Presented by the American Poster Institute, the 31st Flatstock poster exhibition returns with a new lineup of gig poster artists, both foreign and domestic. Touting limited edition rock art prints from your favorite rock shows, over 75 artists will have work for viewing and purchase inside Fisher Pavilion. From Motorhead to Modest Mouse, there’s a print for every musical palate.

Be sure to carve out a few hours between seeing bands to stop by and pick up some prints to cover all of that unused wall space at home. Trust us -- you’ll be kicking yourself ‘til next year if you miss it.

BadMoon Studios, Blue Dot Prints, Broken Press, Burlesque of North America, Clintprints, Crackhead Press, Crash Design, Crosshair, Dan Stiles David V. D"Andrea, DKNG Studios, F2 Design, Frida Clements, Furturtle Show Prints, GIGART, GUYBURWELL, Idiot or Genius?, Insurgentarts.com, Iron Canvas Studios, Jambone Creative, Jason Munn, Jon Smith, Kevin Tong Illustration, Kollective Fusion , La-La Land Posters, Landland, Lil Tuffy, Magnificent Beard, NateDuval.com, Pedal Printing, Penhead Design, Powerslide Design Co., Row Boat Press, Sandusky Bay Poster Works, Squeegeeville.com, the Bungaloo!, Tiny Media Empire, Todd Slater, Two Rabbits, Vahalla Studios, Vera Club Art Division, Groningen, Voodoo Catbox, Weapons of Mass Design

While the creators, Chris McMullen and Steve Withycombe, have dubbed it PAS (for “Potentially Annoying Sound”), you’re more likely to be fascinated than irked by this interactive and kinetic sculpture. Turn the wheel and set the gears in motion, culminating in a symphonic blast of horn and bellows made possible through the salvaged remnants of a 1930s pipe organ.

At the aLIVe exhibit, you can ride a Rejuiced Bike, check out the Walk & Roll, get your own Undriver License™ and make a model Low Impact Vehicle. (The term "low impact" references both pedestrian safety and environmental sustainability.) In order to stimulate a conversation that goes well beyond the bikes-vs.-cars debate, founding organizer Cheryl dos Remedios collaborates with other artists to explore our transportation system -- using everything from poetry to prototypes. (Project support from 4Culture and Great City.)

Agitator, provocateur and instigator extraordinaire, Orange Man can enliven the dullest of situations with his electrifying presence. Orange Man will be wandering the Festival with huge orange balloons, while passing out smaller balloons to patrons. These floating orbs of color will dot the Bumbershoot grounds, constantly moving and creating new connections.

Using a method by which words or images are collectively assembled, interactive curator Leslie Lyons will produce a video story entitled Expedition over the three day Bumbershoot festival. Participants will be given 45-60 seconds to make their narrative contributions. Themes will include birth, dreaming, kissing, friends, love, and magic, and will be uploaded to leslielyons.com throughout the weekend.

This is an interactive and fully immersive paint-by-number art exhibit curated by Seattle artistsMarlow Harris and JoDavid. Featuring an interactive paint-by-number homage to Edouard Manet's "The Picnic" ("Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe") by artist Ryan Feddersen, which will be completed through audience participation. Also featured are the amazing life-size paint-by-number banners and guitars of Victoria BC artist Bill Blair.  In addition, vintage paint-by-numbers kits have been altered by local artists including Joey Bates, Greg Boudreau, Jim Blanchard, John Brophy, Chris Crites, Max David, Jim Dever, Janet Galore, Art Garcia, Kurt Geissel, Troy Gua, Nancy Guppy, Robert Hardgrave, Aaron Huffman, Sean Hurley, Mary Iverson, Elizabeth Jameson, David Kane, Rick Klu, Charles Krafft, Mike Leavitt, Rich Lehl, Kelly Lyles, Jeff Mihalyo, Ryan Molenkamp, Lisa Petrucci, Demi Raven, Cathy Sarkowsky, Tim Silbaugh, Joey Veltkamp, Jim Woodring, Jenny Zwick, and Mystery Guests!

W. Scott Trimble's sculptural installation is a fantastic obstacle course that includes a 360-degree skate pipe, skate bowl extension towers, a freestanding quarter pipe, ramps over obstacles, and more impossible structures that would taunt the most seasoned and reckless of skateboarders -- if they were allowed to skate on it.

The Magic Show is a multi-media exhibit that will dazzle and amaze. Video, photography, and sculpture will defy explanation and explore illusion, conjuring, levitation, and transformation. Artists include: sculptors Doug Young (Brooklyn, NY) and Jason Puccinelli (Seattle, WA), designer Peter Bristol (Seattle, WA), photographer Thomas Petillo (Nashville, TN), and filmmakers Britta Johnson (Seattle, WA) and Geoffrey Alan Rhodes (Rochester, NY). Curated by Kathy Lindenmayer.

Blue Man Group (KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount) is sponsoring a child-sized drumming station where kids can experience their own version of this comedy and music show as they experiment with drums, water, and percussion.

EMP Museum is giving children an opportunity to try their hand at making music. Drop-in guitar lessons and explorations of some of the most significant moments in rock music, science fiction, and popular culture will appear at their tables.

Mama K's Aromatic Play Clay is creating tabletop fun using all-natural aromatic clay.  Children can create their own pieces of art and scenery.

Pacific Science Center will explore interactive and hands-on activities from their Science on Wheels education outreach program.  PLUS they will have their Radical Reactions Show on Sunday and Super Cool Science Show on Monday!

ParentMap loves to DRAW and to COLOR! They will be drawing and coloring silly cartoons, funny monsters, fancy flowers and stunning self-portraits. Families can also play the Guess How Many and Bead Drop games and be entered to win super special prizes!

The Children's Museum, Seattle will present a portion of their new Near and Far exhibit, which uses Lego and Duplo bricks as an interactive teaching tool to bring play and imagination alive.  Kids can also explore their outdoor garden exhibit.

