Three Imaginary Girls

Seattle's Indie-Pop Press – Music Reviews, Film Reviews, and Big Fun

Not sure what to see at Bumbershoot? Here's our imaginary input on the shows we don't wanna miss…

{Friday recommendations}

  • Broadcast Oblivion
    2pm – 3pm: EMP Sky Church
  • Visqueen
    2:45pm – 3:45 pm: What's Next Stage
  • The Decemberists
    3:30pm – 4:30pm: EMP Sky Church
  • The Divorce
    4:15pm – 5:15pm: What's Next Stage
  • Modest Mouse, The Shins, & Quasi
    6pm – 10:15pm: Comcast Mainstage

Bumbershoot does this to me every year, goddamn them! They schedule two amazing bands at overlapping times, leaving me in the huge ethical quandary over the feasibility of whether human cloning can be perfected within the next 48 or so hours so I don't have to miss a note.

I mean really: Broadcast Oblivion overlapping Visqueen overlapping the Decemberists overlapping the Divorce????

C'mon, Bumbershoot. Show some mercy.

 

{Saturday recommendations}

  • Ian Moore
    12:00pm – 1:15pm: The Backyard Stage
  • Minus the Bear
    1:45pm – 3:00pm: What's Next Stage
  • Kinky
    2:45pm – 4pm: Bumbrella Stage
  • The Pale
    3:30pm – 4:30pm: EMP Sky Church
  • The Catheters
    3:45pm – 5:00pm: What's Next Stage
  • Kinski
    5pm – 6pm: EMP Sky Church
  • Bobby Bare Jr.
    6pm – 7:15pm: The Backyard Stage
  • Dusty 45s
    6:15pm – 7:30pm: The Blues & Volkswagen Stage
  • Kathleen Edwards
    8pm – 9:30pm: The Backyard Stage
  • The Dandy Warhols
    8:45pm – 10pm: What's Next Stage

Minus the Bear get the "Hardest Working Band" of the day award. After their killer Bumbershoot set, they are going to head over to our Buttrock Karaoke Event at Chop Suey to kick it Buttrock style. They are just finishing off an impressive US tour with these Saturday performances as the last on said massive tour… so, be sure to catch this surely no-holds barred set.

Oh God, how I love the Pale. Don't miss the Pale. 3:30 at the Sky Church. Mmmmm, Pale…

 

As I hope you have noted in your palm pilots, we will be opening the doors to the big ole first ever Buttrock Karaoke Event at Chop Suey when the Dandy Warhols take the stage. And I, for one, am extremely happy about that. Their debut album {"Dandy's Rule OK?"} is a masterpiece and their new album isn't so shabby either. They are sexy and can charm the pants off the most stoic of hipster record store employee. They put on quite the fetching live show and, I am sure, will whip the What's Next crowd into a frenzy. Thank goodness I don't have to deal with all of the skinny, beautiful Dandy Warhol fans or be faced with the decision of which Dandy Warhols t-shirt to buy.

{Sunday recommendations}

  • Hip Hop 101 w/Common, De La Soul, & Black Eyed
    1pm – 5pm: Comcast Mainstage
  • The Thermals
    1:30pm – 2:30pm : What's Next Stage
  • Vendetta Red
    3:15pm – 4:30pm : What's Next Stage
  • American Hi-Fi
    5:15pm – 6:30pm: What's Next Stage
  • Hell's Belles
    7:15pm – 8:30pm: What's Next Stage
  • Supersuckers
    9:15 pm – 10:30 pm: What's Next Stage
  • Rhett Miller
    8pm – 9:30pm: The Backyard Stage
  • Radio Nationals
    12:30pm – 1:30pm: EMP Sky Church
  • Dolour
    2pm – 3pm: EMP Sky Church
  • The Spits
    3:30 pm – 4:30pm: EMP Sky Church
  • The Ruby Doe
    5pm – 6:15pm: EMP Sky Church

Kathy Foster, the bass player from the Thermals, and also the drummer/back-up vocalist/bass player {um, anything I'm missing?} for the All Girl Summer Fun Band is amazing to watch play anything in any band. She doesn't have that over calculating concentrating look when she's playing. She naturally knows what to do. Plus, she's always bouncing to the beat and looking like she's having a good time. I can't wait to see the Thermals again. 1:30pm at the What's Next Stage.

