Some Upstream artists (Clockwise from top right): Chris Staples, So Pitted, Cosmos, Guayaba, Falcon Sierra, Haunted Horses, Nacho Picasso. Credit: The Stranger
Some Upstream artists (Clockwise from top right): Chris Staples, So Pitted, Cosmos, Guayaba, Falcon Sierra, Haunted Horses, Nacho Picasso.
Some Upstream artists (Clockwise from top right): Chris Staples, So Pitted, Cosmos, Guayaba, Falon Sierra, Haunted Horses, Nacho Picasso. The Stranger

Two popular ideas about music festivals:

1. They are a fun way to see a bunch of bands you like and maybe discover some new ones while celebrating the hedonistic pleasures of community.

2. They are Walmart—proof of the further decline of a once-unruly strand of culture into a one-stop-shopping excursion for people with too much money and more interest in seeming like they’re into music than in actually being into it.

Both of these are true.

Two popular ideas about Upstream Music Fest + Summit, the new endeavor dreamed up by Paul Allen, which happens in Pioneer Square May 11 to 13:

Dave Segal is a journalist and DJ living in Seattle. He has been writing about music since 1983. His stuff has appeared in Gale Research’s literary criticism series of reference books, Creem (when...

Sean Nelson has worked at The Stranger on and off since 1996. He is currently Editor-at-Large. His past job titles included: Assistant Editor, Associate Editor, Film Editor, Copy Editor, Web Editor, Slog...