Deadly Viper Photo Squad picture contest: Bumbershoot 2010

So, 3 of the photographers from our very own Deadly Viper Photo Squad were on hand over Labor Day weekend to shoot the Bumbershoot Music Festival. Even though each of them was working for different outlets, they took some amazing shots that we wanted to share with you. We’ll be the first to admit, they’ve turned Click & Dagger into certifiable photo snobs (they claim this is a good thing…). As a creative exercise, we asked each of them to provide us with their single best shot of Bumbershoot. I told them I would pick a winner, but maybe I leave that up to the viewing public instead – that seems more fair anyway. Considering each of them probably took thousand of shots over the weekend, I knew this task would be a little more difficult than expected. I also knew their competitive nature would give us some amazing results. Here are the single shots that each of them provided:

I have a personal favorite, which one is yours?

Brittney “Cottonmouth” Bollay (shooting for KEXP): “Generally the photos I like the best are the ones where I decided in my head that I wanted to get a certain shot, and then got it. My absolute “favorite,” though, I picked mostly on instinct, plus a bit of sentimentality – I was really happy in the moment that I took it. I’d never seen Weezer before, and I was excited and the crowd was excited, and I just loved the energy.” Weezer – Main Stage

Alex “Snake Charmer” Crick (shooting for SPIN Magazine): “I found it a pain in the ass coming up with just one. I originally narrowed it down to 26, then down to 18, then down to 3, then finally down to 1. Lisa Dank/EMP Sky Church

Jason “Sidewinder” Tang (shooting for EarCandy): “It was a no-brainer for me.  I wanted a super wide-angle/fisheye shot to showcase the lighting and ambiance inside the EMP Sky Church and I had been experimenting with different angles on Saturday.  Once that kid from School Of Rock stepped to the front of the stage during “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and stuck his mic out into the crowd w/ that giant video wall lit up behind him, I knew that was it.” – School of Rock/EMP Sky Church

Did you make the list? The 2010 Bumbershoot “Golden Dagger Awards”

No, you don't win this one smart-ass, this is King Tut's.

Every year we pull our collective minds together to come up with our Annual “Golden Dagger” awards. O.K. We’ve actually only been doing these awards for 2 years, but whatever. Anyway, these are given to the best and the worst of everything we experienced over the 3 day Bumbershoot weekend. There’s really no standard categories since we just make the damn thing up every year. Some of this won’t make sense to you unless you were there, even then it might still not make sense. This is for the C&D insider’s! The only real question now is “Did you make the list”?

BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE FESTIVAL: Bomba Estero in the KEXP Music Lounge.

CRAZIEST SHIT WE HEARD: Courtney Love/HOLE 107.7 End Session/Interview

BEST NEW STAGE: Center Square (hooray for no more Exhibition Hall)

BEST BASS PLAYER I HEARD THIS WEEKEND: Mathieu Santos, Ra Ra Riot

WORSE STAGE TO GET AROUND: Broad Street. This used to be one of our favorites until we had “access drama” last year and again this year. Sorry Japandroids, I wanted to hang out.

TOUGHEST MUSIC BLOGGER POSSE: Seattle Rock Guy

LEAST TOUGHEST BLOGGER POSSE: Uh, maybe us this weekend. LOL!

BAND PEOPLE WENT NUTS OVER: Weezer on the Main Stage. There’s no other feeling like being in the midst of thousands of people jumping in unison at a big rock n roll show.

OUR FAVORITE STAGE HOST/DJ/ANNOUNCER: Michelle Meyers @ KEXP

BEST NEW PHOTOG: I may be a bit biased, but Lori Paulson shot all 3 days of Bumbershoot for us this year and did fantastic. This was also her 1st time shooting a major festival EVER. After a full day of shows she would even edit until 3 or 4 in the morning to make sure we could publish our full day reviews by the morning. She’s Hardcore and that’s why we like her.

MOST SURPRISING PERFORMANCE: Tie: HOLE on the Main Stage or Atercopelados in the KEXP Music Lounge.

WORST PHOTOG: Monopodman. He strikes again.

