Hey Marseilles at the picnic table ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Hey Marseilles weren’t just at Doe Bay to play another music festival. They’d made the trip up to the Islands for a second year in a row looking to double down on the fun they had last year, hopefully minus any broken limbs. Throughout the weekend one might see any one of these gentlemen throwing a frisbee, frolicking in the ocean, rushing headfirst down a slip n’ slide, or just enjoying the company of their fellow local musicians. For a band who’s spent plenty of time this year cooped up in a van, Hey Marseilles surely took advantage of the moment to maximize their relaxation. With the rest of the band leaving Seattle a day earlier than him for just that reason, frontman Matt Bishop was able to dispense with the band van entirely, opting to cruise the windy island roads on his scooter. I’ll bet he had no trouble getting right on the ferry with that ride!

As the festival went on, our picnic table at Doe Bay gradually earned a spot as a shadow stage and green room, only advertising the presence of something happening in the area to those passing by on the trail while that something was happening. In the case of Hey Marseilles, the picnic table became a literal stage, the center of gravity for three sublime songs from the band and an effort to squeeze all that we could out of our ‘mobile’ 8-track recording setup. Sans amplification with the full array of accordion, strings and a trumpet in hand, two of those songs are presented above, an old favorite and a brand new song, with “Rio” in particular the capturing the full spirit of the festival and the place. In a way, for four days, we’d made Doe Bay into our own northern beach paradise, one we’d have no trouble getting lost in for a while.

Saturday October 30th Hey Marseilles will be celebrating Halloween a day early at the Columbia City Theater with Fences. Tickets are $12 in advance.