Q&A
Why, The Lonely Forest?
Why Anacortes? Guitarist Tony Ruland: I know living and growing up here has really affected us, probably on a level more so than we really understand. Maybe if we were from the Midwest, we’d be a metal band, and a lot more pissed off and less idealistic about things. There’s something very special about the Northwest. I have always lived here and will always live here. I have zero intention of leaving Anacortes. When you tour in big cities for two or three months straight, it’s really relieving to come home and recognize everyone, and know where every street starts and ends.
Why Bumbershoot? I love Bumbershoot. It’s the first real music festival I ever went to. I went every year between 1989 and 2009. It was a family tradition. I didn’t go last year. I’m really OCD about numbers and I felt like 20 years was a decent, even number to end on. I feel OK with that. Had it been 19, I would’ve had to have gone, because I wouldn’t want to end on an uneven number. Being able to remember when it was seven bucks to get in makes me feel like a geezer.
Why Thai? I’ll still buy that questionable $10 pad Thai and think it’s going to be good, take one bite, and get super-bummed. It’s this disappointing moment that I’ve just come to expect every Bumbershoot. I always feel like you have to eat everything there, like that booth is never going to be there again. “I have to get these chocolate-dipped strawberries that cost $14.” (The Lonely Forest, Sun., 1:30–2:30 p.m., Mainstage.) Greg Franklin
Sunday, September 4
ALL WEEKEND: See visual arts galleries on Saturday morning.
Noon to 1 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Films4Families—Animation Showcase: Sasquatches and balloons figure in this family-friendly showcase. #sasquatch. BRM
Noon to 12:45 p.m., Spectacle Stage
Seattle Sounders FC Soundwave: We love the Sounders’ pep band. But they need to learn more than six songs. #drewcareysidea #timberssuckforever. GB
Noon to 1 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Sol: Dear friends: Keep the summer vibes going with the rhythmic rhymes of UW’s favorite rapper, @Solzilla. #hiphop. EKT
Noon to 1 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Lifelines: Poets aged 16 to 19 represent the Youth Speaks Seattle program. #poetry. BRM
Noon to 1 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
More suited to a smoky piano bar than a noon #Bumbershoot slot, wake up by jazzercising to Gail Pettis‘ retro scat attack. MS
12:15 to 1:15 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
Kristin Hersh‘s provocative memoir of her teen years, Rat Girl, is translated onstage through her songs and storytelling. #throwingmuses #90srule #teenangst. MDL
12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Portland’s Kasey Anderson and the Honkies make dirty Southern blues infused with straight up rock ‘n’ roll, a recipe sure to activate any dormant pelvic region. #southernboogie. MDL
12:45 to 1:30 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Kore Ionz bakes uplifting reggae into its music and its message. A pleasantly rare find in our own backyard. #jah #onelove. CK
1 to 1:45 p.m., SIFF Cinema
aLIVe: A special package of shorts promotes electric vehicles and other eco-friendly transportation choices. #nerds #recycling #environment #recumbentbicyles #tevaswithsocks. BRM
1 to 2 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
Don’t let the name fool you. Davila 666 is reminiscent of Kings of Leon—had they been founded in Puerto Rico. Fun rock with sing-alongs. #behappydontworry. JW
1 to 2 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
1:15 to 2:15 p.m., The Vera Project
The Humor Program: Smarty-pants kids meld stand-up, sound effects, and couch conversation into one thoroughly entertaining hybrid. #comedy. MDL
1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Mainstage
Chris Walla gave The Lonely Forest that DCFC sheen on their big-label debut, Arrows, last spring. This is a chance to rise to the occasion. #upandcoming. CK
1:30 to 2:30 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Wayne Horvitz is the consummate jazz professional, but since when did he sell his band’s naming rights to #PioneerSquare eateries? MS
1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Whalebones: @whalebonesmusic’s fuzzy, rambling, vintage rock-and-roll sounds are staging a takeover. #rockoutwithyourcockout. EKT
1:45 to 2:45 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Pamela Des Barres: The famed groupie and memoirist (I’m With the Band) shares tales of decadence from the ’60s and ’70s. #sex #drugs #rockandroll. BRM
2 to 3 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Cupid Attack: Stories of love, from Qatar to the UK. #love #regret #shame #drunkenhookups. BRM
2 to 3 p.m., Decibel Stage
Tune into DJ Justin Timbreline‘s underground sound and dance your cares away. #techno #house #dubstep #dance #mashups. JSW
2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Love ’em or hate ’em, you cannot deny that Mad Rad are among the hardest-working performers in town. #itgetssweaty #spontaneousimpregnation. CK
