by Camas Rain
If you read my previous entry about what makes a good live act, then it will come as no surprise to you that Bumbershoot is one of my all time favorite music festivals. Maybe it's a sentimental thing, but I have had some of my best "musical festival" moments there. Granted it has been quite a few years since I have had the time to go, but I'm sure many of the attractions that I love are still alive and kicking up at the Seattle Center. The bands are always great, but that is not my main focus. Sure, I love the convenience of picking a choosing from a genre, but more than having the chance to catch acts ranging the gamut of success is the chance to see the oddities that you really only find collectively at major festivals. Of course the drum circle always makes me smile; I love the clowns and the jugglers and all the entertainment for kids; I love the food and the booths and all the bizarre people to watch. But I really, really love the surprises, and every time I've gone I've found at least one good surprise. So far my favorite Bumbershoot surprise was the paper trumpet player. I'm not sure how exactly this guy does it, but he holds a plain, white sheet of copy paper up to his lips in stark contrast to his deep, chocolaty brown skin, and when he blows suddenly it sounds like a trumpet.
He plays the coolest jazz...and you can just tell by the sparkle in his deeply lined eyes that he is having the time of his life.
If you haven't gone to Bumbershoot and you like music, people watching, or both, then I highly recommend you pick a day with at least one band you like and just go. If you've gone to Bumbershoot but have only gone in and out to see your favorite bands, then I highly recommend you go and wander without much of an agenda. And if you have gone and just wandered, then go enjoy a day for me...sadly I won't be there this year, but I'll be happy to know that someone is eating fair food and people watching for me.
I was going to go through and add links to all the bands that I would see if I was attending this year, but I'm a little lazy. I will say if I had to choose a day, it would be Sunday. The headliners (Weezer, Hole, Rise Against) alone had me at 'hello.' But I highly recommend taking some time out to check out Visqueen, Plants and Animals, Ozomatli, The Dandy Warhols, Motion City Soundtrack, Ra Ra Riot, Sweet Water, Kings Go Forth, and People Eating People (these bands are all playing on various days). And don't forget all the side stages, other forms of art (comedy, film, etc), and street performers....
There are more than a few other bands I would love to see this year, but I'm curious as to what Jeff might add to this list....
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When I go to a mall, within minutes my body screams weariness, fatigue, and anxiety, but I can people watch, eat fair food, and take in shows all day at Bumbershoot and leave invigorated. One year, I had the privilege of going for a day as Cami's photographer. This was an especially great experience, because being with her gave me access to the VIP room where a wonderful array of food and beverages lay for the pickin'. So, for me, Bumbershoot is one of my favorite music festivals and is sentimental.
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