Bumbershoot: Monday’s Recommended Shows

Comments (0) Wednesday, Sep 2 2009

Vampires & Robots

Courtesy of Bumbershoot

Mirah

Courtesy of Bumbershoot

Wallpaper

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Special Section: SW's Guide to Bumbershoot 2009 + live festival coverage.

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Quick: In a battle between the mechanical and the eternal, who would prevail? Vampires have sharp teeth, but robots don't bleed. (Also: encased in metal.) Vampires fight (and bite) best at night, but robots have infrared vision. Local author Kevin Emerson (of the Oliver Nocturne YA fiction series) will here debate Daniel Wilson, responsible for How to Build a Robot Army and How to Survive a Robot Uprising (among other robo-centric works). Wait, here's another thing: Vampires can fly, but only after they turn themselves into bats. And bats might be much more agile than big, lumbering, rocket-powered robots. And while vampires are scared of garlic, here's a little-known fact: Robots are afraid of canned beets. Really, I read it on Wikipedia, so it must be true. Unless those damn vampires are just making shit up again. Literary Arts Stage, noon–1:15 p.m. BRIAN MILLER

Point Juncture, WA

At first listen, Point Juncture, WA's third full-length record, Heart to Elk, is a saccharine synth-pop record as cloying and airy as cotton candy; give it another spin, and you'll find these guys leave more than a fleeting aftertaste. On disc, the band's sound is ethereal, and a little too timid—particularly Amanda Spring's voice. Live, though, Spring belts it from the gut, and the general impression is more chocolate stout than cotton candy. It's still sweet, but it's got some bite as well. EMP Sky Church, 1:45 p.m. SARA BRICKNER

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears claim both deceased N.W.A. frontman Eazy-E and seminal punk band Rocket From the Tombs as influences, and it definitely shows in both attitude and energy, if not sound. The Austin-based eight-piece is classic soul through and through, but delivered with a modern edginess that only strengthens the allure of their vintage jams. Stylish, sexy, and absolutely kinetic live, Lewis and his Honeybears are the festival's sleeper secret. Starbucks Stage, 3:15 p.m. HANNAH LEVIN

Mirah

Mirah Zeitlyn is in no hurry to make music. This year marked the release of (a)spera, her first solo full-length since 2004's critically adored C'mon Miracle. In the meantime, the Portland-based singer-songwriter spent her time collaborating with Spectratone International, a multimedia project commissioned by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Seattle International Children's Festival, remixing some songs, and releasing an album of rarities. Mirah is the sort of musician who revels in the creative process, which you can hear in her music—especially lo-fi, lyric-driven songs like "Jerusalem" off C'mon Miracle. But even her booming, beating, electro-influenced songs, like "The Garden" (from 2001's Advisory Committee), are deliberate and well-crafted. Mirah's songs ooze confidence, and she knows there's no need to rush perfection. Broad Street Stage, 4:15 p.m. PAIGE RICHMOND

Dead Confederate

Athens, Ga., outfit Dead Confederate is definitely down with the Southern rock, but they're also far more into Neil Young than Lynyrd Skynyrd ever was. Neil and Crazy Horse's epic, stomping cosmic-rock jams provide a launching pad for Dead Confederate's compelling attack, but so does the atmospheric psych-Americana of My Morning Jacket. Even the furious howl of early Nirvana plays a part: Just listen to "Heavy Petting" and try not to hear the ghost of Kurt Cobain in singer Hardy Morris' tortured holler. Rockstar Stage, 6 p.m. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

Wallpaper

The members of Wallpaper have repeatedly stated that they're not your typical Seattle hipsters. All three members are from Lake Tapps, down in Pierce County, so they're detached from any Capitol Hill influences. And the band shuns heavy use of guitar pedals or manufactured beats, aiming for a Velvet Underground–meets–Buddy Holly sort of vibe. It's fine if Wallpaper wants to shirk labels, but let's be honest here: This is the sort of music that hipsters cream themselves over. It's bouncy, infectious, and full of '90s apathy; plus, the band members look like they're auditioning for a remake of Harold and Maude. (Not to mention that Wallpaper was discovered by Calvin Johnson of über-hip K Records fame.) Sure, "hipster" is sometimes a four-letter-word, but in Wallpaper's case, it means the band's comfortably found its niche: making tight pop songs that the kids on Capitol Hill will love. EMP Sky Church, 6:15 p.m. PAIGE RICHMOND

Franz Ferdinand

Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand first won us over five years ago with the sexually charged anthem "Take Me Out." But having an acclaimed debut album under their belt quickly went from being a blessing to a curse when the quartet's highly anticipated sophomore effort (You Could Have It So Much Better) failed to take off outside the U.K. Fortunately, Franz Ferdinand redeemed itself with a third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, its best to date. The band has spiced up its sound with Jamaican dub beats and disco funk, while retaining its brazen lyrical content ("Flick your cigarette, then kiss me/Kiss me where your eye won't meet me.") Lead singer Alex Kapranos saunters his way through subjects like getting high, hooking up in bars, and feeling remorseful the morning after with such ease that you get the feeling he and his bandmates have engaged in more than their fair share of debauched behavior. Samsung Mobile Mainstage, 7:45 p.m. ERIKA HOBART

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