BEST DRINKS: I’m a self-proclaimed coffee snob, but I must say thanks to Starbucks for taking such great care of us press folks all weekend. Loved the Clover machine on-site, I’m sure you saved more than a few of us in the morning…

FUNNIEST STORY WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT FROM LAST YEAR: The “Sandwich” incident.

PLACE WE WANTED TO BREAK INTO THE MOST: Press Room Wine Fridge.

COOLEST UNDER PRESSURE: Mikhael Mei Williams @ ONE REEL

BEST STAGE CREW: EMP/Sky Church – Every year, we never have one issue. Other stages please take note…

MOST HISTORIC PERFORMANCE: Bob Dylan on the Main Stage.

FAVORITE DOOR SECURITY GUY: 80+ year-old guy running the door for the Secret End Sessions. Me: “Can we go in there early”? Him: “Sure, I don’t care”

MOST STRIKING HAIR: Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes

BIGGEST HAIR: LISA DANK. Duh…. If it were a category this year, she would have also won: GAYEST DANCE ENTOURAGE. Not that there’s anything wrong with that of course…

LEAST FAVORITE DOOR/STAGE SECURITY PERSON: KEXP Secret Music Lounge. You know the one I mean…

FUNNIEST SEARCH TERMS PEOPLE USED TO FIND OUR SITE: Tie: “Alabama Finger Bang” or “Dagger Girls“

BEST FREE STUFF WE ATE: For a 2nd year in a row, Pop Chips – They must be gaming our system somehow. Either that or they’re always in the right places…

DIRTIEST HIPPIE OUTFIT: Edwarde Sharpe

GREATEST SOUNDING AMP: David Bazan – P.S. You sounded amazing plugged-in.

BAND WE’VE SEEN WAY TOO MUCH OF: Surfer Blood

COOLEST ANIMAL: Raccoon Dog. Just putting that out there…

MUSICIAN WE (I) WOULD RUN OFF TO A DESERTED ISLAND WITH: Liliana Saumet of Bomba Estero

Hard Rock/Ear Candy Bumbershoot After-Party (Photo Set)

All photos by Lori Paulson

Thanks to Hard Rock and Travis at Ear Candy for a wonderful Bumbershoot After-Party. The lineup of Dead Confederate and Surfer Blood was amazing, and even though we were exhausted, we did manage to snap some amazing shots before we called it a night….

DEAD CONFEDERATE

Hard Rock Bartenders in dire need of new headgear choices….

Up close with Courtney Love… (the video)

I guess we’ll find out how long this manages to stay online….

The soggy finish: Day 3 Bumbershoot Review

All photos by Lori Paulson | reviews by Jason Kinnard & Karalee Sargent

Monday was a wet finish to the final day of Seattle’s weekend long Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival. As far as Music Festival’s go around here, Bumbershoot is our crown jewel. It’s also the music event that usually marks the end of our Summer too, so it’s also the saddest day in a lot of ways. As we did the entire weekend, we spent a lot of time at the always amazing KEXP Music Lounge. If you haven’t seen one of these you are truly missing out. Today’s Lounge performances might have been a couple of our favorites of the entire weekend. An unbelievable finish to another classic Bumbershoot weekend. You gotta love a strong finish…

Stay tuned here for our full festival review and our Bumbershoot “Dagger Awards“ In the meantime, check out some of the sights and sounds of Bumbershoot Day 3:

Ra Ra Riot – KEXP Secret Music Lounge

Ra Ra Riot was one of the acts I was super excited to see on Day 3 in the KEXP Music Lounge. I’ve always known of this band and even like a lot of their stuff, but I was really excited to see them after listening to their latest album The Orchard. The last time I saw this band was probably last year at Neumo’s when they played with Telekinesis before heading out on their big North American tour. Flash forward over a year and this sounds almost like a completely new band. That bass riff from their new song “Boy” is still sifting thru my head this morning. Damn, I just listened to it again – now it’s in your head. If it wasn’t for the Bomba Estero performance just hours later, this would have been my pick for best performance of the day. – jason

*Bomba Estero – KEXP Secret Music Lounge

Well where do we even begin to get started with this performance. What did we tell you? I had spent some time reading about the band while researching a Song of the Day post for KEXP. This is a classic Kevin Cole selection. I knew they were from Columbia and play a unique blend of latin cumbia-style music with a modern mix of electronic and hip-hop. They’re intentionally hard to nail down genre-wise, but think of M.I.A. with less Hip Hop and more talent and you’ll be pretty close. Their set started slow with some heavy intro material and the radiantly beautiful Liliana Saumet breathing softly into the microphone. As soon as the sound came together (flawlessly I might add), it was like a whole new world opened up for the unsuspecting audience – me included. Having been to a few of these KEXP Music Lounge performances, I just knew this would be good. Nobody left there disappointed I can tell you that. Occasionally, I know what I’m talking about.  - jason *BEST OF SHOW!