Part of Bumbershoot's very popular Youngershoot program ("a festival within the Festival”), these films from around the world are appropriate for young and old alike. Note: some have subtitles. FILMS: Temple Rider, Trevor, Walkin' On Snow Grass, Loser Leg, Mobile, Precise Peter

Campfire Ok is a band of artists and skilled musicians who joined together to create organic and original indie-rock. A mixture of brass, piano, banjo, and acoustic guitar boils up throughout their tracks, resulting in a warm and inviting blend of folk and Americana.

Winners of EMP's 2011 Sound Off! Competition, Tomten is an up-and-coming band with a bright future. Their carefree garage pop - heavy with swirling organs and jaunty guitars - hints at their influences (The Kinks, The Zombies, T. Rex) while remaining truly original.

If Duke Ellington jammed with Sgt. Pepper in an international fiesta, it might sound something like MarchFourth Marching Band. An eclectic big band with a driving drum corps and battery-powered electric bass, the ensemble also features stilt-walkers, dancers, flag twirlers, clown antics, and acrobatics.

Andrea Gibson is an award-winning poet and activist whose work illuminates the fact that the personal is political. She explores themes that deconstruct gender norms, sexuality, class, patriarchy, and white supremist capitalist culture. She's joined by the similarly inspired young poets of Youth Speaks Seattle, whose raw insight and impassioned performances have earned them national attention.

The Boise-based and highly sought-after choreographer Trey McIntyre focuses on creating works that explore the human experience in transformative and captivating ways. McIntyre will fashion his unique audience culture at Bumbershoot with performances that include a collaboration with Preservation Hall Jazz Band in Sweeter End and the music of The Shins in Oh, Inverted World, about which The New York Times said, "Once you know how it ends you want to see it again." 2011-2012 Tour Sponsor: MetLife Foundation; City of Boise Cultural Ambassador

Northwest Tap Connection, directed by Melba Ayco, is a distinctive urban dance studio specializing in Rhythm Tap. The studio's philosophy is that dance enriches the lives of the students, while developing self-discipline, instilling self-confidence, and encouraging achievement and goal setting. The studio was the recipient of the City of Seattle 2009 Mayor’s Arts Award and students of the studio have performed in Seattle Theatre Group’s DANCE This since 2003.

Yuni in Taxco draws musical inspiration from a host of genres including, but not limited to, surf rock, Afro pop, Latin rhythms, indie pop, and many, many more. Experimental and danceable, Yuni in Taxco forges a tropical beach sound that's built to travel.

American folk music to the core, Portland via Georgia via Orcas Island outfit Caleb Klauder and his Country Band fuse the best of Cajun, honky-tonk, and bluegrass music. Expect to hear Klauder's distinctive voice singing authentic lyrics over electric and steel guitar, and - most importantly - expect to be entertained.

Mixing his spontaneous creativity and absurd view of the world, Rory Scovel is quickly making a name for himself across North America. Whether discussing his many vices, his politics, or life in general, his infectious stage presence and engaging charisma quickly places audiences in the scene of every punchline.

Freestyle Love Supreme started way back at Wesleyan where some of the peeps attended university. It moved to New York and was bred in the city with the help of some amazing talents. The movement is simple - get words from the audience, use them to inspire rap songs, and build a hip-hop community.

You've seen them, you love them... why aren't they famous? FILMS: Kevin, Who is Duffy Bishop? And Why is She Not World Famous?

Witchburn cranks out metal that oozes with pure Southern-fried, whiskey-soaked riffage. Their live shows pulsate with a seething energy, bringing as much groove as brutal thunder. Put simply, Witchburn's music is a hammer straight to your soul, crashing down through the night sky.

Join the Radio Disney AM1250 Road Crew for dancing, games, prizes, music and more!

Featuring professional comedians and Northwest stars with a yearning for laughs, the Celebrity “Open-Mic” lets audiences experience the newest comedy and hilarious gaffs of famous Seattlites. A popular feature of Seattle's Week Of Fun festival for the last four years, this is a unique opportunity to hear the comedy of some surprising, very familiar faces. Hosted by Seattle comedy legend, John Keister.   

The name may have changed, but Brite Futures (nee Natalie Portman's Shaved Head) still knows how to write infectious indie-pop music. This energetic quartet fills dance floors with an arsenal of four-on-the-floor beats, super-sized synths, off-the-wall lyrics, and - oh yeah - lots and lots of hand claps.

In the winter of 2009, Justin Paul Vallesteros began recording songs in his bedroom that would change his life forever. What emerged was Craft Spells, an ambitious project that weaves layers of beautiful guitar melodies over heavenly synths, pop bass lines, and looped rhythms.

Conjuring the spirit of a world-worn troubadour can be difficult, but singer/songwriter Kris Orlowski makes it look easy. Backed by a rollicking band, Orlowski writes from an unguarded perspective to produce honest and hook-laden songs about love, loss, and life in-between.

Every year The Stranger shuts up about all the art it doesn't like and gives an obscene amount of attention and tons of cash to five Seattle artists whose work they consider genius. There is no application process. A panel of Stranger editors goes to a private boxing gym and conducts their deliberations while sparring. Winners are notified via cake . A group of artists who've been surprised with Genius Awards - including 2004 Stranger Theater Genius Sarah Rudinoff, visual artist Ryan Mitchell of 2008 Stranger Organization Genius Implied Violence, 2008 Stranger Film Genius Lynn Shelton and brand new 2011 Stranger Theater Genius John Osebold - will have a no-holds-barred conversation with The Stranger's Christopher Frizzelle about their work, this city, their sources of inspiration, and the award itself (a cross between the MacArthur Grants and Publisher's Clearinghouse).

Don't let the name fool you -- there is nothing boring about Portland-based producer The Great Mundane. His intricate beats are composed of found sounds, synthesizers, and meticulously programmed samples. It's forward-thinking electro hip-hop that could just be the perfect antidote to boredom.

DE CAJóN is born of the rich musical heritage of Peruvian Afro-descendants. “De cajón” is a Peruvian expression meaning “for sure,” “rain or shine,” and “without question.” Cajón is also the name of a box-shaped drum, the driving percussive element at the heart of this genre.

