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Slideshow: Inside Bumbershoot 2011

From Shabazz Palaces to Yacht—and who was that Orange Lady?

Posted by: Julie Reposa on Sep 06, 2011 at 01:00PM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Photo: Julie Reposa

Sir Thomas Gray of Seattle hip-hop crew Champagne Champagne helps kick things off on Saturday.

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Forget that Dave guy at the Gorge. Perfect weather and the lure of Hall and Oates drew crowds to the 41st annual Bumbershoot arts and music festival this Labor Day weekend. Admittedly, the fest didn’t feel as packed as last year—fine by me—and lacked the superstar power of prior headliners Bob Dylan and Weezer, but you could still wander the Seattle Center grounds and come across something special: a rising Seattle hip-hop act, a legendary session man, an Orange Lady (see the slideshow for more). That’s still the best part of Bumbershoot— there’s an act for everyone, and a high probability you’ll walk away with a new favorite band.

New Orleans jazz-funk band Trombone Shorty brought the crowd to its feet at least three times during its five-song set at the KEXP Bumbershoot lounge on Saturday. They dedicated “Hurricane Song” to the NoLa neighborhood of Treme, an area hit hardest by Katrina, and Trombone Shorty leader Troy Andrews capped it off with a three-minute horn solo. Saturday night headliner Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs gave a hauntingly beautiful performance at KeyArena. Seattle hip-hoppers Champagne Champagne, Mad Rad, and Shabazz Palaces drew huge crowds to Fisher Green stage, but local rapper Macklemore and DJ Ryan Lewis were the most buzzed-about act of the weekend. Not to be upstaged, Portland electro-pop duo Yacht stole the show on Monday with its infectious beats and impromptu dance party on stage.

View the slideshow for more from this year’s Bumbershoot.

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Tags: Bumbershoot 2011

Summer in Seattle

The Best of Bumbershoot 2011: Monday

Our top picks in music, arts, and culture for the Labor Day weekend fest.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Sep 02, 2011 at 11:30AM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Yacht’s Claire L. Evans and Jona Bechtolt, looking fresh.

Here’s our go-before-it’s-over list for Monday, the third and final day of Bumbershoot:

Visual Art: Flatstock 31
Flatstock 31 is Rock Poster Mecca, a cavern of limited-edition prints by over 75 artists, curated by the American Poster Institute. That one of Wu-Tang Clan is just begging to be bought and placed with honor on your wall—in a frame, of course. Adults hang posters in frames; college kids use masking tape. It’s a very important distinction. 11-8, Fisher Pavilion. Also: Saturday and Sunday.

Dance: Whim W’Him
Former Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Olivier Wevers has forged a supergroup of modern dancers from across the city, and isn’t afraid to swap gender roles and stick men in Baroque hoop skirts. For this show, he taps into his dark side with original work Monster, a commentary on the demons in our lives, including addiction and nasty relationships. 2:30-3:30, Bagley Wright Theatre, Seattle Rep.

Music: Yacht
Why didn’t anyone at Bumbershoot think it’d be fun to put Yacht and Tennis back to back? Aside from the obvious boat shoe jokes, Tennis’s dreamy lo-fi would be the perfect warm-up to the Portland duo’s Talking Heads-style electropop. I can’t…stop…moving my feet to the “Summer Song.” 3:15-4:15, Fountain Lawn.

Books & Talks: The Writing of Battlestar Galactica
Writer/producer Ronald Moore, the man who reimagined the hokey ’70s sci-fi show as a dark space opera of flawed humans and sexy Cylons, talks about the making of the revamped TV series with fellow writer/producers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson. Moderated by EMP curator Brooks Peck. 7-8, Leo K Theatre, Seattle Rep.

Comedy: Doug Loves Movies Podcast with Doug Benson
The only reason I would even consider skipping a minute of soul band Fitz and the Tantrums (mainstage, see video below) is to see a live podcast recording of Doug Loves Movies. Benson brings in famous friends and comedians to geek out over film trivia and riff on the latest releases. I just want to hear what they have to say about The Help. 7:45-8:45, Bagley Wright Theatre, Seattle Rep. Also: Sat & Sun at 7:45.

KeyArena mainstage: Big Boi (3-4:15), Fitz and the Tantrums (7:45-8:45), Daryl Hall and John Oates (9:15-10:45pm)

Bumbershoot runs Sept 3-5 at Seattle Center.

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Summer in Seattle

The Best of Bumbershoot 2011: Sunday

Our top picks in music, arts, and culture for the Labor Day weekend fest.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Sep 01, 2011 at 11:45AM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Don’t mess with anyone who names their band the Kills.

