Bumbershoot – Spinning Platters

BUMBERSHOOT 2025 LOOKS AMAZING!

Once again, Bumbershoot has released a lineup that is as close to “Spinning Platters” energy as possible. It’s bonkers in the most Gen-X meets Elder Millennial kinda “OMG! They got both Pretty Girls Make Graves AND Murder City Devils?!?! DEREK IS GONNA BE SO TIRED!” kinda way. And, seriously, the top line has Weezer, Sylvan Esso, Janelle Monae, and Bright Eyes?!?! We also have Digable Planets doing Blowout Comb, one of the most underrated albums of the ’90s. And the great Quasi (seriously- everyone needs to go to a Quasi concert before they die. Cathartic joy!)? And The Linda Lindas? And SPELLLING???? And HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THE POSTER:

2-Day tickets start at $199, which makes it the best deal for a festival of this size.

Festival Review: Bumbershoot 2024

Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival has existed in Seattle since 1971 and has happened every Labor Day weekend with the exception of 2020-2022 due to Covid restrictions. I’ve been a Seattleite my entire life. I was born the weekend before the festival’s 8th anniversary, also its final year of being a free festival. I grew up attending Bumbershoot with friends and family many times over the years up until September 2, 2001, when I saw David Lee Roth perform at Memorial Stadium. Since then, Bumbershoot has changed hands management a few times, and based on my experience this past weekend, the new changes have been a net positive. Back in 2001, Bumbershoot was a four days long, often oversold, crowded, difficult-to-navigate, bloated event that involved wristbands one needed to collect at the beginning of each day to allow you access to the stadium to see each evening’s headliner in the stadium, which served as the Main Stage. I skipped many a year and many an act due to this ridiculous first come, first serve approach to seeing a headliner at a festival. To me, it defeated the entire purpose of what seeing a fest should be. After all, if buying a ticket didn’t allow you access to the main event, then why would anyone humor that flawed system? Continue reading “Festival Review: Bumbershoot 2024”

BUMBERSHOOT 2024 DAILY LINEUPS!

Bumbershoot’s big return last year was one of my life’s most magical concert moments. I don’t think I’ve gotten more hugs and mutual tears of joy with strangers than the Sleater-Kinney set. Well, they dropped the daily lineups for this year, and Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center will be another packed weekend of fantastic music. Saturday is getting closed out by Pavement but also features SP faves Cypress Hill, Aly & AJ, TEKE::TEKE, Black Belt Eagle Scout, k. flay, Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry, and so much more. Sunday has James Blake headlining, along with electronic music weirdo Marc Rebillet, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, BADBADNOTGOOD, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Automatic, Pom Pom Squad, The Polyphonic Spree and too many others to list. There also will be comedy, drag, food, film, and even something called “Burleskaraoke” that I did last year, and, yes, was definitely sensory overload and highly recommended. Tickets are available here, and the full daily breakdown is below. Continue reading “BUMBERSHOOT 2024 DAILY LINEUPS!”

Bumbershoot 2023- The 50th Anniversary In Pictures

Bumbershoot is one of the oldest and longest-running music festivals in America. Sure, it took a bit of a hiatus after the 2019 edition to regroup (and that pesky pandemic had a bit of a part in it, too), it returned in 2023 with a heavy focus on the talent of the Pacific Northwest, including sets from such luminaires as Sleater-Kinney (who played 1/2 of Dig Me Out as well as a cover of Sinead O’Connor’s “Emporer’s New Clothes,”) Sunny Day Real Estate, and The Dandy Warhols. We got to take our camera around and enjoy the sights and sounds of this event, and we even got to take a turn behind the mic for queer/bar staple Burleskaraoke (but, sadly, only the folks at the event got to experience that magic). It was a delightful weekend of both sunshine and rain, and it was such a joy to see Seattle having fun.

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Bumbershoot 2013 Journal

I love music festivals. And, living in the Bay Area, we get plenty of them. In fact, I think I’ve spent more weekends at music festivals than not this Summer, without having to travel anywhere. However, sometimes you’ve got to see how it’s done elsewhere. So I ventured up north to Seattle to enjoy some surprisingly sunny and warm weather and the 42nd edition of the Bumbershoot Festival.

Continue reading “Bumbershoot 2013 Journal”