Bumbershoot 2015
Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
September 5th – 7th, 2015 

The masses descended upon Seattle Center on Saturday to kick off Bumbershoot, the three-day music and arts festival which takes place every year in the heart of the city on Labor Day weekend. Under the shadow of the Space Needle, musicians of all forms and genres scrambled into their time slot for a piece of the stage action, as well as actors, dancers, comedians – you name it. Local artists, happy to share their message and sell their crafts, lined the breezeways with color and excitement. Representing a wide variety of tastes, local food stands occupied pockets of space around the Center, in conjunction with strategically placed beer gardens for those needing to wet their whistles. This year noted the 45th Bumbershoot, remarkable in both its longevity and its evolution. As Seattle’s longest-lived festival, plenty has changed since the soapbox derby-filled days of the seventies. The desire for international talent and big names, amongst other factors, has made ticket prices completely abhorrent. Contemplating the crazy notion of enjoying the weekend together, a family of four is lucky to simply send the teenager, a symptom that was most obvious on Saturday. Still, Bumbershoot is a beast that continues to grow and evolve, and a community seed that Seattle can be proud of.

Generally understood this year as the must-attend day, Saturday’s craziness was made double when thunderstorms rolled through downtown mid-festival, disrupting and slicing stage times slotted anywhere between 5:30 to 7:00. The rain poured down, beating on relentless teenagers who were up for whatever and seemed dressed for a luau. All outdoor activities were halted as the puddles swelled and lightning preceded thunder by tiny margins, at one point striking the Space Needle. The sky was an ominous slate gray. It was Seattle, and it was beautifully grim. Some resourceful folks grabbed the extra rolls of trash bags from the bottoms of garbage cans, putting together brilliant makeshift ponchos. Most took shelter in the corridors of Memorial Stadium, or inside the Armory or Key Arena, until the go-ahead was called to resume outdoor activities. Tell that to the people who didn’t bring a coat; meanwhile, the temperature had dropped to around 58. The energy created by The Weeknd, however, kept bodies moving and hearts happy, as he closed out Memorial Stadium for the evening under the fantastic glow of the Needle. Some called it a night, while others scrambled for the last show of the evening, Chance the Rapper, inside the shelter of Key Arena. And Saturday in total? Five stages were graced with the presence of a whopping 32 bands, all of which put on a great show as eager Bumbershooters ran from one set to the next. Some bands of note include Lil Dicky, who picked a lady from the crowd and proceeded to grind on her in his boxers (poor thing… she did get flowers though); Babes in Toyland, who played a crazy set in driving rain amid ominous thunder (seemed appropriate and more importantly, rad!); and Cake, whom, despite lead man John McCrea’s cold, sounded fantastic with their throwback tunes and quirky instrumentals.

Sunday at Bumbershoot was busy but much less hectic. The younger population seemed to have dwindled and the atmosphere was generally laid back. Many of the day bands played good ol’ rock ‘n roll in one form or another. Younger bands rocked some good bluesy jams, while other veteran bands rocked the crowd to their bones. The weather held out for the day, with only some intermittent, spitting rain. For the veteran crowd, the schedule was geared for a day in Memorial Stadium, featuring great bands like Dead Moon, The Melvins, Brand New, Social Distortion, and Faith No More. Memorial Stadium shook for a large portion of the day. Mellow jams could be found at the #NeverTamed Stage, with The Cave Singers and Neko Case showing off their melodies and instrumental arrangements. Other groups continued to tear up the Rhapsody Stage, kicked off by the hypnotic and ever-talented Jaden Carlson Band and followed by a whole day’s lineup of attendance-worthy, talent-packed bands. Starbucks Stage showcased a great variety of groups, from the motherland-inspired Chimurenga Renaissance to the alternative R&B stylings of Kehlani, who closed out the stage. Key Arena once again featured many of the electronic and rap artists, from Salva to Flosstradamus to ZEDD. Taking the most notable of the day, The Melvins played a set that crushed in both energy and sound. Sonically furious and vocally charged, The Melvins rattled Memorial Stadium for 45 minutes of musically-aesthetic bliss from front to back. While giant blockbuster names like The Weeknd were void, Sunday was a great day to simply relax and partake in a little bit of the soul of Bumbershoot.

Labor Day, the final day of Bumbershoot, saw the best weather and arguably the strongest finish. An amalgamation of the two previous days, the grounds were packed with bodies and the crowd bustled in the holiday sun. A solid mix of sounds mapped out the stage agendas, and a slight sense of urgency seemed to nip at the heels of Bumbershooters pushing to wring out every drop of fun. While it’s tough to hit every stage, or alternately enjoy a complete set, great sounds could be heard in any given direction on Sunday. The day seemed to fly by, as blue skies turned into a relaxed evening atmosphere for the final main stage performance by Ellie Goulding. Putting aside the draping, gangster, Daffy Duck pajama shirt thing, her beautiful, luscious vocals piqued ears and feet alike. A carefree crowd danced away under a clear bluish-purple sky, reflecting on a weekend that will be tough to top next year.

Review by T. Monte
Photos by Renae Koepke and Alex Crick

Bumbershoot 2015