The Thermals – KEXP Music Lounge

Portland Oregon and KEXP Favorites The Thermals played one of the most heartfelt and energetic performance of the weekend inside the intimate KEXP Music Lounge (are you seeing a trend yet?). The band ripped thru the entire first side of their new album Personal Life before closing with some old favorites. As a long time KEXP’er the Thermals have been one of my favorite bands over the years and Monday was no exception. Although their songs tend to run a little for me (their overall tone and delivery is pretty similar) this is another one of those bands that just can’t help themselves on-stage. It was good to see a great local band get this spot in the line-up. – jason

The English Beat – KEXP Music Lounge

This was the final KEXP Music Lounge performance of the day and a great finish to a fantastic weekend. Can you believe this could actually only be my 3rd best performance of the weekend? And that’s not to minimize it’s awesomeness either. If you know anything my musical tastes, you know I’m like a HUGE U.K. Music aficionado and of course a band like The English Beat hold a special place in my heart. Even if you weren’t a fan though, this was an unbelievable set that would have converted anyone into a Rude Boy. Do you know these guys have been around since 1978? They played some old favorites like “Mirror in the Bathroom” a song he jokingly claimed was not about Cocaine “I didn’t have the money back then”. They also played the song “Tenderness” which fans would have immediately recognized as the song in the new Target commercial. They made it perfectly clear they weren’t happy with the relationship and had some funny stories about being called out for “Selling Out” which is actually quite funny when you know the history of this band. I’m glad I finally got to see this band live and in such a close, intimate setting. The last 2 songs ended with the entire Music Lounge crowd on their feet dancing and clapping to one of the most historic performances of the weekend. Hell, it was so fun Tom Mara (KEXP) and I did some boogying. I’ve crossed a few boxes off this weekend, the English Beat was a big one. – jason

The Spits – EMP/Sky Church

Hmm, they still let these guys play here? The last time I saw The Spits at Bumbershoot it was a wild set with the stage, the band, and all their equipment wrapped in toilet paper; this year it’s blood. If you came to see a real American Punk Rock band in operation, this was your show. Another solid performance from one of my favorite local bands. I know a few things about REAL Punk Rock and these guys don’t fuck around. They’d probably punch me in the mouth just to prove the point. - jason

Wild Orchid Children -EMP/Sky Church (PHOTO SET)

Jenny Lewis – Starbucks Stage (PHOTO SET)

Lisa Dank – EMP/Sky Church

Lisa Dank had undeniably the most elaborate, artistic, and dare I say “beautiful” performances of the weekend. There were costume changes, a giant gay dance collective, people in drag, dance parties off-stage, and hair and make-up everywhere. It was a stimulation of senses to say the least. I may not know where she’s going musically, but I just can’t help but watch how she gets there. Call me, we can talk about it. – jason

Surfer Blood (PHOTO SET)

Anvil – Center Square Stage

Old-School Canadian Metal. Anvil took the Center Square stage to a soggy but well attended crowd filled with American and Canadian flag waving metal fans. These guys have been around for longer than most of you have been alive so while there was definitely some old dude lameness, you have to respect guys that were in it since the beginning. They’ve still got the chops to get after it. What was more amazing to me though was they still have a great “fuck yeah” attitude and I loved what he said about “Metal is here for all of us”. Mad props for some bad ass Canadians. – jason

Greg Laswell – Starbucks Stage

We feel sad for poor Greg Laswell. The man played his heart out, but his set was timed perfectly with mother nature’s poor decisions. Faithful fans stood their ground despite the sprinkle, but unfortunately rain never does a band any favors (unless of course you’re at Woodstock 1969). Laswell played a set of earnest ballads, including his most well-known and heartwrenching cover of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” But even though his audience was meager at best, we salute Laswell for playing like it was a sold-out arena. And we also hopes he gives Seattle a second chance on a nicer day (or an indoor venue… Triple Door, anyone?) – karalee

