Marymoor Park Comes Alive with Phantogram and STRFKR
redmond, washington - august 12th 2025
Summer nights in Redmond, Washington, aren’t usually this loud. Just 20 minutes from the city of Seattle lies Marymoor Park, framed by tall evergreens and nestled in a quiet suburban stretch, which doesn’t scream “high-energy indie electronic blowout.” But on this stop of their tour together, STRFKR and Phantogram made sure the crowd left buzzing, dancing, and even a little bit changed.
The evening started with Mamalarky, whose kaleidoscopic, genre-hopping sound instantly pulled the crowd out of picnic-blanket mode and into show mode. Their set was tight and playful, blending sharp musicianship with an easy stage presence that made even first-time listeners nod along. They were the perfect warm-up for the mixed crowd in the park.
When STRFKR took the stage, the energy shot up like a switch had been flipped. The band members, minus frontman Joshua Hodges, were decked out in matching Big Bud Press coveralls, a uniform that made the occasional burst of movement or jump all the more striking. Hodges himself broke from the look entirely, stepping out in jorts and a green button-up, casual yet commanding in a way only he could pull off.
The set was a whirl of shimmering synths, infectious basslines, and beats that made stillness impossible. Hodges’ vocals floated over it all, smooth but charged, while the rest of the band each brought their kinetic energy. With Keil Corcoran on drums and keys, Patrick Morris on bass, and Shawn Glassford on keys and guitar, they all were constantly in motion, leaning into one another, trading glances and grins.
Shoutouts to friends in the crowd came between songs, making the entire set feel like a reunion rather than just a performance. In true STRFKR fashion, there was plenty of playful absurdity: astronauts wandered the stage, throwing themselves into splits mid-song while crowd surfing, and the band’s cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” turned the park into an all-ages, open-air singalong. It was loose, fun, and almost reckless, the kind of set where you can’t tell if the band is having more fun than the crowd or vice versa.
Phantogram took over without hesitation, starting earlier than expected and making sure the audience didn’t get a chance to cool down. From the first song, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter owned every inch of the stage, weaving around each other and leaning into the edge of the crowd. The lighting and fog wrapped their dark, driving beats in an otherworldly glow, every strobe and shadow adding weight to the music.
Their performance had no filler; each song was planned and hit with intention. Barthel moved like every step was part of a story, while Carter’s guitar lines cut through the air with sharp precision. Despite the minimal set design, the combination of movement, lights, and sound made it feel as though the stage was expanding and contracting in sync with the music’s pulse.
For a suburban park, the crowd’s energy was wild. You’d expect polite swaying, but instead it was a feedback loop, Phantogram fed off the audience, the audience fed off them, and the result was a constant build. Barthel’s fearless dancing made it feel like you were watching someone at home in their bedroom, forgetting the world was watching. That freedom was contagious.
Phantogram’s songs, even when streamed alone in headphones, can shake something deep inside you. But live, every note lands harder, every beat vibrates through your chest, and every lyric seems to take on new meaning. By the end of the night, Marymoor Park didn’t feel like a quiet suburban venue anymore but felt like the center of something electric.
