Bathed in violet light, the stage of Seattle's WAMU Theater was set last night for an evening of prodigious musicianship from fabled Britpop stalwarts Oasis, who began the North American leg of their world tour to a sold-out audience.

"There will be no witty banter tonight," Long Winters frontman/renowned purveyor of witty banter, John Roderick, announced at the band's eagerly awaited Seattle homecoming show last night (July 5) at the Showbox.

He’s a revered college-rock icon as a musician, producer, DJ and label head. His deadpan monotone voice and blues-mired guitar elicits a nostalgic assault upon the listener. He’s unleashed the lo-fi in Beat Happening, brought the funk in Dub Narcotic Sound System and spun softly swirling melodies in the Halo Benders.