2:15 to 3:30 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. MDl
2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Massy Ferguson represents Americana in the tradition of Sun Volt. It’s appropriate listening while driving heavy equipment. #americana #caterpillar. MDL
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., 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
2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
NoMeansNo: Punk the way it’s supposed to sound: loud, fast, trashy, raunchy, and full of angst . . . with some minor Les Claypool psychedelics thrown in. #punk #teenangst #sorefeet. JW
2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Intiman Theatre
Who are Freestyle Love Supreme? Think of them as The Lonely Island throwing down with legitimate flavor, so comedic and quick you’ll wish they had a rewind button. #comedy. MDL *With Rory Scovel
3 to 4 p.m., The Vera Project
Sketchfest showcases strong local talents in the fields of performance, writing, and improv. #comedy. MDL
3 to 4 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
If @MarriottHotels were cooler, Thomas Marriott’s Human Spirit would #jazzify the lounge nightly, and the #absinthe would flow. MS
3 to 4:15 p.m., Mainstage
Broken Social Scene: The indie scene can seem like a elitist party. But the indie-ignorant (God bless you) won’t have a problem grabbing these Canucks’ high-energy live set. #ocanada. CK
3:15 to 4:15 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Thee Oh Sees are obviously great, but does anyone else think John Dwyer sounds kind of like a snarling little goblin when he sings? #possessedbysatan. EKT
3:30 to 4:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Tasveer Presents: Shorts from South Asia include forbidden love and ethnic stereotypes (the latter written by comedian Hari Kondabolu; see above). #tasveer #harikondabolu. BRM
3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
From Music to Literature: This panel discussion includes Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses, Rat Girl), Nathan Larson (Shudder to Think), and journalist Nelson George (Hip Hip America). #literature #kristinhersh #rockandroll. BRM
3 to 3:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
The Sight Below‘s echoing instrumentals murmur of the beauty of sadness and calm amid chaos. #ambient #shoegazing #mopecore. JSW
4 to 4:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Heavier hip-hop beats balance light ambient melodies in Shigeto‘s detailed tracks. #hiphop #experimental #progressive. JSW
4 to 5 p.m., Starbucks Stage
The Jim Jones Revue‘s latest record is called Burning Your House Down, which makes sense. Their barn-burning songs are like Jerry Lee Lewis meets the Bad Seeds. #mashups #cousinmarriage. MDL
4 to 5 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
DåM-FunK + Master Blazter: Producer/DJ DåM-FunK glides down a musical slip-and-slide with one hand on the beatbox and the other on a Slurpee. #mmmmslurpeestastegood. CK
4 to 4:45 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
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
4:30 to 5:30 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
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Best of SIFF 2011 Audience Award Winners: The highlight here is the story of a South African hamster that runs away from home. #siff #hamsters #squee. BRM
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
AgesandAges could easily be the house band for #Portlandia. Their harmonies are crisp, but they should leave the clapping to the crowd. MS
4:45 to 5:45 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
German digital hardcore pop with a spoonful of anti-Nazi views, Atari Teenage Riot might actually cause unplanned weight loss. #ecstasy #sorryaboutthatwholeww2thing. JW
4:45 to 5:45 p.m., The Vera Project
Local comics deliver all the sweet, demented laughs a name like Kitty Cats in Pirate Hats can promise. #comedy #arrrr!pirates! 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 5:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Com Truise‘s synthesizer-warped ’80s funk brings will make you nostalgia for the Atari console games of your youth. #funk #80srule. JSW
5 to 6 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
If the Shangri-Las took an idyllic summer sailing trip around the Atlantic Ocean and sang songs about it, might sound like Tennis‘ Cape Dory. #yachtrock. EKT
5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Center House
Family Dinner: From WWU, student comedians in the improv troupe Dead Parrots Society perform their antics. #comedy #montypython #nerds #dudeimtotallymajoringincomedy. BRM
5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Why Censorship? Why Revolution? Why Now?: The ACLU’s Pat Gallagher will join other panelists (TBA) to consider these questions. #censorship #aclu #why. BRM
5:30 to 6:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Face the Music: Comic shorts and music vids include the Thermals and the Bacon Brother (Kevin and the other guy who isn’t an actor). #sixdegreesofkevinbacon. BRM
