Festivals, Concert Series, and Mega-Shows, Part 1: Introduction

I have lived my entire life in western Washington, but for the longest time I had no idea the wealth of music events our region enjoys. My knowledge was essentially limited to Bumbershoot...which I feel is definitely the best bang for your buck, festival-wise, but it is not for everyone (especially if you can't handle large crowds or long days).

 Bumbershoot mainstage performances draw a lot of viewers, but with smaller stages spread across the Seattle Center, there is something for everyone.

Good news: there is an abundance of festivals and concert series to look forward to, and things really start getting moving around late winter/early spring. Like a lot of things, music festivals and concert series tend to hibernate from November thru January. In February, Seattle gets things cooking again with the annual EMP Sound Off! Battle of the Bands. I unfortunately missed it again this year; I hear I've missed out yet again on a crop of really stellar bands (Seattle Times has an article covering the finals). To make sure I don't miss another great event, and to get you all ready, too, I will be starting a series in this blog that will highlight upcoming festivals and concert series. Mainly in Seattle, but don't be surprised when I start mentioning not-so-far-away lands like Portland, Vancouver, Bellingham, and Boise. If your favorite band is only making one PNW appearance all year, those cities are not such a far drive. Make it into a road trip!

I first want to highlight Seattle's awesome Office of Film + Music website. They don't have an exhaustive list, but this is a great start for those of you who like to plan ahead (like meeee!) I also like their City of Music website. It is great to live in a place that is so supportive of music and the arts.




If you have any ideas for festivals or series which ought to be covered or featured, please do feel free to comment below!