Last Monday as I was wrapping up the September issue, I took 3 hours off to go to Bumbershoot, Seattle's largest music festival, so I could see the legendary slamgrass band, Leftover Salmon. Our featured artist for November of last year as well as Artist of the Year for 2002, Leftover Salmon was even more amazing live than I expected.

I ventured to wade as far into the sea of people as the soundboard, about 20 meters from the main stage, behind an array of high-tech recording equipment. From there I got a great sound mix and was able to get a clear view of the entire band. The performance was incredible, especially considering they started at noon and that they flew in to Seattle that morning after a late night performance the night before.

Front man Vince Herman played off the crowds' energy, bringing in the applause from the thousands in Seattle's Memorial Stadium. Highlights of the performance included a jaw-dropping slide mandolin solo by Drew Emmitt and newcomer on banjo, Noam Pikelny performing an electric banjo solo that sounded like anything BUT a banjo! Leftover Salmon truly is a world-class band with world-class musicians and a must for anybody looking for a fun band to follow!