Greg and I will hit Folklife today, the increasingly listless summer-kickoff festival at Seattle Center that was once my favorite of the local festivals. The demise of the instrument auction, without a doubt the coolest tradition associated with the festival, along with the (now-revised) rules and restrictions governing ad-hoc performers and their CD sales, leaves me with low expectations.

On the other hand, this email arrived this morning in my inbox:

Funhouse presents:
NORTHWEST PUNKLIFE FESTIVAL 2004
May 29-31, 2004

Join fellow misfits around a BBQ and listen to the drum circles and fifteen minute “jam” sessions of the Northwest Folklife festival get drowned out by an arsenal of guitars and loud, snotty vocals. Enjoy the subtle scent of patchouli getting overpowered by the stench of stale beer and cigarettes.

Three days of music and debaquchery. The Northwest Punklife Festival welcomes over 30 punk bands from across the Northwest, representing the diversity of our regionís punk community, including street punk, hardcore, cow-punk , garage, pop and more. Additional entertainment and mayhem includes performances by the Burning Hearts Burlesque babes, blood-thirsty backyard wrestling by the SSP, magicians and clowns, Jimmy Flame’s BBQ’d sweetness, the sexy and outrageous ladies of the Naughty Nurse Brigade, and the black-eyed, bruised-knee-ed beauties of the Rat City Rollergirls.

Doors open each day at 12pm, music begins at 2pm, and the night doesnít end until the bartender kicks you out!

Only 6 bucks each day!

Saturday

Johnny Skolfuk, The Gropers, The Neins, The Diskords, Cootie Platoon, the Hot Rollers, Rabid Dogs, The Daryls, Jodie Watts, Go Like Hell, Ronson Family Switchblade, The Earaches

Sunday

Woody, Drag Strip Riot, Quick 66, Jackson and the Lowlifes, The Axes of Evil, Blood Hag, Big Bubba Punx, The Goddamn Gentlemen, SK & the Punk Ass Bitches, The Royal Pains, Amazombies, The Hollowpoints

Monday

A very special Pissdrunks tribute show all day long, featuring several infamous Northwest old schoolers. Consider today the ultimate Lake Union Pub/Storeroom Tavern/Zak’s reunion, this will truly be a day of punk and mayhem!

The Funhouse
206 5th Ave, Seattle WA  
(206) 291-8588 or www.funhouse.com

Sponsored : Proudly brought to you by Pabst Blue Ribbon, Tablet Magazine, Runcatrun.com, The Naughty Nurse Brigade and The Rat City Roller Girls.

All of which, I must say, sounds like a good time. I’m proud to report that I’ve played all three of those infamous gutterpunk venues, Lake Union Pub, the Storeroom Tavern, and Zak’s. At least I think I played the Storeroom.

My favorite venue was unquestionably the late lamented Lake Union Pub, which set new standards in trashed-out-ness.