Ins and Outs of Bumbershoot, Seattlest Style

For most of us Seattlites Bumbershoot is one more indication of summer being in full swing and fall looming just around the corner. To some it may also be another annoying festival taking over downtown during the scant amount of beautiful days we have in this city. Then there are those who excitedly look forward to the musical event of the season, buy their tickets early and start acting weirdly giddy in the few days leading up to Labor Day weekend. Most likely you fit on the fringes of several of these categories, as do we.

This year, however, we're trying to prepare ourselves for the massive crowds, hours and hours of musical entertainment, impending sunburns and hemorrhaging wallets. There were a few things we discovered in this preparatory stage that surprised us, though most likely we should have noticed much sooner. For one thing the festival gods have removed the Broad Street and Northwest Court stages this year. Good riddance to Broad Street: no hopping over landscaping, sneaking behind shrubbery to avoid drunken exes coming out of the beer garden (ok, you'll probably still do that just not in that location) or holding your point and shoot high over your head just to crop out a majority of the seemingly 50-foot-tall stage. Looking at the map they've obviously decided to pare down the circumference of the fest as well. It may not be their reasoning but we're glad it gives us a little break from running around stage to stage to see our favorite musicians. To make up for the eliminated venue they added one over at the EMP called "Level 3". Let's hope that doesn't mean we are looking halfway to the sky during a show or walking up three levels of stairs to get there.

As we'd mentioned in our anticipatory Bumbershoot post, the mainstage is now located at Key Arena as opposed to Memorial Stadium. It's a smaller venue, but the acts don't seem to be as much of a draw as in the past few years either. We'll see how much of a pain in the butt it will be, but still think it's a good move to be indoors where beer is still available and you aren't baking in the heat waiting for the show to start. If nothing else it's closer to the rest of the festival and a place to sit down somewhat comfortably as opposed to those damn metal benches.

As for the acts themselves, the consensus amongst most people we've talked to is the main stage is lacking... ok it's outright lame save for a few bright points (ie Ray LaMontagne, Hall and Oats and Brite Futures). That's not to say the other acts aren't good, just not exactly main stage-worthy. Fortunately, what the fest lacks in fame it makes up for in breadth of local acts. We've got hip hop, electronica, folk, rock, metal and jazz amongst others to keep us busy. The real shining stars as far as the Seattlest team is concerned include Kris Orlowski and the Passenger String Quartet, Wagons, Little Dragon, Meklit Hadero, Butthole Surfers, Joe Pug and the Hundred Mile Band, Lemolo, Hot Bodies in Motion (a new edition to Saturday morning), Charles Bradley, Vetiver, Mavis Staples and The Reverend Horton Heat. There are so many more we could point out but those are our can't miss it shows.

A more secretive part of Bumbershoot last year was the Free Yr Radio stage. We saw acts like Hey Marsielles, Head and the Heart (before they hit it big) and Grynch. This year doesn't disappoint with a who's who of Seattle music. This intimate stage's lineup includes Seapony, Pickwick, Campfire OK, Massy Ferguson, The Lonely Forest (who's hitting the mainstage this year), Allen Stone, Lemolo, Motopony and LAKE to name a few. We highly recommend you check out these shows, they'll be as close as you're going to get to some of these musicians. Though, don't use the opportunity to actually feel them... just feel closer to them.

What are you most looking forward to? Have you been buzzing on the excitement all week or is it just another weekend?

Pointers for those Bumbershoot virgins (or those of you coming back to the fest for the first time in a while):

1. Grab your comedy passes early if there's someone you want to see (Eugene Mirman is worth standing in line for).
2. Main stage does not require a separate bracelet anymore, you just need to show up early as it's first come first served. They apparently let you line up 90 minutes before the show starts.
3. Bring:
-sunscreen
-a water bottle (yes, they encourage you to bring them in!)
-a snacks that don't melt unless you are willing to spend your paycheck on food
-cash (don't want to pay those big ol' ATM fees do you?)
-a small flashlight for when it gets dark
-comfortable shoes (come on ladies, leave your heels at home)
-a backpack to carry it all in
-**earplugs** (let's keep those ears safe!)
-camera phone/point and shoot (we want to see what you loved, post it in our flickr!)

4. Take it easy... you may be excited to see a bunch of acts but if you're headed to the fest all three days you should pace yourself and have a great time.

5. Go to Flatstock. It's a great way to cool off and see some incredible art. Our pal Killorn O'Neill, the genius behind our Seattlest Presents Show poster, will be selling her work there; find her and say hello.

6. Try to catch a theater/film showing, there's an incredible lineup of non-music shows available the entire weekend. Seek out something a little different and make your Bumbershoot experience much richer.

7. Enjoy yourself and be nice! The crowds may be annoying, the people might be cranky in the evenings, you might be tired but we're all there to enjoy the best music the Northwest has to offer. Sometimes it's hard to keep a little perspective but we are damn lucky to live here and have access to such an incredibly diverse and talented pool of musicians.

If you see us say hello. We'll have Seattlest Music buttons to hand out and hopefully a smile on our faces. Look forward to spending Labor Day weekend with all of you.