• The decision on whether to install a permanent Chihuly exhibit at Seattle Center may come down to revenue. [Seattle Times]
• Pioneer Square's First Thursday art walk has become a victim of its own success. [Seattle PI]
• A hacker has tainted the exercise in democracy that is the Dick's Drive-In poll on where to locate its next burger joint. [KING/AP]

That is all.

The #2 suggestion for ways to celebrate Bumbershoot's 40th anniversary? Get ready to make some new memories by charting out the music lineup.

The Bumbershoot folks rolled out a list of 40 ways you can celebrate their 40th anniversary. The party's almost over, though, so we're here to suggest five last-minute ways to participate. This is #2.

You're probably surprised that the music acts at Bumbershoot aren't number one. It's easy to forget that Bumbershoot is more than a music festival, and includes all other kinds of art. Earlier this week The Seattle Time published an article of Bumbershoot memories which were 100% music.

(Writer pauses 10 minutes to remember Sunny Day Real Estate in '94.)

Head over to Bumbershoot's music listings. Spend the afternoon listening to songs from all of the bands. If you find something you like, dig up their website and play some more.

A great shortcut is the list of top ten local acts that we put out on Tuesday.

You may have been planning to just listen to the music online, maybe download a few bands on iTunes. But now that you've planned out your weekend, the #2 way to celebrate Bumbershoot is to buy tickets and ear plugs.

#2: Browse the music lineup (you just read it)
#3: $6k poetry deciphering competition
#4: Free poster art exhibition
#5: Watch some cool old videos

Basically these Everything is Terrible shows are built by a group of people who have spent years traveling the country searching for the strangest VHS tapes they can lay their hands on. Then they cut them up, remix them and let the weirdness play out. Basically, it's YouTube curated by experts of odd. If you're interested in knowing more about them Seattlest did an interview with them last time they were in town.

The Everything is Terrible crew are also on a separate mission to amass the largest collection of Jerry Maguire VHS tapes of all time (I'm sure they have their reasons), so if you're going to the screening and you also somehow have managed to hold onto a Jerry Maguire tape all these years, you can bring it and rest assured the tape will end up in good hands.

Here are a couple of clips so you can get an idea of what's in store:

Central Cinema // September 4th 7 p.m. & 10 p.m. // Tickets $9 ($7 Advance)

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
L.A based Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, A 10-member plus ensemble of cheery stomps and whistles, claps and brass horns, create music that’s sepia toned and impossibly cheery, like driving a vintage VW bus through the desert, playing musical instruments on train tracks and abandoned trucks, holding hands and riding bikes with your best friends. Oh wait! That already happened.
Saturday // Broad St. Stage // 7:30 p.m.

Ra Ra Riot
Upstate NY's Ra Ra Riot have only been in the game for three years, but with two albums (on non other than Seattle's Barsuk Records) under their belt and a sweet, melodic blend of strings and indie pop on their latest release, 2010's "The Orchard," you'd have thought they've been at it for much, much longer.
Sunday // Broad St. Stage // 5:45 p.m.

Jenny & Johnny
Jenny and Johnny, a power duo consisting of Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis, and longtime boyfriend and music collaborator Jonathan Rice, decided to start a new project (since RK’s never-announced hiatus, Lewis has been responsible for two critically acclaimed solo releases- 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat & 2008’s Acid Tongue) of songs that came (inevitably) from living together. Melodic and effervescent in a California-tinged way, you can hear their first three singles in anticipation of their debut album, "I'm Having Fun Now", thanks to the hot pink cassette tape widget they released last week.
Monday // Starbucks Stage // 6:45 p.m.

Surfer Blood
As if their song about Twin Peaks didn’t sell us, the video for their single “Swim” (a Pitchfork top 100 Best Song of 2009) did, with its mirage of purposeless debauchery. With their early 2010 release "Astro Coast", Surfer Blood sounds like a Built to Spill with foamy, catchy, clappy songs and a sincere fan base.
Monday // Broad St. Stage // 7:30 p.m.

Honorable Mention Acts We're (Also) Stoked For:
Justin Townes Earle, Meat Puppets, Health, Neko Case, and Bob Dylan...a budding folk singer we're not sure you've heard of.

7:30 p.m. // The Moore Theatre // $20-$25

TIME TO QUIT: Local pop outfit, The Quit, has got pop down, wrapped up and blooming. Think 90s pop meets a less sonically experimental Peter, Bjorn and John and you'll be off on the right foot. The groups myspace page cites a varied and hard to imagine list of influences: Television, Bob Dylan, The Flaming Lips, Pixies, My Morning Jacket, Nina Simone, et al, and though list like that can't do much to describe a band's sound, hearing just one song makes it crystal clear that The Quit has roots in a wonderful range of pop influences. They know exactly where they want to go and how to take us there. Soulful, thoughful and in complete control, This group just may be one of Seattle's best kept secrets. The Quit plays with the energetic and solid Spanish for 100 and psych/pop group Elder Mason.

9:00 p.m. // Tractor // $6

FUN 'N BLUES: Cyndi Lauper has given so much to the world, and to wedding DJs. Time After Time, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, The Goonies Soundtrack. Lauper's voice has always been magnificent, and it is matched by her powerful spirit and drive for life. Now in her late 50s, Cyndi Lauper is still a girl having fun and working hard, balancing her music with acting, reality TV, GLBT activism and many musical collaborations. Her latest musical endeavor is this year's Memphis Blues, her eleventh studio album. The album consists entirely of blues cover songs. Lauper visits Seattle for her Memphis Blues tour, playing at Woodland Park Zoo as a part of the Zoo Tunes series. Cyndi Lauper's career has spanned nearly 30 years, and she has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, and Time After Time still = one of the best songs of the 80s.

