Labor Day weekend in Seattle brought back a tradition that has spanned decades with the glorious return of Bumbershoot. Five stages of music spread across the iconic Seattle Center, with plenty of activities mixed among the stages including a cat circus, witch’s temple, wrestling, pop-up barber shop, an entire fashion district, and so much more. Bumbershoot started in 1971, and this welcome back of the festival had no intent of backing down from what made Bumbershoot special to the city of Seattle.
This 50th anniversary (two years late because of the pandemic) of Bumbershoot was split into two days, and day one was a sunburn-imposing scorcher. With the DJ beats of Pressha, the rock-infused grunge chords of Seattle’s ’90’s outfit Sweet Water, the heavier-than-expected space-rock of French three-piece Slift, and the feel-good vibes of local R&B outfit The Dip, Bumbershoot was off to a solid start right out of the gate. I ducked inside for the Vera Project, a wonderful haven as it was the only indoor (and air-conditioned) stage of the weekend. It was my first time catching locals TV Star, a band that started during the early days of the pandemic, and they were a great mix of dreamy indie alt-rock that can comfortably fit in company with The Jesus And Mary Chain and La Luz.
Seattle’s own Thunderpussy rocked the Mural Stage, my first time catching this oft-mentioned local act. Their presence was as electric as their music, members coming out in feathers, tall boots, all-white clothes with reflective sparkles, they proceeded to work the stage despite the sun just beating down on them. Radioactivity were up next at the Vera Stage, and they were tight live, a melodic punk band with the straight-forward no-BS riffs and catchy hooks that leave you tapping your foot hours later. It was a real surprise and treat to realize they were playing the festival.
England’s Ride hit the Fountain Stage next to play their 1992 album Going Blank Again, bringing a presence that just felt so big and full with their pioneering shoegaze sound. I didn’t expect to get to see them live, and they did not disappoint. Screaming Females packed in the Vera Stage with a line all the way around the corner and lots of folks hoping they’d get a chance to catch some of their set. I only just caught a little bit, the contagious riffs of Rose Mountain and their latest album Desire Pathway mixed through the parts I caught, but I’m glad I got a chance to see them again.
AFI took the Fountain Stage to the chants of “Through our bleeding, we are one!” from the crowd. They came out swinging with the energy we’ve all come to know with their live shows. The setlist spanned the last 20 years from opener “Girl’s Not Grey” to a few songs from DECEMBERUNDERGROUND and select tracks from their more recent albums. Finishing their set, “The Days Of The Phoenix” blasted out before the band closed with “Silver And Cold” and “Miss Murder.” Next Destroy Boys took the KEXP Stage, when I realized I made a mistake with my timing because of how packed it was by the time I got there. They were fun, energetic, and recalled times they’ve played the Vera Project next door and how incredible it was to get to be a part of the festival. I was unfamiliar with them beforehand, but now “Muzzle” is stuck in my head as I write.
Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes was next. She had a fantastic presence and set, and the whole band was full, powerful, and really fun to see. I don’t know much of her songs to be honest, but I recognized “He Loves Me,” which rang with the backing vocals in the chorus as Brittany sang out, “He loves me when I do what I want. He loves me, he doesn’t judge me.” She’s going to get more listens from me after that set. At this point, a few bands overlapped at different stages so I sprinted over to the Mural Stage just as Sunny Day Real Estate took the stage. I was overly excited for this set, having only seen Jeremy Enigk do a solo set once 17 years ago. They opened with “Pillars” and dove into “One.” “Song About An Angel” was a standout for me in the set, but the setlist didn’t disappoint. They closed off with “Faces In Disguise” into “The Rising Tide,” the closing of album The Rising Tide and a great way to cap off the set.
Hunx And His Punx closed out the Vera Stage for the evening, blasting through the half minute “Don’t Call Me Fabulous” as I entered the venue. They were a lot of fun, playful with the crowd, and got people dance and move around quite a bit more. The singer shouted out that their member Shannon would be playing the next day with Shannon And The Clams, a sneak peak of coverage to come for day 2. Sleater-Kinney headlined the Fountain Stage, opening their set with “One More Hour” from their album Dig Me Out, an album that was highlighted heavily in their set to my joy. They closed their set by honoring Sinead O’Connor’s commitment to speak truth to power and setting an example for young people everywhere and then covered Sinead’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
To close out the evening, Zhu took the Mural Stage for an end-of-day dance party to finish up the first half of Bumbershoot. Backlit LEDs and strobing made for quite the light show as Zhu started out solo. After Zhu’s opening, first beats, and stepping out from the DJ table to greet the audience, a few band members join below so there was a two-tiered stage setup, which filled out the sound even more live and have a mix between DJ and live instruments. Zhu is no stranger to Bumbershoot and the nearby Climate Pledge Arena, and his return with the backdrop of the Space Needle was a fun dance party on a much more intimate stage to close out the night. He ran up against the hard curfew at 11:30pm, and soon it was time to get some rest before it all started again on day two.
