Preview: BUMBERSHOOT!! 2017!! – Sun. 9/3

Posted on 09/03/2017 by Dagmar

Preview: BUMBERSHOOT!! 2017!! – Sun. 9/3
~Dagmar

Bumbershoot’s final day is tonight, Sunday, September 3rd ! First, a bit of news for you, in the form of a cancellation. Trio Haim had to call off their set today, as singer/guitarist Danielle Haim is sick with laryngitis. Haim posted a sweet note on their Facebook, while Danielle Haim left this nice video message – get better soon!

But plenty of other bands will be there, such as the following artists. It’s mostly an electronic music kind of day.

Main Stage

ODESZA @ 9:20 (headliner)
Electronic

ODESZA plays its first show in the area since July’s Capitol Hill Block Party. I list them as my number one band to see at this year’s Bumbershoot, and I would expect a large number of people lining up to see them. I’m gigantically awaiting their new album, A Moment Apart. The album, with songs featuring Regina Spektor and Leon Bridges, is set for a September 8th release. Mark your calendars.

ODESZA

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KeyArena

Cash Cash @ 8:55
Electronic

Cash Cash

New Jersey electronic trio Cash Cash, including DJ brothers, Alex Makhlouf and Jean Paul Makhlouf, plus another DJ named Samuel Frisch, had a song out last year called “Take Me Home.” I love this song. I love the vocals by Bebe Rexha. Should be a great set.

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Monster Energy Stage @ Fisher Green

HONNE @ 5:55
Electronic

HONNE

An English duo with a Japanese name, HONNE (meaning one’s behavior in public/following expectations), have a great sundown/outdoor set at Fisher Green. Back in 2014, The Telegraph wrote, “HONNE’s futuristic soul is destined to re-invent babymaking music.

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KEXP Stage

Dave Depper @ 5:30
Alternative

Dave Depper

Death Cab for Cutie’s guitarist Dave Depper played in several area groups before he joined the band. He also recorded as a solo artist, starting with The Ram Project in 2010. You might not know this. I’ve familiarized myself with his very attractive 2017 release, Emotional Freedom Technique, which came out on a Portland label. Why is that particularly interesting to me? Because the label is called Tender Loving Empire, part of a store selling quite unique things. I think that’s pretty cool.

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And this isn’t a music item, but check out these wonderful rabbit figures. They are on the festival grounds:

Rabbits – photo courtesy of Bumbershoot’s Facebook page

Photos: Ja Rule & Ashanti @ the Showbox

Posted on 09/02/2017 by BBS

Ja Rule & Ashanti @ the Showbox, 8/30/16
Photos: Josh Daniels

Ja Rule & Ashanti

Installment 10 of our Memory Lane Series catches rapper Ja Rule and R&B artist Ashanti performing at the Showbox. The two have collaborated numerous times, including on “Down 4 U,” a track Ashanti revealed in Billboard as one of her favorites with Ja Rule. In fact, the pair seems to enjoy working with each other so much, they have two shows in California this weekend, and will actually have a Thanksgiving Eve show in Atlantic City.

Ja Rule

Ashanti

Ja Rule

Ashanti

Ja Rule & Ashanti – photos by Josh Daniels

Preview: BUMBERSHOOT!! 2017!! – Sat. 9/2

Posted on 09/01/2017 by Dagmar

Preview: BUMBERSHOOT!! 2017!! – Sat. 9/2
~Dagmar

All set for day 2 of Bumbershoot? Saturday, September 2nd has more cool electronic music to experience. The festival turned 46 this year, and it wants to dance with you. Or just dance.

KeyArena

Big Wild @ 8:25
Electronic

Big Wild

Big Wild released his debut EP, Invincible, this year. Rejoice. Really, rejoice. The DJ (Jackson Stell) has done some great remixes of Odesza and Hundred Waters, as well.

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Dillon Francis @ 9:50 (headliner)
DJ

Dillon Francis

Following Big Wild, Dillon Francis headlines your Saturday night. I’ve waited for something new from him for *one* long year. And he has delivered with
G-Eazy on “Say Less.”

