Austinist on the Road: Seattle's Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival

In preparation for our town's nonstop schedule of fall festivals, Austinist ventured over to Seattle to check out the long-running Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival, a massive three-day affair that takes place on the sprawling "Seattle Center" near the famous Space Needle. What began as a modest city-funded event in the early seventies has today grown into an impressive spectacle celebrating just about everything in the Arts & Entertainment realm — and while the impressive list of musical acts garners the most attention, Bumbershoot boasts its share of comedic talent, independent film, avant-garde dance troupes, and more. It's also one of the sites of the Flatstock poster convention.

Highlights from last weekend included dazzling performances by Death Cab for Cutie, Beck, Neko Case, Nada Surf, and Band of Horses, who kindly obliged a Myspace fan in delivering an off-stage wedding proposal between songs. She said yes, of course. As an added bonus, Seattle's indie tastemakers KEXP hosted a special, off-the-map live on-air taping of some standout artists playing the festival. Like SXSW showcases, these quick 30-minute sets allowed the bands to show off some newer material while affording the Continental Club-sized audience a much more intimate listening and, as it were, viewing experience. Case in point: after witnessing !!! up close, we've nicknamed frontman Nic Offer's adorable side-shufflin', fist-punching dance move the "I'm wiping my butt on your hand towels and you'll find out later."

Photos from Bumbershoot appear below.