Q&A
Why, Emmett Montgomery?
Why the beard? I’ve been shaving since I was 10. It’s one of the many costumes I wear. It’s like a mask that grows out of my face. The thing about facial hair is, sometimes it starts wearing you. The beard is such an icon for masculinity that skinny weirdo hipsters are embracing it, taking it back.
Why risk unsavory beard stereotypes? There are certain things about being a six-foot guy with a beard that I like. I can walk down alleys unmolested. I’m the last guy people sit next to on the bus. There are certain practical applications to being a bearded weirdo. If people assume by my beard that I’m gentle and intelligent, OK. Look at the beard stereotypes—you got the evil wizard, which is OK. You can mistake me for that. The professor or the psychiatrist or the Old Testament prophet—they’re all kind of interesting roles.
Why don’t we see bearded ladies at the circus anymore? I do think she’s becoming less relevant as gender stereotypes are blurring. I think everybody should have the right to have a beard—if they can grow one. And they shouldn’t be kept in cages. (Weird and Awesome With Emmett Montgomery: Sat., 4:45–5:45 p.m., The Vera Project.) BRIAN MILLER
Saturday, September 3
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All weekend:
11 a.m. to close, Seattle Center Pavilion
Bumber by Number: Ryan Feddersen will ink a giant paint-by-numbers design that Bumbergoers will then complete. It’s interactive! #ryanfeddersen #visualarts. BRIAN MILLER
11 a.m. to close, Seattle Center Pavilion
Expedition: Video artist Leslie Lyons enlists you, the Bumbergoer, in her participatory, crowd-sourced three-day film. #videoarts #leslielyons #everyonesastar. BRM
11 a.m. to close, Seattle Center Pavilion
The Magic Show: This group show includes locals Peter Bristol, Britta Johnson, and Jason Puccinelli, plus visitors Thomas Petillo, Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, and Doug Young. #visualarts #magic. BRM
11 a.m. to close, Seattle Center Pavilion
Skater’s Gauntlet: Sculptor W. Scott Trimble’s wooden installation is actually located in the adjacent skate park. No riding allowed! #visualarts #wscotttrimble #skateboardingisnotacrime. BRM
11 a.m. to close, Fisher Pavilion
Flatstock: More than 70 poster artists will exhibit, sign, and sell their work. #nerds #flatstock #posters. BRM
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Noon to 12:45 p.m., Spectacle Stage
MarchFourth Marching Band: It’s not a date, it’s a verb. #portland #neocircusperformance. GAVIN BORCHERT
Noon to 1 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Films4Families—The International Family Passport: Kids learn about monsters, enchanted mice, and proper table manners. And a cow seeks to rule the world! #madcows. BRM
Noon to 1 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Poet Andrea Gibson joins teens from Youth Speaks Seattle, who’ll also share their verse. #poetry. BRM
Noon to 1 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Locals Campfire Ok bring rollicking Appalachian-style folk with a dash of Northwest melancholy. #bandswithbanjos. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Noon to 1 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Transported to the future from the late ’60s, Tomten loves organs and sounds like #procolharum #jimmorrisonwhenhesnotshitfaced. MIKE SEELY
12:15 to 1:30 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
The Trey McIntyre Project wants to “convey the emotion and grace of life’s journey” through ballet. Did we mention that his dancers are smokin’ hotties? #dance #menintightpants. MA’CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
12:45 to 1:30 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Tropical indie-rockers Yuni in Taxco bring spices of Latin rhythm and Afropop for full flavor. Best enjoyed with your toes in the sand. #leavebudlightathome. JOE WILLIAMS
12:45 to 1:45 p.m., Starbucks Stage
The Caleb Klauder Country Band meld vintage country and modern Americana for a sound all their own. #americana. MDL
1 to 2:15 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Why Aren’t These People Famous?: Mumblecore director Jay Duplass profiles Kevin Grant. Local favorite Duffy Bishop also gets her due. #mumblecore. BRM
1 to 2 p.m., Intiman Theatre