See the magic and mayhem of a wild and sleepless weekend where teams make a movie - write, shoot, edit, and score it - in just 48 hours.  FILMS: Painted Love, Battle: Seattle, Humpty, Mein Cupcake, So Many Options, Seance Anything.

Fronted by lyrically limber emcees Pearl Dragon and Sir Thomas Gray, the members of Seattle's Champagne Champagne are known to rap just as hard as they party (which according to legend, is quite hard.) Backed by production from DJ Gajamajic, this trio truly knows how to rock crowds. Party on!

Grace Lin's Newbery Honors children's book, Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, comes to life through Book-It - a vibrant literature-based theatre company that transforms great works of prose into exciting staged works. Join heroine Minli on her magical journey to changer her family's fortune, discovering a wealth of wisdom and friendship along the way.

Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Donald Byrd (2011 Mayor's Arts Award recipient), Spectrum Dance Theater has achieved regional and national significance. Spectrum's Bumbershoot performance will feature pieces from current and past works – including one set to the music of M.I.A. - as well as a surprise piece that is special for the Festival.

Wagons offer an unlikely mix of stompin' grand rock, border-crossing dark country, irresistible crooning and classic pop.Their live show is a performance like none other, treading a line between a Vegas '70s extravaganza and a bunch of fresh-faced undertakers letting loose at a rain-sodden rock festival. Huzzah!

Emerald City Improv is Seattle's only Street Improv group, embracing the city as a stage. Their events are designed to break into your day to make you laugh and smile. They have been staging events around the city since 2009.

Hari Kondabolu is a former Seattle immigrant rights organizer who has been compared to Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce. In addition to his own Comedy Central Presents special, he has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show and Live at Gotham.

Kyle Kinane’s stand-up has often been called “bleak and misthanthropic.” Don’t worry. Kinane considers this a compliment. A veteran performer, Kinane has appeared on The Very Funny Showon TBS, Live at Gotham, Comedy Central Presents and The World Stands Up on the BBC.

Anthony Jeselnik performs at clubs, colleges and festivals all over the world, specializing in dark and twisted one liners. Most recently seen on the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump, Anthony has also appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Down and Dirty with Jim Norton.

Red Fang's music is not for the faint of heart. This Portland-based foursome creates a heavy and propulsive brand of rock that teeters on the edge of multiple genres, including metal, prog, and punk -- the perfect sound for the thinking man's mosh-pit.

As the Northwest's preeminent purveyors of pop-rock, the Presidents Of The United States of America have been steadily kicking out the jams since the early '90s. This Grammy-nominated band continues to rock fans of all ages with its timeless formula of simple chords, poppy melodies, and instantly memorable lyrics.

The Ashley Judd Comedy Hour came together when its celebrity creator gathered Seattle's six funniest juvenile delinquents and molded them into a tight comedy unit. Now, every month at the People's Republic Kafe they perform a brand new hour of sketches, characters, and stand-up.

Natasha Kmeto is a singer/producer with a rich background in jazz, hip-hop, and electronica -- a combination she refers to as "futuristic soul.” Kmeto distills her sound from a variety of influences, from the cutting edge sounds of Flying Lotus to the classic soul of Carole King.

A veteran of Seattle's tight-knit music scene, Shelby Earl's 2011 debut indie-folk-pop album Burn the Boats features members of The Long Winters, Telekinesis, (former) Fleet Foxes, SHIM and The Head and the Heart. Earl's rich voice and vivid songwriting have been featured on NPR, Amazon, Zune, and KEXP.

After building a name for himself as a talented battle emcee and freestyler, Jacksonville native Astronautalis (aka-Andy Bothwell) has transformed into a truly multi-faceted performer. Part back-pack hip-hop, part folk singer, and always the constant raconteur, Bothwell builds rich narratives atop head-bobbing beats with ear-pleasing results.

Grab your cape! FILMS: The Dungeon Master, Monster Flu, A Comic Author X-Ray, King Chicken

We got your Shakespeare right here! In The Lost Folio, a traveling band of gypsy players must get help from their audience in order to create a new work of Shakespeare. The results are a smart, funny and bawdy show performed by the folks behind Jet City Improv and Twisted Flicks. For each performance, the cast will create completely new plots and characters. No two performances will be the same.

What happens when your mom is a famous gothic novelist? Best-selling author Christopher Rice is here to tell stories about growing up in the shadow and under the spell of Anne Rice, and how it affected his life and ultimately his own five novels: A Density of Souls, The Snow Garden, Light Before Day, Blind Fall, and The Moonlit Earth.

The youth that make up Shumba range in age from 11 to 17 and have studied with director Sheree Seretse for at least three years, some as many as eight. They usually play using eight marimbas—three sopranos, three tenors, a baritone, and a bass—and hoshos, or gourd shakers. The marimbas are handcrafted and fine-tuned to reflect the tones played in African societies.

Dance. Listen. Explore. Emancipator's music will free your mind. After bursting onto the electronic scene in 2006, his highly head-nodic beats have been enchanting fans across the globe, and it's easy to see why. Rich soundscapes, silky melodies, and clean production make for tracks listeners can enjoy on multiple levels.

The Grammy-nominated members of Nortec Collective are the leaders of the burgeoning Tijuana electronic scene. Producers Ramón Amezcua (aka Bositch) and Pepe Mogt (aka Fussible) document the collision of this unique style and the culture of electronica music, characterized by hard dance beats and samples from traditional Mexican music.

Yell out an inspired title and you might be the inspiration for The Improvised Shakespeare Company’s current sketch, delivered in grand Elizabethan style. Each of the players has brushed up on his “thees” and “thous” to bring you off-the-cuff comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare.

Equipped with a five-string viola, a 12-string guitar, and an instrument called a "nyckelharpa” (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden), the Swedish folk trio of Vasen creates more electricity on acoustic instruments than most rock bands generate with amps cranked to 11.

Wayne Federman is a multi-talented comedian, author, and actor. In addition to a stint as head monologue writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Federman has also appeared in The X-Files, The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Step Brothers.

