From 1972 through 2019, Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center was a time for Seattleites to gather for Bumbershoot. The festival, a Seattle staple where many gathered for music and food, was cancelled for the second year in a row in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But that didn’t stop the music. With capacity restrictions lifted, a new music festival emerged at the Fisher Green Pavilion in Seattle Center. Day In Day Out (DIDO), put on by the organizers of this year’s also-cancelled Capitol Hill Block Party, hosted local artists such as Livt, Sol, Travis Thompson, Tomo Nakayama, and Chong the Nomad alongside out-of-towners like Strfkr, Chvrches, and Kaytranada.
The festival started with Daisy taking the stage. This r&b punk band’s energy brought the crowd to their feet. Frontwoman Daisy Hamel-Buffa captivated the audience with remarkable vocals, belting sultry melodic notes. Performing in front of a screen filled with a giant hot dog, Daisy shared unreleased songs about a crush named Chester. This band made for a fun, humorous, and romantic set.
Livt, a native Seattle r&b artist, took the stage next, spun on by DJ Kween Kaysh. Livt flexed her bluesy singing voice on tracks from her EPs Flowers in the Void and Black Girl Unbothered. Songs about loving her partner, herself, and respect made her set powerful. As a Black woman, I loved watching these two Black women create a revolutionary set in which respect and love were demanded.
Two artists in and the food trucks’s aromas caught my attention. I migrated to the beer garden where I grabbed some fried oysters from Truly Med. I sat on a bench while I ate and took in the ambience as the crowd began to grow. Then the beat dropped, and the next artist took the stage.
A well known local rapper, Sol delivered a set about love and positivity. This set marked 10 years since his last performance on this stage, during 2011’s Bumbershoot. Segueing between some of his most popular hits, like “2020” and “If You Don’t Call,” he told stories about love and life and shared quotes about peace. He also blessed the audience with some previews of new music to come.
The vibe continued as another local giant took the stage. DJ Beeba, who has performed with Macklemore, got the crowd warmed up while we waited for Travis Thompson. Thompson dropped his latest album, BLVD BOY, in July. The crowd got especially hype for his newest single, “Dead Prezis,” featuring G-Eazy. The rest of the set was amped as hundreds cheered and danced to this Burien great.
Kaytranada ended the night with mellow feels, playing hits like “10%” and “Gray Area.” His set consisted of trippy effects and a camera pointed at his face while he built mixes so the audience could see the artist at work. The set felt up close and personal as we watched him create from scratch with his sample drum board.
I started Day Two of DIDO with local DJ and producer Chong the Nomad. Her performance was fearless. Multifaceted in her artistry, Chong produced, vocalized, and danced all in one song right in front of us. It felt like we were all chilling in her living room with her while she made bangers. Spazzing out, Chong let us see her love for making music come alive.
I watched Blu DeTiger, who came to the stage ready to rock something funky, from the VIP section. Frontwoman DeTiger, who rose to fame playing bass on TikTok, demanded attention with her poise. I felt inspired to sing after her set, so I made my way to the karaoke trailer provided by festival sponsor Alaska Airlines. While I was singing and perfecting my selfie game in the Alaska booth, hundreds of people gathered on the lawn to watch Portland indie-rock band Strfkr. Mingling around the fest, I’d met many people looking forward to seeing this band, so I was excited to see them myself.
They didn’t let me down. Strfkr’s set was full of life. Joshua Hodges (on vocals, keyboards, guitar, and drums) and Keil Corcoran (on drums, keyboards, and vocals) strummed and sang in sync, and their set brought more color to the backdrop set by the already-setting Seattle sun. With many fans present, Strfkr had the crowd echoing lyric after lyric until their final song.
As Strfkr exited and DJ Soffos spun, everyone awaited the last headliner of the weekend, Chvrches, a Scottish synth pop trio whose performance was phenomenal. The sound was just as polished as their recorded tracks. The vocals were flawless, and the instrumentation was effortless. This trio is an extravagant must-see.
Overall, DIDO was a festival that was much needed. Going into the end of summer, it was nice to come to a space that appreciated artists and music after almost two years of off time. Here’s to hoping DIDO joins the ranks of yearly fests alongside CHBP and Bumbershoot.
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