Signing off for the Weekend

It's my first Labor Day weekend Stateside in some time. It's a ceremonial death of summer but it's also a great weekend to be in Seattle.  The first Bumbershoot wasn’t called Bumbershoot but rather Festival ’71. The two-day event, the brainchild of Mayor Wes Uhlman.  It also includes a logging show, indoor motorcycle races in the Coliseum (now KeyArena), horseback rides for kids and ‘the world’s first electronic music instrument jam.’ … The ‘Hot Pants Contest’ was one of the biggest draws. Local rock bands and dance troupes were featured. The sun-drenched festival, held Aug. 13–15, was a hit, attracting the largest crowds to Seattle Center since the 1962-63 World’s Fair.

In '72 the Seattle Repertory Theater, Seattle Opera and One Reel Vaudeville show were added to the music lineup.  In '73 Bumbershoot was named such.  The festival grew in audience, days (now five), and programming breadth. By '75 it was up to a record eleven days.  Over it's 42 years, Bumbershoot audiences have seen the likes of Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, Eurythmics, Bonnie Raitt, Fats Domino, Los Lobos, BB King, Al Green, The Posies, Violent Femmes, 10,000 Maniacs, Sex Pistols, Sir Mix-a-Lot, R.E.M, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Be Harper, The Black Crowes, Everclear, and hundred mores.  Bumbershoot also includes comedians, short films, live performances, skits by theater companies and much more.  There are nineteen venues that includes five stages.

My friend Danielle is coming up from Portland for Saturday and Sunday.  We're going to strategize tonight. A plan of attack for what we want to see together, what I want to see that she doesn't and vice versa, when to drive up and back.

Don't expect to hear from me until Tuesday.

A last bit of trivia:

bum•ber•shoot
—n. informal
An umbrella.
The word bumbershoot first appeared in the U.S. around 1915–1920. It is thought to be an alteration of the umber- part of umbrella plus a respelling of -chute (as in parachute). Bumbershoot was chosen as the Festival’s name as a metaphor for the Festival being an umbrella for all of the various arts and performers it encompasses.