Bumbershoot 2017: Part Two

It was earlier than I wanted to be off of the couch, but the reason I found myself at Bumbershoot early on Sunday was to see my sis. Stasia Irons, AKA, Stas THEE Boss, current KEXP Street Sounds host, former one half of the prolific ahead-of-the-wave Sub Pop queens THEESatisfaction, one of my favorite people. Weeks ago she dropped her debut solo mixtape’ #SWOMEN, caught love for it in places like Pitchfork, and was asked to open up the main stage on this, the same day as Solange. Pure Black Girl Magic from the feet up. Stas’ lowkey, aqueous vision was slick with one liners and delivered with an icy cool; she was joined by singers Jus Moni and Dee Butler, DJ Kween Kaysh and dancer Takiyah Ward. A mix of women’s Olympic swim meets, surf footage and classic rap and r&b videos spliced together by local hero OCnotes looped behind them, keeping everything topical as THEE Boss ran her laps. My heart was proud.

Now, Atlanta-made rapper Lil Yachty is someone I was once conflicted about. Even though he seemed to be little more than a jokey troll, custom-made to infuriate anyone old enough to have been excited about EPMD, his debut mixtape Lil Boat was an objectively-pretty-good bit of dessert-first Teletubby nursery-trap. He hasn't really done anything that good since, yet his profile has soared—more on strength of his willful “King of Teens” rage-baiting than his art. I stopped being conflicted a long time ago. Going to his mainstage show was an experiment in seeing how he could perform beneath my already-low expectations, and in that sense he didn't disappoint. As a live MC, he's pretty worthless, deigning to rap into the mic for about 20% of his material, letting his hypemen do most of the work—it would seem Lil Boat has as much regard for his work as his own detractors. Did he really make 50-or-so K for that? I would be mad. The kids, raving on, couldn't care less.

Or at least maybe they didn't have any illusions about Yachty’s work ethic—any of them wanting to see some world-class live rapping were surely in Key Arena later for Long Beach MC Vince Staples, who delivered a thrilling clinic in lean bombast, ripping though cuts from Big Fish Theory as well as older favorites “Blue Suede” and “Norf Norf”. Vince is unquestionably at the opposite end of the millenial rapper spectrum from Yachty, in terms of how he carries himself on and off the mic. There was no forced banter, no water-bottle-chucking, nobody but Vince stalking the stage like a black-clad Panther. (His spare aesthetic and athletic rapping very much reminded me of seeing Kendrick Lamar open up the Yeezus tour, also in the Key, back in 2013. Here's to Vince enjoying a similar glow-up in the days to come.)

I was pleasantly surprised by The New Respects while getting drinks by the Mural Amphitheater stage. This Tennessee-bred quartet (three siblings and a cousin) delivered some hard-charging, old school rock & roll with all the bluesy, soulful trimmings. This was no amateur hour bar band—they made it all sound fresh, fierce and free.

What is there to say about Solange? She was a radiant sun, her band a solar system rotating around her in flawless synchronicity. Solo performed some choice songs from earlier in her career but it was the songs from A Seat At The Table, naturally, that made it feel like the rapturous event it was. For being a universally hailed masterwork, you have to be willfully blind to miss the explicit pro-Black intention of that album—and as she sang “F.U.B.U., she actualized those intentions as she crept to the edge of the barrier and sang it directly to a young Black girl, holding her hand the whole time. When the big screens showed this lucky fan’s face, she was in tears, and the crowd lit up with a cheer for her. It was a detail of an arena show that felt intimate, a detail that was quietly revolutionary. Solange’s bar-raising Black love was a singular sight to behold, and one of the best performances I've ever seen at Bumbershoot. Sorry if you missed it.

Words by Larry Mizell Jr.

Photos courtesy of Bumbershoot

Bumbershoot 2017: Part One

“Who are these scantily-clad children and where do they get their money?”

-       Inner monologue

Bumbershoot is too expensive. It is not what it used to be (namely, free or at least affordable). It is hard to get as excited about a festival in September after there were 25 other festivals already this summer. Have I covered my bases? It’s hard to argue with any of these points. What was once a city-wide celebration of culture has evolved (devolved?) into a celebration of culture for those with $150/day to celebrate it.

