As the pullout in the center of this paper will tell you in a
thousand different ways, this weekend brings Bumbershoot, the
Northwest’s preeminent arts and culture festival, and day one is packed
with delights. Among today’s top draws: the Shins, Common Market,
Gogol Bordello, the Avett Brothers, the Salon of Shame,
and the Moth storytelling tour (featuring Jonathan Ames, Dan Savage,
and the amazing Kimya Dawson). (Seattle Center, all effing
day, $35 at the gate or www.bumbershoot.com. For complete
information, including a customizable, printable schedule and reviews
of everything, see www.thestranger.com/bumbershoot.)

David Schmader—former weed columnist and Stranger associate editor—is the author of the solo plays Straight and Letter to Axl, which he’s performed in Seattle and across the US. His latest...