Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival is aptly named. It boasts an impressive coverage of the various arts, ranging from comedic acts to art gallery exhibitions, and from musicians to writers. It also showcases a broad spectrum of notoriety, from regional talent to international artists, from new up and comers to industry veterans. The fact that the festival’s hometown is smack in the middle of the Pacific Northwest again gives meaning to the moniker; in case you were not aware, a Bumbershoot is defined as ‘an umbrella’. Scheduled at the closing of summer, Seattle’s untimely rain showers occasionally threaten to damper the big weekend. However, the skies held clear for the 41st annual celebration and the masses infiltrated the expanse of Seattle Centre from September 3rd to 5th. Over 3 action packed days, festival go’ers can trek about and linger on lawns for the outdoor entertainment or play the necessary strategy games with the schedule for the limited seating indoor venues. No matter where on the 74 acre property you meander with the droves, the iconic Space Needle looms from somewhere above.
Day 1:
Saturday flourished with student excitement, as many youth were celebrating the last weekend before school was back in session. Outside on the grassy expanses of the Fisher Green, Fountain Lawn and Starbucks stages you could find alternative hip-hoppers Champagne Champage, impassioned rapper Astronautalis, Canadian indies PS I Love You, the unique hip-hop of Shabazz Palaces, electro Swedes Little Dragon, folk rockers Vetiver, the electronica band STRFKR, rockers Minus the Bear and the rhythm and blues of Mavis Staples.
The sought after indoor events were always the most trying to get into, but were well worth the line up wait. Day 1 saw kooky rockers Presidents of the United States of America, metal heads Pentagram, southern rockers Valient Thorr, South African singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasela, and headliner Ray Montagne & The Parish Dogs. Best of all may have been the Bumbershoot Music Lounge. A major bonus for privileged pass holders and the media, it was the quaintest of theatres that hosted performances live on air with 90.3KEXP throughout each day of the festival. Tiny and oh so exclusive, the lounge had its own program flyer and reached max capacity in a blink.
Talents like Shabazz Palaces, Vetiver, Vusi Mahlasela and STRKR did double duty on the first day of Bumbershoot, as they got intimate with fans in the lounge before and after their public sets.
Day 2:
Sunday saw the Music Lounge filled with special performances by electro hip hoppers Mad Rad, the indie pop group Tennis, Puerto Rico’s Davilla 666 and Pickwick who all did same day sets on the regular program as well. Outside, the beautiful park was filled with the drifting tunes of noise rockers Thee Oh Sees, rappers Das Racist, psychedelic rockers Butthole Surfers, synthetic pop Toro Y Moi, the ethereal music of War Paint and art rockers The Kills. Indoors venues like Key Arena Main Stage, the colonial style Exhibition Hall, split levels of EMP Level 3 and the Decibal Stage showcased the likes of Broken Social Scene, No Means No, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and much more.
Headlining the day was American rap star Wiz Khalifa who did a bang up job in working up the young crowd before they headed off into the night for Bumbershoot After Dark. Taking over the Exhibition Hall starting at 10pm, the newest addition to the festival agenda played host to a stellar line up of DJs both Saturday and Sunday nights. Dance enthusiasts were privy to great sets by DJ Craze, Claud Vonstroke, Jokers of the Science, The Donnlz, DJ Z-Trip, Four Tet and Dam-Funk.
Day 3:
Monday and final day of the festival, made sure to send folks home with smiles on their faces. Quality sunshine sets included Danish duo Quadron, the poppy twosome of YACHT, alternative rock outfit Urge Overkill, folksters Over The Rhine, electro-pop Phantogram, rockabilly Reverend Horton Heat, rock band Grant Lee Buffalo and the soulful Sharon Van Etten. Urge Overkill, Grant Lee Buffalo and Phantogram did private sets in the Music Lounge as well.
Among the memorable acts to conclude the indoor festivities on the long weekend were rap star Big Boi of Outkast, neo soulsters Fitz and The Tatrums (also with a Music Lounge slot), rockin’ foursome Vendetta Red, Ravenna Woods, Truckasauras, country jazz Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside. Vintage easy listening rock stars Daryl Hall & John Oates headlined on the Main Stage to conclude the weekend’s music line up and drawing people of all walks and ages.
Once you experience Bumbershoot, you fast realize how difficult it is to squeeze in everything that you truly wish to witness during your days at the Seattle Center. Often artists you intended to overlook will end up capturing your attention and holding you in place, instead of letting you wander on to your next planned event. Endless options are around every retail kiosk and festival food lined corner, and here you are certainly not limited to music. Both the album artwork gallery and the discussion lead by the Sci-Fi writers of Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek were incredibly absorbing.
Although it may seem like a long distance to Seattle for some, the massive celebration of the arts is worthy of the trip. When you score a beautiful weekend like we did for the 41st edition, the Pacific Northwest truly becomes a brilliant mecca of creativity and talent that should not be missed.
Review by: Lauren Dallas | Photos by: Michael Caswell