Back for more? Here’s our try-to-see-as-much-as-you-can list for Sunday of Bumbershoot:

Visual Art: Bumber By Number
It’s a mass paint-by-number project, and you don’t have to stay inside the lines. Just grab a crayon and contribute to the wall-sized canvas created by artist Ryan Feddersen, a saucy reinterpretation of Edouard Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass (Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe), now with naked men. 11-8, Seattle Center Pavilion. Also: Saturday and Monday 11-8.

Have you heard about the Gregory Brothers? They’re at Intiman Theatre from 1-2. Hide yer kids, hide yer wife.

Dance: Trey McIntyre Project
Boise-based Trey McIntyre Project is a darling of the modern dance world with one of the most sought-after choreographers in the business. The troupe will perform Oh, Inverted World set to music by the Shins. 2:15-3:30, Bagley Wright Theatre, Seattle Rep. Also: Sat and Mon at 12:15.

Music: Broken Social Scene
Canadian indie rock collective Broken Social Scene has reinvented itself yet again, touring with seven steady members (but minus Feist) behind the soaring new album Forgiveness Rock Record. Their melodies have never been tighter. 3-4:15, KeyArena.

Music: Tennis
After months spent on the high seas, the husband-and-wife duo turned out an album of pop gems that reflect all that sunshine and fresh air. This is what summer sounds like. 5-6, Fountain Lawn Stage.

Music: Das Racist
Do we call this comedy, or music? The Brooklyn duo can rap for three minutes straight about a combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and not send people running for the exit. Their beats are legit, their social commentary biting and hilarious. 5:45-6:45, Fisher Green Stage.

Books & Talks: Dan Savage and Terry Miller: It Gets Better
The Savage Love sex columnist and his partner Miller have become folk heroes of sorts with the It Gets Better Project. Hear them talk about how they rallied thousands of people around the world to make video messages of positive reinforcement for bullied LGBT teens. 7-8, Word & Ideas Stage, Leo K Theatre, Seattle Rep.

Music: Leon Russell
Yes, his Rip Van Winkle beard probably needs its own roadie, but this legendary session man deserves to let loose after a Hall of Fame career backing everyone from Eric Clapton to Elton John. Don’t miss him tickle the ivories. 7:30-8:45, Mural Amphitheatre.

Music: The Kills
Think about it: You can stick around for Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart’s entire set of hard-grinding garage rock and still make it over to KeyArena to hear headliner Wiz Khalifa play “Black and Yellow,” which is the only song any of us know anyway. 9:15-10:15, Fisher Green Stage.

KeyArena mainstage: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (8-9pm), Wiz Khalifa (9:30-10:45pm)

Bumbershoot runs Sept 3-5 at Seattle Center.

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Tags: Bumbershoot 2011

Summer in Seattle

The Best of Bumbershoot 2011: Saturday

Our top picks in music, arts, and culture for the Labor Day weekend fest.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Aug 31, 2011 at 01:00PM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Trombone Shorty and the Orleans Avenue get funky at Bumbershoot.

If you’re in Seattle this weekend, it’s hard not to attend Bumbershoot, given its one-size-fits-all assortment of music, art, comedy, and “spectacles” to check out at Seattle Center. And rumor has it the weather will actually be … no, I shouldn’t jinx it. Anyway, we’ve prepared a must-see list for every day of the festival, which we’ll roll out today and tomorrow. Since we know the main draw is the mainstage, where headliners Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs, Wiz Khalifa, and Hall and Oates will perform, we’ve strayed a little off the beaten path. Enjoy.

Comedy: Hari Kondabolu, Kyle Kinane, Anthony Jeselnik
We fell hard for Hari Kondabolu, a former Seattle immigrant rights organizer, after hearing his Vitamin Water stand-up routine (watch below). He’s also been compared to Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce, so that ain’t too shabby. All three comics are Comedy Central approved. 2:45-3:45, Intiman Theatre. Also: 4:30 Sunday, 6:15 Monday.

Film: Best of SIFF Jury Award Winners
You know all those short films you missed when you were scrambling to see The Troll Hunter and The Future at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival? They best of them—The Eagleman Stag, Library of Dust, Deeper Than Yesterday, Time Freak—screen in one very satisfying hour. 4:30-5:30, 1 Reel Film Festival, SIFF Cinema.

Theater: Bonnie and the Robberie (Marya Sea Kaminski)
Kaminski, an uber-talented Seattle thespian who nearly made our heads explode with her star turn in Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Electra, previews a new show of rock covers, original songs, and monologues inspired by Bonnie and Clyde. 5-5:45pm, Theatre Puget Sound Stage, Center House Theatre. Also: 4pm Sunday.

