After Stars of Track and Field I headed over to the Sky Church to see Iceage Cobra. These guys know how to rock, really! Not the type of "rock" you hear in popular music, they really rock. The line was long but moved fast, and I was anxious to see how much they had changed since the first time (and only time) I had seen them last year.

Their lovable borderline dance/rock/60's 70's sound is really unique. They served as my second surprise of the day. I stepped out of my normal musical taste and discovered how awesome they really are. Something that really stood out to me was that they all sing, and they all have awesome voices! Keep in mind this isn't your textbook type of singing, but really rough around the edges dirty rock vibe vocals. A really satisfying set all around and the crowd loved the energy.

Emily Gorman

As I waited for Stars of Track and Field I was on the fence about what their show might be like. I had heard the hits, and felt a mild admiration for them last year, but never pursued it enough to attend a show. No lie! More expectations exceeded!

Their energy and sound were perfect. The sun hid behind the clouds just in time for their mellow anthems about missing your loved ones, and other reflection evoking sorts of songs. The crowd was so calm and collected as well, which really helped the vibe. These guys know how to keep your attention. I certainly will be going out to buy some of their music. Plus, Eric of Long Winters fame (familiar face to many of us) appeared to play bass during the last song.

Emily Gorman

One year ago, I entered a little coffeehouse in Spokane and discovered Army of Me, who were currently on tour with the Damnwells away from their home in the other Washington. That night was when I first realized the true core concept behind rock 'n' roll. Through their intimate coffeeshop performance and then sticking around several hours later to hear an exclusive (and very insane) jamming session, I was so inspired that I sat in my car in a parking lot behind a Jack 'n' Box writing until nearly 3 in the morning. This performance at the MySpace-sponsored Exhibition Hall was no different and to express my ecstatic energy during the show, I got out my duct-taped bounded journal and began writing at an increasingly accelerated pace to keep with their tempo.

Opening my diary to those pages now, I get a headache. My handwriting was AWFUL. I was eavesdropping on a conversation in the press room, and three reporters/photographers were talking about the prevalent usage of bad handwriting skills at shows like this, so I flashed them two of my pages from the concert. They were like, "Whoa! It looks like Kurt Cobain's diaries!" Need to say more? I got way into it.

Well, originally I really wanted to post a good photoblog here like how my photos for the Lashes and the Trucks miraculously turned decent, but the maddening volunteers at the Murdoch-sponsored Exhibition Hall thrusted my newfound camera love straight back into my writing diction because I really do not fit in as a photographer at Bumbershoot. Like other photographers, I wanted to get some pictures from the front but common sense told me that security escorts the
photographers by certain guidelines. I respect the venue and I especially respect the band, so I was really (and actually, still am) curious about how to photograph a band from the front. A volunteer by the gate would let me pass, I'd walk toward the stage and get out my camera, then the guards would immediately scorn me, mouth a bunch of words that I could not comprehend, and ask me to leave. I asked the designated "photo escort" volunteer what rules I need to work by so I
could do my work, and she was like, "Just go up there!" So I went back, took a few pictures from the side, but whenever I approach closer to stage center, the guards were at me again. This relaying between the volunteers repeated nearly 10 times until Army of Me finished their incredibly dynamic "Meet You at the Mouth" which was their third song, so I was immediately escorted out of the backstage area all together. I had no pictures not even without a flash from the front of the gate.

The only photos that I did have were the fun random shots that I took during their soundcheck before the doors opened again. It always feels jadedly exhilarating to be backstage, so I just took photos of anything and everything of the scene around me while experimenting with different switches on my Canon for creative variety. I decided, rather than giving you a straight-up MP3 of my interview with lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Vince Scheuerman, I composed all of my backstage snapshots into a slideshow to play while you listen. These photos clearly do not stand well individually, but composed altogether in a conceptual manner, I think I expressed my excitement for Army of Me as they continue to excel through the constant thrills of touring and their budding musical career.

Julia Lipscomb

There are moments which define festivals. They are the moments which you remember for years after the festival that summer and use to define your opinion of it forever. For the Capitol Hill Block Party 2007, it was Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and their crazy live show. For Bumbershoot 2007 it is Blue Scholars and Good Medicine. They played a set which was so energetic and entertaining that I am not going to forget it for years.

Blue Scholars are the perfect group for Seattle. They're very knowledgeable about local history (which I know anyone who has been forced to take History of Washington State in high school appreciates), they're proud of their recent immigrant background, they're accepting of every culture which they may encounter, they manage to bring along almost every single one of their peers with them on their way to stardom, and (shout out to Microsoft and Starbucks) they're shrewd businessmen. This is the group which will carry every other rap group in Seattle on their backs and bring them popularity. I would be overstepping my grounds if I said that they will do for Seattle hip-hop that Nirvana did for grunge in the late eighties - but I certainly think so right now. They're the first to get signed, more will come soon.

Considering how short notice the fans of Bumbershoot received, the crowd for Blue Scholars managed to pack the Fisher Green like the show had been scheduled since June. I can only imagine how many people there would have been had it been. For music, Blue Scholars turned their guest spots on each other's albums into extended jams with freestyle raps coming from the rappers who didn't appear on the original. Khingz of Abyssinian Creole gave an extremely energetic show as he bounced around the stage and rapped about his home town in the Central District of Seattle. I would love to say the highlight of the show was when Blue Scholars brought out rapper Grynch to perform his song "Summertime" featuring Geo, but I can't: that distinction goes to the all-star finale.