5:45 to 6:45 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Das Racist‘s train-wreck live shows can be hard to look away from. The rappers have mastered the art of intelligent irreverence. #cantbelieveijustsaidthat. CK
5:45 to 6:45 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Jessica Lea Mayfield is a folk pixie songbird who plays heartbreaking tunes with a kinship to Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle. #thegoodkindofcountrymusic. MDL
6 to 6:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Renounce the status quo with the distorted guitar and yearning vocals of HTRK (Hate Rock). #australia #angrykoalas. JSW
6 to 7 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
@Kaylee Cole should just formally join #TheHead&theHeart and be done with it. She’s like their missing pinkie. 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
6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Exhibition Hall Stage
Anti-Flag: Melodic punk with a heavy emphasis on social criticism, fist-pumping, and Mohawks. Look, @Greenday: proof it’s possible without eyeliner. #punk #borntoolate. JW
6:15 to 7:15 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
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, which pushes the boundaries of humor. #comedy #edgy. MDL
6:45 to 7:45 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Warpaint, that sensitive indie guy’s dream: four arty babes playing sexy music. #anthonykiedisapproved. EKT
6:45 to 7:45 p.m., Center House
Manos: The Hands of Felt: Based on a 1966 Satan-worshipping-cult movie, this puppet production (by Puppet This) is likely suited for adults, not kids. #theater #puppetry #satan. BRM
7 to 7:45 p.m., Spectacle Stage
Seattle Sounders FC Soundwave: We love the Sounders’ pep band. But they need to learn more than six songs. #drewcareysidea #timberssuckforever. GB
7 to 8 p.m., Leo K. Theatre
Dan Savage and Terry Miller: A chat with the founders of the “It Gets Better” inspirational-video project. GB
7 to 8:30 p.m., SIFF Cinema
Astonishing Tales: A Canadian camping trip turns into a bloodbath, plus other chilling stories. #ocanada! #carjacking #serialkillers. BRM
7 to 7:50 p.m., Decibel Stage
Tycho‘s rippling warbles invite peaceful disconnect and set you adrift in a daydream. #electoacoustic #psychedelic #nature #whoa. JSW
7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Beavis and Butt-head may be mounting a comeback, but influential alt-rockers Butthole Surfers have kept at it for three decades. #punk. CK
7:30 to 8:30 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Allen Stone looks like @JohnRoderick with #GoldieHawn’s hair, sounds like #AdamLevine covering Stevie Wonder. MS
7:30 to 8:45 p.m., Starbucks Stage
What do the Stones, Willie Nelson, George Harrison, and Frank Sinatra all have in common? They all worked with Leon Russell. #livinglegends. MDL
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
8 to 9 p.m., Mainstage
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are as big a hip-hop concern as the city’s seen in decades. Expect surprises and extravagance. #hiphop. #localheroes. CK
8 to 9 p.m., Decibel Stage
School of Seven Bells‘ smooth vocals and unpredictable guitar dance around each other in dizzy, chaotic harmony. #indierock JSW
8 to 9 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
8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Fountain Lawn Stage
Toro y Moi: Making hip, edgy music was the one chance a nearsighted guy named Chazwick Bundick had to be cool. #nerds #underthepineisbrilliant. EKT
9 to 10 p.m., EMP Level 3 Stage
Like a long, lost #AvettBrother, @JoePug‘s earnest, calming country-folk is the perfect antidote to Allen Stone’s blue-eyed soul. MS
9 to 10 p.m., Decibel Stage
Lusine creates a detailed soundscape with playful glitches that fall lightly atop ambient harmonics. #IDM #electronica. JSW
9:15 to 10:30 p.m., Fisher Green Stage
Though the Kills have been overshadowed by Alison Mosshart’s gig w/Jack White in The Dead Weather, this duo ain’t no also-ran. #theytryharder. CK
9:30 to 10:45 p.m., Mainstage
Wiz Khalifa has to follow Seattle’s hottest rap duo (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis). Parents be warned: His rhymes aren’t as “Seattle nice” as his opener. #hiphop #containsadultcontent. CK
9:30 to 10:45 p.m., Starbucks Stage
Carbon Leaf combines elements of folk, country, Americana, and bluegrass for tunes that have earned a cult following. #neohippies #jerrysstilldead. MDL
9:45 to 10:45 p.m., Bagley Wright Theatre
Members of the Seattle Symphony, including their new music director, offer an odd lineup of chamber music, from Vivaldi to Glass and beyond. #classicalmusicatbumbershoot #hellfreezesover. GB
10 p.m. to 4 a.m., Bumbershoot After Dark, Exhibition Hall
Decibel Fest presents DJ Z-Trip, Four Tet, Dam-Funk, and others at the new after-hours showcase. The show is 16+, and a separate ticket ($22 adv./$30 DOS) is required. CK
