DAY 3: STAR!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
   

I had two simple goals for day three: finally attend David Cross’
Tinkle show, and be up front for A Tribe Called Quest, so most of the day
was spent bumming around Seattle Center and standing in lines. I did get
a chance to check out the indie marketplace, and although I got suckered

into buying a shirt, I still don’t know where I stand on the rampant com-

mercialism that has invaded the festival (its absence was a nice touch at
Sasquatch!). There were some cool booths though. First and foremost
was ‘Flatstock,’ an exhibition and marketplace that showcased artists
involved in making all those cool concert posters that you see stuck on
lampposts and abandoned buildings. I was also intrigued by Pongo

Publishing, a non-profit effort that encourages distressed teens in

Seattle jails or on Seattle streets to express themselves in writing.

Some of the stories and poems were not only good, but really moving.

Check it out at www.pongopublishing.org.

The good news is that I did succeed in getting into Tinkle! It took
about 2 hours of waiting in line, but it was worth it. Stand-up is one
of those “you had to be there” things, so I’m not going to bother
explaining the levels of comedic debauchery that were reached dur-
ing the show, but you can check it out when David Cross, Todd
Barry and Jon Benjamin bring Tinkle to Vancouver on September 22
as part of the Vancouver Comedy Fest. Shout-outs are in order
though for Nick Thune and Zach Galifinakis, both of whom made me

laugh like Mr. Burns when he cripples that old Irishman with the

bumper-car. Oh, and Ben Gibbard showed up to cover a couple of songs
by The Monkees.
The bad news is that I didn’t get quite up front for Tribe. Still, my 671”

tature did afford me a decent view of the legendary hip-hop triumvirate (I don’t count

C Jarobi as a real member). It’s been nearly a decade since the group disbanded, and
Ithough they’ve gotten a bit older (and in the case of Phife Dawg, fatter...), they’re
still the group that got me into rap, and they can do no wrong. Although songs like
Check the Rhime” and “Bonita Applebum” lacked some of the youthful exuberance
that can be heard in record form, ATCQ brought everyone back to a time when rap was
bout something more than whips, grills, and drinking out of chalices. They’re arguably
e most influential hip-hop group of all time, and seeing them at any age is a treat.

As I was leaving the fairgrounds, I caught the last minute or so of Metric’s encore.
t was a slow song, and Emily Haines’ soothing voice, carrying up to the ethereally lit
Space Needle provided a sense of closure to the festival. Until next year...