Who are Freestyle Love Supreme? Think of them as The Lonely Island throwing down with legitimate flavor, so comic and quick you’ll wish they had a rewind button. #comedy. MDL *With Rory Scovel
1 to 2 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
Witchburn takes the twang of Southern metal & spices it with West Coast thrash. Their pants might be tighter than yours, though. #brutal. JW
1:15 to 2 p.m., Mainstage
Brite Futures are the first Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head cover band ever to land a gig at KeyArena. #queenamidala. Chris Kornelis
1:15 to 2:15 p.m., The Vera Project
Stop Podcasting Yourself: This celebrity open mike hosted by John Keister promises a bevy of “surprising, familiar faces.” #comedy #johnkeister. MDL
1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Craft Spells is the freshest band in Seattle, updating the electro-dance music of the ’80s with irresistible pop melodies. #electropop #80srule. EKT
1:30 to 2:30 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
@davematthewsdmb + the Pittsburgh Symphony = Kris Orlowski & the Passenger String Quartet. MS
1:45 to 2:45 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
The Stranger‘s Genius Awards Panel: A roundtable with a handful of recipients of their arts awards. #willtherebecake? GB
2 to 3 p.m., Decibel Stage
Make light of reality and contemplate the feelings of unicorns with The Great Mundane‘s gentle synthesizer warbles. #house #hiphop #unicorns. JULIA S. WATERHOUS
2:15 to 3 p.m., SIFF Cinema
48 Hour Film Project: Instant movies of variable quality. Your chance to feel superior to Terrence Malick, or at least more productive. #inahurry. BRM
2:15 to 3 p.m., Center House
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: Book-It Rep performs this children’s tale by Grace Lin. #theater #childrensevents. BRM
2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Champagne Champagne: Electro-rap with witty lyrics and a ’90s West Coast hip-hop feel. Hella addictive. #sodapoprocks #nerdrapgonecrazy JW
2:30 to 2:45 p.m., Spectacle Stage
A quarter-hour of street theater from Emerald City Improv. #comedy #urbanpranksters. GB
2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
Donald Byrd’s celebrated Spectrum Dance Theatre brings edge, spirit, and diversity to the world of contemporary dance. #dance #donaldbyrd. MDL
2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Seeking an Australian take on traditional American music? Look no further than Melbourne’s Wagons. Authenticity born in the deeeep South. #downunder #kangaroos. MDL
2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Intiman Theatre
If you have no sense of humor about this city or its residents, Hari Kondabolu is not for you. He’ll skewer all the sacred cows of his former home. #comedy #harikondabolu. MDL *With Kyle Kinane, Anthony Jeselnik
2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
Heavy metal minus the sound of gargling knives, Red Fang‘s die-hard attitude seems to stem from a hatred of barber shops. #slowheadbang. JW
2:45 to 4 p.m., Mainstage
The Presidents of the United States of America haven’t put out a record since 2008, but the trio still breathes life into the city’s most exciting alt-pop time capsule. #oldies #pusa #peaches. CK
3 to 3:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Natasha Kmeto: Did FlyLo and Alicia Keys have an illegitimate child? #futuristic #soul #r&b #powerballad #portland. JSW
3 to 4 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
If @ShelbyEarl & #NekoCase performed a duet at the Grand Canyon, their voices would fill it. Shelby’s twangy sound is rich & passionate. MS
3 to 4 p.m., The Vera Project
The Ashley Judd Comedy Hour is a monthly gathering of Seattle’s top comedians. #comedy #noashleyjuddwillnotappear. MDL
3:15 to 4:15 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Astronautalis hybridizes folk, rock, hip-hop, and blues—almost as if Beck and Eminem had produced a love child. #hiphop. EKT
3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Center House
The Lost Folio: Wing-It Productions enlists audience suggestions to create something new and sorta Shakespearean. #theater #comedy #notactuallyshakespeare. BRM