Hide yo’ kids! Hide yo’ wife! The Gregory Brothers, the fearsome foursome behind some of the biggest viral videos in recent memory, are invading Bumbershoot. Whether auto-tuning the news or remixing C-Span, the musical stylings of The Gregory Brothers (Evan, Michael, Andrew, and Evan’s wife Sarah) are not to be missed.

Some of the films judged as the Best in SIFF 2011. FILMS: The Eagleman Stag, Library of Dust, Deeper Than Yesterday, Time Freak

Scribes is a Seattle emcee best known for his undeniable vocal skill and reputation as one of the hardest working talents in the region. The multi-talented rapper/singer/lyricist has recently collaborated with some of NW hip-hop's biggest names, including Macklemore and Dyme Def.

North Carolina's Valient Thorr know how to give a full-force assault of balls-out heavy rock & roll as evident in the four albums they've produced.  If you want to see a band play some ear-rattling, in-your-face, intense music, then look no further.

A comedian/artist/weirdo who's founded acclaimed comedy collectives, written for variety shows set in the post-apocalypse, and done just about everything in between, Emmett Montgomery tells jokes from his heart - which is usually full of hope, but sometimes full of spiders.

Somewhere in the middle of the monstrous cloud of sound known as Nice Nice are guitarist Jason Buehler and percussionist Mark Shirazi. The pair is known for their ability to graft dizzying electronic loops to unruly instrumentation, forging a sound that is mechanical -- but most definitely alive.

Once a quirky solo project for multi-instrumentalist Paul Saulnier, PS I Love You has matured into a perfectly polished pop duo complete with searing guitar solos, looping effects pedals, and hooks galore.

Trey McIntyre is one of today's most sought-after choreographers and has created works for many notable dance companies including the New York City Ballet. McIntyre and his band of merry minions have risen to rock star status in their hometown of Boise, Idaho and will be surprising and delighting Bumbershoot Festival-goers with random public performances -- miniature flash mobs that will create quite a stir.

Originally inspired by Bonnie and Clyde, Bonnie & The Robberie is a dark love song for a culture obsessed with women with guns. 2010 Stranger Genius Award winner Marya Sea Kaminski performs a collection of rock covers, original songs, and monologues exploring themes of violence, love and firearms backed by the kickass band Landlord's Daughter. The full show, titled Riddled, Or the Bonnie Papers, will premiere at the Hugo House in June 2012.

The youth that make up Shumba range in age from 11 to 17 and have studied with director Sheree Seretse for at least three years, some as many as eight. They usually play using eight marimbas—three sopranos, three tenors, a baritone, and a bass—and hoshos, or gourd shakers. The marimbas are handcrafted and fine-tuned to reflect the tones played in African societies.

Are nerds the new cool? Is old timey the new future? Our popular Why This? Why That? Why Now? series returns for a second year. Writer, creator of badassoftheweek.com, and Seattle's Sexiest Dungeon Master 2010 (according to The Stranger)  Ben Thompson will discuss the current appeal of nerds, while painter, mailman, and avowed trend objector Rob Vetter will discuss the reasons why "Old Timey" is so timely and why today is perhaps not as modern as we might like to believe. The panel is led by former rap-battle-champion-turned-theater-director-turned world-traveling-indie-folk-electronic-historical-fiction-hip-hop-storyteller Astronautalis.

Mother Goose never went here... FILMS: Moving Day, DreamGiver, The Unicorn, Spider Fang!, Out of Nowhere

If Bedouins herded beats instead of goats, it might sound like Shabazz Palaces. Led by Ishmael "Butterfly” Butler (formerly of Digable Planets), the gifted emcee deftly rides his mysterious beats to their fullest potential. Impossible to ignore, Shabazz Palaces are carving a new path for the Seattle hip-hop scene.

Comedy Bang Bang is a high-spirited get-together between host Scott Aukerman (Mr. Show, Between Two Ferns) and his funny friends, including the dapperly dressed and always hilarious Paul F. Tompkins. Expect conversation, music, improv, games, and most importantly, shameless promotional plugs.

Beat Connection is Jordan Koplowitz and Reed Juenger, two producers with a healthy understanding of summery surf grooves and crowd-pleasing rhythms. After exploding onto the scene in 2010, the duo continues to please with tracks perfect for any Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

Mining the soulful sounds of the Motown and Stax labels with contemporary influences like Spoon and The Walkmen, Pickwick's musics is organic and raw, like old-school R&B born out of a modern day garage jam session. It's forward-thinking indie-pop steeped in the past.

If Duke Ellington jammed with Sgt. Pepper in an international fiesta, it might sound something like MarchFourth Marching Band. An eclectic big band with a driving drum corps and battery-powered electric bass, the ensemble also features stilt-walkers, dancers, flag twirlers, clown antics, and acrobatics.

Amy Schumer is one of the fastest rising comics on the scene. The former Last Comic Standing contestant has nabbed roles on Adult Swim's mockumentary series Delocated as well as a spot on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Other appearances include slots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Brooklyn resident Eugene Mirman escaped the clutches of Russian communism at the age of four when his family immigrated from Moscow, and he’s been making audiences laugh ever since. Mirman was a fixture on Flight of the Conchords, had his own Comedy Central special, and can now be seen regularly on Adult Swim’s Delocated.

Laff Hole is the Northwest Comedy Stage's flagship show. Every night at Bumbershoot, The People's Republic of Komedy presents Seattle's most exciting stand-up, sketch, and video, helmed by a special guest. Today's is John Keister – former Almost Live! host, a staple in the Seattle comedy community, and a pioneer of Northwest humor.

Gesamtkunstwerk is a Seattle-based theatre collective devoted to merging artistic disciplines and creating a non-traditional, high sensory experience. Their Bit(e), tear, gnaw, GULP! is a hilarious, aggressively new way to enjoy performance: be a part of it. The piece marries current communication technology, humor, performance, music, dance and audience engagement as a commentary on how we interact in the 21st Century. What is art, music, theatre, humanity in the digital age? Bring your texts and your tweets into the theater and find out!

