Bumbershoot's must-see music: Our critic's day-by-day guide

Bumbershoot began as a local arts festival in the early 1970s but morphed into a mostly rock festival over the last decade or so, resulting in bigger crowds (and higher ticket prices).

This year, with Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Stone Temple Pilots, Band of Horses, Jakob Dylan and others, including many local favorites, it's more of a rock festival than ever. Here's my personal Bumbershoot plan, the acts I don't want to miss:

Saturday

Neko Case. Born in Virginia but now based in Tacoma, she's a gifted Americana/country/folk singer-guitarist with bracing original tunes and well-chosen covers from the likes of Bob Dylan, Randy Newman and Hank Williams. (1 p.m. Mainstage).

Lucinda Williams. A gritty, poetic, moving singer-songwriter-guitarist whose songs have country and folk roots but are informed by rock and blues. Her unique voice perfectly conveys the wise, wry, sometimes bittersweet subject matter of her lyrics. (2:45 p.m. Mainstage).

Band of Horses. They used to be ours, having formed in Seattle in 2004, but their fine harmonies and quality musicianship have taken them into the mainstream — via their recordings on SubPop — and we don't see them much around here anymore. So this show will be something of a homecoming. (7:30 p.m. Mainstage).

Beck. One of the stars of this year's Bumbershoot, even though his latest album, "Modern Guilt," is somewhat of a disappointment, especially in comparison to his great "Mellow Gold" and "Odelay" albums of the 1990s. He remains, however, one of rock's true originals, creating fascinating soundscapes for his weird, spacey lyrics. (9:15 p.m. Mainstage).

Sunday

The Lonely H. The young, ambitious, hard-driving Port Angeles band has an impressive album on the Shout Factory label, "Twelve Angry Months," which showcases its songwriting talent and musical variety. Sure to be a rousing eye-opener. (12:30 p.m. Sky Church).

Keyshia Cole. An ultra-cool vocalist with a sensuous singing style, glamorous look and the current No. 1 R&B/hip-hop single, "Heaven Sent." She's working on her third album, due out later this year. (2 p.m. Mainstage).

T.I. One of the hottest and best rappers of the moment with songs that range from uplifting and inspiring ("No Matter What") to down and dirty ("Whatever You Like") to self-deprecating and funny ("Swing Your Rag"). He's got style and swagger to spare. (3:15 p.m. Mainstage).

Jakob Dylan. He may be Bob's son, but he's always had his own style, as again demonstrated on his new solo album, "Seeing Things." It's mellower, more thoughtful and more mature than his previous releases, just his voice and guitar, without his band. As for the songwriting — Dad would be proud. (7 p.m. Starbucks Stage).

The Saturday Knights. For some real fun, do not miss these talented, funny guys from the South End whose clever raps, mixed with elements of punk rock and classic funk, will have you dancing and laughing. Made up of MCs Barfly and Tilson and DJ Spencer, they'll feature songs from their new album, "Mingle." (7:45 p.m. Fisher Green Stage).

Stone Temple Pilots. With the return of singer Scott Weiland, who quit Velvet Revolver in March, the original lineup is together again for the first time in six years, and has been touring since April, playing its hits like "Plush" and "Interstate Love Song." This is the last show of the current tour, so they'll probably pull out all the stops. (9:15 p.m. Mainstage).

Monday

Sondre Lerche. A baby-face singer-songwriter from Norway, Lerche (pronounced "LERka) has a breezy, charming, Beatlesque style, with some songs showing the easy-rhyming influence of Burt Bacharach. He's also a talented guitarist. (8:30 p.m. Wells Fargo Stage).

Death Cab for Cutie. What better Mainstage closer than Seattle's own Death Cab, featuring moody, intellectual front man Ben Gibbard? They're local heroes with an international following. Their songs can be dark and haunting, especially those from their latest album, "Narrow Stairs." But somehow all that gloom translates into good times when they're onstage. (9:15 p.m. Mainstage).

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312, pmacdonald@seattletimes.com