3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Popular gay novelist Christopher Rice (son of he famous Anne) shares family tales and reads from The Moon. #christopherrice #annerice #vampires. BRM
3:30 to 4:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Nerds Unite!: D&D players debate rules, a video-store clerk hopes to meet Sam Raimi, and a Québécoise chicken is king for a day. #nerds #chickens. BRM
4 to 4:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Drift away to Emancipator‘s smooth instrumental melodies and pattering drums. #captivating #fairies #forests #nature. JSW
4 to 5 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Nortec Collective fuses Norteño music and techno; they’re leaders of the electro scene in Tijuana. Come ready to dance. #2grammynominations #mexico. JW
4:15 to 5:15 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
The Improvised Shakespeare Company ad-libs completely original Elizabethan-esque performances that would have the Bard’s grave a-rollin’. #theater #comedy #notactuallyshakespeare. MDL
4:15 to 5:15 p.m., Starbucks Stage
The phrase “Scandinavian folk” might conjure an image of ruddy-cheeked, blue-eyed skiers, but it is also exactly the kind of music Väsen makes. #scandinavianfolk. MDL
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Scribes raps about nailin’ hos, putting broccoli & cheese on his dick, and getting drunk & smoking weed all day. @Macklemore he’s not. MS
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
Record-store owners must hate categorizing Valient Thorr. Think heavy-Southern-punk-rock-metal-attitude. Nobody introduce them to reggae. #mashups. JW
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Intiman Theatre
Best known for their Auto-Tuned songs based on YouTube news figures, The Gregory Brothers (one of whom is a lady) will challenge your meme IQ. #bedintruder #doublerainbow #memes. MDL *With Wayne Federman
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Best of SIFF 2011 Jury Award Winners: Topics include time travel, a submarine adventure, and unclaimed human remains at the Oregon State Hospital. #siff. BRM
4:45 to 5:45 p.m., The Vera Project
Weird and Awesome With Emmett Montgomery: This local mashup of drunkenness, awkwardness, and self-deprecation is perfect for those who enjoy their laughter with a side of tears. #comedy #sadclowns. MDL
5 to 5:15 p.m., Spectacle Stage
Trey McIntyre’s spontaneous-dance troupe SpUrbans makes performance flash mobs. FlashDANCE mobs! #random #fromboise. GB
5 to 5:45 p.m., Center House
Bonnie and the Robberie: Marya Sea Kaminski performs her take on the saga of Bonnie and Clyde via spoken word and song. #theater #adaptations. BRM
5 to 5:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Nice Nice: 2 men + 1 drum set + 1 guitar + countless loops = manic dialogue. #portland #postrock #alternative #beatloop. JSW
5 to 6 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Beefy, punchy indie rock never goes out of style. PS I Love You rocks it like their Canadian brethren Wolf Parade do. #pop #indie #love. EKT
5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Why Nerds? Why Old Timey? Why Now?: Panelists (TBA) debate the new fetish for all things retro. #nerds #why. BRM
5:30 to 6:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Twisted Fairytales: #unicorns #spiders #nightmares #serialkillers #actualfariesnotthegaykind. BRM
5:45 to 6:45 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Shabazz Palaces: Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler crafts tranquil, out-of-this-world beats with a combo of Seattle hip-hop and aural cocaine. #fullbodyhigh. JW
6 to 6:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Beat Connection‘s electro-pop rhythms are perfect for a peppy sunset beach walk. Aviators required. #80srule #beachy. JSW
6 to 7 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Pickwick looks like North Bend, sounds like Philly. What #Hall&Oates would be like had they never discovered blow, blazers, & #manscara. MS
6 to 7 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
Scott Aukerman’s Comedy Bang Bang Podcast exists so Scott and his funny friends can laugh, love, sing, improvise, and of course plug! #comedy #podcasts. MDL
6 to 7 p.m., Starbucks Stage
MarchFourth Marching Band adds swing, funk, and wild costumes for a Rose Bowl Parade-on-acid experience. #funk #batons #sorefeet. MDL
