Reverb, Ballard's all local music festival, was a delight. But two bands, Heatwarmer and Thee Satisfaction, were the ones to see.

Watching Heatwarmer I had to ask myself, “Has anything ever sounded like this?” Heatwarmer are un-pretentious omnivores, taking from every genre of music that has been savaged as “lame”—jam band, smooth jazz, patriotic show tunes, and twisty prog-rock—to create an alternate indie rock universe where tastemakers landed on the other side of the fence. It’s a sound that’s truly their own. And live they get ecstatic highs, fierce electric clarinet solos and funky bass breakdowns, that make them a must see act.

The other highlight was electro-rap dou, Thee Satisfaction. The pair whipped the fluorescent lit NY Fashion Academy into a frenzy with deep bass rumbles and too-cool jazz harmonies. The band was planning to move to San Francisco but now word is they’ve bought one way tickets to NYC. Who knows, given the overwhelming reception they received in Ballard on Saturday, maybe the Emerald city is looking greener than the other side.