Visqueen and frontwoman, Rachel Flotard, capped off an amazing year last night opening for Vampire Weekend and Muse at Seattle's "Deck The Hall Ball!"

As you're reading this, Rachel Flotard from Visqueen is somewhere over the Pacific en route to Laos to deliver much needed aid to schoolchildren. This past couple weeks have been the icing on the cake for an amazing return to form for her and her band Visqueen!

On monday, she was interviewed by NPR's Ari Shapiro on Morning Edition. Later that same day, Stephen Thompson (NPR's Music Editor) on All Songs Considered named Visqueen's Message To Garcia 2009's Biggest Surprise of the Year! Tuesday rolls around and the band plays Seattle's Deck The Hall Ball to about 7000 people as the only local band on a lineup that included Muse and Vampire Weekend. Then this morning, she flew out on her aid trip to Laos with a few thousand dollars to pave the school's floors and twenty suitcases full of school and medical supplies for her return trip to Ban Na Mouang.

When she returns in a month, Visqueen plans to tour the entire US with stops at Noise Pop and SXSW...

All images copyright Curt Doughty