Danielage: Volume Sasquatch [5/29/10-5/31/10]

So I'm finally back after a 5+ month lack of posting and I have to apologize. Other things have taken priority in my life and I let my blog fall by the wayside but I'm back to do something I've meant to do the past 2 years, that being a full scale report of the annual Sasquatch festival which I attended this past weekend. For those unaware, the festival has been running for nearly 10 years at maybe the most beautiful venue on earth, The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington which is about a 5 hour drive from Vancouver but one that I look forward to every Memorial Day weekend. Below are my thoughts on every band/artist I took in over the course of the 3, very full days... some more detailed than others. If anyone's in area and you consider yourself a fan of live music, you really owe it to yourself to check the festival out one of these days as it's always a great weekend filled with fun, beautiful scenery and a fair share of great bands... Hell even if you're not in the area you really don't have much of an excuse as this year I was joined by my pal Justin, who was returning after missing last year's Sasquatch and Alex who flew from Manchester, England to spend the week with us and have a weekend that he'll never forget. Anyway, on to the music!

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--Saturday--

Dawes (12:00pm - Bigfoot Stage)

One thing I attempt to do every year at Sasquatch is listen to as many new bands beforehand to fill in the gaps where there's no one that I'm looking forward to seeing ahead of time. One such act was the first thing I saw in fact as Dawes started things off for my 2010 Sasquatch experience. Having listened to a few of their songs on their myspace, I knew what to expect and really wasn't surprised. Nice, laid back pop with a country/folk twinge to it, the highlight of which being the closer "When My Time Comes", the song that led me to wanting to see them in the first place. Great weather so far and a nice way to kick off the weekend.

Brother Ali (1:10pm - Sasquatch Stage)

I knew that Brother Ali was amongst the good sized chunk of hiphop represented at this year's festival but really didn't know what else to expect, however we were looking to find a nice spot on the mainstage and ended up checking out his set which was a pleasant surprise. Really positive, socially conscious hiphop from an islamic, albino MC with one hell of a DJ (the highlight of the set being Ali rapping over some beatboxing). Not the kind of thing I'd go out of my way to see, but still an enjoyable time.

Minus The Bear (2:15pm - Sasquatch Stage)

3 bands in and we finally hit one of the groups I was looking forward to seeing (and the first that I went out of my way to move up close for). Minus The Bear have been a favourite group of mine for quite some time now, having seen them numerous times and put their song "Absinthe Party and the Fly Honey Warehouse" on about a million mixtapes. Over the past few years I could see the direction they were taking the band in, steering away from their guitar heroic centred rock that was as catchy and dancey as it was rocking. Their latest record, this month's OMNI is straight up a piece of trash. Never known for their intellgient lyrics (vocalist Jake Snider prefers to write about partying/girls/etc), the lyrics have somehow found a way to get even worse than they were and the music isn't there to save the day this time around.

With all that said, I had confidence that MTB would play a set that mixed some of the newer songs along with some old classics that I'd want to hear which thankfully was the case as they interjected old favourites like "Pachuca Sunrise", "Throwing Shapes" and the previously mentioned "Absinthe Party..." in amongst 1/2 a dozen new songs. The set wasn't awful and I still got to drool at the feet of Dave Knudson (ie my guitar hero), but it did make me think twice about even bothering going to see them when they come to Vancouver in July (I'll go if I can get free tickets)... they got a decent reception from the crowd.

Patton Oswalt (4:30pm - Rumpus Room)

This was the 2nd year of the combination Comedy/Dance tent, recently dubbed "The Rumpus Room" by the winner of a contest and this would be my first (but not last) foray into the nicely shaded tent. I had no idea what to expect from the crowd but the place was packed with people on their feet to see Patton Oswalt who, as per usual, delivered and then some. He opened with a bit from his 2nd album "Werewolves and Lollipops" about his experience in a physics class in college which don't get me wrong, is a great bit but led me to worrying that we'd be getting nothing but recycled material. Boy was I wrong as what followed was a great 45 minute set that included probably 2/3rds new material, plus some great bits from his latest release, "My Weakness is Strong." I don't tend to go out of my way to see standup comedy all that much but Patton is someone who I'll see as much as I can as he never disappoints.

Broken Social Scene (5:35pm - Sasquatch Stage)

I'd seen Broken Social Scene once before about a year ago and found myself enjoying their set but not being completely blown away by them. This past weekend at Sasquatch, I can honestly say that I was completely blown away. If you had asked me beforehand to put together a set consisting of 5 or 6 of my favourite songs from their latest release "Forgiveness Rock Record" (such a rad album fyi) as well as 5 or 6 of my favourite songs from the BSS back catalogue, I am not joking that minus the lack of "Almost Crimes" (off of 2002's "You Forgot It In People"), Toronto's native sons (and daughter) played exactly what I would've told them to. Ranging from a 7 to a 13 piece depending on the song, they absolutely killed it from opener (and new album standout) "World Sick" to extended jam session "Meet Me In The Basement"... I couldn't have been more appreciative and into their guitar-rock centric set. There were other bands I was looking forward to seeing more than these guys but they ended up being possibly my favourite set of the weekend.

