Thanks for your observations about Bumbershoot this year.

I went to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco for six years in a row, from 2010 through 2015 (for those who aren't familiar with it, there's very little bluegrass; hence, "hardly strictly".) Two of those years my best friend in Seattle joined me and one year another good friend joined me. I went by myself the first year and two other times. While I enjoyed it the most when I hung out with my best friend, I also had a great time when I was by myself, because I've really enjoyed the people there. Perhaps I'm more willing to engage with others when I'm in a different city, but the people there just seem friendlier than those at Bumbershoot.

I used to LOVE Bumbershoot and look forward to it every year but, musically, Bumbershoot doesn't interest me anymore. I haven't gone at all for the past 3-4 years and, for a few years prior to that, only went for one or two days (whereas I used to always go for all four days.) I really miss going, miss seeing all the bands and solo artists that I like, but also understand that the people who run it need to cater to the tastes of much younger people, not Baby Boomers like me and my friends. One of the reasons I've enjoyed HSB so much is that, musically, it's like how Bumbershoot used to be, although even HSB has started catering more to younger people.

The only things I haven't liked about HSB compared to Bumbershoot are the massive crowds (it's free*, so very understandable you're going to have a lot of people) and the fact that there's a tradition of staking a spot in front of a stage with a blanket or tarp and keeping that space for the entire day.

As far as the settings go, I find advantages in both. Its nice to have the infrastructure of Seattle Center but seeing music in beautiful Golden Gate Park is wonderful. If I had to pick a favorite setting, it would be the park. I've also been to the Austin City Limits festival. It's also held in a park, Zilker Park, but Zilker is basically just a large open space, nothing at all like Golden Gate Park.

The other thing I missed at Bumbershoot, during the last few years that I went, was the elimination of venues, like the Opera House, the Back Porch Stage and, especially the Northwest Court Stage, which had my favorite beer garden.

this is what you get when you have a music-loving rich guy like Warren Hellman (R.I.P.) in your city, instead of a music-loving even-richer guy like Paul Allen.

The way the last two sentence fragments of the first paragraph lead into the second paragraph is effing epic.

Having gone to a few Bumbershoots in the past, that aside from the ridiculous cost of present day Bumbershoot, I'm really disappointed in the lack/absence of heavier music and heavier rock guitar bands. I recall being able to see the likes of Motorhead, Sonic Youth and the NY Dolls (at least the remnants of them) at the soccer stadium. I could see Henry Rollins, Luna, and Blonde Redhead at Key Arena. I could see the likes of the Melvins and Nebula at the Hendrix museum. Lame programmer(s)? Maybe they don't want to scare away the eastside families? You'd think that since the city has grown leaps and bounds in population and diversity that we would get a more eclectic Bumbershoot that makes room for the envelope pushers and the bombast as well as the vanilla music.

I love lil wayne and the old wayne. I just wish i see him before i die thats a wish i hope get granted

I'm on vacay and missed bshoot.
Well fuck new bshoot and their ridic price and rules. I'm sad to miss lil Wayne so thanks so much for the review.
Kexp has the best line up!
Yr pal, Kat.

Folklife for the families, Bite of Seattle for the over 35 crown and bumbershoot 17-28 max stray from that path and you might as well stay home and shove nails into your eyes