5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. // Woodland Park Zoo // $32

The Huskies have received a ridiculous amount of pre-season buzz for a team that's only a year removed from an 0-12 season, but with good reason. UW won five games last season and quite a few of their losses were close calls that could've easily gone the other way and resulted in a bowl game berth. Also, after years of sub-par recruiting under past regimes, head coach Steve Sarkisian has brought in a number of highly regarded recruits that have made immediate impacts on the program. In addition to the appeal that naturally comes with a feelgood, up-from-the-ashes sports narrative, the Huskies are led by one of the most compelling individuals in college football: senior quarterback Jake Locker.

Locker's been getting a ton of pre-season Heisman Trophy hype--the most of any Husky in recent memory--which was stoked by an East Coast media blitz arranged by the university. A recent Yahoo Sports article highlighted another noteworthy facet of the Locker story: his decision last winter to turn his back on NFL millions (which he may never have a chance to recoup after the expected 2011 NFL lockout) in order to return to the university he grew up loving. And if that's not enough reason to swoon for the local boy made good, there's also this. (Read: he's purty.)

The first step in bringing U-Dub back to its previous glory comes this Saturday at 4:00 p.m., as the Huskies open the season against the BYU Cougars. It's somehow fitting that (arguably) the most important season in the past 30 years of UW football starts against BYU. The Huskies could exorcise some past demons by beating the team that eked out a national championship over UW in 1984 by winning all of the games in a very Boise State-esque schedule of cupcakes, and that also was the benefactor of the controversial last-second celebration penalty on Locker that (potentially) cost the Huskies a victory two years ago.

So, Huskies, no pressure or anything, but it'd be pretty cool if you could go and redeem years and years of frustration by going and kicking the snot out of BYU Saturday. But given that the team is being led by a kid who's nothing less than the most mythologized athlete the state's history, that's not too tall an order, right? Um...right?

(And for the complete UW 2010 schedule, go here.)

• The man who took three people hostage at the Discovery Channel's Maryland headquarters today used to live in Sammamish, Kirkland, Bellevue and Bothell. [KING/AP]


• The Seattle police officer who kicked a Latino man and used some ethnic language won't face hate crime charges. [Seattle Times]


• Mayor Mike McGinn would like to remind everyone that smoking pot is, in fact, against the law. [Seattle PI]

Curator Laurie Kearney was kind enough to answer our questions about the beginnings of Ghost Gallery, and their plans for the future.

We read that before Ghost Gallery had a solid location, it was hosted events in other spaces. What was the transition of shifting venues to one home base like, and why did the transition happen?

I started Ghost Gallery in 2006, with the first show at the Pretty Parlor. I had moved here the year before to get my masters degree in museology, but having been waitlisted at UW. I got impatient, and started curating shows and hosting art events around Seattle. I pretty much jumped in head first, using the name Ghost Gallery since I had no set physical space of my own to exhibit artists' work. The space I'm in now (the former Crawl Space Gallery) came up for rent, and since I was in a kind of limbo (either give it a shot, or go back to working in admin and marketing), I went for it. The experience so far of having a home base has been amazing- there’s a lot of support from friends, family and the neighborhood, so I'm happy to be here and hoping Ghost Gallery keeps growing. I do still curate shows at other venues, mainly Stylus Salon, Solo Bar, and one recently at Havana Social Club. It's so much fun to transform non-traditional spaces into art venues.

How are the artists are chosen, and how long do their pieces stay there?

I have two co-curators, Cait Willis and Justin Smith, that help with artist recruiting (among countless other things: they are invaluable friends and colleagues). Typically we do month-long solo or group shows in the main galleries, then we have an ongoing "Petite Works" nook where we display miniature art on consignment. We've also started offering the gallery for "rent" for short-term, two- to three-day exhibits, in order to bring more artists in and provide some special events for the community.

What are the goals for the gallery in the future? Are there are any artists in particular you'd love to work with, an event or expansion you'd love to have happen?

Right now our main goal is to keep the doors open! It's not news that small businesses are struggling, so we're working on smart marketing to keep us going. I would love to see more local artists in here of course, as well as be able to host exhibits for international artists, and work more closely with surrounding businesses on special events (The Living Room, Artful Dodger Tattoo, etc). We're also talking about utilizing the courtyard out front for outdoor art and installations, which would be a great addition to the space.

Have you had a ghostly encounter worth mentioning, or do you have a favorite ghost story?

Haha, I actually get this question a lot, even though the name Ghost Gallery wasn't meant to target all things "ghost" in particular. I do enjoy being in the same Google searches as "actual" Ghost galleries, Goth sites, Ghost hunting, etc. Given my musical and style taste from years past, this obviously appeals to me. However, I have never had an encounter, and would probably need a lot of whiskey to calm down if I did.

Don't miss the closing exhibit for Andie DeRoux's CURIO: Collected Works Friday September 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery.

Open Wed-Fri 4 pm-8 pm, Sat 12-6 pm, Sun-Thurs by Apppointment @ Olive & Denny Way

Help celebrate Bumbershoot by getting involved in a massive, multi-player poetry project. Okay, it's a puzzle. But we like to think of it as an homage to the greatest novel ever written by the citizens of Seattle. Greatest, and only.

The Bumbershoot folks rolled out a list of 40 ways you can celebrate their 40th anniversary. The party's almost over, though, so we're here to suggest five last-minute ways to participate. This is #3.

