Ceschi - High Dive - Seattle, WA

Ceschi is a bit of an anomaly. Some listeners label him rap, some indie folk, some indie folk rap shoegaze metal grindcore (probably). Others would be quick to tell you he defies classification, and that feels accurate when you take in his live show for the first time. 

Ceschi hit the stage at the High Dive in Seattle in support of his recently released album, Sad Fat Luck, with producer extraordinaire Factor Chandelier. Joining him on the bill were Fake Four Inc. label mates Dark Time Sunshine, as well as fellow musical anomaly Kimya Dawson. The lineup exemplified the diversity of sound which Ceschi’s music employs. In testament to just how loyal and attentive Ceschi’s fanbase is, there were a large number of folks in the crowd who were singing and rapping along to almost all of the songs from Sad Fat Luck - an album which had only been out in the public sphere a scant few weeks prior. 

Now, it’s one thing to be a virtuoso at rapping, and another to be equally adept at playing the guitar. It’s a whole other beast entirely to be fully at home on both, but that’s Ceschi for you. Stellar musicianship aside, it’s the soul-bearing, heart-rending lyrics that have earned Ceschi his own lane in the music world at large. Sad Fat Luck, especially in its live form, is an exploration of loss and grief and the search for brief respites of happiness and understanding set against a deceptively upbeat and beautiful soundscape. Many were the occasions where one song would have audience members head bobbing (“Sad Fat Luck”), while another would result in tears shed (“The Gospel”). It’s music that feels deeply and implores the listener to do the same.

See Ceschi live, buy the record, and support an artist whose music exemplifies the peaks and valleys that mark the topographical map of what it means to be human.

For Ceschi’s tour dates + music: https://www.sadfatluck.com/ + https://fakefour.bandcamp.com/album/sad-fat-luck-3

Photos // Words by Alexander Hallett of Sattva Photo