Bumbershoot 2018
Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
08.31.18 – 09.02.18

Seattle’s biggest festival ran through another legendary year. After much lineup controversy and the tragic loss of KeyArena as a stage, Bumbershoot set itself up for a challenging year for sure. But of course, it all came together into another long, exhausting, but all-around amazing three-day weekend.

To wrap it all up, here are this year’s stand out moments:

Most Unforgettable: Bhad Bhabie
Remember that Dr. Phil segment that came out like a year ago with the “catch me outside, how ‘bout that” girl? Right, well she has a music/rap career now. 15-year-old Danielle Bregoli swearing aggressively, grinding and twerking on her friends on stage, and pointing at the crowd with her 3-inch acrylic nails isn’t something I’ll forget anytime soon.

Life of the Party: Mura Masa
Mura Masa was one of the top slots on my ‘must see’ list for the year, and I was not disappointed. Tropical dance music perfectly mixed, with vocalists dancing around on stage with him, set up a perfect way to watch the sunset.

Least Changed: The Chainsmokers
This duo, headlining day one, had been cranking out the same party-ready dance tunes since “Closer” blew up, and the mainstage crowd still ate it up.

Best Smile: Hobo Johnson
A quirky personality with the music to match, Johnson had a shockingly large and dedicated fanbase show up at Fisher Green on day two, full of love, and ready to shout along with every lyric.

Best Car: Yung Pinch
Technically, I can’t really judge who actually had the best car at Bumbershoot, but Yung Pinch seems like a safe bet. Dripping in designer names during his performance, Pinch is part of the new wave of young SoundCloud rappers coming up recently. Bouncing around to his lengthy list of hip-hop hits was an energetic crowd of stylish teens to match.

Best Energy: AJR
Another set I didn’t want to miss, AJR proves they’re still bopping just as hard as they were years ago. After getting their start on YouTube, these three brothers have dropped two albums in the past few years, and each track makes you want to get up and move around. Their set is one that simply begs for energy, and with them rocking out so hard on stage, it was impossible for the crowd not to join in. They’ve got a set Seattle will not soon tire of, and this performance just went to prove that.

Most Changed: Bishop Briggs
In some ways, Briggs deserves both the most and least changed titles. She’s still got the same creepy, dark kind of vibe that her performances have always had, and she’s still got this crazy energy on stage. But in recent sets, that energy has shifted from one of nervousness to one of excitement. When she played Bumbershoot 2016 on the Mural Stage, she was quiet, mysterious, and an absolute powerhouse of a performer. Now coming back in 2018 to play Memorial Stage, Bishop was all smiles and laughs as she bounced around the stage for a truly unforgettable performance.

Best Dancer: Tinashe
Probably the easiest to choose, Tinashe undeniably gets the Best Dancer title. This girl has a full-on four-person backup dance group that puts her at the center of attention. Every moment of every song is perfectly choreographed into a beautiful set that’s definitely ready to take on a bigger stage.

Most Awe-Inspiring: J. Cole
There was obviously a lot of hype surrounding his performance, he was the Day Two headliner after all, but after his performance, there’s no question whether or not he deserves all the attention. Coming on stage carefree in sweatpants and a slightly oversized t-shirt, Cole was there to focus on the music and very little else. Spitting bits of wisdom between songs, his performance was captivating and a load of fun.

Most Angelic: SZA
This girl might be an actual angel, who knows. She played most of her Ctrl album, floating around stage and letting her voice soar. There really isn’t a better way to cap off Day Three than with some of the best melodic R&B that’s around right now.

Overall, the weekend easily shaped into something far greater than some names on a poster can convey. A beautiful mix of some of the biggest artists around right now, Seattle popped off for another wonderful Bumbershoot weekend.

Review and photos by Lulu Dawson

Bumbershoot 2018