Everything We Loved at Bumbershoot

If you stopped going to Bumbershoot because it got too crowded, too expensive, and too full of the Black Eyed Peas, it’s time to reevaluate your decision.

Gone are the days when attendance topped 150,000, and music fans had to wait in line for hours to ~maybe~ score a wristband to see mainstream radio superstars headline Memorial Stadium. When New Rising Sun brought the once-beloved fest back from the dead last year, they hoped to curate an arts celebration that felt like it did in the old(er) days when tickets were (relatively) affordable, crowds were manageable, and diverse programming showcased all kinds of experimental and extraordinary art, from music to dancing to fashion to food.

After spending all day there Saturday and Sunday, we are happy to report that the new Bumbershoot is different! Bumbershoot is fun again! Organizers say 26,000 folks turned out over the two-day event, and the longest line was for the Cat Circus.

Here's everything we loved at Bumbershoot 2024:

Flesh Produce

Megan Seling: I have to give big props to Flesh Produce, who played the Fashion District stage at 1 pm under the blazing sun. It’s never easy to be the first band at a festival, but drummer Karl Fagerström and vocalist Myla Profitt managed to get the still-sleepy onlookers moving and cheering. Their sound pulls in a little bit of everything, from punk and hardcore to hiphop, all fortified with live drumming. The highlight was Profitt encouraging the growing audience to sing along with their closer, “You Can’t Make Me Fuck.” They were reluctant at first, but those free samples of Yerba Mate kicked in eventually.

Chastity Belt

Audrey Vann: I have seen Chastity band dozens of times over the last decade and their live shows just keep getting better—which is impressive because they’ve always been amazing. Lead guitarist Lydia Lund is a massively underrated musician. I was thoroughly captivated by her hypnotic sparkling riffs.

The Divorce

MS: There were SO MANY CHILDREN at the Divorce’s show. It was cute! They all had adorable headphones! I hadn’t seen the band since… 2007? Maybe 2006? Singer/guitarist Shane Berry noted that this was the first time some of the band members’ kids have gotten to see them play.

Hannah Murphy Winter: I hadn’t seen these guys since 2005, when they’d just released their second EP, and I was young enough to be excited that they were playing at an all-ages venue. They did cut into their set by almost 10 minutes with their sound check (“I’m the lead vocalist, so if you could make me a little louder in the mix, ya know, for my ego.”) But sixteen years after their breakup, they still slap.

MS: I had forgotten how absolutely sing-alongable some of their songs are, too. I used to walk around Ballard in the mid-Aughts, listening to The Gifted Program on loop while crushing on a boy who didn’t like me back, and wow, did it feel good to sing/yell out, “I’d rather be alone tonight!” over and over when they played “Call the Police.” (ACAB, tho.)

Oh, Rose

AV: I regret not wearing earplugs during this show. However, frontwoman Olivia Rose has the guttural vocal chops of Sandy Denny and Catherine Ribeiro—she has the right to sing LOUD!

Buttshark

MS: Did everyone see Buttshark!? Buttshark was the highlight of Flatstock. Sure, there was a lot of really fantastic poster art—I particularly loved the Adventures in Babysitting-inspired Kurt Vile poster at Starman Press’ booth—but I cackled so loudly when I looked down at Crosshair’s table and saw the poster his kid, Soren, designed. I can’t stop thinking about Buttshark. I tried to buy Buttshark at the end of the festival, after Me First and the Gimme Gimmes’ set, but Flatstock was closing down. Thankfully, it’s available online.

HMW: I can’t believe I missed Buttshark.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Billie Winter: The last time I saw Ted Leo live was at Siren Music Fest in Coney Island in 2010. Apparently, I can only see Ted Leo when seagulls are involved. They played Shake the Sheets from top to bottom (it’s the album’s 20th anniversary), which means we got to hear tracks from the B-side that they’ve never played live until this year. Even though he made a lot of jokes about being an old punk, it was awesome to see a new wave of little punks get into this classic.

