Since the 1970’s Bumbershoot has been a cultural celebration for viewers near and far. The festival not only provides music but food, art, comedy, spoken word, and film. This year we were lucky enough to make the trip to Seattle to see the long established event for ourselves.

Friday:

Rocker babes Deap Vally started off our weekend full force with heavy guitar riffs. Having been introduced at the Rino Festival here in Denver, we were happy to run into them again. We scurried over to the main stage next for one of our faves Foster The People. Stoked to see their new album live in action and they truly didn’t disappoint. Lead singer Mark Foster made a similar sweeping inclusive declaration as he did at Lollapalooza and wet eyes were seen throughout the crowd. (Castro write about Big Sean) Again we got to see a lot of musical favorites we’ve never seen live before and Friday saved the best for last. Watsky was next at the Fisher Green stage and took over his hour set! His hip hop stylings are rapid and the content is intellectual and real (aside from that being said he basically started his set with a “Fuck Donald Trump”). Key Arena in the city center was host to Die Antwoord and holy shit, kids. They were about as weird and awesome as you’d expect. Ninja and their back-up dancers hyped us up while the techno blared and Yolanda rolled around on a vaulted stage above chirping her alien sex voice. Their live production/gigantic dance party was truly the best of the weekend. Confetti explosions erupted as the set was brought to a climax. Kelly is still finding confetti momentos throughout unpacking her luggage...Not mad. The festivities didn't end without the electronica brilliance of Flume who turned the main stage into his own dance party.

Big Sean brought the hip hop vibe on day two (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Flume headlined night one of Bumbershoot (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Saturday:

Saturday morning we planned on hitting the Corepower yoga set at 2pm doors open. Yeah nope. We couldn't muster the energy to sit in the muggy Seattle heat before 4pm. Blaming Die Antwoord. We made sure to head over to Tacocat at the Fisher Green. Epitomizing grungy angsty rock, Tacocat made for a bouncy start to the day. Visually pleasing with their bubble gum colored hair and bright, chunky anime style. Kaleo was next on main stage. He brought us back down. Maybe a little too down for Saturday. He resembled Hozier with his deep bluesy voice and guitar riffs. Let's just say it was good music to sit down, relax and eat a sandwich to. Meanwhile alt rock legends Weezer took to the main stage to make sure we all knew the hits as the crowd often was caught singing word to word to songs such as "Hashpipe", "Island In The Sun", and "Beverly Hills". Kelly caught E-40 at the Key Arena where all the classics were brought. The Key Arena was transformed into a high school dance auditorium. We fled back to the main stage to catch queen Lorde in the flesh. Retable and real she addressed Melodrama's romantic heartbreak influence. Her recent flu symptoms reflected in her "Homemade Dynamite" VMA dance were no longer. She sounded better than ever. Hail Lorde. As with all music festivals we ran into our first scheduling conflict of the weekend. As Lorde was slaying on the main stage, the legendary The Roots crew were causing havoc at The Fisher Green stage, flanked by one of the most amazing array of musicians Black Thought and company swept us off our feet with their unique legendary sound that has been a staple for the Philadelphia band.

Tacocat was amazing and colorful. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Sunday:

The last day of the festival had us enjoying some of the smaller acts on the bill such as Léon from Sweden and Ellie Mae from the Third Man Records label. Both impressive in their own style and sure to be commanding bigger headline status in the near future. We also got a chance to catch one of or=ur favorites Spoon who managed to play a longer set due to HAIM cancelling. We weren't complaining as the band played more of a studio session with what seemed an impromptu setlist. The final act of the night was more of a homecoming show for Odesza who just released a new album this past week. Always a plus as a listener as we got many new songs including a few surprise guest appearances including Naomi Wild who sang their newest hit "Higher Ground", as well as R&B crooner Leon Bridges to sing "Across The Room". It definitely felt like a homecoming show as the band seemed to be having the time of their life. A perfect ending to a successful music festival, until next year Bumbershoot.