Invisible Seattle was a group of self-described tongue-in-chic intellectuals who aimed to both celebrate and change Seattle in the early 1980s. They seemed doomed from the start, hoping for Everyman to enlighten himself with a Parisian penchant for literature and wine. They made a dent, though, and their two headline events happened at Bumbershoot.

First, in 1981 they made their name at Caffe Starbuck's (sic). To get some attention to their idea that artists should not have attention, they held a mock trial for local writer Tom Robbins. He'd just made a splash with the book Another Roadside Attraction. He was found guilty of "cultura Reaganism" (thinking America is the wellspring of culture), but apparently didn't learn his lesson. Last year he wrote B is for Beer and again garnered headlines.

At Bumbershoot '83, fifty members of Invisible Seattle spread out collecting snippets for the first book published by an entire city. The audacious endeavor was actually published, with version 5.2 "set from copies of the original disks". Their version numbering and the fact that 1.0 was a database shows just how cutting edge they really were.

In.S. wasn't loved by everyone, though. Their first hater was Rick Anderson, Seattle Times columnist. Part of old-school Lesser Seattle, Anderson's testosterone fueled editorial labeled the group chicken-hearted, and berated them for being able to tell "the difference between poetry that rhymes and that which does not." He ended his masterpiece with a shout-out to all of his drinking buddies, from "Fish and Maggot of the Banditos" to "Gay Bob who owes me $4" to "girl in white bikini at Nikko Garden". Utterly classic.

You can find out whether you're part of Invisible Seattle or Lesser Seattle in our #3 Way to Celebrate Bumbershoot. Yesterday a puzzle was decyphered, leading to $6000 in prizes. The prize has been found, but you can still try your hand at the puzzle. Thing is, the clues are in the form of poems. The kind that rhyme. Can you stomach it?

Seattlest Bumbershoot Celebration Roundup:
#3: $6k poetry deciphering competition (you just read it)
#4: Free poster art exhibition
#5: Watch some cool old videos

"Another Bumbershoot attraction as Tom Robbins found guilty", September 8 1981 Seattle page 52; "A home-grown epic is stewing in a melting pot", August 29 1983 Seattle Times page 39; "I prefer the faceless masses to Invisible Seattle", September 22, 1981 Seattle Times page 34.

Gaming is at the tipping point, if it hasn't already tipped. With more and more people playing video games, the question is no longer if you play games, but which games you play. With people spending six hours a day playing Farmville or Online Poker or Bejeweled, gaming has moved beyond the realm of nerds and is really something that everyone participates in, whether they realize it or not. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, and it has changed the way we spend our time, the way things are marketed and even how we socialize. Pretty soon, even the most resistant will feel the impact of games in their everyday life.

The Penny Arcade Game Expo (PAX) starts Friday at the Convention Center and continues through Sunday. The sold-out event is the biggest gaming expo in the Northwest and is called a weekend-long celebration of gamer culture. PAX was created in 2004 by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, authors of the Penny Arcade webcomic, because they wanted to create something that gave equal attention to console gamers, computer gamers, and tabletop gamers. Until this year PAX was unique to Seattle, but it has grown so much over the last six years that they were forced to expand, giving birth to PAX East in Boston.

Tens of thousands of gamers will soon descend upon downtown Seattle along with game industry types showing of their wares. There is an exhibitor hall with booths from indie and major game developers, with demos from yet-to-be-released games. (And likely some awesome swag too). Attendees can also expect concerts and after hours parties each night, tournaments, a freeplay area and a wide variety of panel discussions.

Sony's and Microsoft's foray into the world of motion controlled gaming (currently dominated by the Wii) will be this year's hottest topic of discussion. PlayStation Move is Sony's beefed up version of the Wiimote, promising more precise motion tracking and even the potential for augmented reality. But the new bit of technology that everyone is really dying to play with is Microsoft's Kinect for the Xbox 360, which will provide users with the first controller-free gaming/ entertainment experience. This weekend, the general public will finally get a chance to see if it stands up to all the hype.

While Seattle Center will be overrun with Bumbershoot attendees, downtown is going to be a madhouse full of cosplayers, game fans, and uber-nerds. Check back Monday for the Seattlest's take on how the expo went down.

MARINERS WIN: By capturing a win yesterday, our boys have some momentum going in to tomorrow night. Get thee to Safeco and rally support for a series win against the Angels. Vargas takes the mound against Trevor Bell.

7:10 // Safeco Field // From $7

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FACEBOOK FRIEND: You voted and tonight your four favorite episodes featuring Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia, and Rose will hit the big screen at Central Cinema. And the laughter doesn't stop there. The evening will continue with a screening of the 1977 Japanese horror/comedy House. The film follows a teenager named Oshare as she and her friends spend summer vacation with her grandmother. However, the girls are unaware that Oshare's grandmother is actually dead and the house is actually haunted. When they arrive at the house, crazy events take place and the girls disappear one by one while slowly discovering the secret behind all the madness.

7:00 // Central Cinema // FREE w/ $5 purchase (Golden Girls)

10:00 // Central Cinema // $7 (House)

CLIMATOPOLIS: Summer 2010 has brought a host of weird weather-heat waves and wild fires, sinkholes and floods. Though it takes a longer window of data to characterize these events as concrete indicators of Global Warming, climatologists acknowledge that they are consistent with the latest models. Increasingly, the question is not how we’re going to avoid a hotter future but how we’re going to survive it. In his latest book, Matthew Kahn explains how cities might adapt to rising temperatures over time, transforming our everyday lives as we change our behaviors and our surroundings.

