I-90 has to be my favorite bridge in the world. I take it on my way to and from teaching lessons at Mercer Island every week and I always feel so good about life when I'm on it. If you're on the bus, you can't even see the side railings, so it looks like you're just skimming across river like the train in Spirited Away.
It's been nearly a month since I last updated. I meant to talk about Bumbershoot, which is an arts festival that happens over Labor Day Weekend every year in Seattle. It's North America's largest Urban Arts Festival and it's pretty fantastic. They've got music, visual art, performing arts, comedy, literary works/authors that come in for talks, readings, and debates. It stretches out over three days, but I was only able to go one day, unfortunately.
Most of what I saw was musically-related, although I wish I could have seen more of the comedians there (Fred Armisen, for one!). Now I'm not usually one to get star-struck...But with Bumbershoot artists walking around and blending in with crowds, I couldn't help it. But here's the thing: I didn't even know some of these bands/artists or if I did, I didn't know what they looked like so it was...preemptive star-struckedness? I'd get excited to see someone with a Bumbershoot artist sticker on them just in case they might end up to be really cool later.
Silly, I know.
In any case, I managed to squeeze in these shows during my time there:
Lights from Space
Tacocat (bubbly garage band girl trio that sang songs from everything about Peeps - "the very best gift to give the one you love" - to Pap Smears - "annual violation [I don't even know you!!]")
Don't Talk to the Cops! (I give them points for enthusiasm)
Missy Higgins (fantastic)
Gotye (one of my favorites there. A combo of music, percussion, and quirky animations)
THEESatisfaction
City and Colour (very sweet performance by a sweet guy)
The Helio Sequence
M. Ward
Damien Jurado (sweet guy, but I was blown over more by the venue in the Promenade)
Laffhole
Love Bomb Go-Go
Most of what I saw was musically-related, although I wish I could have seen more of the comedians there (Fred Armisen, for one!). Now I'm not usually one to get star-struck...But with Bumbershoot artists walking around and blending in with crowds, I couldn't help it. But here's the thing: I didn't even know some of these bands/artists or if I did, I didn't know what they looked like so it was...preemptive star-struckedness? I'd get excited to see someone with a Bumbershoot artist sticker on them just in case they might end up to be really cool later.
Silly, I know.
In any case, I managed to squeeze in these shows during my time there:
Lights from Space
Tacocat (bubbly garage band girl trio that sang songs from everything about Peeps - "the very best gift to give the one you love" - to Pap Smears - "annual violation [I don't even know you!!]")
Don't Talk to the Cops! (I give them points for enthusiasm)
Missy Higgins (fantastic)
Gotye (one of my favorites there. A combo of music, percussion, and quirky animations)
THEESatisfaction
City and Colour (very sweet performance by a sweet guy)
The Helio Sequence
M. Ward
Damien Jurado (sweet guy, but I was blown over more by the venue in the Promenade)
Laffhole
Love Bomb Go-Go