Step Cousins
Menomena
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Northwest hip-hop supergroup? Perhaps. Step Cousins are MCs Macklemore and Xperience, who hail from Olympia and Seattle. Macklemore is the amazing MC known for copping to his life of privilege, while Xperience is a former member of the Oldominion crew. EMP Sky Church. 12:15–1 p.m.
The Cave Singers
Composed of local scene veterans, the Cave Singers are one of the most exciting acts we have. Playing an eerie, woodsy indie folk, the Cave Singers write songs that are as informed by the Carter Family as they are by Fleetwood Mac. In the past year, they signed with Matador. Their debut, Invitation Songs, will be released in September. Wells Fargo Stage. 1:45–2:45 p.m.
As the band that put Sub Pop back on the map, the Shins have been wooing audiences all over the world with indie pop that is both finely orchestrated and homespun. Their most recent album, Wincing the Night Away, landed at No. 2 on Billboard. They've since become Sub Pop's first band to perform on Saturday Night Live. Samsung Stage. 2:30– 3:45 p.m.
Davy Rothbart/FOUND Magazine
When somebody has a great idea, he has a great idea. Even if it is simply reading shit other people wrote. Davy Rothbart is creator and editor of FOUND magazine, a publication devoted to reprinting discarded letters and found items sent in by readers. He's been a contributor to This American Life, and has appeared on numerous TV talk shows. Here, his brother Peter (a recent Seattle transplant) will play guitar as Davy shares some of his favorite notes from the pages of FOUND. Leo K. Theatre. 1:45–2:45 p.m.
What else can we say about our local hip-hop hedonists the Saturday Knights? They know how to throw a damn party. Taking hip-hop back to the days of early Beasties and Run-DMC, they are raw and soulful all at once. Most critics call their lyrics socially aware, but you won't hear the Saturday Knights waxing poetic about Marxism. No, their lyrics and beats are straight from the working-class neighborhoods and clubs of Tacoma. Esurance Stage. 4–5 p.m.
As opposed to most indie-rock bands, Menomena stand out because they are a wildly fun and creative bunch. They don't just sing and play songs, they bend, twist, and distort indie rock into a truly unique listening experience. While they were forgotten somewhat soon after the release of their album last winter, you can't blame Menomena. Band-of-the-moment, they are not. Sound Transit Stage. 6–7 p.m.
Don't blame the Gourds every time you hear a frat boy playing their bluegrass cover of Snoop's "Gin & Juice." Despite its subsequent fan base, that was one seriously clever cover. A staple on the Austin scene for some time, the Gourds are a tight unit with the ability to perform very loosely. Hell, they even scored a film about growing beards in Texas. Need we say more? Starbucks Stage, 6:45–8 p.m.
You ever hear that song "Ambulance Blues" by Neil Young? Yeah, the one with that rolling, beautifully plucked acoustic intro. Well, he ripped that off from Bert Jansch, but at least he admits it. Seeing Jansch live at Bumbershoot is a must. He's extremely reclusive, preferring to live quietly in rural Scotland. His appearance here is akin to Vashti Bunyan's last year...one that, no matter how it might turn out, you go see regardless. Wells Fargo Stage. 7–8:15 p.m.