7:30 // Town Hall Seattle // $5

• The Seattle Times examines the science of why dogs like to roll around in whatever rotting, reeking matter is handy. [Seattle Times]
• First gas prices, now another critical form of fuel. Bacon prices keep climbing in Seattle and the PI is all over it. [Seattle PI]
• Publicola does a double take today and asks, "wait, what if the bottled-water tax and bottled-water repeal both pass this November?" (Referendum 52 and Initiative 1107, respectively). [Publicola]

If hip-hop is the new Seattle sound and grunge is the infamous Seattle soundtrack, then funk ‘n soul is the sound that Seattle forgot. Recent trends and events have sought to revive memories of fedora-laden gentlemen and high-heeled ladies. And while these dancing nights bring out the best of the city’s vintage apparel, nothing comes as close to the reality of Seattle’s 60's and 70's Soul than Wheedle’s Groove.

The trifecta of Wheedle’s Groove this weekend: band performance, film, “Day” as declared by the Mayor. That’s right. September 4 is officially “Wheedle’s Groove Day,” and it’s a day to celebrate the rich history of funk and soul in Seattle, which has largely remained obscure to our fair city’s inhabitants. There was a time (roughly 1960's-70's) when the Emerald City was alit with the bright colors of a mushrooming soul scene. Writes one Groover, “There must have been twenty-five hard-giggin’, Superfly-like, wide-leg-polyester-pant-and-platform-shoes-wearing, wide-brim-hat-and-maxi-coat-sportin’, big-ass, highly-“sheened”-afro-stylin’, Kool & the Gang song-covering live bands playing four sets a night from 8 p.m. ‘til O-dark-thirty in the morning.” Damn do we wish we could have been there.

Luckily, Seattle-based filmmaker Jennifer Maas has recreated this magical moment with a documentary film called Wheedle’s Groove. It memorializes these now scattered musicians, many of whose musical careers were displaced with the popular emergence of disco in the 70's. The players’ reunion set the stage for the film as well as inspired the band, Wheedle’s Groove. Clips from the flick will play at Bumbershoot on Saturday at SIFF Cinema and the entire film will be screening at Northwest Film Forum September 3-9 with guest appearances from various musicians featured in the documentary. And as if that wasn’t enough, the conglomerate of musicians spawned by the film will be funking up the stages of Bumbershoot on Saturday as well.

So bust out your slickest dance moves, throw on your hot pants and celebrate “Wheedle’s Groove Day” in style. We promise. It’ll revive your soul.

Saturday, September 4 // Bumbershoot // $22-40/day

September 3-9 // Northwest Film Forum // $6-9

So everyone in the whole wide internet has heard of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along-Blog. Except us.

What gives? Have we been keeping so busy on really, really important sites like The New York Times, Seattlest and the FerretCam that we missed a huge culturally important piece of internet magic such as this? Guess so, because at the reinterpretation of the blog put on by the Balagan Theatre, we quickly realized we were out of our fandom league. There was some serious quote-along happening, and we seemed to be the only ones surprised by the ending. Some post-research reveals that yeah, that’s because Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is the most popular thing online since LOLCats.

Originally a tragicomedy in three acts starring Neil Patrick Harris, the story follows an amateur evil scientist trying desperately to gain entrance into the Evil League of Evil, a super group of the biggest and baddest naughties in the land. Foiled at every turn, Dr. Horrible (Eric Ankrim) is out to blast away his number one nemesis and girlfriend stealer, Captain Hammer. Things don’t turn out all “I'm in the league, got the girl, living the dream in my underground lair” and there was a second there we shed a little half tear. That’s what you get when you fly blind into these things.

Curious as to how loyal the theater reinterpretation was to the blog, we scoped it out on the YouTube. Balagan Theatre did a great job, and highlighted the very best of the blog while not falling into a strict reenactment. Usually a fan of anything that sniffs of wackiness, there was a moment there at the beginning where we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. That blasted away faster than you can say ‘freeze ray’ and we were laughing along with the fanboys in no time. It was charming, funny and sweet. There was plenty of awesome quoting on the walk home, proving you once again that sometimes knowing nothing about something before you see it is the best approach.

Fans of the series will love it, fans of unhappy endings will not be disappointed and fans of theaters were you can buy $2 PBR's are for sure going to want to pick up tix. Show up early for good seats and get pumped for an hour of fun songs, bad apples and a possible reconsidering of one’s life path. Membership in the Evil League of Evil would be a pretty cool card to carry.

Through Sept. 25 // Balagan Theatre 1117 E. Pike // Tickets $15

Meantime, there's something touching about this photo (courtesy of James Spady, whose family owns the chain), and it's not just the lovey-dovey fries-and-milkshake. There's that copper-colored wrapper around the Dick's burger, the twinkle of autumn light on the leaves outside, the loving, respectful way the two figures look at each other, mid-bite.

The gent we recognize. our former governor, now Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, and the lady is is wife, Mona. No French dinners on the DC party circuit for the Lockes, merci beaucoup; we're in the hands of a guy who knows the value of a 19-cent burger. Okay, it's more than that now, but that's what it cost 55 years ago, when Dick Spady started it all on 45tth Avenue in Wallingford.

You've got one final week to see the free Bumbershoot poster and art exhibit. It's a fine way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bumbershoot. Here's why.

In honor of its 40th anniversary, Bumbershoot rolled out a list of 40 ways you can join in the celebration. They've been going on all summer, which means you missed out on most of them. It's never too late to party, though, so we're here to suggest 5 last-minute ways to participate. This is #4.