Led by singer/songwriter Andy Cabic and his calm, unrushed vocals, this San Francisco quintet crafts dreamy folk music with a combination of gentle guitars, sparse drum machine rhythms and hazy, multi-part harmonies. When the layers come together, Vetiver's music creates the perfect soundtrack for a sunny afternoon.

Short animated films that will astonish, inspire, and potentially unnerve you - but are guaranteed to amaze. Not for the whole family; some adult content. FILMS: Loom, Vicenta, flesh color, Paths of Hate, Stanley Pickle, Visitation, Eye of the Storm, Rosa

Chris Alfaro is Free the Robots. This genre-defying artist pulls together strands of traditional jazz, psych, electronica and hip-hop, then pours progressive melodies and deep drums into the rich pot of sound. His techniques create harmony between genres of obscure samples with analog and digital compositions.

If Duke Ellington jammed with Sgt. Pepper in an international fiesta, it might sound something like MarchFourth Marching Band. An eclectic big band with a driving drum corps and battery-powered electric bass, the ensemble also features stilt-walkers, dancers, flag twirlers, clown antics, and acrobatics.

The Decemberists' Colin Meloy has always been recognized for his skill with words, so it should come as no surprise that he and his wife, Carson Ellis -- a renowned graphic designer and illustrator - have created a series of children's books described as "both incredibly original yet timeless - nothing less than an American Narnia." Wildwood is the first in the series. Join them for an introduction and behind the scenes peek at an exciting literary endeavor.

From world tours to collaborations with TV on The Radio and Gorillaz, the members of Little Dragon have come a long way from their native Gothenberg, Sweden. The band's lush electro-pop compositions -- featuring the magnetic vocals of Yukimi Nagano -- have them poised for a big future.

Some people write diaries when they travel. Banjoist Jayme Stone writes awarding-winning albums. His aural travelogues are filled with sounds and inspiration from locales like Norway, Bulgaria, Italy, Brazil, Africa, and Appalachia, all blended and distilled into a style distinct to this fingerpicking virtuoso.

As the name of his podcast implies, Doug Benson (Super High Me, Best Week Ever) loves talking about movies. Unlike most cinema enthusiasts, however, Benson gets to talk about his favorite flicks with some of comedy's biggest names - on stage, in front of an audience, and always with hilarious results.

Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews' is the rare trombonist who is equally at home jamming with jazz legends as he is with international rock stars like U2 and Lenny Kravitz. With an unprecedented mix of rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop, and soul, Andrews created his own name to describe his signature sound: Supafunkrock!

Deon Cole’s charismatic personality and original style make him one of the most popular performers in the comedy scene today. In addition to serving as a staff writer for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Cole has also appeared on Comedy Central's Laffapalooza, HBO's Def Comedy Jam, and NBC's Showtime at the Apollo.

Besides regularly selling out many a New York City comedy club, Kurt Metzger's credits include stints on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Showtime's White Boyz in the Hood and as a regular on VH1's Best Week Ever.

Carlos Mendoza and Peter Christianson formed LawnChair Generals in 2001 while working together at Seattle's Platinum Records. With their talent - both behind the decks and in the studio - LCG have simultaneously blazed their way into the crates, mix compilations, and ranks of the world's elite House music acts.

Known simply as "The Voice” in his home-country of South Africa, singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela continues to be the crucial artistic voice for change. Celebrated for his powerful voice, poetic lyrics, and optimistic spirit, Mahlasela's rich, propulsive African folk compositions are both captivating and inspiring.

Portland electro-poppers STRFKR have a reputation for causing a stir. Whether it's with their theatrical live shows or their immensely accessible dance tracks, STRFKR's blissfully buoyant pop gems are designed to make people move. Think dance-party-meets-Roxy-Music.

For more than a decade, Seattle producer Dave Pezzner cut his chops forging eccentric house and breakbeat rhythms. His hard work paid off. Pezzner now traverses the globe to rock dance floors with percussive beats and soundscapes that highlight the best of disco, house, and techno.

Born in Ethiopia and raised in San Francisco's rich arts scene, Meklit Hadero is a singer who embodies many worlds. Her soul-filled phrasing melds a variety of influences, from Joni Mitchell to Leonard Cohen with a nod to her ethnic roots.

With serrated rhythms, swirling synths, and multipart vocal arrangements, Minus The Bear forges prog-pop music that sounds both effortless and intricate all at once. Ten years on, this kinetic Seattle-based quintet is still blazing its own sonic path while pushing the boundaries of rock music.

Grammy-winner Ray LaMontagne is renowned for his emotionally charged lyrics and his pastoral roots-rock sound. Backed by his band, The Pariah Dogs, LaMontange continues to cement his place as an important contemporary voice in American songwriting, with his latest album debuting at #3 on the Billboard charts.

From her groundbreaking family gospel group The Staple Singers to her legendary solo career, Grammy-winner Mavis Staples is a true artist still blazing a soulful R&B trail while never relinquishing her gospel roots. It's no surprise, then, that Rolling Stone  considers her one of the 100 greatest singers of all time.

Presented by the American Poster Institute, the 31st Flatstock poster exhibition returns with a new lineup of gig poster artists, both foreign and domestic. Touting limited edition rock art prints from your favorite rock shows, over 75 artists will have work for viewing and purchase inside Fisher Pavilion. From Motorhead to Modest Mouse, there’s a print for every musical palate.

Be sure to carve out a few hours between seeing bands to stop by and pick up some prints to cover all of that unused wall space at home. Trust us -- you’ll be kicking yourself ‘til next year if you miss it.

