Bumbershoot’s 52nd year felt more low-key than previous iterations, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a wonderful time at Seattle Center. The weather was perfect, and I’ve never seen more grown men play in the fountain jets like a Golden Retriever biting a sprinkler. I can’t imagine a better festival to bring your family to in the entire Pacific Northwest. It was fun seeing a ton of families enjoying the holiday weekend, skaters tearing up the half pipe, and amateur wrestlers throwing each other off the ropes.
Weezer is Legendary at Bumbershoot
I’ve been singing Weezer songs in my shower since I was in middle school, so needless to say, my expectations were through the roof.
I was fortunate enough to see System of a Down in Las Vegas last year, and it was the best set I’ve ever seen because the expectations were impossible, and they knocked them into outer space. Weezer did the same, and it was so effortless from my perspective. They were incredible, and they stole the show. The crowd was dialed, and everyone was singing the hits at the top of their lungs.
I wasn’t expecting Weezer to creep into the short list of best sets I’ve ever seen, but that’s exactly what happened. I will enthusiastically cross them off the bucket list.
For those curious. The rest of my favorite sets of all time are…
- Slipknot B2B System of a Down, Sick New World, 2024
- Destroid, Electric Daisy Carnival, 2014
- Rezz, Memorial Stadium Stage, Bumbershoot, 2019
- Weezer, Bumbershoot, 2025
- Nipsey Hussle, 4/20 at Neumos, 2011
Bumbershoot made the list twice, which is a testament to the wide array of talent this festival attracts, and this year was no different. From Coffin Break to TezaTalks and Vika and the Velvets and Biblioteka, rock and roll is alive and well in Seattle. On Sunday, Bebe Stockwell performed an incredible cover of “Home,” from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was a magical way to end my weekend.
Maybe the only thing that bummed me out all weekend was seeing Memorial Stadium decaying in the background. Thankfully, the Memorial Stadium renovation project is underway, and we should have it back by 2027.
That place has a special place in my heart. I saw Rezz in Memorial Stadium when Bumbershoot set up a stage there in 2019 (Tyler, the Creator also went crazy on that stage that same year). Several of my favorite Seattle rappers, like the KnowMads, talked about battle rapping there as kids. It’s an important piece of why I love Seattle, and I can’t wait to get it back.
