MATT DRISCOLL: TRYING TO GET DRUNK ON LITE BEER >>>

If there was a more perfect way to kick off Bumbershoot 2008 than a rushed Miller Lite in the beer garden and a set by Tacoma's own Neko Case, I can't imagine one. That's exactly how my first hour and a half at Seattle's biggest music festival was spent, and as I type this- back in the beer garden, believe it or not â€" I have absolutely no regrets.

Traffic sucked, but parking was a breeze. I entered the Seattle Center Bumbershoot Compound right around 1 p.m. After a stop by the press tent, and a glance at the schedule, it quickly became apparent I had about 10 minutes to guzzle something alcoholic if I wanted booze in my blood for Case's set.

Of course I did.

While I only caught the last five or six songs of Case's performance â€" which was well received by an impressively full Memorial Stadium crowd- it was enough to remind me exactly how unbelievably talented she is. There were times when the band stood still, allowing the perfect pause for Case- her flowing red hair and stunning, Tacoma bred voice- to steal the show. Bathed in her trademarked, sleepy country vibe, Case and her band left no one disappointed. The five or six songs I saw were equally divided between fan favorites and new material â€" with a Dylan song thrown in for good measure. As sun washed over the masses and Case closed the occasion with a charmingly slow paced country ballad, all in the world seemed right.

Things are off to a good start. 

LINK: Bumbershoot photos in the Photo Hot Spot