Bumbershoot: A Sneak Peek at the Local Comedy
Editor's note: As we count down to Bumbershoot, Seattlest is offering up five days of assorted picks for where to go and what to see over a jam-packed weekend, as well as a look back at Bumbershoot's 40-year evolution. Let's get it started with some local comedy offerings...
TBTL with Luke Burbank photo courtesy of Bumbershoot
The 40th Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival is taking over the Seattle Center starting Saturday. One of the many, many things to get excited about is the local comedy stage, providing attendees with stellar Northwest reppin' music alternatives all day long.
Bumbershoot comedy stages are notorious for their lines - it's not uncommon to wait for an hour or more to see comedians that have their own HBO specials. However, the local comedy at Comedy Stage West (aka The Vera Project) offers just as much as the national acts--minus the substantial queue.
Emmett Montgomery, a local comedian who helped organize this year's local stage, says the realm of PNW comedy includes some great offerings. His advice--don't miss the New Kids show on Monday. In his words, "These comedians represent the next generation in Seattle comedy. For most of these performers, this is going to be the biggest stage that they have ever been on. They will definitely be giving it 110% and it's going to be exciting to see what they do."
Also highly recommended by Montgomery are the Stop Podcasting Yourself Live Podcast on Saturday and the Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL) Live Podcast on Monday. These live podcasts are brand new to the local stage and promise to be fun for fans and newbies alike. These podcasts aren't usually recorded in front of an audience, so it's definitely a rare opportunity. Watch it at Bumbershoot, then go home and listen to it on your computer.
Wrapping up the local stage each night are the People's Republic of Komedy folks with their Laff Hole variety show. If you're interested in seeing what Seattle comedy is all about, then you'll want to check out this well-groomed comedy grab bag of sorts. This group of comedians have been working on this show for five years, and Montgomery says they've got it down to a really good combination of old and new with stand up, sketches and movies.
Obviously, we've barely scratched the surface of Bumbershoot's comedy offerings. There's Patton Oswalt and Friends, Morgan Murphy, Joe Mande, Donald Glover, and so many more. Festivalgoers are going to have a real tough time mapping out their days.