Hey, did I tell you? I have a cousin named Zach Davidson. Ever since I read an interview of Vendetta Red in the Seattle Times I've harbored this delusion that Zach Davidson from Vendetta Red is, in fact, my cousin and he's too scared to reveal his mid-western roots for fear of being laughed at. Zach and I look alike, right?

{ed. note: Exactly alike. Except he has curly hair, your hair is straight. He looks like Roger Daltry, you look like Donna R. But other than that you're like twins. ~ igDana}

Anyway, I'm excited to see him perform on Sunday at 3:15pm, also at the What's Next stage {might just have to pitch a tent there, what with American Hi-Fi, Hell's Belles, and the Supersuckers taking us into the night}. This will be a much better family reunion than Uncle Earl's annual pig roast.

Ooh, and don't forget to slip over to the The Backyard Stage at 8pm to see Rhett Miller. He's talented, he's charming, and well, he's gorgeous. What's not to love?

 

{Monday recommendations}

  • Nickel Creek & Leftover Salmon
    12pm – 3pm: Comcast Mainstage
  • The Cripples
    12:30pm – 1:30pm: EMP Sky Church
  • Carissa's Wierd
    12:30pm – 1:30pm: What's Next Stage
  • Ms. Led
    2pm – 3pm: EMP Sky Church
  • Mountain Con
    2:15 – 3:45: What's Next Stage
  • United State of Elect
    ronica

    3:30 pm – 4:30pm: EMP Sky Church
  • The New Pornographers
    4:30pm – 5:45pm: What's Next Stage
  • The Long Winters
    5pm – 6:15pm: EMP Sky Church
  • Imperial Teen
  • 6:30pm – 7:45pm: What's Next Stage
  • Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
    6:30pm – 7:45pm: The Backyard Stage
  • R.E.M. & Wilco
    7pm – 10:30pm: Comcast Mainstage
  • Pedro the Lion
    8:30 pm – 10pm: What's Next Stage
  • Bumberslam
    8:30pm – 10pm: Starbucks Literary Stage

OK, first of all, no one should go see Carissa's Wierd. No one should go because they have announced their imminent breakup, and this is one of the last CW shows ever, which means if I can't get over to the What's Next Stage because so many other people are gonna be there, I will weep endless tears of sadness. Oh wait, Carissa's Wierd have broken up; I will be weeping regardless. Don't miss your last chance to see them while you can. Sob!

Then console yourselves with the badass rock of Ms. Led at 2pm, the feel-good-dance-your-pants off of United State of Electronica at 2:15pm, the helium harmonies of the New Pornographers at 4:30pm, and the gorgeous melodies of the Long Winters at 5pm, and remember that the Pacific Northwest music community continues to thrive. God bless the local music!

When I was in high school, a boy I had a crush on gave me a Wilco CD to listen to. I carried it around in my backpack all day anticipating what it would sound like. When I got home, I popped it in and hated it. {I was going through a really hard rock phase at the time}. It was a sad day when I returned the CD back to my crush and had to admit {to his frustration} that I didn't like it because it was too country-ish for my taste. Years later in college, I went through this fanatic alt-country binge and found Being There on sale at the local Meijer Thrifty Acres. I bought it and it soon became one of my favorite albums. I called my high school crush to tell him the excellent news and his number was disconnected. I still have that album and it rotates monthly from my car stereo, back to my house stereo. I have never seen them live and am SO EXCITED to hear those talented licks in real time.

My exposure with Nickel Creek began a few years ago when I worked in a cramped room with three other women of varying ages, backgrounds and musical tastes. Nickel Creek's 2000 self-titled album was one of the few CD's we all agreed on. Luckily for me, the album got more and more addictive with each listen. The folky blue-grass roots connection is easily heard in their beautiful harmonies and violin/guitar/banjo switch offs. I'm ecstatic to see how this energy will come alive on stage.

Live music shows are great. It's flabbergasting how many of these shows I frequent in a year. {I would need a personal accountant to figure out the exact number}. I'll be the first to admit, I have a short attention span and used to frequent the Poetry Slam nights at Sit-n-Spin to break up the indie rock monotony once in awhile. Ever since Sit-n-Spin closed its doors {sniff, sniff} I've been feigning for some aggressive political spoken word. You'll find me at the Bumberslam getting my fix on Monday night.