Poster by James Key

I love a good festival.  I love a ton of bands all packed in to one place, and I absolutely love the thrill of discovery sure to blindside you at any festival worths it densely powdered elephant ears and cheap, overpriced beer.  Now, I’m not even in Seattle this weekend, but friend and Abandoned Love Records guru Jon Rooney has been plying me with the sweetness that is this weekend’s Cumulus Music Festival for weeks now.

Rooney, he of Virgin of the Birds fame (and a mammoth interview I’ve still yet to muster the cojones to tackle) sent over this description of the event:

“the Cumulus Music Festival is a gathering of largely instrumental noise, drone, and math rock outfits (one might say post-rock) from the greater Pacific Northwest area for three days of intimate performances creating a critical mass of thoughtful, exciting modern electric music”

Oh man, if that doesn’t sound like the perfect accompaniment to the doldrums of grey enveloping our sweet city these moody days of January … I don’t know what is.  You can see the full schedule HERE, but here’s just a taste of some of the drone-tastic bands playing this weekend:

HYPATIA LAKE

BRONZE FAWN

EARTH (!!!)

THE LUNA MOTH

There’s two night shows (at Chop Suey and King Cobra) and an all ages afternoon show at The Vera Project.  I highly recommend getting out to at least one evening.  You will not be disappointed.