That said, the actual experience once you walk through the gates isn’t all that different. Lots of food, music, visual art, dudes jumping over a line of 4-5 people, statue people, buskers, and retail booths. It’s a little bit of a lot and, with the beautiful weather, there was more than enough to do.

The Spider Ferns

Seattle mainstay The Spider Ferns kicked things off on the KEXP stage in style. With live psychedelic visuals by CTPAK Film Crew’s John Theroux and two interpretive dancers, their set offered a preview of their forthcoming album “Blossom”. Already known for their fever dreamy, down-tempo electro grooves, their new songs expand that territory and mine new domains of sonic interest. More guitar-driven than their previous releases with occasional baroque electronic flourishes, The Spider Ferns commanded the stage and the collective imagination of their audience effortlessly.

Acapulco Lips

In an industry that celebrates innovation (real or imagined) as its holy grail, there is a lot to be said for a band that does conventional rock really well. Acapulco Lips are just such a band and the packed crowd inside KEXP went along for the ride without reservations. Blistering through a set of catchy psych-surf party rock, the band evoked an image of Link Wray and Dick Dale crashing a Cramps rehearsal that ended with everyone high and happy.  

Foster the People

I won’t claim to be a super fan of Foster the People but I will say that I’ve always respected them as dorks with the ability to write a great pop song. At Memorial Stadium, those dorky indie kids were replaced by leather jacket-wearing, paint-by-numbers extras from “Grease” who were out to prove that they were…tough or something? They kicked their set off with some aggressive, undeniably catchy electro pop from their most recent release “Sacred Hearts Club” that had the crowd moving before launching into their hits “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Helena Beat”, among others. Artistic evolution is essential but the tough guy makeover was a little distracting.

Moon Duo

If I ever get murdered in the desert, I want Moon Duo to be playing on my killer’s stereo. Dishing out roadhouse guitar riffs with smart synth parts that bound together effortlessly, they played for an intimate, engaged audience. Long psychedelic instrumental passages and haunting, disembodied melodies added another layer of surrealism and escape that I needed after a solid 4 hours of stage-hopping.

It was at this point that my photographer Sidney and I were sitting at a fountain when a long line of women, dressed in what looked to be red prison uniforms, marched single-file directly to where we were sitting. They paused for a long time. Then they marched single file into Seattle Center’s big-ass fountain and walked around it for quite a while. It didn’t take long till there was a young man jumping around, acting as though he was leading the march and two teenage-ish girls following them and taking selfies feverishly. I never did find out the purpose of it. But it was worth noting.

Broods

Playing to a small but enthusiastic crowd at the Fisher Green Stage, Auckland, New Zealand’s Broods gave a solid performance of their danceable electro pop (how many times do you think I’ll say electro pop before it’s over?) that was pleasant enough, if not terribly distinctive.

Watksy

I didn’t know a thing about Watksy and I only caught his set because the grass at the Fisher Green stage was really comfortable. It was a happy accident. With a full live band blasting epic funk rock, blues and jazz, George Watsky commanded the stage and the crowd, at one point leading everyone in a “Fuck Donald Trump” chant. His raps alternated between social consciousness and silliness but were always amusing, at least. Toward the end of the set, his marathon flows did get a bit tedious but overall, this was a stand-out performance that I won’t soon forget. 

Die Antwoord

Nihilism with a budget. Die Antwoord live is everything you’d expect them to be: hilarious, crass, hyper sexual, hyper stylized and…well, hyper. With DJ Hi-Tek perched high atop a glorious LED rave pyramid, Ninja and Yolandi Visser kept the energy high with what may be the loudest sub-bass tones I have ever heard in my life. If you were expecting back-up dancers dressed as sexy ghosts, you were in luck. If you wanted LED animals with gigantic penises and testicles, you were in luck. Even with Key Arena slightly less than half full, the energy was palpable. Bottom line, this was a celebration of righteous excess, the music was secondary, and nobody cared. This was sensory overload and a great way to finish the night.

