Bumbershoot

All I heard on the streets of Seattle this summer was how great the Bumbershoot lineup looked and that this was one of the best years in recent memory. While 2014 marked only my second year at the music and arts festival that takes over Seattle Center on Labor Day weekend, when I compared this year’s lineup to last year’s impressive collection of artists, I couldn’t help but shake my head sadly.

As Labor Day approaches and people across the country begin pulling out their warmer clothes, Seattle is gearing up for one last bash in the form of Bumbershoot. Spanning three days in the heart of Seattle Center, this will be the 43rd year for the music and arts festival that never fails to provide a sense of comfort as the summer comes to a close.

The chill in the air and the familiar rumble of school buses tells us that summer is quietly coming to an end. If you were at Bumbershoot this past weekend, however, school lunches and winter jackets were far from a hot topic. In its 42nd year, Seattle’s music and arts festival was blessed with sunny skies, a distinct lineup, and its 7 millionth visitor ever.

Between the comedy, films, lectures, and music, Bumbershoot almost has too much going on. Almost. If you find yourself at a loss for direction, here are five musical acts that are guaranteed to leave you with a grin on your face.

Although there’s no camping at Bumbershoot, the crowd looks funkier than yesterday. I pass many familiar faces strolling around Seattle Center; they may be reapplied with make-up or flourished with new clothes, but no amount of blush can mask the wear and tear of an all-nighter. I get the sense that, even if it wasn’t 80 degrees and sunny, people would still be wearing their shades.

When a Seattleite says ‘look on the bright side’ they’re, more times than not, actually referring to a sunny patch of pavement on the opposite sidewalk. That these words are also used to conduce vitality in the worn and haggard – who, let’s be honest, are most likely depressed due to a Vitamin D deficiency – is sheer coincidence. Or is it?