'Of Montreal' - Cool. 'Bumbershoot' - Not So Much

I discovered a new band yesterday while I was on a lobster-gathering mission. They're called 'Of Montreal' (which they are not - they're from Athens, Georgia) and I wanted to post something about their newest (2005) album, "The Sunlandic Twins", which is REALLY great. While I was searching for an appropriate bit of info to post, I discovered that they'll actually be at this year's Bumbershoot Festival, which will be Number 36. Bumbershoot is a perplexing phenomenon. On paper, it sounds great. In person, it's mostly a living hell; kind of like a Calcutta populated with Goth kids and Deadheads and the requisite amount of non-essential crap available for purchase with any funds that haven't already hemorrhaged from your wallet, since you've already paid $28 just to gain entry to the spectacle. For one day. Living where I do, I can hear most of the musical acts, but it's kind of muffled and sounds more like a cheap lo-fi AM radio transmission and in the six years that I've been here, I've gone only once. Still have the ticket stub on the 'fridge. What can I say, I never went to Woodstock. My platform shoes trudging through some muddy field? I don't think so! I've always needed more than a moist towelette to prepare for the day.

I'm not a proponent of talking "pre/ post 9-11" b.s. as it relates to the quality of life we currently experience, but I'd have to say that after 2001, the caliber of the groups has deteriorated to mostly second and third tier acts; yes, some are quite good but the big names seem to be mostly absent. It may be a coincidence. Dunno for sure. Do bands enjoy the hassle of walking shoeless through airports for hours anymore than the rest of us?

Anyway, this year I may have to grudgingly cough up the bucks in order to see this group. If they're willing to turn over their nail clippers, matches and swiss army knives to hoof it out here, then what's the cost of a few packs of cigarettes between friends? In the meantime, I'll have to make do with their website and a couple of really good albums; what this post was originally meant to be about, before I took this cranky detour. Find an MP3 of "The Party's Crashing Us", download immediately and you'll be able to find it in your heart to forgive me my rant.