What Made Milwaukee Famous isn't just the name of a band, but it's also a very legitimate question. What did make Milwaukee -- the home to Schlitz Brewery and endless number of festivals -- famous? The answer could easily be the Steve Miller Band.

There's tons to see at Bumbershoot that's not on one of the event's stages. This weekend, SPIN.com has spotted a soulful singer/songwriter strumming her acoustic guitar near Seattle Center's International Fountain and has witnessed several impromptu jam sessions coinciding alongside hackey sack pickup games.

Rocky Votalato's mostly-acoustic folk-rock is a favorite for Seattle music fans, many of whom turned out in droves to see the singer/songwriter's afternoon performance. Those who packed around the fest's stage were treated to a plugged-in version of Votolato's deep, personal tunes.

Bumbershoot attendees creatively staved off their boredom while waiting for their favorite artists to perform. Before the Gossip's performance, Ben Sobel, 19, of Port Angeles, WA, received a first-rate manicure from pal Shawna Butz, 18.

Bumbershoot, the three-day music and arts festival surrounding Seattle's towering Space Needle, draws tons of music fans each year, and, as SPIN.com has discovered, most have hilarious ideas of what the word bumbershoot really means.

"Is it something drug-related?" Damon Gough, the singer behind Badly Drawn Boy wondered about the word bumbershoot. "It sounds like something you'd mix with alcohol that would end up exploding out of your ass."

Evidently inspired by Gnarls Barkley, Yellowcard took to the stage with a personal escort: Darth Vader. Flanked by a squadron of Storm Troopers, the band wasted little time powering up into hits like "Way Away" and fan-favorite "Warm October Nights." Violinist/vocalist Sean Mackin proved equally adept at landing Olympic-worthy back flips as he did at churning through searing violin solos.

Who says light shows are only for arena-rock bands? Portland group the Thermals received star-worthy treatment at their Bumbershoot set, as all colors of the spectrum blinked excitedly from overhead bulbs to jumpstart their set.

mewithoutYou lead singer Aaron Weiss began his set whispering into the microphone, softly plucking his acoustic guitar while a gentle accordion hummed along. It was a clever ploy: Entice the crowd to inch closer before he and his bandmates blew them all away with a performance that was too big for their venue.

Up-and-comers Mon Frere (French for "my brother") can't yet legally drink, but they're already rocking like pros. Having won 2004's Experience Music Project's Sound Off competition, a battle of the bands contest for groups 21 and under, the band have since become local celebs in Seattle's indie rock scene.