The Cha Cha is very red

The Cha Cha is pretty awesome when it's just being a bar. Happy hour is all day on Sunday and Monday, and you can be sure that's a huge draw for all the weirdos/cheapskates in Seattle, including yours truly. Last Sunday was extra weird though, thanks to a last-minute free post-release show for Absolute Monarchs (say that ten times fast).

Before I go further, I want to apologize to Crimewave, I heard you played an awesome set, but I didn't arrive at the Cha Cha until afterward, for reasons involving hotdogs and frozen yogurt.

Pictured: Haunted Horses. Not pictured: sinister washes of noise

I did catch the other opener, the fantastic Haunted Horses. Fans of Liars and Health will find common ground with their heavy percussion and extreme volume, but they certainly offer more than just a retread of what other bands are doing. They create a sinister ambiance that provided a perfect soundtrack to drinking booze and running into people in a basement.

And finally, if you haven't been paying attention to the Absolute Monarchs, tonight would have been the perfect jumping on point. They played a truncated set, highlighting all their catchiest and highest energy songs, building on the energy left from the previous two bands. It's worth mentioning that they played their first show in the hallowed halls of the Cha Cha, and it's good to see a band so in touch with their roots.