It seems crazy to be talking about it already, but ready or not, 2012's Sasquatch! Music Festival is right around the corner! Next weekend, in fact, we'll be packing up our cars and celebrating the impending start of summer by spending a long weekend in the sun, poring over four days of band schedules and making the most of our annual trip to the Gorge Ampitheater in George, Washington. The last few years have given us festival weekends for the books {here's some proof from 2011 and 2010}, and this year looks like it will be no exception -- there's tons to see every day no matter what your personal taste is, and at the moment it looks like the weather is going to hold out, too! So, let's take a look at some of the highlights that we can't wait to take in -- and you can play along at home by making your own Sasquatch! day-by-day schedule here.
There seems to be a build built in to the fest, both per-day and over the course of the weekend, too: Friday starts by easing us into a warm bath with the smooth sounds of Allen Stone, who will be kicking things off at the Sasquatch Stage at 5:00p. And if that "blue-eyed soul" sound isn't your thing, don't worry -- you can take it in the opposite direction with the post alt.indie vibe that Yellow Ostrich does at 5:15p on the Bigfoot Stage instead {pop on over here for a sample of what we love about these guys}. Then, Iceland's made-famous-to-Seattle-via-KEXP allstars Of Monsters and Men take the 6:00p spot on the Sasquatch Stage, while recent buzz band Polica blow out the Bigfoot Stage at 6:30. There's plenty to experience Friday besides (and around) these four picks, but our last can't-miss recommendation is 110% for Girl Talk's set at 8:30 on the Sasquatch Stage, sure to be a power-hour that will leave the crowds (and us!) happily hopped-up in preparation for the next three days of music.
We can't really think of a better way to begin the first weekend day of Sasquatch! with back-to-back sets of awesome on the Sasquatch Stage, first with Pickwick at 12:00p, followed immediately by Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires at 1:05p. {It's worth noting that we've been buzzing with love for Charles Bradley since his set in KEXP's Bumbershoot Music Lounge last year, and we can't wait to catch him on the big stage!} Well-primed, we'll head into some modern American roots tunes from Blitzen Trapper at 2:10p on the same stage, and we'll cap the first part of the day off with what's sure to be one of the best revival-jam sets of the weekend, Alabama Shakes at 3:00p on the Bigfoot Stage. Speaking of, we're quite sure you're in the loop with AS's recent release, Boys & Girls, but just in case you haven't gotten into it yet, check it out here.
Saturday shakes up at 3:30p, with a turn for the funkier side: THEESatisfaction will be bringing all the goodness from their latest release {and then some!} to the Yeti Stage right about then, and there's tons to check out over the course of the afternoon and early evening (Portlandia, Kurt Vile and the Violators, and Dum Dum Girls stand out as choices worthy of your festival time) before Helio Sequence's Bigfoot Stage set at 6:30p and Metric's Sasquatch Stage set at 6:40p. Those bleed into our absolutely-can't-miss pick for Saturday, tUnE-yArDs on the Bigfoot Stage at 7:30p {!!!!!}, and the night caps off with The Shins and Jack White back-to-back to close out the Sasquatch Stage starting about 8:10p.
In the throes of a killer party at the Neptune last night, we were thrilled beyond belief to find out the details on another most excellent year for the Sasquatch! music festival, taking place out at the Gorge on Memorial Day weekend {May 25-28}. Sasquatch! is by far one of our favorite fests every year, and 2012 is going to be no exception.
We're particularly excited about partying down with the likes of Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Beirut, Girl Talk {hell yes!}, The Head and the Heart, Tune-Yards, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Mark Lanegan Band, The Cave Singers, Grouplove, Ted Leo, Deer Tick, Alabama Shakes, We Are Augustines, Shearwater {!!!!!}, Charles Bradley, Pickwick, Hey Marseilles, Sallie Ford, Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, and Katie Kate -- but by no means does that even scratch the surface of the seemingly-zillion fantastic bands included on this year's lineup. As usual, there's a thoughtful mash of notable locals and squee-worthy headliners, so much so that slapping down the ticket price to spend the long weekend with twenty-plus thousand of your closest friends is an absolute no-brainer.