Festival onlookers enjoying the scenery in Utah (Photo credit: Ryan Stephens)

The site: River’s Edge RV Park in beautiful Heber City, Utah

Despite being amidst an RV park and everyone who’s chosen to live there for the summer, the amenities that came with venue such as a general store and additional buildings that came in handy when camping sold out and were available as bungalows for the duration of the festival. Small and definitely walkable, it would have been nicer to have been in a more outdoorsy setting so to say, but the river alongside the festival was a perk.

Headliners: Nick Murphy, Nas, Lauryn Hill, and Odesza

Nick Murphy and Odesza played more upbeat sets than I’ve seen either of them play, which was nice to see in the festival setting. Murphy put on a much better, more lively show than he did at Red Rocks this year. Odesza and Nas definitely knew what the crowd wanted to hear, and they thrived in a setting like Bonanza where it’s so easy to thrive of the energy of the crowd. Interactive, lively, and beautiful, their sets were highlights of the weekend. It was nice to see big names like Ms. Lauryn Hill on the bill, but a real bummer to see a legend like her struggle through a set that wasn’t cohesive with the rest of the day’s music. Although I’m not denying this woman’s talent, it seemed as though her OCD kicked in, and instead of performing for the crowd that came to see her, she struggled through her performance on account of trying to perfect the intricate sounds she was trying to put forth, in an outdoor venue that wasn’t doing it for her.

The smaller names: Cut Copy, The Airborne Toxic Event, Wale, Duke Dumont, Kongos, Mutemath, Bob Moses, Jai Wolf, Method Man & Redman, Lany, Cherub, Slow Magic, Big Wild, Waka Flocka Flame, Eden, The Knocks, Tokimonsta, Robert Delong, Frienship, Honorss, Harrison Brome, R.Lum.R, Michl, Chet Porter, Kiev, Kyle Bent, Avalon Landing, Secrets, Cale & the Gravity Well, Ocelot

I don’t know about you, but the smaller names on a festival bill are usually the ones to tickle my fancy, and this was no different. Jai Wolf, Slow Magic,The Knocks, and Tokimonsta were some of my favorite sets this weekend. These artists across the board tried hard to put on a good performance for the crowd, and succeeded. Tokimonsta even played a really awesome after party on Saturday, the 24th. The Knocks, an NYC based duo stole my heart with their stage presence and their funky basslines.

/Mutemath, Wale, and Airborne Toxic Event were mildly nostalgic and equally entertaining. Some of the smaller names seemed a little out of place, but were enjoyable and also added to the variety that existed within the lineup.

The good: On account of being so small, it was easy to see and fully experience the festival to its fullest. There was just enough versatility in food vendors, product vendors, and brand ambassadors, in a setting that was very easy to navigate under the disorienting magic effect festivals have on some of us. The people were lively, friendly, and not too rowdy and everyone seemed willing to experience the desert in harmony. Utah native and Denver resident Casey Kawaguchi was one of the artists live painting the festival, and it was definitely nice to have a piece of Denver in Heber City. In addition to Casey, Jon Lang, and Anthony Ortega were also live painting the whole weekend to create some wonderful pieces for crowds to experience. There were even a few sculptures that were worth aweing over, but the imagery when everything came together was what shined over any negativities this weekend.

The bad: It’s apparent that this festival was over budget and under staffed by the way the camping, parking, and entry to the festival was handled, however the people behind it made it better and definitely tried to smooth things over for any unhappy festival goers. They didn’t even check bags upon entry into the festival until Sunday, y’all. Being at an RV park was also pretty terrible at times, and the after party “venue” was kind of a joke. Also, bands like Cherub should never be seen live, and what on Earth does Waka Flocka get paid for doing? Manic hair flips and popping bottles on crowds of rave kids? Some of the artists seemed unessential to the lineup, but essential to the overall feel of the festival.

Overall: For the price and the experience, I would say it’s a decent festival, that I look forward to watching grow and evolve. The kinks that exist shouldn’t be difficult to smooth over, and the Bonanza fam rolls squad deep. 7.5/10

Words: Lina Skrzypczak | Images: Ryan Stephens