Seattle

Local faves Throw Me the Statue kicked off day one of Bumbershoot in the shadow of the Space Needle with a disarming, self-deprecating set of pristine indie pop. Not their most consistent, but their imperfections are part of their guy-next-door, drinking buddy charm. "I love how we build up twice in the exact same way," keyboardist Aaron Goldman said after "Young Sensualists." They brought out a three-piece horn section for "Yucatan Gold," their most salacious track, the one that goes "She's a crazy animal when she screams." Fellas, please--it's an all-ages festival.

Which is obvious from the crowd. Seattle's nightlife scene caters minimally to minors (though it does cater, thanks to the Vera Project, a non-profit venue and community center located here at Seattle Center), so local kids live for this annual opportunity to see their favorite bands. A posse of tweens lined up at the front of the stage after TMTS's set waiting for autographs.

The crowd for Nino Moschella and Darondo was of a more dignified age. Moschella began the set with his six-piece band, cranking out spirited, horn-driven Bay Area funk. Dude has a daredevil voice and rides his songs hard, though it's hard to surrender to a bandleader encamped behind a keyboard.

A half-hour into the set he introduced Darondo, who stole the band, the show, the stage, the crowd, the wardrobe, and perhaps the entire festival. Here's a man of indeterminate age dressed in a high-waisted suit, fat tie tucked into his pants, suspenders, fedora, and gold lame Adidas. First impression: Mack Daddy. And then he sang...

Dardondo's voice veered from husky warble to soaring squeal. His subject matter ran the gamut. He sang a song about the application of whipped cream to titties--"don't forget about the titties"--while doing hip-thrust push-ups to the stage and then sang a song with the chorus that went "I love my mama and papa." He danced like a teenage pole dancer without a pole. During his final number, "Let My People Go," he grew gravely serious and counted off countries and cities, offering himself to the world in the name of love. Then he collapsed onto the stage, heart and soul completely relinquished to the audience. Only an elder statesman can get away with being so unabashedly "lacksivious," as Darondo put it. "What am I trying to say?" he asked the band. "Lacksivious," Moschella affirmed. 

The days most recent highlight was UK superstar-in-training Estelle, who proved her status to a massive Fisher Green crowd. Girl's a born performer. With an eight-piece band that included three backup singer/dancers and a DJ, she smoothly translated her hiphop inflected soul music to the live setting. Her songwriting gifts were evident in "Just a Touch," the opening banger from her debut. Barring any errant Winehousing, she's got a bright future.

(Estelle photo by Kelly O, the rest by JZ)