There are a million things happening at Bumbershoot (ed: or 77) on any given day this weekend. Here are some of the acts that your pals at Metroblogging Seattle are most excited about seeing on Saturday. Let us know what we’ve missed, what we should skip, and what you’re most looking forward to checking out. For the sake of the locals, we’ve used the common name for the stages rather than the annually-shifting sponsored names.



Salon of Shame (12:00p, Leo K) Tickets always sell out before you can blink? Maybe this is your chance.

Flatstock (all weekend) Prepare to hand over your bank account stocking up on originals and prints from the country’s best rock poster artists. This is consistently one of my favorite parts of Bumbershoot and I’ve never been able to leave empty-handed. The show runs all weekend, but go early for the best selection. The only problem is finding a place to stash your purchases during the rest of the day.

Carrie Akre (12:00pm, Mural) With a band or without, one of the strongest voices (both literally and metaphorically) to emerge from the local music scene.

FOUND (1:45 pm, Leo K) People send all sorts of discarded urban artifacts to Davy Rothbart — shopping lists, windshield wiper notes, polaroids — and he collects them into an insightful and revealing magazine. He and his brother Peter turn the highlights reel into an engaging live show.

the Shins (2:30p, Memorial Stage) Every year, Bumbershoot’s programmers take sick pleasure in forcing pale indie fans to drag themselves to Seattle Center during the peak hours of sunlight to catch a venerable indie act. Last year, it was Spoon and the New Pornographers. This year, the Shins are the reason that you’ll be coating yourself with sunscreen, shaking off your Friday night exploits, and taking over Memorial Stadium as Crowded House fans filter out.

St. Vincent (2:30p, Broad Street) The first of two ex-Illinoisemakers (Sufjan Stevens’ 2005-6 touring band) to play this year, and by far the most talented, Annie Clark can play just about every instrument and write and sing more like Kate Bush than Kate Bush. (It would have been a Sufjan trifecta had Rosie Thomas not cancelled.)

I Love Led Zeppelin (3:45p, Bagley Wright) If you haven’t yet seen Ellen Forney’s hilarious audiovisual performance, it’s must-see. Rumor has it that there will be a live acoustic performance of “Stairway to Heaven” as accompaniment. Even if you’ve already experienced the show, this is a great excuse to escape the elements.

The Saturday Knights (4:00p, Fisher Green) Have these guys ever put on a bad show? No. And they’re always at their best when they’ve got room to move around.

the Lashes (4:15p, Broad Street) Even if this wasn’t Eric Lashes’s triumphant return to the stage after a terrible accident this spring and months of ensuing rehab, these hometown power pop sensations would be worth checking out.

Menomena (6:00p, Broad Street) Portland high-tech collage rock!

The Gourds (6:45p, Mural) Savory mash-up of spicy zydeco, Tex-Mex, country and rock, takes the traditional and twists it into exciting experiments that remain accessible.

Grand Archives (9:30p, EMP) Is it possible to heap too much praise on Grand Archives? Is there a better new local band this year? No & no. Can’t wait to see them peforming in a venue with a gigantic wall of LEDs and a top-notch light show, just for the incongruity of it all.

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perhaps you’ve noticed a theme — Broad Street and the Mural Amphitheater? — not only do these two stages have stellar festival-of-their-own-worthy lineups, they’re among the easiest to check out at a moment’s notice and from a distance. There’s goodness aplenty at indoor venues, but it requires a little more goodness, a lot more commitment, and a healthy amount of line zen to tip the balance in their favor.

Related posts:

1. bumbershoot agenda : sunday
2. bumbershoot : saturday photos
3. Panic! at the Disco cover The Band
4. bumbershoot agenda : monday
5. The Shins Live @ Easy Street Tomorrow