If singer and trumpet player Will Glazier hadn’t announced at the start of their set that it was Snug Harbor’s first time at Summer Meltdown, no one would have been the wiser. The Bellingham funk band represents everything that has become synonymous with this festival – they came on stage to make sure everyone was having a joyful, great time. While Seattle isn’t the most funk friendly city in the world, the horns, bass, guitar, drums, and organ that is Snug Harbor fit in perfectly with this crowd – getting everyone hula-hooping and dancing in perfect time with the saxophone.
As one of the first bands to take over Meltdown’s Garden Stage, they set the bar high. Starting with a Roy Hargrove cover and continuing on with songs from their latest self titled album, it really didn’t matter what they played because they have the sort of talent only found in seasoned funk musicians. What is more, Glazier has come into his own as a front man and singer – his singing complimented every aspect of the ensemble and helped make the songs pop under the sun. If you’ve ever lived in Bellingham, you’ve without doubt heard Snug Harbor, but in the setting of Summer Meltdown this is the best I’ve ever heard them sound.