The Moondoggies – Starbucks Stage

We saw the Seattle Americana-bluegrass heroes earlier today at their KEXP Secret Stage show, but we also braved the downpour for a front row seat at their outdoor set this afternoon. The Moondoggies’ somewhat despairing tunes early in their set were quite apropos for the dreary weather, but they soon dove into their boot-stompin’ hits like “ol’ Blackbird” and “Changing” which had their soggy yet impressive crowd dancing like it still felt like summer. The audience was loyal and most stayed for the entire hour-long set. The Moondoggies have a new album called Tidelands out later this year, and we’re looking forward to the expansion of their repertoire. – karalee

*Bonus Show: The Moondoggies – KEXP Secret Music Lounge

I didnd’t see their larger Starbucks Stage performance later in the day, but I did sit down in the KEXP Music Lounge for an intimate performance by a great American band – The Moondoggies. Although I’ve heard some songs from their great new album Tidewater, it was my first time really sitting down and seeing them up close. Admittedly, I don’t regularly seek out this type of music (I’m more of a “plugged in” kind of guy), but I always appreciate when it’s done well. – jason

People Eating People – EMP/Sky Church

I spent a few minutes checking out local band People Eating People at the EMP/Sky Church on Monday. I guess this was a little different than what I was expecting. As the solo project of Nouela Johnston I was determined to at least give it a listen, I just ended up leaving after about 2 songs. You know how I always talk about bands that wear their passion on their sleeves, the bands that just can’t fake it? This is a perfect example of a band that has to try too hard to get there. – jason

BOAT – EMP/Sky Church

One of our favorite local bands helped us start the final day of Bumbershoot off right – the Tacoma geek-pop band, BOAT. Frontman D. Crane spends his days as a middle school English teacher, so the band’s lyrics are clever, poignant and rather technical. With fun and goofy themes, BOAT is always a pleasure to watch. The Sky Church was stuffed with fans dancing to songs like “(I’m a Donkey) For Your Love,” “Period Backslash Colon” and “Setting the Paces.” The band even announced their forthcoming album is due in March of next year (even to the surprise of a couple bandmates) and played a couple new tunes from the project, including a tribute to King Kong and a tribute to Neil Diamond. Never lacking in the “quirky” category, BOAT was accompanied on stage by an oversized crude cardboard cut-out of Tom Hanks’ head with a speech bubble that changed every few songs. We didn’t really get it, but we loved it anyway. – karalee

Holy Shit Day 2 Review! Bumbershoot Music Festival

Well, let’s just say if Bumbershoot was a fight club, Day 2 like totally kicked Day 1′s ass. But let’s not talk about Bumbershoot Fight Club (remember Rule #1). We saw easily one of the best performances of the day on the smallest stage, yet found ourselves at the biggest stage for most of the evening. Not only were all the bands we saw great in their own way on Sunday, we were also there to witness the now legendary Courtney Love/Hole Interview/End Session for 107.7  Yeah, today was a good day….

Fences – KEXP Secret Music Lounge

Heavily tattooed Seattle singer-songwriter Christopher Mansfield (aka Fences) is set to release his highly anticipated debut album later this month. Although laden with sorrowful lyrics about the tragic tales of love and relationships gone bad, Mansfield’s wonderful voice just can’t help but elevate the mood of his music to “somewhat optimistic”. And while some musicians labor over creating great music, others just can’t help themselves; that certainly seems to be the case for Chris Mansfield. Taking queues from his self-released Ultimate Puke EP and turning it into a full-length album was partly the vision of producer Sara Quin (of Tegan & Sara) who took the challenge of working with a gifted and independent musician like Mansfield and made his music absolutely come alive. Did I already say I had a favorite 2nd performance of the day? OK, this would be like 1.5 then. Way to knock it out of the park Chris! – jason

*You can also see my intro for Fences on the KEXP Blog: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2010/09/05/bumbershoot-music-lounge-preview-fences/

