Apartment check (plus Bumbershoot - Day 1)

I'm all moved in my apartment.  It took all of five minutes since I have all of two suitcases and a sleeping bag.  Now I need a piano.  There are plenty being given away here all the time on Craigslist, I just need someone to help me carry it.  It has loads of natural light during the day (owing mostly to two giant windows) and I have my own fireplace.  So, I'm all set for visitors now.  What are you waiting for?  Bring it on.

Bumbershoot 2007, the 37-th installment of Seattle's own annual music festival, started today.  It doesn't have the big names of some of the larger festivals, but it definitely holds its own.

Today, I saw The Shins, Honey-dripper All Stars (southern blues band), The Avett Brothers (my new favorite band ever.  Check out 'When I drink.'  These guys just rocked, period.  Well done.), Bert Jansch, Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Wow.  Wow.), plus about five seconds each of DeVotchka and Gogol Bordello, neither of which by that time could hold my attention.

Some girl with a pink wig gave me a dollar for putting my empty water bottle in a recycling bin.  Apparently, Esurance gave her $1000 to hand out.

The concert site was packed with people.  There were loads of vendors and quite a few performers - bongo players, folding-chair balancers (?), some pretty hip group from Peru, etc.  I passed a cross-eyed guitar dude doing an acoustic version of "Sober".  Pretty damn well, too.

In other news, I went out on Friday (last night?  Seems like it was much longer ago.) and ended up in The Dubliner listening to a local band called Woodrush.  They were doing some crazy three-part harmonies and using mouth percussion with a loop pedal for phat beats.  Anyway, they did a cover of Jude's "Out of L.A." - notable, since I've never heard anyone do a Jude cover.  (My favorite song by Jude just so happens to be the version of Prophet on "You're So Hot I Love You", which blows the recorded version away and, incidentally, was recorded live at KLSU.)  (Furthermore, if you've never heard of him, at least listen to "I Do (Cammie)".)  After their first set, we got to talking about Jude - they discovered him in a stack of value discs - and they told me that he's now teamed up with a few other guys and started touring as the Low Stars.  News to me.  Here's the myspace music page.  Apparently, a lot of solo acts have been joining forces recently.  He tried to tell me about Pete Yorn and someone awesome who I can't remember teaming up in a project called Thorn (sp), but Google has nothing for me.

Some links:
"When I Drink" on YouTube  Highlight: I didn't mention it earlier, but after these guys finished, the crowd went crazy.  One of the brothers came back on stage to do an encore.  He sang one of the songs from their new album, Emotionalism.  The lyrics:

If I get murdered in the city
Don't go revenging in my name
One person dead from such is plenty
No need to go get locked away
When I leave your arms
Things that I think of
No need to get over alarmed
I'm comin home

I wonder which brother is better
Which one our parents love the most
I sure did get in lots of trouble
They seemed to let the other go
A tear fell from my father's eyes
I wondered what my dad would say
He said I love you and I'm proud of you both
In so many different ways

(The other brother came on stage now and walked up to share the mic.)

If I get murdered in the city
Go read the letter in my desk
Don't bother with all my belongings
But pay attention to the list
Make sure my sister knows I love her
Make sure my mother knows the same
Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.
Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.

Ok.  Now I know it's not hip to be emotionally expressive instead of coolly reserved, but the end of that song could not have been more touching if they would have fought, said how much they looked up to each other, cried, and hugged.  Seriously.  The YouTube video.  (Try to ignore the obnoxious crowd.)

Gabriela (from 'Rodrigo Y' fame) doing a solo jam on YouTube  This girl is phenomenal.
This one too.

Highlight:  They did a cover of "Wish You Were Here", but as they don't sing, they just told the audience to take over the vocals.  Great song.

Finally, I am have finally joined the rest of the world and will soon be the owner of a brand new(ly refurbished) iPod.  Whoop dee freakin' doo.

Now I'm going home.