Best Interview:
Kerry Zettel of Das Llamas. (You can hear it here) Okay, so I don't rank my interviews; I love all of my interviews, especially from this weekend. I just tend to overanalyze every single word of an interview and try to make each session unique to the music. Aside from hearing several of Das Llamas' songs, I just let myself be entirely surprised (and enthralled) by their appearance at Sky Church. I am stumped and have no idea how to describe the very eclectic rock that I had just witnessed, other than to say that the color green is exactly what I visualize when I think of Das and that was the primary color used throughout the light show. After the show, Kerry and I talked almost exclusively about that performance and being at Bumbershoot. Great conclusion to the evening.

Best Performance:
Art Brut! I never saw them at their public performance as it was the same time as Army of Me (I had to make quite a few hard choices as such this weeked) but I did catch them at the "Secret" KEXP Music Lounge on Sunday.

Best Random Fact Heard on the Streets:
I ran into Ted Hudson, bassist of the Damnwells, when I was ferociously trying to navigate the insane crowds against the Esurance stage on my way to the Sky Church. He was sad that he missed John Legend because he went to high school with him. (!)

Best Staff of Volunteers:
Okay, it's a tie. I love the people at both the EMP Sky Church and the Sound Transit Stage. They actually clearly stated all that I needed to know as a kid here with a photo pass for the very first time. (Hear that, Exhibition Hall, did you hear that?) Plus they were just plain cool. Speaking of Sound Transit, that leads me to...

Best Bumbershoot Stage:
Sound Transit Stage. I saw the Lashes, the Trucks, the Blakes, all of the bands that start with "the" making it look semantically annoying to list them here — plus Ted Leo.

Best Kick Out:
I had just came back from Das Llamas at about 10 minutes till 9:30 to the press room and was about to integrate all 3 of my interview blogs online when...

"Can you do me a favor?"

I glanced up, and the press room coordinator stood on other side of the table looking at me. Sure.

"Since you're the only one in here, could I kick you out so that I can go see Wu-Tang Clan?"

OKAY!

I considered that my calling for.....

My Best Photography Experience:
Sharing the same stage as Ted Leo & the Pharmacists on Monday.

Best Conclusion:
I don't think that the Seattle Times realize that giving photo/press passes away to 5 little kids from Vera for Bumbershoot 2007 is like feeding raw sugar to a 2-year-old for the first time.

Julia Lipscomb