David Bazan – KEXP Music Lounge

Many of you likely caught David Bazan and gang at their 4:00 set at the Broad Street Stage, however we caught them earlier for an intimate live “in-studio” performance at the KEXP secret stage. We must say, Bazan’s tunes, which are known for their hopelessly spiritual themes about falling from grace, are sounding much more buoyant these days. The band of beards gave a nod to Bazan’s former project, Pedro the Lion, while also playing a solid selection from his new solo album. Bazan also looked quite comfortable in the smaller setting, which we assume is due to his recent “living room” shows – a loophole to circumnavigate his record label’s policies about the frequency of touring. – karalee

*Sorry to bump in here Karalee, but I just had to mention that with Bazan and his band fully amplified, this was hands-down my favorite performance of the day.  - jason

Surfer Blood – KEXP Music Lounge

Surfer Blood isn’t due to play Bumbershoot until tomorrow afternoon, however we got a sneak peek at their set at the KEXP stage today. Fresh-faced youngsters hailing from Palm Beach, FL, Surfer Blood is making a splash in the surf-pop circuit. Even though most of the band members don’t look like they need to shave yet, they offer surprisingly advanced, mildly gritty pop songs with fun names like “Floating Vibes,” “Slow Jabroni” and “Catholic Pagans.” This is a band that should not be underestimated because of their age – their album Astro Coast made it on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at a rather impressive 124. – karalee

*You can also read Jason’s KEXP Blog Intro for Surfer Blood here: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2010/09/05/bumbershoot-music-lounge-surfer-blood/

The Lonely H – EMP/Sky Church (PHOTO SET)

Unnatural Helpers – Broad Street Stage (PHOTO SET)

Hey Marseilles – Broad Street Stage

Hey Marseilles is Seattle’s new chamber-pop darling, and if you tried to get to their set, you could certainly tell. The crowd at the Broad Street Stage was massive, stretching from the Fischer Plaza to the IMAX dome, and just happened to be the largest crowd for which Hey Marseilles has performed. Their arresting instrumentation and a sound that blends Eastern European folk and South American sambas had everyone on their feet, clapping and cha-chaing through the grass. The group ended their set with their single (and fan favorite), “Rio,” which was also recently featured on the homepage of YouTube. We predict some serious national traction for the fellows of Hey Marseilles. – karalee

Atercopelados – KEXP Music Lounge

Undeniably the toughest band name to pronounce at Bumbershoot this year ‒ Aterciopelados (translated as “The Velvety Ones”) are one of the biggest bands to come out of Colombia. Signed to the infamous Nacional Records, their music is Latin-infused, using traditional llanera rhythms and flamenco-bolero sounds. Although relatively unknown here in the States, Aterciopelados albums have received countless Latin Grammy award nominations and brought them tons of loyal followers, an amazing feat considering their deliberate attempt to create something completely different for each album. Although I’m not really a fan of this type of music at all really, I’d say I nailed it when I said these are the bands who produce the best performances at the KEXP Music Lounge. They certainly didn’t disappoint, they were the ONLY band of the day that got a standing ovation. This was probably my 2nd favorite performance of the day. – jason

*You can also see my intro for Atercopelados on the KEXP Blog: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2010/09/05/bumbershoot-music-lounge-aterciopelados/

Horse Feathers – KEXP Music Lounge

Yet another band you probably saw during their main set on the Starbucks Stage, Horse Feathers stopped by the KEXP secret stage for the most calming set of the day. Lead singer Justin Ringle’s voice is absolutely mesmerizing and complemented by beautiful stringwork. The band overall has a knack for delicately balanced vocal harmonies and haunting crescendos. The highlight of the set was their final song, “Curs in the Weeds,” from their 2008 record House With No Home. – karalee

*You can also read Jason’s KEXP Blog Intro for Horse Feathers here: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2010/09/05/bumbershoot-music-lounge-preview-horse-feathers/

Hole – Secret End Session/Interview

Yes, we were really this close to Courtney Love….

