The Wombats - Bumbershoot 2012

Jane's Addiction at Bumbershoot 2012

The Heavy- Bumbershoot 2012, Seattle Washington

King Khan and the Shrine in KEXP Lounge at Bumbershoot Seattle 2012

Bumbershoot 2010- KEXP Lounge

So, this year at Bumbershoot, quite by accident, I discovered the KEXP lounge. I mean, I'd read about it every year but never attended a show, however this year, The Raveonettes were one of the performers, so I knew I couldn't miss it.

Sharin Foo
We dutifully lined up a half an hour early at the booth, not realy knowing what to expect, but when we finally entered the venue, it was clear that we were in for something special. A nice small venue that sounded great for the live recording they were performing.

Sharin Foo
After the show, the band even broke down their own gear so we got to meet the band.

Glen and Sharin

Visqueen was a band I loved last year at Bumbershoot. I was just as happy to see them this year, except even happier to be sitting in the lovely KEXP lounge.

Rachel Flotard

Cristina Bautista

Rachel Flotard
They were charming and funny and I love them so check them out.

Another favourite, and oddly, someone I've never seen live before, was The Thermals. Pillar Of Salt is still one of my favourite songs and the new album has another potential all time fav in I Don't Believe You.
Here is a video I took of a different song. Awesome right??

We also saw The Engish Beat who are oldies but goodies from my youth. Tenderness (same guy but he was with Gneral Public at the time) is another of my all time favourite songs, even to this day.

Dave Wakeling

Antonee First

Ok Go - March 28, 2009 at Chop Suey in Seattle

I've seen Ok Go four other times, and despite it being Junos weekend in Vancouver, and despite the high probability that I would be invited to all the coolest events, I choose to truck to Seattle and see Ok Go.
Damian Kulash

I understand the concept of taking it on the road to try out the new songs but Chop Suey? Chop Suey is a tiny tiny club in Seattle. The stage is the size of a shoebox, and there is no air conditioning or air circulation at all for that matter. Sounds like a great venue for a hard core Ok Go fan on paper, but not so much in practice.
Andy Ross

In other words, it was hot in there. Sweltering, in the crowd, and probably even hotter on the crowded tiny stage under those lights. This (along with singer Damian Kulash's recent illness) probably contributed to it being the least fun Ok Go show I've seen. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but Damian didn't seem like his usual "sarcastic bastard" self.

Most famous for amazing Treadmill video, and well known for closing their shows with the Backyard Dance, their latest fun gimmick is an interpretation of "What To Do" with handbells. A really lovely idea and execution.

Many new songs from the much anticipated new album were introduced, and they were all great and I really look forward to hearing it but until then, here is a an acoustic song that Damian introduced as "a simple love song".

It was my Marsi's first Ok Go show, and I told her she should make a sign because my experiences had shown that if Damian saw it, he'd surely say something. Well, sadly, he didn't see it, but after the show, Dan did and loved it.

Bumbershoot-Day 1 August 29, 2008

I'm starting with my favourite of the day, West Indian Girl.
Mariqueen Maandig

Robert James

West Indian Girl were my second favourite of the entire fest actually. This was my first show at the EMP Sky Church (um, second if you don't count the unmemorable Mono In VCF which is following)

A Myspace discovery, I wasn't really expecting them to be as cool as they actually were. Mariqueen is actually my new girl crush!

One of my favourite songs of theirs is "To Die In LA" which was rewritten after recording This new version was slower and missing the cool vibe of the recorded version. Another favourite is Blue Wave which you should totally check out on their MySpace!
Francis Ten


Okay, now let's try for some order. We started the day seeing Neko Case. I hate the Main Stage, and think I'm vowing not to return unless some serious changes like video screens are added.
Neko Case

Love her in the New Pornographers, but not such a fan of her country career.

Then it was off to the Rockstar stage for Seattle's own Barcelona.
Brian Fennell

After our first Happy Hour of the weekend and well fortified, we started our afternoon in earnest with the Walkmen. I've liked them for ages and have seen them before.
Hamilton Leithauser



Our next choice was Mono In VCF as they'd had an okay vibe when we checked them out on myspace and we were going to EMP Sky Church anyway for West Indian Girl.
Kim Miller


Hunter Lee


Skipping around now, as I've already written about West Indian Girl, are Nada Surf, one of my favourite bands of all times. This is despite the fact that I've never even contemplated suicide.
Matthew Caw

Nada Surf were great despite the notable absence of bassist Daniel Lorca who was absent due to an inconvenient knee injury. Daniel had also written a hilarious Bumbershoot primer for The Seattle Weekly publication.

Ended the night with Beck. As you'll see again and again, I hate the Bumbershoot Main Stage and will be forever banning it.
Beck

The sound was awful, and it didn't help hat I've never warmed to Beck's music.

Bumbershoot- Day 2 August 30, 2008

Let's start with my favourite of Sunday, The Shackeltons.
Mark Redding

They took to a stage that covered with branches, no, LIMBS of trees and a bounty of dahlia's. Dressed in old school military uniforms, they put on one of those shows where you like the band a whole lot more after you see them.

Lead singer Mark Redding is as much of a performance artist as he is a singer and has a particular affinity for falling, sometimes from a straight standing position.

Justin McDanel

Highlights of the stage banter included enticements to purchase CD's with the offer to pinch drummer Sean Hallock's baby fat or the chance to discuss being half black in America with bassist Justin McDaniel.
Sean Hallock

But topping all the stories was the orgin of the stage forest. Apprently it's a $500 fine for, um, pruning trees in the city limits, so it was a good thing they'd liberated the trees at a location out of city limits.

Okay, now on to what else I saw. It was a busy day.
Let's see.
Biggest disappoint was Sons and Daughters from Glasglow. Loved them on myspace, hated them live.
Adele Bethel

Loved them so much that we'd spontaneously break into the opening of the "The Gift" while walking around the Bumbershoot grounds. This was an example of where you like a band a whole lot less after you see them.
Scott Paterson

Worst of all?? No it wasn't that the sound was awful. It was after all that spontaneous singing, we'd done, they didn't even play "The Gift"!

Also on the agenda and a band that didn't disappoint were Seattle's own The Blakes.
Snow Keim

I'd totally go see them again. I think they are great!
Garnet Keim


Hmm. I'm all over the map here as far as timeline goes. Let's see....we started the day with Lushy who are art of Shag in musical form.
Annabella Kirby

Mostly percussion, Lushy have a mellow effervescent quality which was fun, especially for the hipster oldsters dancing away in the crowd.
Andrew Sodt

I don't know what instrument is shown here in this photograph, but I do know that Glen wanted one.

Also, highly anticipated but a bit of a let down, were The Whigs. I was probably a bit (a lot) drunk by this time (love the Seattle Happy Hours) so I should go a bit easier on them.
Parker Gispert

I especially like the song "Like A Vibration" from their Mission Control album.
Ben Deaux

Julian Dorio

Scott Weiland

Next up, in no particular order, is Stone Temple Pilots. Despite showing up a half an hour late and being escorted directly to the stage in the tour bus, Scott Weiland was in pretty good form.

Yeah, these photos suck, but I was pretty far away, and you get the picture.
Hating the Main Stage (horrile sound, unmanagable size) we left STP for Tapes 'n Tapes who I'd seen once before at SXSW.