have withstood the test of time, as I’m sure the gleeful and packed to the brim Vera Project would vouch.

See More of Chona’s Pictures from Why? at the Vera Project