Wow, where do I even begin to explain the hour of rambling run-on thoughts and sentences we just heard. We’re sure you’ll see just about every other journalist writing about this one since they were all there, but let’s just say we got a frighteningly close look at the inner workings of Courtney Love. We’ll have much more about this in the coming days, but in the meantime, here’s a few random things she discussed:

- Kurt’s Penis, or as she referred to it “Kurt Peen”

- These Seattle Fucks. Fucks in Seattle

- Charles Cross was a heavy topic of her discussion since he was in the crowd (I bet he is re-thinking that decision…)

- Daughter Frances owns 37% of the rights to In Utero

- The Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix estates were a heavy topic of discussion

- Record label Cherry Forever.

- It costs about $46,00 a month just to be Courtney Love

- Frances boyfriend/fiance Matt is a UCLA Film Major

- Her lawsuit with her daughter

- Brittney Spears Rolling Stone 2008 article

- She was going shopping here: http://isadoras.com/

*Keep tuned here for much, much more to follow…..

Rise Against – Main Stage

We were lucky enough to be up close for the first big rock act of the day – Chicago’s Rise Against. As a punk rock purist and Hardcore snob, there’s obvious reasons I should hate this band, I just have some history with Fat Wreck and  really like bands like Face to Face so the hell with it. If anything, this was the the first band of the day that really got the crowd moving, and all the kids (especially the straight-edged ones) were eating this shit up. It’s always cool to see huge crowds moving in unison like that. As the bodies started flying to the front it always amazes me it’s the tiny teenage girls who get pushed up first, never fails. Even the photo pit was a crazy place to be, but somehow our photog Lori escaped unharmed. The kids may love Rise Against, but I like my punk rock in basements. I guess even the old guys gotta make money sometime… – jason

Hole – Main Stage

O.K. I’ll be the first one to admit it, I was predicting a train-wreck. Maybe I was even there to watch it (oh admit it, you were too..). Hell, after her rambling non-sensical End Session Interview just a few hours earlier, I wasn’t even sure she’d show up to play on the Main Stage (she threatened not to). After just two songs though, I just couldn’t help rooting for Courtney Love. When she kicked into “Skinny Little Bitch” with all the fog going and the princess crown on her head, that just sounded so fucking rock star. It appears that when she wants to, Courtney still has just enough skill and swagger to pull it all together for a big time show. Love or hate Courtney, you have to respect she came to Seattle, put herself out there for everyone to poke at, and she ended up playing her heart out to a crowd who didn’t boo her, but adored her. After the show, every comment I heard in the press room was basically “wow, she sounded good”. Now give the woman some god-damned respect Seattle! – jason

Weezer – Main Stage

We were hesitant to see Weezer. We went in with low expectations. But we’ll be the first to admit it – they blew our socks off. We fell in love with Weezer when we were in high school, so we felt a bit of nostalgic obligation to see a few of their songs, but before we knew it, we were cheering for an encore. Frontman River Cuomo and his band certainly know how to play a festival – they focused on their well-known hits from the Blue Album, Pinkerton and the Green Album, with a few of their newer (and not as amazing) songs sprinkled in. Rivers even apologized after playing one of the bands new songs, “Memories,” which fans can purchase when the new album Hurley comes out later this month. And speaking of Rivers, he is as energetic and inclusive as ever, climbing the stage scaffolding and running through the stadium seats, giving a bunch of lucky fans a very unexpected front row seat. The band also incited a dance party with a mashup of MGMT’s “Children” and Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” – karalee

Sights & Sounds from Day 1: Bumbershoot Music Festival

all photos by Lori Paulson | reviews by Jason Kinnard & Karalee Sargent

Despite the threat of rain, the weather held out for a great start to Day 1 of Bumbershoot. The beginning of the day was a great time to catch up with old friends (many who we haven’t seen since last year), meet new folks (LOVE the new staff this year), and get our schedules ready for the day. And what a comfortable new space to do it in. It’s like we’re all grown up in there! We were also happy to finally see the death of Exhibition Hall this year, replaced with a much better Center Square Stage. Overall, love the new flow this year. But enough about that, here’s a glimpse at some of the sights and sounds of Day 1 – Bumbershoot:

