Hammerbox… man, those guys were a solid band.
I first heard them in ’93 when that self-titled record came out. Carrie Akre’s voice really stood out — strong and clear without sounding fake. It wasn’t the heaviest thing in town and it wasn’t super poppy either. It just worked. I ended up playing that album quite a bit.
I saw them live a few times once I was living here. One night at the Crocodile stands out. The place was full but not insane, and they just played a really honest set. Carrie wasn’t doing any big rock star moves — she was just up there singing like she meant it. The band sounded tight and they looked like they were actually having fun. You left the show feeling good.
They came right after the first big wave. They put out two records — the self-titled one in ’93 and then Numb in ’97 — and did some touring, but they never really blew up. I always thought they deserved a little more attention than they got. They weren’t chasing anything big, they were just doing their thing.
The band split up around ’97 I think. Carrie went on to other projects and the rest of the guys are still around playing in different bands here and there.
These days in 2002 I still put on that first record sometimes, and every once in a while I pull out Numb too. It takes me right back to the mid-nineties club scene. Hammerbox weren’t the biggest name, but they were one of those reliable Seattle bands that always delivered a good night. I liked them a lot.