Visual arts are an integral part of Bumbershoot. Paintings, live sculpture installations, comics - it's all on display this year at the Seattle Center.

But the annual poster has become the symbol of Bumbershoot. It's not a recent phenomenon, because the poster was celebrated before the event was even 10 years old. The Seattle Times ran a spread of every nominee for the poster competition in 1980, along with a recap of the history of the yearly Bumbershoot poster. A recap for every year but 1971 that is, since they'd already forgotten who made it and what it might be called. Oops.

A few years later, the entire city was gripped by poster fever. Seattle Opera posters were highly sought alongside rock and other event advertising. The 1976 Bumbershoot poster - featured yesterday - was already a collector's item in 1983.

So drop by the two poster exhibit venues and have a look at our changing graphic sensibilities.

Umbrella for the Arts, Seattle City Hall Gallery & Anne Focke Gallery, through September 7th, 9am to 6pm. Event info.

Seattlest Bumbershoot Celebration Roundup:
#4: Poster exhibit (you just read it)
#5: Watch some cool old videos

Poster retrospective "A shirt that's just right", August 6 1980 Seattle Times page 41; Poster collecting "Posters: They tell us what's in and what's going on", March 13, 1983 Seattle Times page 101

1. Grynch: While he's not family friendly, even the least likely of rap fans will have a good time with this guy. Get to know him a little better in the interview we did with him in April of 2008.

caspar babypants

3. Wheedle's Groove: Spanning a decade, Wheedle's Groove is a huge conglomerate of soul singers, musicians, and enthusiasts. In the 60s and 70s soul had taken over Seattle with a vengeance. There are younger and older members now keeping soul alive and well in our town. They have great talent, but also bring with them a great deal of our local musical history. You can also catch a few clips from the film chronicling their journey of funk and soul at 2:00pm on Saturday at SIFF Cinema. For the full movie head to Northwest Film Forum from the 3rd to 9th of Sept with special performances and Q&As after every showing.

4. The Round: We have had the pleasure of seeing more than a couple Rounds at the Fremont Abbey with bands/performers the likes of Hey Marseilles, Big Sur, Sally Ford and the Sound Outside, Zach Tillman, and Damien Jurado. Not only are they performances intimate and one-of-a-kind, but the visual/poetic artists that take part make it that much more magical. This installation won't be quite as personal but you will experience a unique show that won't be forgotten soon. The musicians/artists gracing the stage are: Tomo Nakayama, Goldfinch, Shenandoah Davis, slam poet Sara Brickman, and more.

Unnatural Helpers

6. Fresh Espresso: A hip hop group definitely to be seen and heard, their shows are non-stop thanks to the hyper active P Smoov. His partner in rhyme, MC Rik Rude, keeps him in check with a chilled out persona. Their man in the back running records is Terry Radjaw. Smoov is also part of the Capitol Hill hip hop sweethearts Mad Rad.

Hey Marseilles

Fences

People Eating People

10. Boat: This rock group is just plain fun. They have a way of making almost every song an anthem to summer, hanging out with friends, and just living. "Lately" from their album Setting the Paces is a perfect example of this getting everyone in the audience to clap along with them.

The Maldives

There's a second list, however, that needs to be added. The "we can't believe they're not playing Bumbershoot" list. These are the groups in the Pacific Northwest that are amazing, up-and-coming, and should be performing at the festival but for whatever reason(s) they are not. But good news - a couple of them are playing City Arts Festival soon (marked in asterisks). Written in no particular order.
- Revenna Woods
- Ivan and Alyosha
- The Head and the Heart*
- Drew Grow and the Pastor's Wives
- Sally Ford and the Sound Outside
- Champagne Champagne
-The Fruit Bats*

Drew Grow and the Pastor's Wives

The Head and the Heart

champagne champagne

7: 30 p.m. // Triple Door, 216 Union St. // Tickets: $25

A NIGHT FOR ZINES: The Hugo House will be hosting the Zines on Toast Tour tonight with Alex Wrekk, zine writer and creator of the DIY guide to zine-making, Stolen Sharpie Revolution. Fellow well-known zine writers Isy Morgenmuffel, Edd Baldry, Steve Larder, Tom Fiction and Natalie will also be on-hand to take part on the discussion covering the UK zine culture, the London zine symposium, vegan mass catering, UK social centres, revolution, punk rock, anarchy and much more.

7-9 p.m. // Hugo House // Tickets: $3-5

A DARK DR. SEUSS AND A DIFFERENT MICKEY MOUSE: The Grand Illusion is coming into their final week of Dennis Nyback's Animation Extravaganza and tonight will feature the animation collections of F**k Mickey Mouse and The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss. The Mickey Mouse segment will include animation from other studios that were hoping to either copy Mickey Mouse or beat Disney to the punch with the next big character in the 1930-40s race for animation arms. Programs will include Red Hot Riding Hood, a much earlier version of Snow White, featuring Betty Boop and more. The Dr. Seuss portion of the evening will feature Ted Geisel's adult-oriented work, war propaganda programming and the army training films that paid his bills before he became everyone's absolute favorite children's author of pretty much all time and forever beyond that.

7, 9 p.m. // The Grand Illusion

Fast forward to the present and things are roughly the same as they have been since 1998 except for one small, but musically interesting change. Fans now have the chance to hear NMH's masterpiece played live and in its entirety. But rather than hearing the lyrics sung by the man who wrote them and made them famous, fans will be serenaded by a ukulele playing devotee. Though some decry this project, known as Neutral Uke Hotel, as nothing more than cleverly executed exploitation, we recommend the show as the cause of "uniting fans" around a great album is a worthy one. The night will no doubt become singalong-filled good time led by some masters of the craft.

