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I don't know if I'm older and less excitable or what, but this year's Bumbershoot was awesomely chill. Minimal lines, reasonable security and crowd control, and stuff was pretty cheap. The new environmentally conscious stuff is super practical and nice. Like they have water refilling stations placed all over, including inside the mainstage. They don't sell anything in plastic bottles, only cups. Outside the mainstage they have a big pile of cups you can take in to hold your water. The mainstage passes are easily transferable. They put a big barrier in front of the sound booth in the mainstage to control crowd crush, and it worked like a charm. They put a beer garden in the middle of the fountain lawn to break up the tokefest it usually is.
Smart changes all around. The lineup had much fewer big bands but it just meant fewer hard decisions about what to see, and no running from show to show.
The pleasant surprise of the day was that after hiking all the way around the Center at noon to get to the ticket purchase window (where there was no line!) I ran right into Deb, who wanted to see most of the same stuff I did. So I went there expecting a chill day by myself, and found a show buddy. It started the day off right and I think it stayed in that gear.
Surprisingly good show of the day: Lucinda Williams, though she sounded pretty drunk. Contrast with Neko Case, who sounded pretty sober (wich is apparently rare).
Surprisingly mediocre show of the day: Band of Horses. I don't get why these guys got a 90-minute set. I was checking my watch after 15. They have a couple good singles, and their cover of "Am I a Good Man?" is wonderful, but man they need some experimentalism or better songwriters.
Surprise food deal: The Subway in the Center House was still selling $5 footlongs. Food deal of the festival by a mile. Unsurprisingly, they were mobbed around dinnertime.
Surprise food taste: The huge $8 burritos in the mainstage. Dang that was good. Wouldn't have guessed. They had like 20 people crammed in that stand making them.
Surprise unwanted guest: Hippies. Only saw like 5 or 6 the whole day. Maybe they got burned out at Folklife, or couldn't afford the $40 door tickets.
Unsurprisingly good show: Beck. He opened with "Loser". I mean really. I need to dig out my copy of Odelay.
Smart changes all around. The lineup had much fewer big bands but it just meant fewer hard decisions about what to see, and no running from show to show.
The pleasant surprise of the day was that after hiking all the way around the Center at noon to get to the ticket purchase window (where there was no line!) I ran right into Deb, who wanted to see most of the same stuff I did. So I went there expecting a chill day by myself, and found a show buddy. It started the day off right and I think it stayed in that gear.
Surprisingly good show of the day: Lucinda Williams, though she sounded pretty drunk. Contrast with Neko Case, who sounded pretty sober (wich is apparently rare).
Surprisingly mediocre show of the day: Band of Horses. I don't get why these guys got a 90-minute set. I was checking my watch after 15. They have a couple good singles, and their cover of "Am I a Good Man?" is wonderful, but man they need some experimentalism or better songwriters.
Surprise food deal: The Subway in the Center House was still selling $5 footlongs. Food deal of the festival by a mile. Unsurprisingly, they were mobbed around dinnertime.
Surprise food taste: The huge $8 burritos in the mainstage. Dang that was good. Wouldn't have guessed. They had like 20 people crammed in that stand making them.
Surprise unwanted guest: Hippies. Only saw like 5 or 6 the whole day. Maybe they got burned out at Folklife, or couldn't afford the $40 door tickets.
Unsurprisingly good show: Beck. He opened with "Loser". I mean really. I need to dig out my copy of Odelay.
