Overview
Bumbershoot '10
Official Poster Artwork by Chelsea Conboy
By 2010, Bumbershoot found itself at a crossroads.
The initial three-year programming and promotional agreement between longtime producer One Reel and AEG Live reached its conclusion during a period of ongoing financial strain for the festival. The economic aftershocks of the Great Recession, combined with rising production costs and the growing competition among large music festivals nationwide, continued to put pressure on the event’s traditional model.
Despite these challenges, Bumbershoot remained an important regional platform for artists across disciplines. Music stages drew large audiences, while the broader program continued to highlight Northwest performers, visual artists, filmmakers, writers, and performance groups throughout Seattle Center.
The end of the initial AEG partnership reflected a larger reality facing many long-running cultural festivals: sustaining a large, outdoor, multidisciplinary event increasingly required complex collaborations between nonprofit producers, private promoters, sponsors, and civic partners.
Even amid financial uncertainty, Bumbershoot continued serving as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most visible cultural gatherings, maintaining its role as both a showcase for regional creativity and a major public celebration of the arts.
Bumbershoot 2010's line up included: Bob Dylan / Mary J. Blige / Weezer / Hole / Drake / Rise Against / Neko Case / The Decemberists / J. Cole / LMFAO / Billy Bragg / Ozomatli / Angelique Kidjo / Solomon Burke / The Dandy Warhols / Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / Jenny and Johnny / Jamie Lidell / The Raveonettes / Balkan Beat Box / Motion City Soundtrack / The Thermals / Ra Ra Riot / The English Beat / Justin Townes Earle / Booker T. / Surfer Blood / The Bouncing Souls / Japandroids / Bob Schneider / Anvil / Bomba Estéreo / Jay Electronica / Aterciopelados / Baroness / James Cotton "Superharp" Blues Band / David Bazan / Meat Puppets / Crash Kings / This Providence / Patton Oswalt & Friends / Brian Auger's Oblivion Express / The Moondoggies / The Whigs / Greg Laswell / Civil Twilight / Trampled By Turtles / Bring The Rock With Greg Behrendt / The Clientele / Atlas Sound / Laura Veirs & The Hall Of Flames / The Budos Band / Bobby Bare Jr. / Horse Feathers / Vienna Teng Trio / Health / Plants And Animals / Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime / Wheedle's Groove / Hey Marseilles / Kings Go Forth / Donald Glover / The Submarines / Sweet Water / Delorean / Chris Hardwick / Jeff The Brotherhood / Chris Pureka / Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra / The Nerdist / Garotas Suecas / The Maldives / The Constellations / Coryell, Auger, Sample Trio / Grynch / Visqueen / Victor Shade / Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs / Fresh Espresso / The Spits / Pete Molinari / Sista Monica's "Singin' In The Spirit" / Morgan Murphy / Marc Maron / Lay Low / Unnatural Helpers / Idiot Pilot / The Round / Wtf / Wild Orchid Children / The Cute Lepers / Feral Children / Fences / Caspar Babypants / Comedy Loves Music! With Garfunkel & Oates, David O'doherty, And Nick Thune / The Mcsweeney's Program / The Tripwires / Counterculture Comix: A 30-year Survey Of Seattle Alternative Cartoonists / Fatal Lucciauno / Loch Lomond / Four Fingers Of Death Ft. Rick Moody / The Physics / Theesatisfaction / School Of Rock All Stars / Tony Millionaire / Tig Notaro / See Me River / Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers / People Eating People / Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme / Brent Amaker & The Rodeo / Born Anchors / Slender Means / Boat / Mctuff Trio / Parlour Steps / Page & Screen: Tv Writers & The Comic Novel / The Redwood Plan / Helladope / Lisa DankGreta Matassa Quartet / Jonathan Brilliant / The Lonely H / Matt Jorgensen Quintet / Axis Dance Company / Squonk Opera / Please Take Me Off The Guest List Ft. Nick Zinner, Zachary Lipez And Stacy Wakefield / Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies! / Never Not Funny With Jimmy Pardo / Nanda / Sound Opinions With Jim Derogatis And Greg Kot / Nick Kroll / Sounds Human / Great Waves / Circus Una Motorcycle Thrill Show / John Mulaney / Can Can Castaways / Joe Mande / Brian Vogan / Arts Corps Presents / Johnny Bregar / Listen Whitey: A History Of Black Power Recordings With Pat Thomas And The Watts Prophets / Chelsea Peretti / 605 Collective / Ricochet / Cyclecide Heavy Pedal Bike Rodeo / Kumail Nanjiani / Jamie Kilstein / Laff Hole! / Portrait Challenge / Seattle Street Biennale 2010 / Kurt B. Reighley's United States Of Americana Road Show / Ubiquitous They / Metube / Museum Of Glass Mobile Hot Shop / Pecha Kucha / Drawing Rock & Roll: Jay Ryan & Brad KlausenDark Divas / Blood Squad/duos / I'll Show You A Story! / 1 Reel Film Festival / Theatresports / TBTL Live Podcast / Stop Podcasting Yourself Live Podcast / Why This? Why That? Why Now? / Komedy Kabaret / Famous Mysterious Actor Show / The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee / The Cracked Up / Bridgetown Comedy Festival Showcase / New Kids / Sondheim, Weill, & Newman: A Cabaret / The Jammer / Bj: A Musical Romp / Improvolution / The Tastiest Bites Of Eat My Shorts