Take a listen to Shawn Fogel's take on a Jeff Magnum classic below and head over to the Sunset tonight for the in-person experience.

Sunset Tavern // 5433 Ballard Avenue Northwest // 9 p.m. // $7

A look at the band:

From Left to Right: Matthew Girard, Shawn Fogel, Michael J Epstein. Andrew Laubacher and Josh Cohen on screens

• Seattle's sober Free society is planning a human-sized ant farm for this year's Burning Man. [Seattle Times]


• 'Tis the season for a major spider invasion in western Washington. [KING/AP]


• We're in for some nasty, heavy rain tomorrow. [Seattle PI]

One such band that caught our attention this way was Bellingham’s own Timmy Sunshine & The Conductors. When we checked out their online collection of streamable songs, however, we were unexpectedly charmed by what met our ears.

Rather than local Dan Zanes-esque kids fare (as their name might suggest), Timmy Sunshine & The Conductors produce thoughtful songs about the struggles of daily existence. Sure they sometimes sing about dragons and magic trees, but for the most part, the band employs clever instrumentation that often belies the somber lyrical content. With a lush cello and violin, Timmy Sunshine & The Conductors bring to mind fellow chamber pop masters Pale Young Gentlemen or even an early Andrew Bird.

If you’re looking for plans for the evening and have a soft spot for innovative folk pop, follow our Can't Miss It: Monday reco and head over to the Comet to catch Mr. Sunshine and friends in action.

Comet Tavern // 922 East Pike Street // 9 p.m. // $5

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. // Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave. Seattle, WA 98107 // Tickets: $20 (adv) $25

In honor of its 40th anniversary, Bumbershoot rolled out a list of 40 ways you can help celebrate. They've been going on all summer, which means you missed out. It's never too late to party, though, so we're here to suggest 5 last-minute ways to participate.

The festival later known as Bumbershoot started in 1971, before most of us were born. It was a very different era.

The first article with the moniker Bumbershoot in the Seattle Times ran in 1973 on the entertainment pages. It was right next to ads for strip clubs as well as porn films at Bellevue's drive-in movie theater.

Another Bumbershoot Festival '73 article discussed grants dispensed by a number of arts organizations. Unity, a performance by black artists, received the kingly sum of $1000 in state and federal funds. But the article goes on to describe $1000 from Allied Arts to young director Karl Krogstad for "new animated techniques and multiple soundtracks". A bit of internet surfing reveals that Krogstad and his UW cohorts created an experimental porn film The Last Bath, which included "three minutes of really cool psychedelic visuals".

Coincidentally, Bumbershoot had its first film festival in 1973. It included a long list of short films such as the 1902 French classic A Trip to the Moon, the trippy 1946 short Ritual in Transfigured Time, Century 21's House of Science, claymation by Bruce Bickford (do yourself a favor and click through to see Twin Peaks in clay), 1959's Academy Award winner for Best Cartoon Ricky and Rocky, Gunvor Nelson's Moons Pool, a profile of M. C. Escher called Adventures in Perception and also two hours of "film showings for young people" at the Flag Pavilion each day.

If you've been following links to the 73 film fest, you've already figured out the #5 way to celebrate Bumbershoot. Sit back and watch the some art on the boob tube. But none of that boob exploitation stuff, Bumbershoot is a family friendly event.

First Bumbershoot article alongside ads for Little Sisters and Cheerleaders on May 9, 1973 Seattle Times page 19. Grants article July 6, 1973 Seattle Times page 18. Film showing listings August 23, 1973 Seattle Times page 27.

The old photo was taken in late 1930, well into the Great Depression. Stores along Pike Street were getting creative to draw in customers.

James & Merrihew, with a billboard on the left, ran a great promotion. They had a baby photo exhibit, free to view. Visitors would vote on the cutest baby. And during the exhibit visitors could also pose their babies for free to be in the next photo contest.

At Owl Drug you could meet the Sargon Man, who sold a patent medicine with pills to cure all sorts of stuff: insomnia to incontinence. The Federal Trade Commission cracked down on Sargon after it was revealed to be grain alcohol and the pills a simple laxative.

With Prohibition a thing of the past, we now advertise beer proudly instead of hiding it in sham medicines. That's why we're recessed instead of depressed this time.

More over at Flickr.

Quote Seattle Times, February 25, 1930 page 11

TBTL with Luke Burbank photo courtesy of Bumbershoot

The 40th Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival is taking over the Seattle Center starting Saturday. One of the many, many things to get excited about is the local comedy stage, providing attendees with stellar Northwest reppin' music alternatives all day long.

Bumbershoot comedy stages are notorious for their lines - it's not uncommon to wait for an hour or more to see comedians that have their own HBO specials. However, the local comedy at Comedy Stage West (aka The Vera Project) offers just as much as the national acts--minus the substantial queue.

Emmett Montgomery, a local comedian who helped organize this year's local stage, says the realm of PNW comedy includes some great offerings. His advice--don't miss the New Kids show on Monday. In his words, "These comedians represent the next generation in Seattle comedy. For most of these performers, this is going to be the biggest stage that they have ever been on. They will definitely be giving it 110% and it's going to be exciting to see what they do."