Words by Patrick Galactic

Photos by Sydnie, Deer Creek Media

Bumbershoot 2015

With the rocky road Bumbershoot has faced over the past year -- financially and internally -- the weather at this year’s festival seemed symbolic. Storms, rapid winds, and heat bursts cycled throughout the weekend, but besides a slight delay due to lightning on the first evening, the programming powered on. The organization kept its promise to retain a focus on local music, and still provided enough national star power to draw people in from all over the Pacific Northwest. While nearly impossible to list all the greats present, there were a few stand-outs from each day that made the event extra memorable.

Free from the thunder and rainstorms that graced the crowds on Saturday, Flying Lotus gave a tremendous and awe-inspiring performance to wrap up the night. Although the crowd may have not been what it should (Key Arena is huge, not really intimate for such a show, as well as The Weeknd playing at the same time) - the show was incredible. The hypnotic sounds blended with the entrancing, sometimes horrifying and always stunning visuals made for a perfect pairing, and his engaging and excited energy made it that much more of a live performance - something that isn't as common as it should be! Your Dead is phenomenal - something I hope will be a trendsetter for more artists of multiple fields to get involved and project their sights and sounds for the future.

I couldn't have been happier to sneak up to the front to see the The Melvins on Sunday. They're a band that needs no introduction, as they've been around for years, but as someone younger who started listening to them while they already had an established following, it was exhilarating. Considering the rarity that is successful bands who've been around for multiple generations continuing to play live and engaging shows, I felt lucky. It was fantastic, and I couldn't stop staring at King Buzzo, whose gaze was impenetrably set on the crowd -- challenging us to respond and match the energy that they gave.

Hands down one of my favorite bands of 2015 has been Seattle’s own Bread & Butter. With a self-description of “hump rock” creators, these guys channel their hangovers, horniness, and heartbreaks through their instruments. Playing on the Rhapsody Stage Monday afternoon was a great fit for them, as a smiling crowd up front danced on the grass, doused with sunshine. The band’s onstage presence is a mix of introspective strumming and slap-happy headbanging, complementing their infectious tunes and double-entendre lyrics. From the rock-bottom pleas within “Desperation” to the crescendo of the rooftop-party-starting “Keys to the City”, this four-piece sculpts relatable anthems for every party animal.

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d enjoy Peaches as much as I did. Before her KeyArena performance, I’d only known a certain mega-hit by her about …. sexual healing, you could say. As she DJed, strip-danced, and drenched the crowd with bottles of champagne, though, I couldn’t stop grinning. She entertained the enormous crowd without a single other person setting foot on stage, wearing her brand of weirdness and affinity for indulgence like badges of honor. Her stage setup was one of the best I’ve seen within that stadium, and the audience ate up her every word.

Polishing off the weekend with Built To Spill was one of my better ideas at Bumbershoot this year. After seeing them several times before, I feared their set may be old hat, but man, they crushed that silly notion within mere minutes. Untethered Moon, released earlier this year, refilled their quivers, and they unleashed the fresh jams on us like fireballs. While their faces onstage may be stoic, the concentration and passion in each note makes it sound like they’re building the Tower of Babel. To them I will forever say rock on, unassuming gentlemen. They remain a seemingly impossible combination: both real and legendary.

Bumbershoot’s fate remains to be seen, but 2015 offered something fantastic for every ear -- and come Tuesday morning, that is hopefully what every music lover remembered.


Words // photos by AJ Dent

Words by Mariama Salia

BUMBERSHOOT 2013 - SEATTLE WA

In it's 43rd year, Bumbershoot is a Seattle institution! Every year Seattleites and beyond come out for diverse live music, comedy shows, and pretty much every other form of entertainment that you may desire. 

Bumbershoot was full of highlights but a personal favorite is Charles Bradley aka "The Screaming Eagle of Soul". Mr. Bradley has an inspiring story featured in a documentary called "Soul of America" proving that your never too old for a record deal and a second chance in life.

Bumbershoot is a festival where you cannot set up camp at any one stage or you might just miss out on an epic performance! Ultimately, you must go to the festival with the mentality that "you can sleep when your dead!"

Make sure to check out featured artists below!

CHK CHK CHK - !!!

Charles Bradley

Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside

David Bazan

Mates of State

Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, Morgan Murphy (Stand-up Comedy)

BELLAMAINE

Superchunk

Justin Townes Earle

Trampled By Turtles