Despite the surprise appearance of (perennial Bumbershoot headliner) rain on Satuday evening, the dedicated crowd of Babes in Toyland fans seemed completely indifferent to the downpur. And from Kat Bjelland's first snarling guitar chord, it was clear that she was too. In a set front-loaded with one sneering, jagged tune after another – "He's My Thing", "Swamp Pussy", "Bluebell" – Bjelland, drummer Lori Barbero, and recently-recruited bassist Clara Salyer thrashed through the pouring rain with an unrestrained fury that was probably the day's most aggressive set. If nothing else, Babes in Toyland's 2015 reunion set was the loudest thing on the quiet side stage on the Fisher Green Pavilion, but it was also the only set to make the rain seem like a fitting backdrop. When it's a massive crowd of teenagers waiting for The Weeknd being doused upon, it's kind of a bummer, but when your crowd is dressed in ill-fitting flannel and baggy jeans (a scene that almost perfectly mirrored pictures of the early 1990s Bumbershoots), it makes sense. Even though they were only onstage about 30 minutes before thunder forced them off, there was only one thing on anyone's minds for that half hour, and it sure as hell wasn't the rain.
Fitz and the Tantrums have been a festival undercard staple for the better part of four years now, but although they've steadily moved on up bills, they've been a dependably fantastic live band the entire time. At their sub-headlining set at Bumbershoot – their biggest Seattle play to date – they were no different. Capitalizing on their dual-frontperson configuration, Noelle Scaggs and Michael Fitzpatrick ricocheted off of each other with an energy that belied just how long they've been on the road. (It's been over two years since the release of their last album, 2013's More Than Just A Dream, which has shown considerable legs.) Their bandmates remain as tight as a unit as any other group on the road, equally skilled at pulling off the more classic R&B push-and-pull of their older material and the more immediate tunes from Dream. for a moment, watching the band close with "The Walker" to a massive crowd jumping in time with the track's rhythm felt like the culmination of so many Seattle gigs, but that's not quite true. Bumbershoot was just the latest in a long series of stages conquered by Fitz and the Tantrums and whenever they return to the Pacific Northwest, they'll likely do it over again on an even bigger stage.
Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival was in a time of fairly major transition in 2015, as it entered its 44th year. Many long time fans of the festival wondered how the beloved event would change under the new management of AEG, which penned a five year deal with the nonprofit OneReel after the orga…
Labor Day weekend is upon us, which in Seattle means Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival! This long-running festival enters its 45th year of music, comedy, literary events, and more at Seattle Center. As we prepare to move into that location ourselves, this year KEXP won't be broadcasting from th…
For longtime followers of the band, it's a little strange that Modest Mouse has now spent more time as a big-name ticket than a scrappy indie rock band from Issaquah, but in retrospect, the band's current status goes along with Modest Mouse's singular trajectory. Although many would label them with…
