Bumbershoot, Seattle’s yearly celebration of music & cultures, just finished up after a whirlwind weekend! Established in 1971, Bumbershoot takes place every year over Labor Day and stretches across 3 days and the 74-acre Seattle Center beneath the city’s iconic Space Needle. Bumbershoot programs a diverse array of arts including live music, comedy, words & ideas, theatre, film, visual arts, children’s programming, and the indie market featuring urban crafts.
The excitement kicked off with the news that the Festival’s Mainstage moved to Memorial Stadium in a new configuration. After three years at KeyArena, the Mainstage shifted back to Memorial Stadium in a fresh configuration designed to better serve Festival patrons. The new layout — with the primary stage located on the north side of the field rather than the western end zone — allowed for the venue to be open all day (e.g. no forced entry and exit times, except after the final act of the day) with minimal lines to enter, as well as providing better sight lines and increased safety. The venue remained open continuously throughout each day of the Festival to allow attendees to “come whenever” and “leave whenever” and spend more time seeing their favorite acts in whichever venues they’d like. Additionally, a smaller, secondary stage debuted in the southwest corner that was activated in between the Mainstage headliners.
“Given the feedback we’ve received over the past few years, we believe this will be a welcome change – one that was necessary for the Festival this year and one that will vastly improve people’s Mainstage experience and their enjoyment of Bumbershoot as a whole,” says Executive Director Jon Stone. “We’ve faced changes every year for almost 44 years now; it’s part of the process and we are a nimble and adaptable organization as a result!”
For 44 years, Bumbershoot’s musical offerings have included everything under the sun. This year, the Festival’s Mainstage was one of those offerings, as it played host to an eclectic and diverse roster of nine headliners ranging from hometown folk-rock stars The Head and the Heart to rising hip hop heroes J. Cole and ScHoolboy Q, pop hitmakers Foster the People, Panic! At The Disco, and Capital Cities, long-time favorites Elvis Costello and the Imposters and Wu-Tang Clan, and reunited alt-rockers The Replacements.
Over 100 musical acts performed at Seattle Center over Labor Day weekend, among them legendary funk-rock pioneer Bootsy Collins, Big Freedia, Real Estate, Los Lobos, Neon Trees, G-Easy, Mac DeMarco, and The Afghan Whigs. Bumbershoot also hosted Nada Surf (making one of only two U.S. appearances this year,) alongside very rare appearances by Luscious Jackson and The Dream Syndicate.
As always, local music was well-represented, from headliners The Head and the Heart to the dulcet sounds of neo-soulsters Pickwick, the critically acclaimed folk-pop of Shelby Earl, groundbreaking hip hop duo Grayskul, psych-rockers Rose Windows, and hard-charging hooligans Hobosexual and Sandrider.
Of particular interest to Northwest Boaters may be Boating With Clyde, which had a full installation at this year’s Bumbershoot. For those unfamiliar with the series, it revolves around local Seattle musician Clyde Petersen, and his rides around Seattle’s waters with his musician friends while they answer questions and play songs on his 8-foot dinghy. Live performances this weekend included Corey J Brewer, Angelo Spencer, Holodeck Heart, Sierra Nelson and Slashed Tires.
Bumbershoot’s Words & Ideas, visual arts, and theatre programming included an eclectic mix of participants that include novelist Tom Robbins, 74-time Jeopardy! winner/novelist Ken Jennings with good friend/former TV writer George Meyer (The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live), and separate programs from the writers of The Simpsons and The Onion.
The Mainstage wasn’t the only thing that changed location at Bumbershoot 2014. This year, the Youngershoot Kids Zone, curated by the Seattle Children’s Museum, made its debut in the Alki Court, next to the SIFF Film Center and The Vera Project.
“Youngershoot” is the umbrella term for Bumbershoot acts, activities, art, and adventures that are appropriate for kids 10 and under. In addition to the Youngershoot Kids Zone, Youngershoot included musical artists like Los Lobos, The Head and the Heart, Gregory Porter, and Jonathan Richman, plus visual arts exhibits like Finger Power, theatre offerings such as Alligators & Debutantes, and the short film series Films4Families.
If you missed out on this year’s Bumbershoot, you might want to consider not making the same mistake twice. It’s one of Seattle’s greatest yearly festivals, and well worth every penny for the amount of entertainment provided. We hope to see you there next year!
