Bumbershoot 2010: MvB's Saturday Preview

It's Bumbershoot this Labor Day weekend, and before we get to the acts, let's recap on strategy.

• Daily tickets are $22 (no mainstage) or $40 (mainstage). Buy in advance, 'cause at the gate it'll go up to $30 and $50, respectively. All adult-accompanied kids 10 and under get free festival admission (doesn't include mainstage).
• Driving anywhere near the Seattle Center will be a pain, slightly less if you get there very early. Any number of buses will drop you there, including special festival shuttles. From Capitol Hill, it's the mighty #8. From downtown, you take the Monorail and arrive in style.
• Check the weather before you go and dress appropriately (or not, what the hell, it's your life). For the pack: water bottle, something blanket-y to sit on, sunscreen, sweater.

Saturday Picks!

You can meticulously plan an electronic schedule ahead of time using this online whirlygig or keep your options open by stocking your pocket with a printed PDF version. But no matter what, there is a knife hidden in every Bumbershoot--an inevitable knife--that stabs the moment you realize two of your favorite things are playing at the exact same time. What to do? Me, I say roll with it and wait until you are there and need to make the call. Often you're in the mood for one or the other by the time the moment of decision rolls around.

That said, for a themed day, there's a couple of tracks you could run. Here's an all alt.folk.country day in music with Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs (1:15 p.m.), Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers (2:45) or The Maldives (3), Justin Townes Earle (4:45), The Decemberists (5:30), Pete Molinari (6:45), Neko Case (7:15), and Bobby D (9, mainstage), if you're into older dudes.

Visqueen (Photo: Ben Haley)

You could also go for Seattle-band pride with MC Grynch (12:15), Caspar Babypants (1), The Maldives (3), Feral Children (5), This Providence (6:30) or See Me River (6:45), and cap it off with Visqueen (9:45). Maybe spice that up with way-out-of-town Balkan Beat Box (7:30) or a few minutes of the Raveonettes (9:30) who are fun, but not fun enough to warrant missing Visqueen, especially in the friendly confines of the EMP Sky Church.

If stagehopping isn't your thing, you could do a whole lot worse than just camping out at the Broad Street lawn. It's outside with enough room not to get murderously crowded and has the strongest and most eclectic lineup of any stage. The Submarines (12:30) and Plants & Animals (2:15) warm things up, weird and loud Atlas Sound (4) and oft-ultra-soul-powered Jamie Lidell (5:45) keep the early evening fascinating, and then desert wanderers Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (7:30) reach out and touch their acolytes with jangly rock before handing the stage over to the previously-mentioned Raveonettes.

To take a break and get your arts on, stop by the Northwest Rooms for the Visual Arts program, or bring your wallet to Fisher Pavilion to stock up on the awesome rock posters of Flatstock. I'll be swinging by one of the Circus Una Motorcycle Thrill Shows (4:30, 6:15). Rick Moody (5:30) fans  have to skip the Decemberists, sadly, given the literary delights of both, and if you're into Can Can Castaways burlesque (8), then you're gonna miss out of the troll-like comedy stylings of Patton Oswalt (8).