My Bumbershoot: Better than real life

By Robyn Hitchcock
Musician

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The only show I've seen was The Presidents of the United States of America, reconvened in the kind of cricketing gear that my grandfather wore in India in the 1920s. They played their legendary five-strings-between-them set with enormous joy, to a pulsating herd of kids who must have been tiny when the Presidents were originally spawned. The Presidents' disregard for cool has made them a perennial groove.

More "My Bumbershoot" Dispatches from artists about their Bumbershoot experience. · Bill Close, Mass Ensemble · Vienna Teng, singer-songwriter · Robyn Hitchcock, musician · Fred Armisen, comedian · Sarah Rudinoff, actress · Joshua Seftel, filmmaker · James Keblas, Vera Project · United State of Electronica · Dave Dederer, The Presidents of the United States of America

My own show was Saturday night in McCaw Hall, where my voice came back to me onstage strengthened by the acoustically simpatico ceiling. I was able to hit a lot of notes that I can't hit in real life. The crowd graciously sat through my two piano numbers mid-set and were rewarded with the Anglo harmonies of Sean Nelson and the SeaTac tones of Scott McCaughey at the end of the show. I got to play "Are You Experienced?" in my capacity of a rock 'n' roll tourist.

Now I'm just off to have dinner with Scott and some friends prior to our traditional assault on the Two Bells, where hopefully Sean Nelson, The Presidents, Scott, Kurt Bloch and I can kick out the jams till we all meet next year.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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