Bumbershoot 2005 hosted the inaugural People Talking and Singing show, where 2,800 festival attendees packed McCaw Hall to see Dave Eggers, Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket), Mike Doughty, Sarah Vowell, and Death Cab for Cutie, all the while raising $18K for 826 Seattle, the youth writing center in Greenwood. Last year's event, also at Bumbershoot, was hosted by Daily Show Resident Expert™ John Hodgman and singer Jonathan Coulton. Eggers, Handler, Gibbard, and Vowell were back......

So, there's that big, crowded festival-thingy going on this weekend and we could recommend a bunch of stuff to hit there, but ah, we're far too lazy to do that. Here's the schedule - make yourself happy. No one's looking. Tuesday 29th >>> The Maldives at The Tractor. Ease into the week with some slow-ass folk tonight. 9pm; $6. Wednesday 30th >>> Pretty Girls Make Graves, Sunday Night Blackout, Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive......

1) Mercir (EMP Sky Church) - We started the day with some electro indie rock. With moody vocals, usually more atmospheric than lyrical, this three piece uses guitars, keyboards and a latop computer to create a rich wall of sound. 2) Citizen Cope (Main Stage) - We keep hearing about how great Citizen Cope is. That “Bullet in a Target” song is everywhere. Prior to Saturday, the other songs we heard by him (aka Clarence......

Okay, okay, we know that this year’s Bumbershoot lineup will leave you wondering what year it is, since we wouldn’t really call most of the acts especially current or relevant, but there are some things worth checking out. Friday, M. Ward is sure to rock (if you can call someone who mainly plays acoustic rocking). He is one heck of a guitar player and, oh boy, does he do a great cover of David Bowie’s......

Well, literary immortality, anyway. A gaggle of authors (some Seattlest-approved, some not-so-approved)- including Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Dave Eggers, John Grisham, Lemony Snicket, Michael Chabon, and Jonathan Lethem- will be auctioning the chance to have the winning bidder's name included in their next work. Clearly, a win would be somewhat conditional- if you want to use a friend's name, you have to get permission, for instance- but they seem pretty accommodating. That said, if your......