Comments

1
Oh my my. I read The Stranger every week. Vaginas, buttplugs, sodomy, taints - all part of my regular vocab thanks to Dan Savage. But oh my my, I am absolutely horrified by the thought of someone kissing a butthole, oh my, just like Emily says, horrifying. Panic at a Disco, besides having a real shitty band name, talking about kissing a butthole? Horrifying. I am horrified.
4

Were there many bumbershoots at Bumbershoot?

Today I rode my bike in rain.
5
@1 What's so funny about peace, love, and tossed salad?

$5 bet none of the Stranger writers set foot in the EMP stage.
9
Rap and guys with full-body tats that "play" their music from a MacBook. It's why I don't go to Bumbershoot.
23
Well I can't disagree with any of the reviews, but Yuna might have been the best thing all day I had heard a couple of her tracks before but she was even better in person. Ellie Goulding crossed with Lorde with a little Rihanna, with a perfect band to compliment her fantastic voice. Totally did not expect that to be the gem of an already great first day.
24
@9

Very true. The main reason for me not going to Bumbershoot is that a lot sensible people I know share the opinion that Bumbershoot is retarded and an extreme waste of one's money. But it's perfect to be encouraged by The Stranger, who thinks lavish spending for cheap entertainment is a good direction for our country.
25
I covered it one year. It was a lot of stressful running around to hear & digest & write about names- 90% of which you'll never hear about again.

I can't imagine still writing about music, this cultural arms race where the only destruction that's assured is that of the artist's capital.
26
#24,25

I don't know at what point someone decided that "the music mattered".

It used to not. The point of this, or any Seattle gathering, was simply to be there and walk around from venue to venue. It was seeing the other people who were there. It was enjoying the old world's fair grounds, and a vision never realized.

If the acts were hoaky it was because this was because Bumbershoot was a circus, not a rock concert. It was unfocused and side showy. The acts, bizarre, low key and just there, not something to wait in line for.

You didn't used to Go To Bumbershoot...you woke up, remembered that it existed, got on a bus and wandered in.
27
@26 You might be thinking of Folklife.
28
Unfortunately, the shoot has lacked for the last couple of years or so more incendiary musical acts unlike the past---Atari Teenage Riot, PE (yeah Wu Tang brings some beats, but not the politics), EyeHateGod, Black Breath.

Whats not to love about Elvis Costello--I don't think he's rocked all that much since the 1st album. With the exception of a few songs, he's been mostly a sappy balladeer.
29
Because there wasn't anyone I really wanted to see yesterday (Elvis Costello is great but I've seen him before), and because of the rain, I decided to sell my ticket, making someone very happy they got a nice discount.

Even though the weather looks just as poor this morning, I'll be going today and tomorrow. I'm glad others get so excited about indie bands and local bands. I've seen few of either that have impressed me. There are so many excellent (but not well-known) artists/bands out there that One Reel could book and I wouldn't think they'd cost that much.

I'm glad the Mainstage was moved back to the stadium, but I don't like the downsizing of the grounds/stages, with the removal of both the Broad Street stage and the Northwest Court stage.

I used to love Bumbershoot in the '80s and '90s. I still like it and continue to go but, for my tastes, there hasn't been a great music lineup for about ten years.
30
Whats not to love about Elvis Costello--I don't think he's rocked all that much since the 1st album.

His second album, This Year's Model, was that way too. I like most of his stuff but those two records are, far and away, my favorites.

An example of an excellent-but-not-well-known artist Bumbershoot could book would be Graham Parker. He's a contemporary of Costello, but never achieved the fame that Elvis did.
31
@30, I really liked Graham Parker and the Rumor, saw him live back in the late 70's---Liked the Stick to Me lp.

32
The point of this, or any Seattle gathering, was simply to be there and walk around from venue to venue.

Perhaps that was the point for some people. I and my friends have always gone to Bumbershoot for the music. I've seen some comedy and films over the years, and usually spend time checking out the art, but music is the primary draw. Problem (for me) is that Bumbershoot needs to appeal to a younger demographic so, of course, One Reel is going to book bands that appeal to that group and those bands are, for the most part, unappealing to me.
33
neo-realist, Stick To Me was a a fine album. I think his first four albums, were all great but, as with Costello, my favorites are his first two.

He was backed by a group of younger guys, The Figgs, when he toured in 1996. They happened to be playing at a club in Boston when my then-girlfriend & I were visiting New England that autumn, we caught the show, and it was one of the best club shows I've ever seen. They really rocked.

34
#30

His first three albums, sort of encompass the 3 Eras of Pop.

The first is the rockabilly Elvis Presley era.

The second is the energetic, yet polished, garage rock of the 1960s.

The last, "Armed Forces" is Power Pop that blends rock and pop music.
36
I remember when Bumbershoot was free, and people didn't call in "BumPershoot!"
37
My wife, a friend and I went on Monday and loved it. All I can gather from most commenters on news boards or entertainment boards is that Seattleites are a bunch of grumpy whiners. Seriously. For $70 (I thought it was reasonable) I got to see 8 different bands and a comedy set. Some of the bands would have cost me $40-$50 on their own (Capital Cities, Neon Trees and Foster the People). Besides them I discovered some really good local talent and a very fun Moroccan band. Great people watching and a lot of fun. Lighten up people.
38
Some of the reviews I read said the acts were skewed towards the young but what bullshit! Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, The Replacements, Aimee Mann, Nada Surf, And 44 had nothing to do with "young Punks". And for more recent groups Foster The People, Capital Cities, not to mention the more local groups like Rose Garden and Bad Things made the whole festival a wonderful experience not to mention old guys like Bootsy Collins and Los Lobos. For 35 a day, you can't find that much amazing talent anywhere else. And if you don't like the music there are all the other wonderful pastimes like comedy acts, films, art exhibits, and a beer at the armory.

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