Boy, oh boy. Bumbershoot exceeded expectations yesterday. Not only did the line-up prove itself seamlessly entertaining, the festival added huge projection screens to 4 of the stages and had lots of little goodie freebies. This is my first festival coverage for IRW and I expected to be stressed out to the max, running around like a crazy person trying to make my way from one stage to the next. In fact the opposite is true: I saw more bands than I’d anticipated, felt energized by the great music and was excited to come back early for more today. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and here on the website for full festival coverage.
The best things from yesterday:
1) Walking into Bumbershoot and catching Portland’s Onuinu. Didn’t expect it and I was sold on their disco-dance-electronic-live beats.
2) TacocaT‘s bubble machine and brightly colored outfits. Which, mixed with their upbeat punk songs about TSS, marshmallow peeps, pap smears, was very entertaining.
3) Synchronized dancing from Don’t Talk to the Cops! (MC emecks can GIG!), THEESatisfaction and King Khan’s band. I want to see more choreographed synchronized dancing over the weekend– bring it back, ya’ll.
4) A laughable quote from Unnatural Helpers: “Aren’t you glad Dave Matthews Band is on the other side of state? Along with all of their fans?”
5) The random, sharply dressed African-American gentleman dancing on risers behind the drummer during Skerik’s Bandalabra’s set.
6) King Khan‘s headdress and the band’s matching outfits, complete with matching outfits and bone necklaces.
7) Western Haunts‘s AMAZING set at the Promenade–another band that not only wasn’t on my “to see” list, but also was a last minute fill-in. Their ethereal and unexpected harmonies fit nicely over unpredictable and beautiful melodies. Check them out next Saturday at The Crocodile for their CD release show.
8) A man with prosthetic legs crowdsurfing at AWOLNATION, who then took them off and started enthusiastically waving them around in the air. I wish I had a picture of this, but even picturing it in one’s mind evokes a smile.