Our last day out at this year's Sasquatch! music festival went out with an absolute bang. The morning started out with the sweet, big guitar + indie.altpop sounds of the Young Evils on the Yeti stage, followed by a smash-up singalong set by the Old 97's on the main stage (where we promptly got our Rhett-o-sexual on, big time!). On the recommendation of some friends, we took on the only blind set of the weekend -- a band we'd heard of but not listened much to, Noah and the Whale -- and we were not disappointed. It's worth noting they absolutely took the win for style points out of anyone else we saw all weekend, buttoned up in three-piece suits in what felt like baking summertime sun.
The foreign invasion continued with the gorgeous, orchestral buildup-melodies of Stornoway on the Bigfoot stage, followed by a shift-up into the tie for best set of the weekend, !!!. These guys were an absolute full-force marathon of awesome, tearing into the crowd, hamming it up for the photo pit, and bringing some of the best beats we'd heard over our time at the Gorge. Keep scrolling for more of Monday's photos!
Latest comment by: David Lee: "Thanks so much for this post! So fun."
Sunday morning's installment of the Sasquatch! music festival found us with smiling, weary eyes and happy tired feet from all the blissing-out (two posts' worth!), which worked out perfectly with the grey sky vibe and our first sets of the day. The alt.folk.traditional-yet-bizarre sounds of Cotton Jones began the trip for us on the small (Yeti) stage, and their sounds bled nicely into the warm, longing big-guitar melody of the Moondoggies on the Bigfoot stage. Bursts of sun came through just in time for the straightforward rock of Black Joe Lewis, who lifted us up perfectly to take on a dusk set from Gayngs and a mindmelting mainstage show from the Flaming Lips.
Photos below!
{This is part two of our opening day coverage of this year's Sasquatch! music festival at the Gorge -- click here to take a peek at part one!}
Our first full day at Sasquatch! kept rolling strong, with a big-guitar kick-ass set from Sharon van Etten, which shifted flawlessly over to an intimate solo performance from J. Mascis on the Yeti stage. The noise kept coming with the simultaneously loud/pretty sounds of Wye Oak, after which we changed gears to take on the upbeat, alt.indie.powerpop-ish party of Matt & Kim -- what a blast! The fading sun brought a powerful, dusky mainstage set from Bright Eyes, and we welcomed the night with an impressive (albeit late) performance from Robyn on the Bigfoot stage.
Closing out the night with a local flourish, hometown faves Death Cab for Cutie took us out well into the dark with a killer mainstage performance that spanned an impressive portion of their current and back catalog. Photos below!
Sharon van Etten:
Latest comment by: imaginary liz: "
I'm weeping tears of photo overload over seeing Bright Eyes and Matt & Kim recaps on the same page!!! Amazing!!!
"
The opening bell at this year's Sasquatch! music festival was no slouch, and we've got the photos to prove it!
Mixed in with the obvious wins -- sunshine, scenery, and good friends -- we spent a little over three days on what we're quite sure was the best trip so far of 2011. Days one and two brought the local flavor in a big way, opening up Saturday morning with Seattle Rock Orchestra's Radiohead cover set on the Bigfoot stage, a one-two punch of pow from the Globes on the Yeti stage, and an early afternoon set from the Head and the Heart on the main stage. We broke out of our melancholy-tinged swoonfest for one of the best sets of the festival, Aloe Blacc -- who connected with the throngs of fans at the Bigfoot stage beautifully with his smooth brand of funky old-school soul and some bad-ass dance moves.
Just before the sun started to fade, we caught regional local Dan Mangan back over at the Yeti stage -- hailing from Vancouver, BC -- who brought his thoughtful, alt.indie.ponder-pop songwriting to an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. We're up to our elbows in his last release, Nice Nice Very Nice, as we speak type -- check out the pictures below!
{Sasquatch photo by asclepius6 from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool}
Do you hear that?
It is the sound of folks feverishly tweeting and posting about the amazing #Sasquatch line-up just announced. After weeks (who are we kidding, months!) of mathematically calculating probabilities based on tour schedules and record release dates, we finally have a firm answer of who's going to be at the Gorge this Memorial Day weekend, as well as explanations as to why certain folks don't have a Seattle tour date in the next few months.
Not to sound like everyone else every other year, but this year's line-up has left me speechless. The Sasquatch folks have brought together the best of the best of the best (except Allo Darlin, which I'm guessing will be begged to participate next year) to celebrate their 10th Anniversary. I mean Wilco, Bright Eyes, Matt & Kim, The Radio Dept., The Thermals, Stornoway, and The Young Evils!?!?!? You're killing me!!!
