BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLK
Johnnyswim
Veterans of the Nashville scene, poppy folk duo Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramierez make waves as Johnnyswim. Their latest album, Georgica Pond, keeps the sweet melodies of hyped acts like the Lumineers, âmillennial wooâ and all, but never lose sight of the confessional songwriting core at the heart of the Americana tradition. JOSEPH SCHAFER
(Mural Amphitheatre, 5:25-6:10 pm)
ZZ Ward
Guitarist and songwriter ZZ Ward packs a powerful set of pipes, but she manages to elude the miserable blue-eyed soul morass that so often bogs down her peers. More inclined toward the grit of classic Delta blues than Muscle Shoals sheen, Ward isnât afraid to bend a distorted guitar note, or collaborate with artists from other scenes, like Kendrick Lamar. JOSEPH SCHAFER
(Mural Amphitheatre, 8:50-9:50 pm)
Chicano Batman
Like a cuddlier, more radio-friendly Budos Band, LAâs Chicano Batman hybridize Latin soul, funk, and faint hints of psychedelia. They specialize in feel-good music that classily uplifts while flirting with schmaltziness. The bandâs new album, Freedom Is Free, offers a showcase for vocalist Bardo Martinezâs Mayer Hawthorneâesque falsetto and suave loverman vibes to shine. Any day now, Chicano Batmanâs amiable songs will soundtrack a sense of hard-won pleasure in a sweet rom-com film. DAVE SEGAL
(Mural Amphitheatre, 6:30-7:15 pm)
Die Antwoord
South African rave-rappers Die Antwoord burst onto the scene in 2009 with their debut album, $O$, featuring the universal WTF?-inspiring video hit âEnter the Ninja.â Since then, the band that calls itself the Answerâcomposed of rappers Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tekâhave released three more records: 2012âs Ten$ion, 2014âs Donker Mag, and 2016's Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid, with the body of work making three things abundantly clear: They prefer dollar signs to normal Ss, they live to shock and are exceptionally good at it (see the video for âPitbull Terrierâ), and their music is highly enjoyable if slightly poisonous candy. DAVID SCHMADER (KeyArena, 10-11:15 pm)
Acapulco Lips
Acapulco Lips hollow out the Shangri-Las and pour in some spiky surf chords, some Jesus and Mary Chain fuzz, a drummer going Keith Moonâcrazy on the fills, and a vocalist (Maria-Elena Juarez) who sounds like sheâs singing into a pay phone receiver dangling from its metal cord across the boardwalk from the beach while the sun goes down and the sinister stars wink in. Sometimes she makes sense and sometimes she doesnât. But with all that going for them, who needs puny sense? ANDREW HAMLIN
(KEXP, 4:10-4:50 pm.)
Deap Vally
Dynamic LA duo Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards tear through a deep inventory of blues, rock, and metal, and deliver it in exactly the guitar-driven, high-voltage, classic rock-and-roll style youâd expect and want. Deap Vally are fresh off releasing their new album, Femejism, and itâs marked by wry lyrics along with Troyâs whiskey-coated, scratchy vocals that would have given the Runaways a run for their money back in the day. AMBER CORTES (Fisher Green Stage, 4:05-4:35 pm)
Dude York
Dude York have proclaimed themselves as Americaâs Band, and their love of Cheez-Its, La Croix, and rock and roll only bolster that reputation. Released earlier this year on Hardly Art, their second record, Sincerely, navigates dark themes of love, depression, and anxiety under the guise of sing-song alt-pop. Guitarist Peter Richards and bassist Claire England switch off on vocals, and with Andrew Hall on drums, this trioâs live show gets loud. ANNA KAPLAN (KEXP, 5:30-6:10 pm)
Filthy Friends
Lotta star power in this seemingly ad-hoc band: Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Full Toilets' Kurt Bloch, Young Fresh Fellows' Scott McCaughey, and King Crimson's Bill Rieflin. Expect these vets to imbue their hard-rock shenanigans with a cleverness you canât learn in school. If youâre not singing along to Filthy Friendsâ songs by the middle of their set, youâre probably too preoccupied with your elephant ears. DAVE SEGAL
(Mural Amphitheatre, 7:40-8:25 pm)
Foster The People
I caught Foster the People back on Cinco de Mayo of 2014, and was caught off guard by how charming and alluring Mark Foster is on stage. Although the bandâs lineup has changed over the years, Fosterâs exceptional lyricism and uncanny ability to craft perfect pop songs one after another will make this one of the most danceable sets of the weekend. ANNA KAPLAN
(Main Stage, 6:05-6:50 pm)
J GRGRY
Joe Gregory, singer/songwriter of J GRGRY, wears his heart on his sleeve, delving into a deep personal history of depression and alcoholism, and growing up queer in Seattle. These struggles are then threaded through dark but danceable dream-pop textures worthy of Erasure or the Eurythmics, proving that it is in fact possible to embrace the contradiction of happy sadâor are they sad happy?âsongs. AMBER CORTES
(Mural Amphitheatre 3:45-4:15 pm)
Jason McCue
Fun fact: Jason McCue and I both used to write for Seattle Uâs radio station blog, and when I met him in 2015 his music project was solely out of his dorm-room closet. Now heâs won SoundOff! and is playing Bumbershoot. All for good reason, though, as McCueâs storytelling within his songs is unlike anything else. Itâs just McCue and an acoustic on stage, but his performances are totally mesmerizing. ANNA KAPLAN
(Fisher Green Stage, 3:15-3:45 pm)
LANY
Frontman Paul Klein has said that LANY just want to be âthe biggest band in the world.â (Thatâs all.) And while theyâve struck an electro-pop chord with a growing fan base in Asia, theyâve yet to really explode stateside, so itâs worth checking out not just to see what all the hype is about, but also to take in their breezy, synth-y, dance-y tunes that herald the end of summer. AMBER CORTES
(Fisher Green Stage, 6-6:40 pm)
Moon Duo
Keyboardist Sanae Yamada and guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson are masters of mesmerizing repetition. Theyâre trance-rock lifers who get fuzzy and linear like some hair combo of Hawkwind and Suicide, augmented by Johnsonâs Iggy Pop-like deadpan drawl (ask your dad about these references). If you want to mainline pure rock-and-roll adrenaline at Bumbershoot, thereâs no better place to do that than with Moon Duo. DAVE SEGAL
(KEXP, 6:40-7:20 pm)
The Spider Ferns
Bow, Washington duo the Spider Ferns (multi-instrumentalists Kelly and Alton Fleek) create sleek, ultra-modern pop with extremely punchy and bulbous drum-machine programming. Kellyâs alluring vocals curl around angular, down-tempo, funky tunes that are accessible without resorting to sugary pandering. The Spider Ferns claim to âmake music late at night in a converted barn at the base of a small mountain,â but the sounds they deftly craft scan as urban and are constructed with spare elegance. DAVE SEGAL
(KEXP, 3-3:40 pm)
Jorja Smith
Jorja Smith has proven herself more than just a collaborator (and possible paramour) of Drake, who featured her on several songs on his 2017 More Life album. And despite inevitable comparisons to Amy Winehouse due to the soulful range of her voice, Smith brings a graceful intimacy and a fresh sophistication to jazz-infused R&B that is all her own. AMBER CORTES
(Main Stage, 4:55-5:40 pm)