Bumbershoo’-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin’ To F*** With. (Photo: Morgen Schuler)In the past

By Kelton Sears • December 19, 2014 12:07 pm
Photo by Morgen Schuler
Photo by Morgen Schuler

Bumbershoo’-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin’ To F*** With. (Photo: Morgen Schuler)

In the past couple of months, rumors have been circulating about Bumbershoot’s fate, cast into doubt by large layoffs at the festival’s production company, OneReel, due to an alleged financial shortfall. Stagehands have also publicly complained about delayed payment from the company for this year’s festival.

After lots of speculation online and on Reddit, OneReel finally broke its silence today. The non-profit company announced that Heather Smith, formerly director of OneReel’s Festival Division, will now serve as the festival’s interim executive director. She will be leading a new coalition that will ensure the festival’s sustained future, thanks to a big new partnership between OneReel, the City of Seattle, and Showbox Presents/AEG Live.

“After this year’s festival, we realized we were going to need to find some sort of a solution, because although we had a successful festival from a Bumberfan perspective and a press perspective, we fell short on ticket sales,” Smith tells Seattle Weekly. “The partnership is exciting because AEG is going to be responsible financially for the festival, which will relieve some of the pressure from us and allow OneReel to focus on the mission of the festival—all about what makes our city its own unique culture and how that’s presented at the festival. Showbox Presents will also help with the booking side of things, which will be very helpful.”

Showbox Presents/AEG Live have signed a five year deal in the partnership between the City of Seattle and OneReel, which Smith hopes will develop into an even longer-term relationship. This sort of deal isn’t unheard of for AEG, who also partnered with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival when it found itself in similar financial straits.

“We’re very grateful for the opportunity,” Smith says. “The real work begins now, and my goal is to make sure the festival still reflects the local art and culture that makes this city unique. To resonate with people, we really need to make sure it’s representative of what’s going on ​here​ in our own town.”