BadMoon Studios, Blue Dot Prints, Broken Press, Burlesque of North America, Clintprints, Crackhead Press, Crash Design, Crosshair, Dan Stiles David V. D"Andrea, DKNG Studios, F2 Design, Frida Clements, Furturtle Show Prints, GIGART, GUYBURWELL, Idiot or Genius?, Insurgentarts.com, Iron Canvas Studios, Jambone Creative, Jason Munn, Jon Smith, Kevin Tong Illustration, Kollective Fusion , La-La Land Posters, Landland, Lil Tuffy, Magnificent Beard, NateDuval.com, Pedal Printing, Penhead Design, Powerslide Design Co., Row Boat Press, Sandusky Bay Poster Works, Squeegeeville.com, the Bungaloo!, Tiny Media Empire, Todd Slater, Two Rabbits, Vahalla Studios, Vera Club Art Division, Groningen, Voodoo Catbox, Weapons of Mass Design

While the creators, Chris McMullen and Steve Withycombe, have dubbed it PAS (for “Potentially Annoying Sound”), you’re more likely to be fascinated than irked by this interactive and kinetic sculpture. Turn the wheel and set the gears in motion, culminating in a symphonic blast of horn and bellows made possible through the salvaged remnants of a 1930s pipe organ.

At the aLIVe exhibit, you can ride a Rejuiced Bike, check out the Walk & Roll, get your own Undriver License™ and make a model Low Impact Vehicle. (The term "low impact" references both pedestrian safety and environmental sustainability.) In order to stimulate a conversation that goes well beyond the bikes-vs.-cars debate, founding organizer Cheryl dos Remedios collaborates with other artists to explore our transportation system -- using everything from poetry to prototypes. (Project support from 4Culture and Great City.)

Agitator, provocateur and instigator extraordinaire, Orange Man can enliven the dullest of situations with his electrifying presence. Orange Man will be wandering the Festival with huge orange balloons, while passing out smaller balloons to patrons. These floating orbs of color will dot the Bumbershoot grounds, constantly moving and creating new connections.

Using a method by which words or images are collectively assembled, interactive curator Leslie Lyons will produce a video story entitled Expedition over the three day Bumbershoot festival. Participants will be given 45-60 seconds to make their narrative contributions. Themes will include birth, dreaming, kissing, friends, love, and magic, and will be uploaded to leslielyons.com throughout the weekend.

This is an interactive and fully immersive paint-by-number art exhibit curated by Seattle artists Marlow Harris and JoDavid. Featuring an interactive paint-by-number homage to Edouard Manet's "The Picnic" ("Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe") by artist Ryan Feddersen, which will be completed through audience participation. Also featured are the amazing life-size paint-by-number banners and guitars of Victoria BC artist Bill Blair.  In addition, vintage paint-by-numbers kits have been altered by local artists including Joey Bates, Greg Boudreau, Jim Blanchard, John Brophy, Chris Crites, Max David, Jim Dever, Janet Galore, Art Garcia, Kurt Geissel, Troy Gua, Nancy Guppy, Robert Hardgrave, Aaron Huffman, Sean Hurley, Mary Iverson, Elizabeth Jameson, David Kane, Rick Klu, Charles Krafft, Mike Leavitt, Rich Lehl, Kelly Lyles, Jeff Mihalyo, Ryan Molenkamp, Lisa Petrucci, Demi Raven, Cathy Sarkowsky, Tim Silbaugh, Joey Veltkamp, Jim Woodring, Jenny Zwick, and Mystery Guests!

W. Scott Trimble's sculptural installation is a fantastic obstacle course that includes a 360-degree skate pipe, skate bowl extension towers, a freestanding quarter pipe, ramps over obstacles, and more impossible structures that would taunt the most seasoned and reckless of skateboarders -- if they were allowed to skate on it.

The Magic Show is a multi-media exhibit that will dazzle and amaze. Video, photography, and sculpture will defy explanation and explore illusion, conjuring, levitation, and transformation. Artists include: sculptors Doug Young (Brooklyn, NY) and Jason Puccinelli (Seattle, WA), designer Peter Bristol (Seattle, WA), photographer Thomas Petillo (Nashville, TN), and filmmakers Britta Johnson (Seattle, WA) and Geoffrey Alan Rhodes (Rochester, NY). Curated by Kathy Lindenmayer.

Blue Man Group (KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount) is sponsoring a child-sized drumming station where kids can experience their own version of this comedy and music show as they experiment with drums, water, and percussion.

EMP Museum is giving children an opportunity to try their hand at making music. Drop-in guitar lessons and explorations of some of the most significant moments in rock music, science fiction, and popular culture will appear at their tables.

Mama K's Aromatic Play Clay is creating tabletop fun using all-natural aromatic clay.  Children can create their own pieces of art and scenery.

Pacific Science Center will explore interactive and hands-on activities from their Science on Wheels education outreach program.  PLUS they will have their Radical Reactions Show on Sunday and Super Cool Science Show on Monday!

ParentMap loves to DRAW and to COLOR! They will be drawing and coloring silly cartoons, funny monsters, fancy flowers and stunning self-portraits. Families can also play the Guess How Many and Bead Drop games and be entered to win super special prizes!

The Children's Museum, Seattle will present a portion of their new Near and Far exhibit, which uses Lego and Duplo bricks as an interactive teaching tool to bring play and imagination alive.  Kids can also explore their outdoor garden exhibit.

An animated short film celebration for all ages. FILMS: The Lost Thing, B/W RACES, The Sasquatch and the Girl, The Yellow Balloon, DreamGiver, The Karl Dahl Show - Karl Dahl and the Golden Cube, Eggcellent

Already dubbed "Seattle's Prince,” Sol is a local emcee poised to take over the Northwest hip-hop scene. At just 22 years old, Sol possesses a magnetic stage presence and razor-sharp flow, while his radio-ready tracks tackle themes of love, life, and the highs and lows of both. Pass the mic. Sol's ready.

Recent winner of Earshot Golden Ear Awards "Northwest Vocalist of the Year," Gail Pettis is a welcome addition to the Pacific Northwest jazz scene. Pettis' rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing often inspire comparisons to singing greats like Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae.

The soundtrack to professional soccer in Seattle is Sounders FC Sound Wave! Playing custom arrangements of rock, funk, and pop, this band of horns and drums will get your blood pumping and make you want to put your SCARVES UP!

Speaking their truths with shared urgency and piercing insight, the diverse voices of teenage and young adult poets aged 16-19 in Youth Speaks Seattle are known for their captivating lyricism, unapologetic reflections, and brave words. By turns challenging and inspiring, this showcase is a powerful reminder that the next generation can truly speak for itself.