MS: Ted Leo used to tour through Seattle several times a year. I have missed seeing him live—a friend described it as getting to see an old friend. It was so comforting to hear these songs again. Something happens in my heart when he repeats “It’s alright” dozens of times in “Little Dawn.” I start to believe him. I start to feel like it really is alright. (Ted, lemme know your Venmo, you’re doin’ more for me than my therapist ever could.)

Aly & AJ

AV: I came for “Potential Breakup Song.” I stayed for harmony-driven folk-rock tunes. I left with the sudden urge to start a band with my sisters.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones

HMW: MAN they know how to put on a show. I love watching a crowd hear Paul Janeway’s voice for the first time—jaws always hit the floor (or, in this case, the Mural stage grass.)

Pavement

AV: Maybe it was the weed tincture talking, but this performance solidified Stephen Malkmus as the sexiest member of Pavement (I previously swooned over bassist Mark Ibold).

Lemon Boy

MS: Two words: Kazoo duet. I have somehow missed every single Lemon Boy show in Seattle for the past two years but all my dreams came true at Bumbershoot. Not only did they have a wicked Kazoo duet, but they also played their anti-Guitar Center rant—complete with a montage of overplayed riffs—and closed their set at the Vera Project with a punk version of “Toxic.” Yaz Ahsani growling “Don’t you know that you're toxic?” like the burliest Norwegian black metal vocalist will live in my head and my heart for years to come.

Angélica Garcia

HMW: I’ve never seen someone come back from a mic malfunction so spectacularly. I’d heard rumblings about her before the show, but this was my first proper introduction to her, and I’m hooked. By the end of the set, she had the whole crowd singing “Hey, Paloma.”

Glass Twinkies

MS: I HAVE NEVER WANTED SO BADLY TO EAT GLASS.

HMW: MEGAN DON’T EAT THE GLASS.

MS: BUT LOOK AT IT! When I first saw Eriko Kobayashi’s s’mores in the Contemporary visual art exhibit, I thought they were the real deal and it was maybe some kind of commentary on the shelf-life of snacks filled with artificial ingredients and preservatives (yawn). But all the snacks are glass! The Twinkies and Pop-Tarts were especially captivating. That little sliver of Pop-Tart broken off from the rest of the pastry? What a cool little detail.

Io Palmer's Plush Series

MS: After drooling over the glass snacks, I also spotted Io Palmer's series, Plush. The wall hangings are made of clay, glaze, wire, metal brace, wood, and paint and they're like these little worlds that I want to crawl into. I want Rick Moranis to shrink me down to the size of a ladybug so I can climb and crawl into all the shiny, colorful nooks.

The Joketellers Union

MS: I loved loved LOVED having comedy at Bumbershoot! But how the fuck did organizers put together a whole-ass comedy show for disabled comics—the Disabled List—and then build the tent AT THE TOP OF STAIRS?!? Thankfully, after the Comedy Dome hosts brought this to the festival’s attention, staffers brought over a ramp but, like, c’mon. That said, the Joketellers Union set I caught was hilarious. Bernice Larson secured her spot as my favorite comic in Seattle right now, and I’m still laughing about Cheri Hardman’s bit about titty tacos.

Kim Gordon

HMW: If you’re looking for classic Sonic Youth, you won’t find it here. Kim Gordon’s newest album continues her trek into the spooky spoken-word/noise/soundcloud hiphop realm, but I’ll follow her anywhere.

The Polyphonic Spree

MS: Earlier in the day, when talking to a friend about who they were excited to see, they said, “I know it’s nerdy, but I’m looking forward to seeing the Polyphonic Spree.” Somehow, the Polyphonic Spree became this band that people feel a little embarrassed about liking. People lost their minds over them years ago, me included! But maybe because they’re unabashedly earnest and optimistic, that makes people feel too vulnerable when admitting to liking them? But HOLY SHIT, THEY WERE SO FUCKING GOOD. Stranger contributor Sam Machkovech interviewed the band’s leader/vocalist Tim DeLaughter a few weeks ago, and DeLaughter said, “We look forward to converting people into our world.” I thought he was being cheeky, but it was real. I was converted. Again. Hell, they even played their symphonic cover of “Lithium,” and people in the audience lost their shit! Do you know how hard it is to sincerely cover Nirvana in this city and not only not get booed but get people singing and dancing along???