Also highly recommended by Montgomery are the Stop Podcasting Yourself Live Podcast on Saturday and the Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL) Live Podcast on Monday. These live podcasts are brand new to the local stage and promise to be fun for fans and newbies alike. These podcasts aren't usually recorded in front of an audience, so it's definitely a rare opportunity. Watch it at Bumbershoot, then go home and listen to it on your computer.

Wrapping up the local stage each night are the People's Republic of Komedy folks with their Laff Hole variety show. If you're interested in seeing what Seattle comedy is all about, then you'll want to check out this well-groomed comedy grab bag of sorts. This group of comedians have been working on this show for five years, and Montgomery says they've got it down to a really good combination of old and new with stand up, sketches and movies.

Obviously, we've barely scratched the surface of Bumbershoot's comedy offerings. There's Patton Oswalt and Friends, Morgan Murphy, Joe Mande, Donald Glover, and so many more. Festivalgoers are going to have a real tough time mapping out their days.

7:00 p.m. // Chateau Ste. Michelle // $60

OKAY, OUR INTEREST IS PIQUED...: "Climate Change and the Cost of Beer: Why Groundwater Will Dictate Your Bar Tab" is the topic of this month's installment of 'Science on Tap' at Ravenna Third Place Books. Matt Bachmann of the US Geological Survey will be speaking...and possibly drinking?

7:00 p.m. // Ravenna Third Place Books // FREE

CUTE BAND NAME, GUYS: Are you ready? Tonight Comet Tavern welcomes Bellingham's own..Timmy Sunshine & The Conductors! Adorable, right? They play with Corduroy and We Hate The Desert.

9:00 p.m. // Comet Tavern // $5

• Gothamist is stuck in a vortex of stories involving alleged Islamophobia: A week that started with a heated rally and confrontation outside the not-at-Ground Zero mosque, there were incidents of a man peeing on prayer rugs at a Queens mosque and a taxi driver who was stabbed after being asked if he was Muslim.
• Chicagoist watched a Lego version of the city come under attack by Lego Star Wars villains and then talked to the Lego Master Builder behind the chaos.
• Seattlest celebrated its WNBA team making the playoffs and solved a puzzle to score an invite to Facebook's housewarming party.
• Londonist hauled a couple of local papers over the coals as the Evening Standard nicked one of our photos and News Shopper rewarded an anti-gay letter with their star prize.
• DCist prepared for Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally on the National Mall by sharing one Tea Partier's guide to D.C. and publishing a handy map based on the skewed advice within.
• Shanghaiist was pounded by lighting and thunder storms, which unfortunately also caused the complete wreckage of one of its most historic, but neglected, historical landmarks - one that we had just visited earlier in the week.
• SFist prepared for Burning Man and questioned whether or not the event had any wind left in its counterculture sails.
• LAist discovered a messy "intersection" between the City of Santa Monica and a cancer research company where the business deal depends on building a bicycle lane.

The play is a one-man show written and performed by the previously mentioned bouncer, Ron Richardson. It also features Kirsten Lauzon, who spent the entirety of the play back lit behind a wide screen slithering her shadow like nobody's business. Lauzon lets her body do the talking, whereas Richardson uses a series of confessional style stories in outlining his eight years spent at the self described "Temple of Poon." And they're pretty juicy little tales.

Act One is a background on Richardson's life, a quick snapshot of an eighteen year old from Walla Walla whose five-item bucketlist included working at a strip club. We learn about this club, the owners and operations that drive the place; but where things get really interesting is when Richardson talks about the girls. Funny and realistic, he brings the ladies to life in a hilarious and heartfelt way that allows them to be at once sexual volcanoes and human beings. Big ups to that; it's no easy feat and was appreciated.

For a play about sex work, it seemed surprisingly family friendly. Then comes Act Two. Things get pretty sexy in the second half, and since we're huge enemies of spoilers, we won't give anything away, but will note that the word 'adorable' has never had such punch.

The Little Red Studio is charming. They have delicious and affordable steaks, the drinks were strong and the seats were comfortable. The play was funny and touching, and the audience (including some former dancers) loved it. Leave your moms at home, grab a friend who likes a dirty yarn and check it out.

Sat 8/28, Sun 8/29 // The Little Red Studio 400 Dexter Avenue N. // Tickets $15

After last week's wild ride, Nyback is back at it again with this week's shows, Fuck Mickey Mouse and The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss. The inspiration for Fuck Mickey Mouse (besides coming up with a show to go along with a great title) is a way for Nyback to show the many ways in which Disney competitors tried to compete with the animation juggernaut in the 30's and 40's. (Usually by ripping them off or making fun of them.)

Playing after Fuck Mickey Mouse is The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss, a program of propaganda films Ted Geisel made for the Army in the 1940's. Capping the evening off is a collaboration with Frank Capra called Your Job In Germany, a disturbing short which will attempt to convince you that you should never trust anyone, ever. (Especially Germans).

Fuck Mickey Mouse // August 27th to September 2nd 7p.m. // $8 ($5 Members)

The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss // August 27th to September 2nd 9p.m. // $7 ($5 Members)

Dinner: check. Drinks: check. Movie: check. It's a one stop shop... but, it's in Mountlake Terrace. Cinebarre has four theatres across the country, and their Washington location opened last year in the sleepy suburb. Like the Big Picture in Redmond and Belltown or Central Cinema, Cinebarre is a theater where moviegoers can enjoy full meals and libations during the flick. Unlike Big Picture, Cinebarre is strictly a movie theatre and unlike Central Cinema, they show first run films. Another bonus: tickets are just $5 for any showtime on a Tuesday.

