Flee the Century has the dumbest Web site. There's a missile coming out of a hearse that has a giraffe in the driver's seat and a dolphin, alive and doing flips, in its casket. There's a sandwich flying through the air. Then, even more annoying than the scene itself is that the inane cartoon leads nowhere. No links, no contact info, no nothin'.
But once upon a time, Web sites didn't matter. Once upon a time, bands just played and played and played all throughout town, and even the country, just spreading the word and not relying on some gimmicky b.s. to sell themselves. Less than a year ago, I attended a show at the Venue Formerly Known As the B-Side. The lineup was sub-par, and I left halfway through the second act. But I'd already gotten my money's worth, because — before catching songs on their MySpace page, before scouring their Web site — I encountered Flee the Century for the first time.
Local rock-star Romeos with energy to spare alongside their trendy 'dos and just-post-pubescent cutie-pie faces, Flee the Century is one of few Spokane bands worth seeing again and again. While most youngsters in town are screaming their heads off with low-level (if any level) of proficiency, Flee is the diamond in the rough. Combining the impassioned, oft-wailed vocals of Erik Anderson with the synthy goodness of Justin Hynes and the maddeningly great drum beats of Jordan Hoff, Flee is so not-Spokane it hurts. Competitors should take note.
Flee has taken its act on the road, so we know they're dedicated. They have T-shirts, so we know they're invested. And they have a really lame Web site, so we know they're only in it for the music. Oh, phew. Plus! Their MySpace quote is: "Our favorite city on earth is Spokane." Adorable!
Graham is the music reviews editor at Out There Monthly and the editor of The Wig Fits All Heads. Based in Seattle, she's taken on the job of polishing certain Spokane acts to an Emerald City sheen.
