Bumbershoot 2016, Day 3: Lisa Prank, Thunderpussy, & Deep Sea Diver

On the final day of Bumbershoot, Lisa Prank started off the musical festivities at KEXP’s Gathering Space. In her colorful crown, sunflower dress, and Doc Martens, It’s easy to picture Robin Edwards, the sole member of the band, as a teenager holed up in her room taping songs on a My First Sony. Edwards has astutely described her sound as “babysitter punk.”

The majority of the set saw her alone on stage with an electric guitar and a Roland drum machine that pumped carnival-esque backing tracks that wouldn’t be out of place on the speaker of an ice-cream truck. Fifteen minutes into her performance, she interjected, “I’m gonna do a cover cause I have 40 minutes to kill… so I’ll try to make it to 30.” She proceeded to play Katrina and the Waves' "Walkin' on Sunshine", and to the delight of the crowd, was joined by friend and Tacocat bass-player Bree McKenna for the last two songs.

Blues-rock ensemble Thunderpussy is the kind of act that can only exist in this era. Their physical aesthetic alone is like a biker-gang burlesque act performed by roller-derby champions who have time travelled from the 1920’s. They are visual Artists as much as musicians. With her signature old-fashioned mic that she handles like a lover more than a machine, front-woman Molly Sides has become a bit of a feminist rock icon. Regardless, you could never say that she carries the rest of the band. A drummer like Ruby Dunphy doesn’t come around often, and Leah Julius and Whitney Petty frequently steal the spotlight. During their final song on the KEXP Stage, with the Gathering Space filled to capacity, Sides headed out into the crowd, replacing her onstage presence with a duo of what I can only describe as Rockettes-turned-goth-cheerleaders. If you missed their performance, I am truly sorry… however, they perform in Seattle often, so check their website for future dates, and for now, get your Thunderpussy fix from our recording of their recent in-studio performance at KEXP.

Deep Sea Diver was the final performer to take the KEXP stage during Bumbershoot 2016.  Fronted by Jessica Dobson, the band has been earning a reputation as one of the most dynamic crowd-pleasers in Seattle.  Everywhere you looked, there were fans of all ages mouthing the words to every song.  The 4-piece crew played all their hits, including “You Go Running”, a tried-and-true favorite reminiscent of The Shins album Chutes Too Narrow, and their newest single, a bass-heavy, rockin’ cover of Mariah Carey’s hit song “Fantasy,” a cover as genuinely good as it is kitschy and nostalgic.  If you want to get technical, you could say it’s a cover of a cover, since the chorus, “with my boyfriend,” originally came from The Tom Tom Club, but, I digress...

Dobson gave a shout out to KEXP’s Kevin Cole, who premiered their new single on The Afternoon Show at KEXP. As the festival came to a close, locals commented that the performances that stood out most, and kept with with the original spirit of Bumbershoot, were the acts on the KEXP stage- great local artists that represent our city and local arts scene. Bumbershoot is definitely changing, as is Seattle, but it’s good to know that there will always be a place for “music that matters” at KEXP.