Though Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival has been promoting artistic talents ranging from dancing to poetry to comedians since the early '70s, its emphasis on headlining music didn't come into focus until 1980. Nearly three decades later, Seattle has had acts such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Miles Davis, Kanye West, Beck and hundreds more that grace the beautiful city.

In an effort to keep you locked down music-wise for Labor Day weekend as well as to prevent you from running around to just any performance, here are several artists that will not disappoint.

Saturday

Consider this day as the Northwest's showcase of well, the Northwest.

• 12:45-1:45 p.m. — Sound Transit stage — The Cops: With an album dropping in early November entitled Free Electricity, you can be sure to hear some new songs along with the punk-garage sound Seattle imprinted in them.

• 2:15-3:00 p.m. — Sky Church — Dyme Def: Crowned Seattle's shining stars in the hip-hop community, this trio has grabbed the attention of fans both locally and nationally. With a favorable review for their debut album, , Dyme Def is primed to officially put Seattle back on the map.

• 8:30-9:30 p.m. — Samsung Mainstage — Gym Class Heroes: Other groups have failed where these guys have succeeded in blending true hip-hop style with a real rock sound. With Mr. McCoy at the helm holding the mic, this group has near-unlimited potential to change music as it is known. Prepare to come early to this show; there isn't a single reason why it won't fill up quickly.

Sunday

• 4:00-5:00 p.m. — Esurance Stage — Gabriel Teodros: Lyrics can't get anymore liberal than when Teodros spits them. Seattle nature aside, he brings an essence to the mic that highlights the abstract and upfront.

• 6:00-7:00 p.m. — Exhibition Hall — Bouncing Souls: With countless albums and experience playing hundreds of shows to boot, the Bouncing Souls have stayed relevant for nearly 20 years, especially in a punk scene that has shown signs of dying out from time to time. Crowd surfing is highly suggested.

Monday

Being Labor Day, it would be nice to just sit back and relax. Luckily, there's only one place you need to be — the Samsung Mainstage. The lineup on this one stage is possibly Bumbershoot's best ever, and last year's was a doozy. Here are the times and the artist lineup. That's all you need to know. Oh yeah, show up early.

• 1:15-2:30 p.m.: Joss Stone

• 3:00-4:30 p.m.: John Legend

• You're probably hungry by now; go get something to eat and come right back.

• 8:00-9:00 p.m.: Lupe Fiasco

• 9:30-10:45 p.m.: Wu-Tang Clan

When Bumbershoot comes, remember to have fun, be safe and most of all get your music on.