It's immediately noticeable that this isn't your average movie theatre lobby. Instead, it feels like a bar with a very distinctive aesthetic. They have eleven beers on tap, an extensive wine selection and mixed drinks, costing no more than what you'd pay at your neighborhood watering hole. Unfortunately for the young 'uns, that means this place is a 21+ establishment. With plenty of seating, they are definitely encouraging patrons to hang our before and after the movie. The walls are covered in big ass canvas prints of classic and cult movie posters such as Clockwork Orange, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Shining. As an extra nice film-themed touch, the silent movie classic Metropolis was playing above the bar.

A cool reward for getting there early is the preshow entertainment featuring indie shorts. In fact, local filmmakers are invited to submit their work for the preshow screenings through Cinebarre's website.

The menu features pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and other munchies with some vegetarian and vegan friendly options to boot. I had the "Lawrence of Arabia"; hummus and veggie stuffed pitas with a side of fries. Very tasty and only $8. It's $6 for a decent yet really huge bowl of popcorn; but why not opt for something fancier? I mean, might as well make the most of this extra special movie experience.

How it works: each row of seats has a table in front of it with menus and pens. Before the show, servers run around taking orders and stuff. Once the show begins, orders can be placed by writing it down. And right before the movie is over, they drop off the bill. Not too different from regular restaurants, except with much less talking.

Some not-so-great side effects of having a full service restaurant in your movie theatre: the lights are never totally dark and there are servers crouching by to check on patrons. This can be kind of a distraction and can really break the magic of immersive movie watching.

Getting there and back was the biggest challenge for me. If you're busing it from downtown Seattle, it takes two buses and about an hour of travel time. Still, a $5 movie and a beer is definitely worth the trip. For those with cars of their own, it's right off the freeway and there is plenty of parking.

Tuesday tip: Plenty of people are taking advantage of this deal, especially for the post-work screenings. If you plan on going to a show that starts after 5:00 pm, I'd suggest getting the tix in advance to avoid sell outs.

If you've got the time and are itching for something new, go check out Cinebarre. It is nice being able to enjoy a pint or two of beer while taking in Hollywood's freshest offerings. (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was pretty fantastic, btw).

This week's Dress Code is inspired by both equine and feline fashions.

The Good: This week we were really hoping to cover an exciting, fashionable event at the Emerald Downs 75th Longacres Mile Race, with all the sincerest intentions for it to make our “good” list. We envisioned classic cocktail attire and the staple wide-brimmed floppy hat to grace the VIP viewing room. Alas, we cannot in good fashion conscience claim that Emerald Downs procures stylish sights; rather, it felt more NASCAR than horse-track. Fun indeed, but absolutely not fashionable.

Dubbed the “Sport of Kings”, horse racing has ancient roots in Roman mythology, making it one of the oldest sports in the world; today it is one of the most lucrative. As a hundred billion dollar industry, horse racing and other equestrian sports (English horseback and polo, for example) are considered an elite enterprise and palate from which the world draws much of its fashion. Yet, in absence of high fashion at the Auburn track, we give you Dior’s fall 2010 collection, featuring a brilliantly executed equestrian-meets-lingerie theme as this week’s “good”.

Iva Handfull in leopard print bodysuit by Agent Provocateur, photographer: Debora Spencer Photography

This week’s “bad” is Discontinued Trim Productions Prowling for Paws burlesque and variety show (Friday and Saturday night) to benefit PAWS, a local nonprofit organization that finds families for homeless pets and rehabilitates wildlife. From Miss Kitty Baby's vintage leopard prints and fringe to Iva Handfull's silver sequined, fiber-optic cat costume designed by Seattle’s own Jamie Von Stratton (and pasties galore, a la Pinky Shines), Prowling for Paws will exude all things feline: fierceness, sensuality, playfulness, danger and sex. This show will celebrate femininity, fashion, cougars (see definitions above), cougar hunters, cougar bait and cubs, and a surprise guest celebrity cougar. Heads up: dress in animal print and you’ll get a free raffle ticket.

The Ugly: In perhaps what was an overly ambitious and grandiose expectation of Emerald Downs, we projected that this week’s “ugly” would be something to the effect of an excessive fur shawl made from baby sea otters, more resembling taxidermy than an article of clothing; you know, those kinds with the face still on it? The closest thing we found to fur was a velour track suit, and that was pretty bad too. This week’s “ugly” is our top three picks of worst fashions at Emerald Downs.

For whatever reason, restaurant monikers do seem as subject to fads as the food served within. This Seattlest once had a friend who, in the early 2000s, made a stand against going to any restaurant with a one-word name--a move that severely hampered our dinner dates. And as Ronald has noted to us in the past, this city at one point was home to the similar-sounding Crave, Cremont, Crush and Crow.

In journalism school you learn (facetiously, and yet seriously) that three instances of something makes a trend. These days, Seattle restaurateurs are snapping up striking old buildings around the city and drawing on the structures' history for name inspiration.

Take Staple & Fancy and its oft-repeated tale of being named for an old sign painted on a brick wall unearthed during a major renovation of the Kolstrand Building. Add to that the recently opened Auto Battery, a hybrid coffee shop/sports bar housed in a former garage and named for the faded sign out front.

Finally next month will bring the Book Bindery, another highly anticipated restaurant opening, and one with some major culinary horsepower (and Michelin star experience). The restaurant is setting up shop in an old Interbay warehouse and, of course, gets its name from a previous occupant.

Now, if only a restaurant were to open in the former home of the dearly departed Lusty Lady...