As a long time veteran of Bumbershoot, I definitely try to take advantage of the plethora of arts that Bumbershoot offers- everything from Flatstock (a giant poster sale), to comedy and performing arts shows, to (my personal favorite) the music. From local to international, metal to rap and everything in between, Labor Day weekend at Seattle Center’s biggest festival of the year is always a party. Set underneath the prolific Space Needle and amidst the Mural Amphitheater and the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum, it has always been my favorite way of kicking summer out the door and getting ready for fall.
My picks this year are not as varied as I may have liked or have tried to plan in the past. In all honestly, looking at the lineup, I could not be happier with my choices. With that being said, for me, this weekend is mainly metal and electronica, per my usual tastes. (Abby’s all over local Seattle acts on Saturday, check it out!)
1:00 pm – Witchburn: This is definitely going to be one of the best ways to kick off Bumbershoot, for any of you rock/metal fans, especially for locals. With their prog undertones and Southern rock style, this powerhouse of scorching guitar riffs, heavy bass, and exquisite lyrics, this Seattle-hailing band is sure to be rocking the Exhibition Hall.
2:00 pm – The Great Mundane: Portland, OR based electro/house/hip-hop beatmaster The Great Mundane is downright one of the best producers I have heard in a long, long time. Lacing instrumentals and synthesizer to make a downright epically imaginative mix of sound, he still maintains a very minimalist approach to beatmaking. The tracks are full of emotion and will definitely fill the Skychurch at the EMP for one heck of an electronic experience.
2:45 pm – Red Fang: A long-time favorite of mine, Red Fang brings metal back to its heritage with their urgent lyrics and the general fuzz that good metal has. Every song is a hard rock anthem, designed to get you headbanging and rockin’ along with the band, growling out their lyrics to the accompaniment of LOUD. Reminiscent of PNW The Melvins or the more prevalent Black Sabbath, these fist-pumpers are definitely going to shake the Exhibition Hall down to its very foundation. On the plus side, chances are that you still will have their lyrics stuck in your head on the way home that night (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing…).
3:00 pm – Natasha Kmeto: Another PDX based act, Natasha Kmeto refers to herself as “futuristic soul.” I couldn’t agree more as her newest release Expressor is saturated in between IDM, hip-hop, soul, and trance. With her enigmatic voice and the blatant genre-bending tracks that form her repertoire, I have a feeling that the Skychurch is going to be dancing their collective asses off.
4:00 pm – Emancipator: If you’re looking for some amazing melodies and some downright immaculate production, Emancipator’s beats are completely clean and crisp. With organic sounds, folk instrumentals, and a haunting woman’s (choir?) vocal track, these layered pieces sport some major Asian influences (probably due to his immediate success in Japan back around 2006), as well as some incredibly playful and anthematic tracks. This is going to be one immersive, intricately crafted set- and definitely one you won’t want to miss, filling the Skychurch with some intense sound.
5:00 pm – Nice Nice: Nice Nice can be summed up fairly easily: guitarist, drummer, loops. Their dreamlike tracks are full of ambient, psychedelic sounds and are presented with startling fluidity and an amazing ability to sound a lot bigger than they really are. Once again, the Skychurch is definitely the place to be for amazing electronica all day.
6:00 pm – Beat Connection: This local Seattle duo is one of my ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE acts, mainly for the fact that I have not gotten the chance to see them before. All in all, they play a saccharine synth pop, overlaid with chillwave and 80’s influences, reminiscent of a lighter version of The xx or possibly some Asura and Anon. By now, I would just plan on hanging out in the Skychurch for the rest of the night- trust me, it will be well worth it.
6:15 pm – Pentagram: As one of the pioneers of “doom metal,” Pentagram has been around and playing gigs since 1971. For me, they’re the kind of metal I was raised on by my drummer of a father, and definitely influenced my musical tastes today. Combine this with the fact that they’re almost legendary and I’m there. I can’t promise they will be amazing, but it’s definitely worth seeing them at the Exhibition Hall, if nothing more for the general experience.
7:00 pm – Free the Robots: My first take on these guys is definitely BASS. Another psychedelic eletronica band but with a darker, heavier twist, complete with some video game/8-bit tunage vibes. For fans of dubstep and bands like The Glitch Mob or Flying Lotus, this California native producer is guaranteed to have a packed house to exhibit his beats to at the Skychurch.
8:00 pm – Lawnchair Generals: LCG are definitely some of the more prolific Seattle house acts of all time- and for a damn good reason. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing their tracks mixed live by various DJ superstars, but also on compilations by Ministry of Sound and Kaskade. For true house fans, they are an absolute necessity for almost any occasion. If you’re hesitant about getting into house music, I would say that their set at the Skychurch would be one amazing introduction.
9:00 pm – Pezzner: Dave Pezzner is electronica. The internationally acclaimed beatmaster doesn’t really fall into any one subgenre, playing almost anything and everything that he can create electronically. Rising from our acclaimed Emerald City, his set at the Skychurch would definitely be the one to catch before heading to Bumbershoot After Dark – it will get your body moving for sure.
Come back for more previews and upcoming Bumbershoot coverage from Abby and I here on Popwreckoning!