Are you headed that way? Who are you most excited about (mine bolded below)? Anyone else you think is going to be added to the bill before we pack up our roadtrip munchies and head Quincy, WA way?
Pavement (Courtesy: Victoria Vanbruinisse for City Arts Magazine)
Every Memorial Day Weekend, scruffy hipsters and hippies alike who lack the cash to drop on a desert jaunt -- complete with $5 bottles of water and scorching heat -- descend upon the Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA (yes, that's really the name) for the 3-day Sasquatch! Music Festival. There are considerably less stages and less big names, but the views are gorge-ous (har har), and you can easily find all of the previous year's blogworthy acts and at least a couple legendary ones before the weekend is through. And since this is Washington, the festival organizers provide a free water bottle refill station to save plastic. And did I mention it's beautiful out there?
This year my Concert Companion (hereafter known as the CC) and I packed the car full of hoagies, Coronas, yogurt, fiber bars and a nice sturdy tent, and set out Friday night on the 2 1/2-hour trip from Seattle to George. In the morning we woke up to sunny skies and a slew of young, unwashed, bleary-eyed yet still really attractive festivalgoers. Everyone was friendly and out to have a good time. Some entrepreunerial folks set up a grill with hot dogs, tacos and breakfast burritos in preparation for the drunk munchies. Once you've all shared the same lineup of Portapotties, had a few beers, and brushed your teeth together in a makeshift sink, the camaraderie pretty much starts a-flowin'.
And now, here's a breakdown of noteworthy events, day-by-day...
Latest comment by: Anonymous: "Pavement = worst set of the weekend Massive Attack/LCD Soundsystem = Tie for best sets that were completely different from each other but equally awesome!"
(Midlake Poster design by Corianton Hale / Sleep Op)
This year the Sasquatch Festival folks have taken their responsibility to have a handsome poster design up a notch... to the point that a gala is required to mark the Memorial Day event's magnificent design 2010 portfolio.
On Saturday, May 1, Vermillion Art Gallery & Wine Bar (1508 11th Ave, right near the new Elliott Bay Book Company) is hosting the opening gala for the Sasquatch! Posters! Exhibition from 6p-10p. For the first time in the history of the festival’s yearly design invitational, we will have the opportunity to bask in the beauty of walls lined with brilliant screen-prints of the 2010 poster exhibit. Starting at 8p, DJ Darwin of Mad Rad will be providing a soundtrack for us to browse the indie-rock art gallery by. The Saturday opening event is 21+ but the rest of the exhibit is open to all ages and will run May 2-May 7, 2010 from 4pm - 9pm.
All of my favorite dreamy local designers will be showing at the event, and I'm sure I'm going to discover a few crushes as well. I've already spent hours on the gallery page of the Sasquatch site previewing of what kind of brilliance will be offered. I can't pick a favorite. But I can tell you that our friends Corianton Hale (Midlake), Killorn O’Neil (Mountain Goats), and Seattle Show Posters (Garfunkel and Oates) have not let us down. For a full list of who is partaking in the fun, head over to the Sasquatch Facebook page.
Which one will you be drooling over most on Saturday night?
Latest comment by: ig viva: "So. Excited. for this!!! it's going to be gorgeous!"
Three Imaginary Girls is excited to present a very special GET TOGETHER to have a sneak listen to the brand new NOT YET RELEASED album from the New Pornographers on Friday, April 23 at Neptune Coffee (at 8415 Greenwood Ave N.) from 6p-7:30p. The evening is free.
Besides getting to hear the newest release by the critically-acclaimed New Pornographers in its entirety well before the release date (which is May 4 on Matador Records), this happiest of hour event will have 21+ drink specials (thanks PBR!) and a bucket of amazing giveaways such as pair of one-day tickets to Sasquatch for Monday 5/31 (the day the New Pornographers will take the stage) and various New Pornographers objects like posters, pretty pretty vinyl and the like.
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The Drums + Craft Spells = total dance party!
The Drums + Craft Spells = total dance party!
The Drums + Craft Spells = total dance party!
The Drums + Craft Spells = total dance party!
Willis Earl Beal wows small crowd at Barboza
Recommended Event: SIFF 2012 Opening Night {5/17}
Willis Earl Beal wows small crowd at Barboza
Willis Earl Beal wows small crowd at Barboza
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