6:15 to 7:15 p.m., Intiman Theatre
Eugene Mirman is Sub Pop-approved and one of the sharpest tacks in the box. Amy Schumer? Well, she’s sweet-faced, foul-mouthed, and way fond of booze. #comedy #boozehounds. MDL
6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Center House
Bit(e), tear, gnaw, GULP!: The avant-garde local Gesamtkunstwerk! theater collective takes a very meta look at communication and performance. #theater #bertoltbrecht #myheadhurts. BRM
6:30 to 7:30 p.m., The Vera Project
Not for the faint of heart, the People’s Republic of Komedy presents Laff Hole, hosted tonight by Almost Live comedy icon John Keister. #comedy #edgy #johnkeister. #80srule. MDL
6:45 to 7:45 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Start to wind down your evening with the loose, easy, and pleasing folk songs of Vetiver. #subpopartists. EKT
7 to 7:45 p.m., Spectacle Stage
MarchFourth Marching Band: It’s not a date, it’s a verb. #portland #neocircusperformance. GB
7 to 7:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Hard times? Free the Robots‘ steady background bass, low beats, and glitches urge you to press on. #soundtracktoarevolution. JSW
7 to 8 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy and his wife, illustrator Carson Ellis, have started a new children’s book series with Wildwood. #decemberists #colinmeloy #kiddielit. BRM
7 to 8:15 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Animation for Adults: A Spanish widow searches for her dead husband’s winning lottery ticket, plus Japanese tattoo artistry and a storm-chaser. #suddenwindfalls. BRM
7:15 to 7:45 p.m., Mainstage
Even if Graceland is as close as you get to African pop, you’ll find plenty to groove to with South Africa’s Vusi Mahlasela. #amandla #livinglegends. CK
7:30 to 8:30 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Canadian banjoist @JaymeStone‘s avant-garde jams would be more at home in #Marrakesh than #Mississippi. MS
7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Little Dragon: Electro-pop is a universal language, from Sweden to Seattle. Constant European tours and a recording with Gorillaz? Yes, please. #farfromhome JW
7:45 to 8:45 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
Doug Loves Movies: Doug Benson is hilarious because he loves to talk movies like you do, with his funniest friends on hand. Usually stoned. #dougbenson #movies #stoners. MDL
7:45 to 8:45 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews calls his style of music “Supafunkrock.” And we couldn’t agree more. #funk. MDL
8 to 8:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
LawnChair Generals give MVP treatment, with build-ups that drop into beats of head- bopping house. #housemusic #freestyle. JSW
8 to 9 p.m., Intiman Theatre
Deon Cole is the sweet chocolate center in the vat of rice pudding known as Conan O’Brien’s writing staff. #comedy #ebonyandivory. MDL *With Kurt Metzger
8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Time to break out your dancing pants with Starfucker. Staying seated not an option. Let’s hope no one gets arrested. #danceface2000. EKT
9 to 9:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Pezzner‘s ethereal melodies are punctuated by a dialogue of futuristic and woodsy beats. #house #techno #soundscape. JSW
9 to 10 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Take Regina Spektor (@respektor), make her black, less talented, and more annoying, and you’ve got Meklit Hadero. MS
9:15 to 10:30 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Locals Minus the Bear traded trippy math-rock for danceable jams on Omni, but vocalist Jake Snider is as emphatic as ever. #newisgood. JW
9:15 to 10:45 p.m., Mainstage
Ray LaMontagne has all the adult-contemporary, faux-folk bona fides as Seattle’s The Head and the Heart, but without the indie cred. #faux/k. CK
9:30 to 10:45 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Mavis Staples is worth the entire price of your Bumbershoot ticket. Her soulful voice will make you reconsider religion. #livinglegends. MDL
10 p.m. to 4 a.m., Bumbershoot After Dark, Exhibition Hall
Decibel Fest presents Craze, Claude Vonstroke, Jokers of the Scene, and others at the new after-hours showcase. The show is 16+, and a separate ticket ($22 adv./$30 DOS) is required. CK
