My feet are beat, my eyes tired, and I am Drinking Age Verified.
Which means I spent many hours at Seattle famous Bumbershoot Festival yesterday, right in the heart of the city. I have to remember to cut that tag off before I hop in the shower to go back today, and THEN see Pavement at the Paramount! More. Coffee. Please.
Can you bleev I've never been to Bumbershoot before, and I have lived here six years now? I was always out of town on Labor Day weekend, couldn't get a sitter, fully covered in slugs and moss, etc. But I am indeed in town now and having won FREE FREE FREE FREE tickets for all three days from @Mynorthwest (KIRO) on Twitter, I at last get to go! I could blab a lot about it all, because there is SO MUCH there, but must keep it short today, so I can actually LEAVE my computer. Initial impressions: easier to deal with than I figured it would be (parking and crowds weren't bad, really), crowd was overwhelmingly polite, attentive, and mellow, lots of friendly volunteers about, and all ages/types of people around and about. There was also a fair amount of pot smoke about, which might account for the mellow aspect. But no worries, mon. Security/police are easily visible, but cool.
The performer I wanted to see most yesterday was Bradford Cox, aka Atlas Sound, and I made it to the Broad Street Stage just as he was beginning his set. He creates such an rich sonic atmosphere all on his own, dream-like, with his pure pretty melodies floating and weaving within each song. Bradford also plays with Deerhunter, and you can bet I already have tickets to see them here in the fall. Despite not feeling too well (gastro issues and non-vom meds), he was very amiable and did a great set.
Here's some pics (more here) plus a couple of videos: "Walkabout" and "Flagstaff."
Walking to get some fuud, I spot Justin Townes Earle playing his set, and snap a few pix. He's got a nice, very traditional folk-country sound, even if he looks like someone's Dad from 1978. More power to you, sir.
Time to check out the Mainstage. The Decemberists are near the end of their set on as I get there, and they are really far away.
ZOOM LEETLE CAMERA ZOOM!
Bless you all.
Think I will try for a bleacher seat.
People flood out after the Decemberists finish their show, and I wait. Local gal Neko Case is up next.
People flood back in and Neko begins. She seems like a fun girl, and has what I would call a really reliable voice: nice tone, always on key, plenty of power and chops, familiar-sounding. It's one of the reasons she sings with lots and lots of other people. People like fun and reliable girls. Here's the vid I got. The woman dancing on the stage was extremely happy the whole time:
However, as pleasant as Neko was, it's not really my type of music and after some time I got antsy. I also had to go use a creepy bathroom:
Did I stick around and wait for Bob Dylan or bail and see The Cute Lepers and The Ravonettes?
TUNE IN LATER TO FIND OUT...SAME BAT-TIME, SAME BAT-CHANNEL!
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman