let me breathe fire: Bumbershoot : Umbrella or Seattle's biggest music, art, and film festival

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to drive to Seattle with my friends Milk and Christopher. I got to see my family which was so exciting but I also got to attend Bumbershoot and see some amazing bands play. You think you know, but you have no idea.

Here was my view for the whole thirteen hour car trip. Notice the Washington evergreens (No they wouldn't let me have the front seat. I even heard Christopher exclaim that he didn't trust me behind the wheel.)
Sorry I don't know how to make the picture expand so I just made them big.

The first band I saw was Rogue Wave. I had heard so much about them but had never heard any of their music. The show was good despite the fact I didn't know any of the songs. Here is the lead singer rocking out. He was different from other indie frontmen in the fact that he had a goatee and pierced ears.

The best part of the Rogue Wave show was the drummer/guitarist who had the most beautiful afro (pictured below)

Next up was the ever so effervescent Of Montreal. At the start of the show the lead guitarist proclaimed that they were going to make love to us through their music. I felt that love. They delivered the hits: Oslo in the Summertime, So Begins Our Alibee, and they finished it off with a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". Here is a picture of Kevin Barnes in one of three outfits that he wore throughout the one hour set. I wish I could have captured him wearing the grey school girl skirt. But this red belly shirt is pretty amazing.

And it was even better when he felt the need to tear off his shirt. What you can't see is that there is also a very inappropriate rip in his pants.

Here are some sweaty Seattle-ites. I wish I had a picture of the guy standing next to me rolling his own "cigarettes".

And last but certainly not least, the man who makes me clasp my hands together and cry tears of happiness, Badly Drawn Boy himself, Damon Gough. He was so rock star at Bumbershoot and was sure to play lots of riffs for us. Those are not his sunglasses by the way. He stole them off somebody in the front row. He gave them back, just not to the person he took them from. I am always amazed at his ability to smoke and sing at the same time.

Here he is playing one of his most beloved melodies The Shining. He asked for our requests but after hearing all of them said they were all crap and that he would stick to his original plan. I blame this on the drink. But despite how sloshed he might have been, he played with great accuracy and passion. He is truly brilliant