Music: Shabazz Palaces
Frankly, Seattle’s rising hip-hop stars deserve a mainstage session this year, given the near-ecstatic response to their 2011 full-length debut of fuzzed-out space rap, Black Up. See Ishmael Butler (formerly of Digable Planets) and gang at Fisher Green stage and say you knew them when. 5:45-6:45, Fisher Green Stage.

Reading: Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis: Wildwood
You’re scrambling for something to fill the Harry Potter void—A Song of Ice and Fire, The Hunger Games, Twilight?!? Agggh. Consider Wildwood, the debut YA fantasy novel by the Decemberists’ front man/wordsmith and his wife, Ellis, a talented graphic designer and illustrator. We hear it reads a bit like the Narnia Chronicles; we hope Meloy does voices. 7-8, Words and Ideas Stage, Leo K. Theatre, Seattle Rep.

Music: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
If you haven’t seen this New Orleans jazz crew on Letterman or in our own Occidental Park, you’re missing out. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is a sexy-funky hybrid with the stage appeal of Usher and the horn skills of Louis. Expect it all: jazz standards, Afro-beat, Marvin Gaye, even AC/DC. 7:45-8:45, Mural Amphitheatre.
Alternative (same time, ack!): Little Dragon at 7:30 at Fisher Green Stage.

In between sets, wander over to the Free Yr Radio stage (all day, every day of Bumbershoot). KEXP, the Vera Project, and Toyota (woo!) have teamed up to bring in local bands for intimate concerts and interviews. Saturday’s schedule is:

Hot Bodies In Motion (Free Yr Radio exclusive performance) — 11:45am
Grand Hallway – 1:05pm
Pickwick – 2:35pm
Yuni in Taxco – 4:20pm
Campfire OK – 6:05pm
Scribes – 7:50pm
Note: Seapony, originally slated for 11:45am, is now playing Monday night at 7:50pm.

KeyArena mainstage (always a safe bet): Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs. 9:15-10:15.

Bumbershoot runs Sept 3-5 at Seattle Center.

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Tags: Bumbershoot 2011

Music/Comedy

The Gregory Brothers Want to “Songify” Your Life

They even created an app for it.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Aug 19, 2011 at 03:00PM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Gregorybrothers_2011_credit-denny-renshaw-520x245

Photo courtesy Denny Renshaw.

The Gregory Brothers (from left) Andrew, Evan, Evan’s wife Sarah, Michael

If you’re looking for a way to kill time this afternoon, sneak off to a conference room at work, close the door, and download the free Songify app. The product of tech company Khush and the Gregory Brothers—Brooklyn’s Auto-Tune kings—allows you to record the “most mundane malarkey and turn it into a catchy song,” much the same way that producers spiff up mediocre pop albums. But I have to admit: My reading of my pay stub and the Gettysburg Address wasn’t quite Billboard 100. That’s what separates the Gregory Brothers from other wannabe YouTube sensations. Evan, Andrew, Michael, and Evan’s wife Sarah (“winner of the Girliest Gregory award”) are actual musicians with an ear for melodies, the skills to add accompaniment to spoken word, and the goofy sense of humor required to recognize that a viral video about a “Double Rainbow” can be an iTunes hit.

The Virginia natives (plus San Antonian Sarah) tried their luck as a blue-eyed soul band before discovering a latent talent for Auto-Tuning news clips during the 2008 election. All it took was pitch-correcting software and a laptop. (According to a six-page (!) profile of the Brothers in last Sunday’s New York Times magazine, “[Joe] Biden is one of the top unintentional singers of his time.”) The Gregory Brothers have since gone from novelty to national news—and soon, on September 3, they’ll be a Bumbershoot comedy act.

To familiarize yourself with Songify, just watch two of the Gregory Brothers’ latest creations below: “Can’t Hug Every Cat” had 6,461,763 views last time I last checked, and “Best NASCAR Prayer Ever” had 1,792,854 views since its debut July 28, 2011. Boogity boogity boogity, amen.

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Tags: Comedy, YouTube, Bumbershoot 2011, Gregory Brothers, Auto-Tune

Local Music

New Song from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: “Can’t Hold Us”

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Aug 16, 2011 at 11:30AM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Livin’ large (From left) DJ Ryan Lewis and Macklemore

Well, this is different—in a good way. The latest from Seattle rapper Macklemore and DJ-producer Ryan Lewis is more of a party track than earnest hip hop, featuring Seattle gospel singer Ray Dalton on the chorus. It’s 11:30am and I feel like clubbing…and I don’t even like clubbing.

Want to see these guys live? They open for rapper Wiz Khalifa at the KeyArena mainstage of Bumbershoot on Sunday, Sept 4, at 8pm.

Macklemore X Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us Feat. Ray Dalton by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

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Tags: Concert, KeyArena, Macklemore, Bumbershoot 2011, Seattle Music