For those of us who missed it -- Bumbershoot 2010 highlights

So, while I was taking my daughter to college on the East Coast, some three thousand miles to the West was the 40th anniversary of Bumbershoot, Seattle's legendary music and arts festival. I always say some day I'll do that one and Lollapalooza in Chicago and South by Southwest in Austin maybe even Bonnaroo in Tennessee. I guess that's the bucket list for a music lover.

Thanks to YouTube you can experience, albeit remotely, the music without the associated travel headaches, sweating and discomfort of actually leaving home and flying hither and yon to sit for hours in the blazing sun (which comes out even in Seattle when music fans gather). Here are some videos I've culled from Bumbershoot that make me wish I were there.  Maybe next year!

Say what you will about Courtney Love, her first record, Live Through This, is one of the few classic albums I can play from first song to last without skipping.  She may not be the most gifted vocalist, but she sings the heck out of a song and imbues it with passion.  Here's Courtney covering one of my favorite Stones' songs, Sympathy for the Devil


Speaking of the Stones (I love my segues) here's Bob Dylan singing Like a Rolling Stone (which has nothing to do with the band, but is one of my favorite Dylan songs ever).  Let's excuse his "voice," and just enjoy the amazing songs he has given us, 'kay?


Now, kids, I'm not endorsing smoking anything illegal, but my favorite Weezer song just happens to be this one, Hash Pipe (it starts at 1:50 after a nice musical interlude)


I love this band and have been lucky enough to see them a few times. I don't know why they're not bigger, except for the fact that rock music has a tough time competing against pop and the hip hop/pop collaborations that have taken over the charts and radio play. So here's Rise Against doing Give it All.


Spin magazine called this the worst cover ever. It's one of my favorite rock songs, Jeremy, done by one of my favorite rock artists, Courtney Love. So, if this were a math problem, somehow two positives made one enormous train wreck. But it's worth at least one listen, right?


And just to redeem either Ms. Love or myself, here's a snippet of why I love Hole.


If you actually listened to any part of Hole, you deserve a prize and something purdy to listen to. Here's the Decembrists doing a new song the title of which the YouTube crowd has been debating. The leading contender is Rise to Me.


The reason you go to a music festival is to discover someone new, not just to see your favorites play. I found this video of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performing Up from Below. Apparently, unless Wikipedia is lying to me, they're an LA based alt-rock band of ten, none of whom is named Edward Sharpe. I live in LA and love alt-rock, but have never heard of them before. Blame KROQ. I like this.


Last, but by no means least, Weezer is back -- with a double cover. First, they take on MGMT's Kids, then Rivers Cuomo dons lovely blonde locks to perform a la Lady Gaga to Pokerface. Enjoy!