Blondie, Steve Miller Band join Bumbershoot lineup

Blondie, the "new wave" rock band of the 1970s, and the Steve Miller Band, a longtime regional favorite (Miller has homes in the San Juan Islands and Montana), are among the new music acts announced for Bumbershoot, Sept. 2-4 at Seattle Center.

Also new to the complete lineup, released today, are Vancouver, B.C.'s the New Pornographers, Austin's Spoon and British rapper Lady Sovereign.

The groups join previously announced music acts including Kanye West, AFI, A Tribe Called Quest, Yellowcard, Alejandro Escovedo, Common Market and Thee Emergency.

Comedy

Two comedy stages, also announced today, will feature regional and national comedians, including the improv group Upright Citizens Brigade; Comedy Central's Zack Galifianakis; a live version of VH1's comic pop-culture standard, "Best Week Ever Live!!"; actress/performer Mary Lynn Rajskub ("24"); and Doug Benson of "The Marijuana-logues."

Visual arts

The Bumbershoot theme of "High Tech vs. Home Ec" sums up this year's visual-arts exhibitions, in which high-tech art will be coupled with hands-on activities that reflect the surge in craft hobbies like knitting and crochet. Teaming up with the Frye Art Museum, Bumbershoot will present lectures and exhibit tours focusing on the "Home Ec Revolution." Also slated is a mock suburban neighborhood, an installation by Seattle artist trio SuttonBeresCuller called "The Experimental Housing Project." Photographers William Anthony, Bradley Hanson and Ryan Schierling will display photos from Bumbershoot 2005 in an exhibition called "End of Summer: Three Views of Bumbershoot."

Theater/dance/

performance art

The Seattle-based art collective-band-comedy troupe "Awesome" will follow their popular stand at On the Boards in March with a turn on Bumbershoot's Performing Arts Stage at Bagley Wright Theatre. Other artists include hip-hop performance poet Jerry Quickly and monologuist Mike Daisey and dance from Montreal's Rubberbanddance Group, the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Degenerate Art Ensemble.

Literary arts

Along with the return of last year's popular 826 Benefit (previously announced), the literary lineup will include conversations with the writers and artists in a series called "In Context," focusing on a different theme each day, screenwriting to home economics. Wave Books' Poetry Bus, emceed by poet Joshua Beckman, will also kick off its nationwide tour at Bumbershoot.

Special exhibitions

and more

As announced previously, the Rat City Roller girls will co-host a flat-track roller derby, and Flatstock 10, featuring poster art from rock artists from around the world, will continue to be part of Bumbershoot, which also includes the 1 Reel Film Festival, an Indie Market where artists and craftsmen and -women can sell their DIY goods, and kids' activities in the Center House.

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