Best know as the lead singer and songwriter for the seminal American art-rock band Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh brings us Paradoxical Undressing. This solo spoken word and musical performance draws from Hersh's acclaimed memoir of life as a teenager wrestling with issues of mental illness, creativity, teenage pregnancy, and the pressures of sudden fame. Combining film, music, and scripted excerpts from the book, the show is an intense, moving, and original experience.

Kasey Anderson and The Honkies specialize in gritty, barroom-ready rock. Featuring an in impressive array of wailing guitars and bluesy swagger, Anderson's songwriting has earned comparisons to legends like Steve Earle, Guy Clark, and Townes Van Zandt.

A hands-on performance where the audience becomes part of this community-building exercise. Families will dance, play drums and listen to storytelling from Ghana, West Africa.

Seattle world-reggae-rockers Kore Ionz have been stirring up crowds and critics alike since releasing Half-Hour Revolution in 2008. Since then, their eclectic reggae sound has allowed them to share the stage with greats like The Wailers, Eek-a-Mouse, and Common.

Wayne Federman is a multi-talented comedian, author, and actor. In addition to a stint as head monologue writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Federman has also appeared in The X-Files, The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Step Brothers.

Hide yo’ kids! Hide yo’ wife! The Gregory Brothers, the fearsome foursome behind some of the biggest viral videos in recent memory, are invading Bumbershoot. Whether auto-tuning the news or remixing C-Span, The musical stylings of The Gregory Brothers (Evan, Michael, Andrew, and Evan’s wife Sarah) are not to be missed.

Short films featuring Low Impact Vehicles, Undriving, and other ways to get to work & live your life sustainably. FILMS: aLIVE: The Well Cultured Bike-Car Fleet, The Long Walk, aLIVE: Undriving, Sort

Hailing from Puerto Rico, this brash six-piece comes with hooks and energy to spare. Their full-throttle sound ranges from powe- punk to swamp-blues and everything in between.

Join the Radio Disney AM1250 Road Crew for dancing, games, prizes, music and more!

Jake Barker, David Tveite, and Devin Badoo met as burgeoning young comics on the Seattle scene and instantly fell in love. They then quickly gestated and gave birth to a beautiful baby comedy show called The Humor Program! It's not too bright but they love it anyway.

Much like their fanbase, The Lonely Forest's music is continually expanding and evolving. At its core, the locally-based quartet's music is a marriage of sing-a-long hooks and churning guitars played with a prog-rock sensibility. This band is going places. Hang on for the ride.

Whalebones is a trio of ramblin', gamblin' musicians from Seattle who write feel-good rock with big drums and fuzzed-out guitars à la Merle Haggard and Crazy Horse.

Wayne Horvitz is an award-winning composer, pianist, and electronic musician. He has performed and collaborated alongside such greats as Bill Frisell, Butch Morris, and John Zorn and has also lent his tremendous musical vocabulary to a variety of film and video pieces, including two projects with director Gus Van Sant.

I'm With The Band scribe and Queen of the Groupies Miss Pamela DesBarres is the spokeschick for the most sexually liberated generation of females in history. Here she shares her unique combo of 1960s subculture, 1970s rock n' roll decadence, and an unexpected dash of good old-fashioned 1950s Mama-Knows-Best wisdom with KEXP's Kurt B. Reighley (DJ El Toro.)

"Sugar pie, honey bunch - you know that I love you…" FILMS: Connect, Want To Spend the Rest of My Life With You, Sign Language, Love & Other Unstable States of Matter, Blog Off, Super. Full.

DJ Justin Timbreline (aka John Judge) stumbled out of the Northwest punk scene in search of a new form of expression. He found it in electronic music. Working with the Decibel Festival, DJ Timbreline brings a passion for emotive underground dance music, which he DJs and composes for his own Timbreline Productions.

An interactive exploration of the accordion with movement and dance.

The Boise-based and highly sought-after choreographer Trey McIntyre focuses on creating works that explore the human experience in transformative and captivating ways. McIntyre will fashion his unique audience culture at Bumbershoot with performances that include a collaboration with Preservation Hall Jazz Band in Sweeter End and the music of The Shins in Oh, Inverted World, about which The New York Times said, "Once you know how it ends you want to see it again." 2011-2012 Tour Sponsor: MetLife Foundation; City of Boise Cultural Ambassador

Mad Rad's music is a combination of hip-hop, electro, dance, new wave, newer wave, and face-melting rock n' roll. MCs Buffalo Madonna and Terry Radjaw trade flows while DJ Darwin and mad genius producer P Smoove drop body-rattling beats. Music will blast. Bodies will gyrate. Get in. Give in.

A bar band built for a big stage, Massy Ferguson writes songs populated by barflies, broken hearts, and doomed late-night romances. Taking cues from influences like Bruce Springsteen and The Hold Steady, Massy Ferguson makes music that finds the beauty in the down-and-out.

Emerald City Improv is Seattle's only Street Improv group, embracing the city as a stage. Their events are designed to break into your day to make you laugh and smile. They have been staging events around the city since 2009.

Gesamtkunstwerk is a Seattle-based theatre collective devoted to merging artistic disciplines and creating a non-traditional, high sensory experience. Their Bit(e), tear, gnaw, GULP! is a hilarious, aggressively new way to enjoy performance: be a part of it. The piece marries current communication technology, humor, performance, music, dance and audience engagement as a commentary on how we interact in the 21st Century. What is art, music, theatre, humanity in the digital age? Bring your texts and your tweets into the theater and find out!

Mixing his spontaneous creativity and absurd view of the world, Rory Scovel is quickly making a name for himself across North America. Whether discussing his many vices, his politics, or life in general, his infectious stage presence and engaging charisma quickly places audiences in the scene of every punchline.

Freestyle Love Supreme started way back at Wesleyan where some of the peeps attended university. It moved to New York and was bred in the city with the help of some amazing talents. The movement is simple - get words from the audience, use them to inspire rap songs, and build a hip-hop community.

