2013 Bumbershoot preview: Saturday
Kendrick Lamar will perform Saturday at Bumbershoot
SEATTLE -- Remember last year when we had a story on our front page with the headline "BuMPERshoot 2013" and all the other TV stations lambasted us on Twitter for being such newbs?
No? We don't, either.
A year later and typos or not, we have our BuMBERshoot (notice the spelling) coverage down pat. We're talking 24-hour wall-to-wall coverage, interrupting endless quality programs such as X-Factor, King of the Hill re-runs and Seahawks games to bring you nothing but Bumbershoot.
Breaking news be damned, for three days this weekend we're delivering to your TV 24-hour concerts, comedy routines, raucous parties... Wait. I'm being told by my bosses (i.e. everyone in the newsroom) that we WILL NOT interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you wall-to-wall Bumbershoot coverage.
However, the powers that be have assured me that we will provide adequate coverage of the annual Seattle music and comedy festival in our nightly newscasts, as well as all the coverage we can possibly pump to the website.
Lucky us. If there's one thing I know, it's Internet coverage. Below is a brief preview of some exciting and must-see acts. We will also have photo, video and written recaps from each day of the iconic festival. So while we can't go full-bore like I suggested -- they laughed out loud when I suggested we forgo Seahawks coverage in lieu of Bumbershoot -- we will do our best to provide with you pics, news, Tweets and Instagrams of one of my favorite Seattle events.
Plus, we won't misspell anything this time -- I promise.
Bumbershoot runs Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the Seattle Center. The event opens at 11 a.m. daily. Indoor venues have limited seating and lines can fill up fast. For a full list of available activities, such as bands, comedy shows, art pieces, indie marketplaces, theater and other odds and ends, click here or buy tickets here.
Also, as any festival goer knows, the handy Bumbershoot schedule iPhone app is a must-have.
Bumbershoot Saturday Preview
Saturday, August 31
Heart 9:45 on the Mainstage -- Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson's iconic songs Barracuda and StraightOn are as ubiquitous on classic rock stations as weed smoke at Bumbershoot. In fact, the Seattle band itself is a stalwart at the end-of-summer festival. Since the early 1970s, this sister duo has hard-rocked its way into the heart of even the most bittered dudes-are-rock Van Halen fans. Ann and Nancy headline Bumbershoot's opening night, hopefully stoking up the crowd for a full holiday weekend of rock. But, if the "real thing don't do the trick," there's....
Kendrick Lamar 4 p.m. on the Mainstage -- In 2012, 26-year-old Kendrick Lamar's album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City" garnered critical acclaim from all over, including Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and NPR. But it's not Lamar's critical acclaim that have legions of fans crowding his shows. The Compton Kid's songs "Swimming Pools (Drank)" and "Poetic Justice" hint at a deep, existential existence combined with a masterful lyrical mind. Lamar's a can't-miss at Bumbershoot.
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience 9:30 p.m. on the Mainstage -- There's no denying that Zeppelin rocks. There's no denying John Bonham rocked. But does his son? Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience is a multimedia tribute to drummer John Bonham, featuring live renditions of the band’s classic tunes, rare home movies and concert footage, plus storytelling by the younger Bonham. Jason was asked to open for Heart after performing Led Zeppelin songs with Ann and Nancy Wilson at last year’s Kennedy Center Honors, which recognized his late father’s band with a Lifetime Achievement award.
Crystal Castles10 p.m. on the TuneIn Stage -- Canadians sure know how to do music, eh? Just visit your Rush catalog. Dark lyrics and trance-inducing beats are sure to flow from these techno-rocker's set.
Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside9:30 p.m. Plaza Stage -- Sally Ford is a powerhouse. Touring in 2012 with rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, Ford's voice takes a backseat to no one. Songs like "Party Kids" are sure to have you twisting from this band from Portland, Ore.
Patton Oswalt and Friends6:30 Comedy at Bagley -- Oswalt may be best known for his role as Remy the Rat in Pixar's Ratatouille. But to comedy aficionados, he takes a back seat to no one. Up there with contemporaries Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman and Dave Attell, Oswalt will perform in his sixth year at Bumbershoot with special unannounced guess. Borrowing from an Osawlt bit, the show is sure to get near "the edge" if not "Caligula crazy," like KFC's Double-Down sandwich.
NerdProv3:45 p.m. at Theatre Puget Sound Stage -- Sometimes improv is cringe-worthy. Hell, most of the time it's cringe-worthy. But not if you're watching some clever nerds. Come get your geek on with a special team of improvisors! From comic books to video games, Star Wars to Star Trek, RPGs to MMORPGs, we can take your nerdiest suggestions and bring them to new comedic life.
Here's some more don't miss acts on Saturday: Gary Numan of electro-pop "Cars" fame; the classic soul of Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires and Nacho Picasso's attitude.