The Hold Steady (7:30pm - Bigfoot Stage)

One of the bands I had never seen that I was looking forward to the most, I knew what to expect from The Hold Steady and they didn't let me down. An hour straight of the best brand of sing-a-long songs, from probably the best pure rock band going in the independent scene today, even if I'm not crazy about the new record save for a couple songs. Speaking of those songs, "The Weekenders" and "Hurricane J" stood out amongst the new ones but were outdone by the massive sing-a-longs on "Stuck Between Stations", "Chips Ahoy!", "Constructive Summer" and eventual closer (and favourite of mine), "Stay Positive." I know Alex was looking forward to this set and was very satisfied, as was Justin who wasn't all that familiar with the band beforehand but took a lot away with him afterwards. I wasn't intending on going to see them play when they hit Vancouver this summer but I may have to now.

Vampire Weekend (8:30pm - Sasquatch Stage)

I remember exactly where I was when I first heard Vampire Weekend's debut two years ago and immediately found myself charmed by the afro-pop influenced indie rockers. Somehow in those two years I never found myself crossing paths with them but I have to say, seeing them with 20,000 people who were on their feet for the entire set dancing along as a good way to first experience a Vampire Weekend set. There wasn't much in the way of banter or discussion, just song after song which included a good mix of material from both their self-titled 2008 debut and this year's "Contra". Having now seen them in a beautiful outdoor setting, I know what to expect when I see them again later this year at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park alongside Beach House (the real reason that I'll be at the show) and if their set was any indication, it should be another good time.

My Morning Jacket (10:00pm - Sasquatch Stage)

I wasn't the biggest My Morning Jacket fan until my girlfriend really turned me onto them a few years back with their stellar record 'Z'. Besides a few other songs, plus that record, I really hadn't gone out of my way to listen to much of their material... lucky me they opened with "One Big Holiday", one of the songs I was looking forward to hearing and continued on with a set that had a surprising amount of songs from 'Z' on it. One of the worst parts of Sasquatch is the fact that it's so hot (usually) during the day and VERY cold at night and thus I found myself a victim of this during MMJ's closing set as I found myself freezing to the point of going numb in the feet by the time they played "Wordless Chorus" as the first song of their encore (we packed it in shortly thereafter). Another band that I'm not in love with but one that consists of a lot of great musicians that I can appreciate and one that I'm glad I was able to see at least once in my life even if it wasn't under the nicest of circumstances.

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--Sunday--

Caribou (12:05pm - Sasquatch Stage)

Remember how I mentioned earlier in this post that I did some myspace-ing in the days leading up to the festival in order to fill any gaps in my festival schedule? Sunday afternoon was one of these such times and I had intended on watching Langhorne Slim on the Bigfoot Stage at 12:40pm, however after sitting down at the mainstage to check out Caribou, a Canadian electro-pop band who I had heard good things about, that plan changed. Even on an overcast day, I found myself smiling and nodding along to the infectious groove as I chilled out on the hill and let my day unfold. I know they have a new record out... I think I'll have to check it out.

Midlake (1:10pm - Sasquatch Stage)

Justin's sister Jess turned him onto this band so he was intending on checking them out and thus I hung around for a few minutes to do the same. They were kinda folky, indie rock along the lines of Okkervil River but certainly not as memorable (to me at least) because I could not tell you a single thing about their set. Sorry Midlake.

Local Natives (1:30pm - Bigfoot Stage)

Los Angeles' Local Natives currently have the discintion of being a real indie buzz band, having received the "Best New Music" distinction on pitchforkmedia earlier this year for their debut record titled "Gorilla Manor." I had only checked out a few songs, but found myself really enjoying these guys' mustache and harmony heavy set... another record I probably need to check out.

Tallest Man On Earth (2:35pm - Bigfoot Stage)

I had heard the name mentioned but did not know what to expected from the quote unquote Tallest Man On Earth... who ended up being not all that tall at all. This set was a nice change of pace as the Tallest Man On Earth is in actuality, Kristian Matsson, a rather earnest singer songwriter type with an amazing voice reminiscent of Tom Waits or an equally gravelly voiced bard. A really pleasant set of stripped down love songs including a really great cover of Paul Simon's "Graceland" that I couldn't help but sing along to. I've stated before that it's really hard for singer-songwriter types to stand out to me but the Tallest Man On Earth definitely stood out despite being one of the shortest men in the room.