The Decemberists – Mainstage

Despite some auditory technical difficulties and an alleged small stage fire (we could smell it, but we couldn’t see it), The Decemberists played a fantastic set. With a nice mix of old and new hits, including a few sing-along opportunities, the Portland-based chamber-pop group rose above the speedbumps to earn a spot on our artist spotlight list. Their songs ranged from “The Infanta” and “The Engine Driver” (Picaresque, 2005) to “O Valencia!”(The Crane Wife, 2006) to “The Rake’s Song” (The Hazards of Love, 2009), as well as a few brand new tracks from a forthcoming album. Masters of musical storytelling, we always enjoy seeing a set from Colin Meloy and gang. - karalee

*Visqueen – EMP SKy Church (PHOTO SET)

The Raveonettes – KEXP Secret Music Lounge

The Raveonettes definitely brought up the volume level inside the intimate KEXP performance space. If you didn’t know this band was Danish after listening to them, there’d be no mistake after you’ve seen them up close. Not only is front-woman Sharin Foo tall and beautiful, her striking platinum blonde hair was something we heard commented on frequently after the show. Their mix of loud guitars and simple drum arrangement was in sharp contrast to their sophisticated nordic sound. Because you know I love Brit-Pop and classic U.K. bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, obviously I loved this. – jason

The Civil Twilight – Center Square Stage

As the monorail silently glided by and the Space Needle loomed overhead, The Civil Twilight played a notably “Seattle” set, especially for a band originally hailing from South Africa. Their ambient, ethereal guitar work was fitting for the gleaming backdrop of the EMP, and contrasted nicely with singer Steven McKellar’s commanding vocals and gentle piano. They played a selection from their self-titled album, which was released in 2009, the highlight being “Letters From The Sky,” a single from their album which was featured on an episode of One Tree Hill.

While we aren’t sure we’d totally support the common comparisons people make to Radiohead and Muse, we certainly think the band is headed in a good direction. - karalee

*Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Broad Street Stage

If we were going to award a band for the most engaged crowd, today we’d give the trophy to Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Though relatively new to the mainstream scene, there was not an empty spot on the lawn at Broad Street, even after the group played earlier in the day at the KEXP Secret Stage. A few technical difficulties held up the band an extra 15 minutes, which resulted in an overflow of anticipation from the crowd – no one could hold still has the band of caped, feathered, ponchoed and flowered group picked up a caboodle of instruments.

Crowd favorites were hits from their latest album, including “Janglin” and “40 Day Dream,” though we’re pretty sure the crowd was even more excited to see frontman Alex Ebert take off his shirt than they were about any of the songs. But we’ll be the first to admit, the hippie sensibilities and the catchiness of the music is endearing. – karalee

* BONUS secret show: Edwarde Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – 107.7 End Session

We were lucky enough to be invited to a very exclusive short set by Edwarde Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. It was almost surreal seeing them in a small impromptu performance space (aka conference room) with the band crouched on the floor, standing, or sitting indian style on office chairs. Edwarde Sharpe and company immediately hit you with their unique style and charm and one of the funniest moments was when a very cute little girl from the audience (we’ll assume it was his daughter) jumped on the lap of their Harmonica Player and sat through almost a whole song, grabbing at the mic and playing with a spare harmonica he had laying beside him. It was about the cutest thing in music ever and we had the best spot in the house. To say every photog in attendance was going crazy is an understatement to say the least.

Although only 3 songs, the highlight of their set was a passionate rendition of their hit song “Home” that was almost better than the original. Another band that just can’t hide their passion. This was possibly one of the highlights of the day for me. – jason

See Me River – EMP/Sky Church (PHOTO SET)

Justin Townes Earle – KEXP Secret Music Lounge

Consisting of some serious Bluegrass guitar chops, a kick-ass fiddle, and a beautiful giant floor bass, Justin Townes Earle & Co performed an exclusive set of music for the unsuspecting KEXP crowd. As an AMA award winner for his last album Midnight at the Movies, we couldn’t wait to hear his new album Harlem River Blues, and the KEXP Music Lounge provided just the right setting for one of the most sincere performances of the day. Those who came to hear his raw voice definitely didn’t leave disappointed and we enjoyed the sincerity of his delivery. It felt like we were watching a private little performance just for us. We also couldn’t help but laugh about their secret band “Alabama Finger Bang” – jason

Born Anchors – EMP/Sky Church (PHOTO SET)

Budos Band – KEXP Secret Music Lounge (PHOTO SET)

Much more in store for Day 2