Closing their set, Blue Scholars brought a cadre of rappers onstage, including members of local rap groups The Physics, Saturday Knights, Cancer Rising, Step Cousins, Sportn' Life Records and about fifteen more who are in various groups. Together this group played the Blue Scholars classic "North by Northwest," concluding the performance with everyone yelling "Ain't no party like a 206 party, cuz a 206 party don't stop!" while the crowd screamed the same back. Basically every notable member of the Seattle rap scene was on hand to laud Blue Scholars and the progress they have made.

For my closing statement from the best set of the entire festival I'll leave it up to the girlfriend (Jennifer) of Sportn' Life Records founder DeVon. As we walked away from the set she said "Do you see how many people are onstage!? Do you see how the crowd is reacting! This is the summer of Seattle hip-hop!"

I've seen Gabriel Teodros perform in some pretty interesting locations. I traveled down South to Tacoma to see him with Blue Scholars at their CD release show at Hell's Kitchen. I saw him as part of Good Medicine on the Vera stage at the Capital Hill Block Party this year. I saw him at an in store in the back of the Queen Anne Easy Street promoting his new album Lovework (more on this album later).

This was one of my favorite shows because there were only about six of us in the crowd. Gabe and Kinghz (his partner in Abyssinian Creole took song requests and really made a connection with the sparse crowd of die hard fans and loitering record store shoppers.

The most intimate show of Gabe's I've ever seen happened a few months back at the White Center Community Center. He and Kingz performed some songs, freestyled, and taught a rhyming clinic for some future south end kings in the WC. After the show, my boyfriend and I went over to talk with Gabe and Khalil and to thank them for coming down to do a show for the kids at the community center. They asked us where we were from, and though they were familiar with my hometown of Renton, his neighborhood Boulevard Park didn't seem to ring a bell. Gabriel and Khingz proved to be true southenders though, as we saw them driving through Boulevard Park one evening a few weeks later.

I was extremely impressed with Gabriel's mellow album Lovework. I got it soon after it came out, and listened to it for two weeks straight while doing data entry at work. This took some real dedication since I hadn't bought my re-furbished I-pod Shuffle yet and involved running the CD off the disc drive of my office computer. The laid back beats and soulful lyrics helped me get through the days with a smile, and got me excited to see Gabe's show this year at Bumbershoot.

Fortunately, the show did not disappoint. This afternoon's performance at the Esurance stage was by far the most energetic I've ever seen. Gabe had a number of Massline guests and others, including Khingz, Meklit, Toni Hill, Lioness and Geo as Prometheus Brown. Gabriel and Khingz rocked the crowd with Gabe's song East Africa that pleads with listeners to clean up Africa's East as well as the local South Seattle streets. I saw female fans moved to tears by Gabe's song about women in hip-hop , and after the passionate rendition of Southend Kings, Khingz jumped into the crowd. Now I'm of to see a recently announced performance by Blue Scholars and Good Medicine that is sure to be more than tight.

Keayleen McDaniels

Apples in Stereo lead singer Robert Schneider was more than happy to show off for cameras before their performance on the Broad Street Lawn:

They have a big spot at Bumbershoot opening for Art Brut, a show which is sure to pack every open inch of the grass. I first heard of Schneider when he performed a song on The Colbert Report featuring Stephen Colbert, since then I've learned a lot about the group and realized that it is kind of weird an indie pop band would appear on a national fake-pundit broadcast. Schneider appeared before the "Countdown to GuitArmageddon," in which Colbert challenged Decemberist Chris Funk to a guitar battle. Fans of Colbert will be happy to know he won (with a little help from Peter Frampton). At Bumbershoot The Apples in Stereo played an energetic sound to a large crowd who were very enthusiastic.

Kate Carosino

Today was a Flight of the Concords themed day for me. First, I saw Kristen Schaal perform a comedy set with Anthony Jeselink and Jonthan Coultan. Kristen Schaal plays the kooky fan-girl Mel to perfection on HBO's Flight of the Conchords. Anthony Jeselink's insult-comic techniques went over decently with the crowd and the best I can say is that he reminded me of a comic with the insults of Lisa Lampanelli and the delivery of Christopher Walken.

But Kristen Schaal changed the tone and brought the laughs with a funny, although somewhat derivative, joke about a small-time acting role on Law and Order SVU.

Afterwards, I saw Eugene Mirman, Jemaine and Bret's landlord on Flight of the Conchords, enjoying the sights and sounds of Bumbershoot. Following Mel's fan-girl techniques, I had to ask for his picture, and he obliged. Sadly, however, the Flight of the Conchords themselves are not scheduled to perform at this year's Bumbershoot. Their folk-parody music would be perfect for this festival, and it is disappointing that they were not booked.

Kate Carosino

Rose Hill Drive out of Boulder, Colorado filled the Starbucks stage this afternoon with their long haired classic rock:

Keayleen McDaniels