They Might Be Giants (3:20pm - Sasquatch Stage)

Who doesn't know and love They Might Be Giants? Despite the group of "slags" (his words, not mine) that encroached upon Justin's space as he watched their set and couldn't shut up about Kid Cudi of course. I only managed to catch 3 or 4 songs before I had to head off but the energy and enthusiasm these guys managed to bring right from the getgo was certainly nothing to discount. I only know 3 of their songs (one of them being the theme from TV's "Malcolm in the Middle") but despite hearing none of them, I enjoyed my TMBG experience... as brief as it was.

Cymbals Eat Guitars (3:40pm - Bigfoot Stage)

A band that I was originally going to check out a few months ago (I even drove to Seattle on a weeknight to see them but they were unfortunately sick that night), the wait was well worth it by the time I finally had the opportunity to see Brooklyn's Cymbals Eat Guitars. One thing Sasquatch tends to lack is heavier acts and Cymbals Eat Guitars aren't necessarily a heavy act but they definitely bring a more alternative guitar-based attack along the same lines of early Modest Mouse. Partnered with the patented yelp-ing shriek of lead singer Joseph D'Agostino, Cymbals really stood out on the lineup as a band that I wanted to see. Their 2009 debut "Why There Are Mountains" was a real diamond in the rough record that didn't get as much play as it deserved. Really great set, I'm hoping for more of the same when a new record of theirs comes along which should be sooner rather than later.

Mike Birbiglia (4:30pm - Rumpus Room)

I knew nothing about Mike Birbiglia other than the fact that my friend Scott liked him (although to be fair he likes a lot of comedians). Having no expectations whatsoever, I was pleasantly surprised by how funny he was, especially his story that made up the bulk of the back half of his set involving jumping through a hotel window in his sleep which was even funnier than it sounds.

The XX (5:50pm - Bigfoot Stage)

When this British band dropped their debut last year, I was certainly aware of them but never really took the time to listen to them. However, when The XX showed up on practically every critic's best of '09 list, I could ignore them no longer... and as per usual, I was wrong to be so late to the party (but at least I showed up). I've read negative reviews of their set at Sasquatch... it certainly took a while to set things up and there were some minor technical difficulties but I found myself very impressed this London trio's haunting set. My only real issue is I kind of wish that they had played when it was dark out because the eery tones that run throughout their catchy pop tunes really would lend itself to a different atmosphere than a cloudy afternoon. Great to hear such songs as "VCR" and "Crystalized" live.

Girls (7:00pm - Bigfoot Stage)

I was sort of torn on Girls' 2009 debut "Album"... I think there are some absolutely great songs on it such as "Lust For Life" and "Hellhole Ratrace" but upon numerous listenings, other than the odd song here and there, the album as a whole never really resonated with me. I had seen Girls live once before although I didn't pay attention to them (they were opening for The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart at the Biltmore, this past July)... I don't know if it was me being burnt out or amped up for what was up next or what but again, I found myself not all that interested in their set. Must've sucked to be them to play at the same time as LCD Soundsystem who must've had one of the bigger turnouts of the day.

Pavement (8:30pm - Sasquatch Stage)

Finally it was upon us, what we (or just I) had all come to see. When presale tickets for this festival went on sale all the way back in November with the only announcement being the promise of Pavement playing, I knew that I had to be there and snatched tickets up in a heartbeat. As the day great closer and closer, I found myself listening to their classive discography over and over again... hyping myself up as much as one could get hyped which in the long run may've ended up being a detriment (more on that later) to myself. After taking a while to set up, Pavement finally took the stage 10 minutes late, opened with their classic "Cut Your Hair" and all was well in the world.

What followed was 90 minutes (15 more than they were allotted) of great song after great song of 90s slacker ethos, performed as only they could perform it. I've read some really conflicting reports of this set online and I'm here to set things straight. If you were a Pavement fan (such as myself), Sunday night was absolute bliss for you regardless of the fact that the band false-started on "Rattled By The Rush" twice or Stephen Malkmus seemed drunk (it was his birthday) and apathetic towards the whole thing as he swung his guitar around in every which manner imaginable as songs came to an end or in some cases, as they were developing. If you weren't a fan going into the show, Pavement's set probably wasn't going to win you over and that's fine nor did it turn out to be the drawing card for the festival that it first seemed like it would be. As far as I was concerned though, I got to be witness to some amazing alternative artifacts brought back to life as the band's entire catalogue was unveiled, ranging from the "fake 90s grunge" in Malkmus' words of "Summer Babe" to seemingly shiny, happy "Gold Soundz" to eventual closer "Stop Breathing."