Sophy Wong

HMW: Whatever planet Sophy Wong is from, I want to live there.

MS: I have no reason to wear that perfectly tailored blue/lavender shimmery dress that looked like a more chic version of something from the Star Wars galaxy, but I would very much like to wear it. Everywhere. While doing chores, while running errands, whatever—I’d feel like Space God.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

MS: I love these ding dongs so much. Old punk rockers posing as a wedding band and covering popular songs from just about every genre. The band, fronted by Swingin’ Utters frontman Spike Slawson, has had a rotating cast over the years. Bumbershoot’s iteration featured Jake Kiley (Strung Out), John Reis (Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes), CJ Ramone (duh), Andrew Pinching (the Damned). They opened with “Jolene” and also paid tribute to Paula Abdul, Olivia Rodrigo, Boyz II Men, and Evita.

MS: Everyone dances at a Me First show, and everyone sings along. There is no shame, there is no guilt in pleasure, only joy. Folks went nuts when Seattle’s own the Black Tones joined them for Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” I especially loved the moment when they played the intro to “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” and everyone got pumped to hear Joy Divison, and then, just as the vocals kicked in, the band pulled the ol’ switcheroo and went into Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together.” LOL.

IYKYK Photo Show

BW: The big standout for me was Luciano Ratto’s work… holy hell. His work showcases the DIY punk house shows around Seattle (locations redacted). If you missed it, you can still check out his book, Taste the Floor.

MS: Looking at Ratto’s work makes me want to buy a camera and start doing show photography again. I want to capture that energy, bottle it up, drink it, live in it. But at the same time, his work makes me throw my hands up in the air and scream, “What’s the point?” because it’s so good and, like, why should I bother taking a picture of anything ever again when Ratto’s clearly got this shit on lock?

Grit City Wrestling

MS: The wrestling was one of my favorite things to see at Bumbershoot 2023, and while I didn’t get to spend as much time over there in the Recess District this year, I did catch Derek Drexl and Matt Brannigan STAPLE THINGS TO EACH OTHER!

MS: After that, they FLED THE RING to continue their match in the nearby jungle gym?!?!?! They climbed the ropes and went down the slide, all while kids were running around and playing. It was delightful chaos.

Pole Pavilion

BW: It was like seeing close-up magic.

HMW: Nothing has ever been so hot and so wholesome at the same time. We caught the last show of the night, and the dancers were so clearly each other’s biggest fans. If you’re in Tacoma, check out Lilith studio.

Courtney Barnett

HMW: When did she start sounding so much like Joan Jett?? By the second song, we started hearing mutters in the crowd about a “surprise guest,” which was, unsurprisingly, Kurt Vile (of the aptly named band, “Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett”). Such great chemistry, so much excellent hair on one stage.

Honorable Mention: The Bumbershoot Vintage T-shirt hunt

Cameron and Iris

HMW: This couple melted my heart onto the 115-degree pavement. They’re both in their 80s, wearing the same vintage Bumbershoot T-shirt from 1998. When I asked them if they remembered their first Bumbershoot, they both replied, “Probably the first one? It used to be free!”

Mary Pat

HMW: She was wearing a 1987 Bumbershoot T-shirt. She says she went to the first Bumbershoot, but it wasn’t very good, so she didn’t come back for 10 years.

Teri and Leo

HMW: Teri and Leo have been going to Bumbershoot together since 1990. When I asked them when they each went for the first time, they both shrugged, blushed a little, and then said again, “We’ve been going together since 1990.”