NoMeansNo define post-modernist hardcore. They are intelligent, articulate, studied, thoughtful, passionate, intense, and playful. Acclaimed by peers and adored by fans of all ages, this musically adept trio has consistently thrilled sweaty crowds around the world.

For the past 13 years, Sketchfest - the hub of the Northwest sketch comedy scene - has curated a showcase of Seattle's best writers and performers of sketch, while bringing in top acts from around the world.

After spending the last decade producing breathtaking and intricate albums, Broken Social Scene continues to be be one of the most vital and inventive voices in independent music. BSS is credited as a pioneer in Canada's successful indie scene and remains an innovator in their genre.

Rafael Anton Irisarri is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. His work explores post-minimalist, drone, and ambient sounds. Irisarri has been creating his distinct electronic textures for over half a decade, most recently as the main member of techno-shoegazers The Sight Below.

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott is one of the most exciting musicians to emerge on the national jazz scene in more than a decade. A seven-time Earshot Gold Ear Award winner with collaborations with Brian Lynch and Charlie Hunter to his credit, Thomas stands out amongst today's cream of the crop.

Garage-rock outift Thee Oh Sees is fronted by John Dwyer, a lo-fi savant and gifted multi-instrumentalist. With Dwyer at the helm, the band effortlessly juxtaposes jaunty pop tunes with psychedelia and distorted vocals, like cartoon theme music gone perfectly awry.

A collection of short films from South Asia. FILMS: Chaukaith (Threshold), Theke Pe Kya Karte Ho? (What Business Here?), Little Miss Eyeflap, Manoj

What happens when music and the written word overlap? A panel of authors with strong ties to the music industry discuss and demonstrate. Nathan Larson was the lead guitarist of influential prog-punk outfit Shudder To Think and is an award-winning film music compositor (Boys Don't Cry, Dirty Pretty Things, The Messenger.) Kristin Hersh is a solo artist as well as lead singer and guitarist for Throwing Muses and 50FOOTWAVE. Her newest album, Crooked, was released as a book and her memoir Rat Girl (titled Paradoxical Undressing outside the US) was published by Penguin USA. Nelson George is one of the first writers to document hip hop culture and is the author of several award-winning books on the subject, including Hip Hop America; he also co-authored Russell Simmons' autobiography Life and Def. George directed Queen Latifah in the HBO film Life Support, and is an executive producer of VH1's long-running Hip Hop Honors broadcast. His forthcoming novel, The Plot Against Hip Hop, will be released in November.

Families can watch and learn or participate in a child-friendly interactive yoga demonstration hosted by the owners of Bikram Yoga at the Sweatbox.

Known as Los Angeles' "Ambassador of Boogie Funk," Dåm-Funk represents the citizens of the Funkmosphere with music rooted in the early-'80s boogie, modern soul, and electro-funk. As a skilled DJ/selector or as part of a live band, Dåm-Funk's sets are well-suited to the most discerning Boogie Funk aficionados.

Shigeto is the moniker for producer Zach Saginaw's vividly beautiful electronic music. Beat-driven yet given to richly textured sound design, rhythmically fractured but melodically sumptuous, Shigeto's notable musical palate is colored with elements of stuttering early IDM, dubstep sub-bass, soul, and jazz.

Like a car crash between Little Richard and The MC5, The Jim Jones Revue plays supercharged rock n'roll inspired by the sounds of garage-rock, punk, and old-school blues. JJR doesn't believe that rock needs to evolve; it just needs to be played louder, faster, and more distorted.

Originally inspired by Bonnie and Clyde, Bonnie & The Robberie is a dark love song for a culture obsessed with women with guns. 2010 Stranger Genius Award winner Marya Sea Kaminski performs a collection of rock covers, original songs, and monologues exploring themes of violence, love and firearms backed by the kickass band Landlord's Daughter. The full show, titled Riddled, Or the Bonnie Papers, will premiere at the Hugo House in June 2012.

Yell out an inspired title and you might be the inspiration for The Improvised Shakespeare Company’s current sketch, delivered in grand Elizabethan style. Each of the players has brushed up on his “thees” and “thous” to bring you off-the-cuff comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare.

Hari Kondabolu is a former Seattle immigrant rights organizer who has been compared to Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce. In addition to his own Comedy Central Presents special, he has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show and Live at Gotham.

Kyle Kinane’s stand-up has often been called “bleak and misthanthropic.” Don’t worry. Kinane considers this a compliment. A veteran performer, Kinane has appeared on The Very Funny Show on TBS, Live at Gotham, Comedy Central Presents and The World Stands Up on the BBC.

Anthony Jeselnik performs at clubs, colleges and festivals all over the world, specializing in dark and twisted one liners. Most recently seen on the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump, Anthony has also appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Down and Dirty with Jim Norton.

The audience at the recent Seattle International Film Festival has spoken! These are some of their favorite shorts. FILMS: North Atlantic, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Amazonia, Cataplexy, New Digs

Powerful, life-affirming, and uplifting, AgesandAges is a seven-piece Portland band whose songs are perfect for both a big tent revival or a quiet campfire singalong and most everything in between. With warm acoustic guitars, graceful flourishes of strings, and layered harmonies, there's no mistaking AgesandAges' timeless sound.

Based at West Seattle's Shipwreck Tavern, Kitty Cats in Pirate Hats is a showcase of the area's most talented young comedians, featuring the show's creators: Zach Gabriel, Edrease Peshtaz, and Adam Firestone.

Atari Teenage Riot emerged from the late '90s electronica scene to subvert all rules of rock and techno music. Their manic, digital hardcore warps elements of drum n' bass, industrial metal, and punk to create a sonic experience unlike any other.

Sean Horton, aka DJ Nordic Soul, is an adroit producer, performer, and programmer who infuses his emotionally charged tracks with live instrumentation and a mélange of organic and synthesized tones, all riding atop a pulsating wave of heavy bass lines.

Com Truise has had to cancel his Bumbershoot performance. A replacement is to be announced.

• Time Sunday September 4, 2011 5:00pm - 5:50pm
• Venue Decibel Stage at EMP Sky Church
• Type Music
• Location EMP Sky Church
• View Full Details & Meet Attendees →