Happy Birthday, Larry Roze
Love Seattle + Sofar Sounds at The Collective: A Night With No Ceiling
No gray in sight last night for Seattle. It was pure golden hour as I rolled up to The Collective, laptop under my arm, ready to chase whatever magic the night had in store. SoFarSounds hosting moi? Attending as press? Yes please, cables snaked across the courtyard, gulls looped overhead, and the air was thick with possibility and that honey-warm light you only get on the best summer evenings. I grabbed a slab of concrete table, knocked out my last emails, and let the place tune itself around me.
Honestly, the city was so golden I had to dress for it.
Soundcheck was a scene of its own:
Clairiss (@clairriss)eased into “Prototype” with a half-smile from her seat in the front row, her voice a test balloon for the sky. Sam Bush on guitar with that telepathic chemistry bands earn the hard way. DeShawn Rivers (@itsdeshawnrivers) brought Tallahassee sunshine straight to his audience, peak golden hour stuff. Larry Roze (@larryroze) watched the whole thing swirl around, steady and unhurried. Here is my line up for tonight. Hehe. Oh yea and the rest his kickass band hangin’just beyond the nautical white ropes, Young Shin(@youngums)on strings and Marrceenius (Markee) Riley (@isitmarkee) on keys, and Lamont Hendrix (@hendrix907) on drums.
Lets dive in gang:
As golden hour tipped into city dusk, it felt like the city leaned into itself, and sort of got cozy? Ya know the way cities do on summer nights. Clairiss covered “Killing Me Softly” which was more than a cover….it was a restart, Starting with a Marvin Gaye cover is one thing but every deep breath, was pure craft, making sure every note belonged to this night. Cute, i’m here for it. Warming up the crowds attention span with adorable imperfection. My dad always said: if you miss it, start from the top. She did, and the crowd sang along…strangers who suddenly felt like girlfriends sharing the pain of writing that letter about killing em softly..sheesh, girlfriend. Here is me genuinely smitten with the vibes and beautiful people; so much so as to move the camera and tell them, :) .
We were all in it together anyway.
DeShawn Rivers followed, warm as a summer night, gratitude in every riff. When he paused, “nobody praying for me,” a girl behind me answered, “I am,” and the band’s faces cracked into grins. The wall is gone. I love life:) and I am praying for ya fam. “Pancakes” was as sweet as promised, but like………………yall… “Willy Wonka” cooked. I caught myself letting out a completely unscripted, “eeeuugghh” post tough ass bass line…bass like someone needs to twist up. I thought I was the only one that used bonkers as an insult though so. Yup. EEEEEUUUUUUUGGGHHH.
Lex (LexScope @lexscope) kept things in motion with his recommended “loose eight,” intermission giving everyone a chance to refill, connect, and just let the city breathe around us.
The Collective was a single, held breath before the last surge. Then Larry Roze and crew took over. (This is the set that would sell out The Basement or the Beast in East Nash—music that turns sweat into gospel and concrete into a dance floor. Airdrop baby.
What i’m calling, “Larry Riot” footage—crowd dancing, voices up, Seattle’s city hum fading into pure music.
And then came the encore. The crowd, totally unwilling to let the spell break, screamed for one more. Larry obliged, and in the afterglow, everyone broke into “Happy Birthday.” It felt like the city itself was open to some hype, lights flickering as if in applause. It was the kind of summer night that gets glued to your collective sound memory forever.
I walked out into the warm, electric dark, fashionably golden, heart wide open last night. This is why I chase these nights. LOL...Sometimes music, city, and life all show up at the same table. And when they do, you know there’s nowhere else you’re supposed to be.
About the Author
Emily Steinhilber is a strategist, writer, and curator based in Seattle, born in LA with roots in Chicago and Nashville. She specializes in live music, artist development, and creative brand strategy. Emily is the creator of For Emily, By Emily, a Substack project blending narrative journalism with event curation and quality culture analysis. Her work focuses on the intersection of music, city life, and contemporary storytelling. When not at shows or writing about them, she consults for artists, venues, and cultural organizations across the country.