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Monster Energy Stage @ Fisher Green

Tacocat @ 6:00
Punk Pop

Tacocat

Beloved Seattle quartet, Tacocat, pretty much just off their Coachella debut this year, play the Fisher Green Stage. I also enjoy their Faceboook page, which provides pictorial evidence that this band loves animals – just like I do!

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Mural Ampitheatre

SOFI TUKKER @ 8:25 (headliner)
Dance

They nearly won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording with “Drinkee.” The duo, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, got major attention with the song, which is sung in Portuguese. They’re repped by some of the same folks who worked with Scissor Sisters, so I have high hopes for this group.

SOFI TUKKER – photo by Luis Mora

Preview: BUMBERSHOOT!! 2017!! – Fri., 9/1

Posted on 09/01/2017 by Dagmar

Preview: BUMBERSHOOT!! 2017!! – Fri., 9/1
~Dagmar

Bumbershoot is here!! All Labor Day weekend, musicians, visual artists, comedians, films/filmmakers and writers take over Seattle Center. We never miss the event, and we always want you to join us as we explore loads of cool stuff. And some tasty food. Did we mention you can get food? (There’s a detailed list of food for sale right over here). And beer? And you can just have fun. So plan ahead and keep your strength up. You’ll need it as you explore all the cool things to do this year. Important: Get your mobile app and keep up to date with what’s happening, and informed of any late-breaking news.

A few music highlights for Friday, broken down by stages, include the following:

September 1st – Friday

Main Stage:

Foster the People @ 6:05
Pop

Foster the People

Los Angeles, California quartet famous for “Pumped Up Kicks.” Singer-songwriter shared these sentiments earlier this summer. Thank you, Mark:

We live in a trying time right now. Racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and religious persecution are more rampant than ever. This record was made in defiance against those cancerous ideas. Hopefully it makes you feel as it made us feel when we were working on it – that life is beautiful. And love will always be bigger than politics.

Foster the People’s third album, Sacred Hearts Club, was released in July 2017!

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Flume @ 9:35 (headliner)
EDM

Flume

Talented and Grammy-winning Flume returns to Seattle! He’s worked with quite the variety artists, from Beck to Vince Staples to Tove Lo. Don’t miss him.

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KeyArena

Whethan @ 6:20
Electronic

Whethan

Eighteen-year-old DJ Whethan continues his Good Nights Tour with a stop in Seattle. He’s played other summer festivals (Coachella, SXSW) this year, and he should receive a very warm welcome at Bumbershoot. Electronic music has become extremely popular in our city.

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JAUZ @ 8:15
EDM

JAUZ

You like heavy bass? Have no idea what that is? Find out when California’s JAUZ appears at KeyArena. JAUZ will most likely have a pretty awesome light show, too.

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Mural Ampitheatre
Pop

J GRGRY @ 3:45

J GRGRY

Led by Joe Gregory, the quartet J GRGRY is one of the best-known bands in Seattle. An intriguing band, their moodier sounds will be a juxtaposition to the summer day. . . not that this is bad. If they do a song called “eFlower,” though, it should just hit the spot.

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ZZ Ward @ 8:50 (headliner)
R&B/Blues

ZZ Ward – photo by Kirk Stauffer

Always a favorite here at Back Beat Seattle, ZZ Ward lists sauce as her music genre on Facebook. Somehow this makes sense. Ward joins Kaleo – great match – on the road this fall

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KEXP Stage

The Spider Ferns @ 3:00
Electronic

The Spider Ferns

Seattle-based duo the Spider Ferns perform their unusual music with sweet – and sometimes sinister – vocals from Kelly Fleek.

Photos: Watershed @ The Gorge Amphitheatre – Day 2

Posted on 08/28/2017 by Kirk

Day 2 of Watershed with 10 artists performing on the Main and Next From Nashville stages. Darius Rucker headlined on the Main stage with Bailey Bryan opening. Bryan headlined the Tractor Tavern in Seattle on August 15th. Lots of sun and a festive atmosphere. The photos are shown in reverse chronological order – from the headliners in the evening on each stage, to the openers in the early afternoon.