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Seattle’s Bumbershoot 2018 is more like bummer, shoot
May 1, 2018, 2:47 PM | Updated: 3:06 pm
Bumbershoot use to be cool. Now? Meh.
The annual concert line up was just released. I did what I do every year, hope that Bumbershoot has risen from the ashes to reclaim its former glory.
The three-day pass is $220 this year. The headliner is J. Cole. Do you know who that is? What’s your favorite J. Cole tune? Yeah, me neither. Next up is The Chainsmokers. I think I’ve heard of them.
If you are following along on the poster, next we have SZA, Fleet Foxes, and Lil Wayne. Sorry Bumbershoot, but you’re a shadow of your former self.
Significance of Bumbershoot
If you just moved here, Bumbershoot use to be one of the top festivals in the country. There were so many top tier acts crammed into one weekend that you had a tough time deciding which one to go to. Mixed in were food booths, comedians, and lots of great people watching by the fountain.
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Now, the big acts skip Seattle for other events like Coachella. I’ll give you a little comparison since that event just wrapped up a few weeks ago.
Ever heard of Beyonce? Pretty much everyone was singing the praises of Bea’s blockbuster set. I even saw academics break down her performance in terms of how it related to the history of African American Women in America. What about Eminem? Heard of him? The Weekend? Yep, he was there too.
I’ll give you a few more just to make my point. Eminem will also be at Bonnaroo in Tennessee with The Killers, Muse, and Future. Marshal Mathers is also headlining Boston Calling along with Jack White, and Queens of the Stone Age.
Down in Napa Valley in May, you have Bruno Mars as the top act.
Heck, Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama booked recent Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar to headline. So arguably the biggest name in music is headed to Gulf Shores. Populations 11,689. I kid you not, look it up.
Come on Bumbershoot. Get it together. I’m not saying you need to book acts that cater to a dude in his mid-40s, but you should be able to get acts that people have heard of.
I guess I’ll be the old man yelling “Get off my lawn” for another year. And I will not be spending my $220 at Bumbershoot this time.
More like bummer, shoot! Am I right?
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