This was my second time checking out Hillstomp, but the first time was at Portland Folk Festival at the beginning of this year and I finally got to hear a full set. Having a full set allowed me to move through a good set, from slow (ish)soulful slide guitar blues riffs all the way to headbangin dirty electric punky blues with guitarist/singer Henry Kammer singing into a megaphone.

I had once described Hillstomp as a barrage, a beautiful barrage of sights and sounds,; with John Johnson pounding away on buckets, drums and spoons making beautiful noise along a washboard, and a wonderfully melodic rope of chains dragged along a piece of metal.

The whole show was just an absolute feast for the senses, and I was not the only one to think so. The whole crowd, initially starting a bit further back from the stage, was up close to the edge of the low stage by the second song. The crowd was in it, they were so consciously aware of one another and their need for space to stomp, holler and dance that they easily gave one another space.

With the encore came an equally energetic yet acoustic song “John Henry” played in the middle of the crowd for a stunning immersive Hillstomp experience.

Definitely one of my favorite local bands I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, photographing and having a great chat after the show.

photos by Julia Varga