Overally I was really happy with Pavement's set and I'm even happier that I'm going to have another opportunity to see them again in September up here in Vancouver (in the 6th row no less). Where I think I went wrong was overhyping myself and thus when Pavement didn't deliver the greatest set I've ever seen in my life, I wasn't necessarily disappointed but I didn't find myself blown away like I was anticipating. With all that being said, this was still probably the highlight of the festival for me and a select few who were up front with me bouncing and singing along with the songs that we've all come to love.

Public Enemy (9:45pm - Bigfoot Stage)

As we approached the Bigfoot stage, I really didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly greated by "Don't Believe The Hype", being performed in front of a great crowd of people who were definitely digging what Public Enemy were offering. We only stayed around for a few songs... Chuck D seemed to be in regular form including a rather scathing intro to "Antiniggermachine" while Flava Flav seemingly had a ton of energy but could barely be heard when it was his turn to rap on a few songs... not sure if it was a technical difficulty or years of abusing his body has led to Flav simply forgetting the words. Regardless, it was fun for the 25 minutes or so and now at least I can say that I got to witness one of the best/most influential hiphop acts, dare I say 'ever.'

Massive Attack (10:15pm - Sasquatch Stage)

Finishing things off on Saturday was another group that I can thank my girlfriend for helping introduce me to their amazing body of work. Bristol's Massive Attack haven't put out a new record or toured North America in quite some time but I had a feeling they'd provide a really nice ending for another full day of amazing music. I'm only really familiar with two of their records, 1991's "Blue Lines" and 1998's "Mezzanine" but they managed to touch upon both including great performances of "Angel" and "Teardrop." The problem with Massive Attack's set was it was the perfect soundtrack to lie down on the hill and listen to while drifting off to sleep... something I very nearly accomplished. That's not to take away from their great light show that featured all sorts of politically motivated messages/statistics/figures being broadcasted on a giant light up screen across the back of their set, which unfortunately from where we were sitting, was not all that visable. I know this is a band that my girlfriend would've loved to see and even if it's nother for another half a decade, whenever Massive Attack make their way over here again I'll probably have to check them out again.

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--Monday--

The Heavy (12:00pm - Sasquatch Stage)

Our last day at Sasquatch started off with another gap that we filled with The Heavy, a British band who played rock and roll music with a real funk/R&B vibe running through it. I think Justin put it best after their set was over that he wouldn't go out of his way to listen/see them but for what they were, he enjoyed their set and they were catchy... I tend to agree.

Past Lives (1:00pm - Yeti Stage)

I can't believe it took me until the third day to watch a band on the Yeti stage (the smallest of the 3 stages, not counting the Rumpus Room) but on Monday I actually caught 3 bands on that stage (and missed 2 others who unfortunately conflicted with other groups I was more interested in seeing, Sorry Phantogram and Japandroids). Past Lives are one of the bands that developed out of the breakup of Seattle's Blood Brothers a few years back and I saw them a year or so ago as an opener for the reuniting Murder City Devils, knowing nothing of them then but finding myself impressed with their set. A year+ later and I really dug their somewhat indescribable punk tinged alternative that's not quite as sassy or aggrivating as the Blood Brothers later era stuff was. This set also had the distinction of being the first and only time where the noise level actually bothered me (as I wasn't wearing earplugs all weekend) but it wasn't enough to take away from how good this was... I probably should listen to these guys' record.

Todd Barry (2:00pm - Rumpus Room)

I saw Todd Barry do a set at Sub Pop's 20th Anniversary celebration two years ago at The Moore Theatre in Seattle, finding his brand of quiet deadpan humor to be absolutely hilarious and the brief chunk of his set I saw (the first 15 minutes or so) was very similar. I'm not sure if he has any records out, I'm sure he does and I should look into checking them out. I heard the rest of the set that I missed out on was more of the same which is a good thing although apparently Todd and his quiet delivery had issues when it came to being heard over the nearby Bigfoot stage (where I happened to be heading)

Seattle Rock Orchestra (2:20pm - Bigfoot Stage)

When I first read about the inclusion of the Seattle Rock Orchestra at this year's Sasquatch, I got really intrigued and excited. A group of local musicians, banded together as an ensemble in the past to produce a tribute to David Bowie were this time going to tackle a tribute to the Arcade Fire's 2004 album "Funeral" (check it out if you somehow have never heard it, amazing record that again I have to thank my girlfriend for finally convincing me to listen to it seriously). Not really knowing what to expect but hoping for something amazing, I was pleased when I found a group of 20 or so musicians doing their best to tackle a highly regarded piece of art and present it so wonderfully in front of a surprisingly large audience who found themselves (myself included) dancing and singing along to ever "Ohhh!" and "Na-Na-Na, Na-Na!" As great as this was, I know have a new goal I have to accomplish... that of course being seeing the actual Arcade Fire playing some of these songs live because I can only imagine how powerful of an experience it would be.

Fresh Espresso (3:00pm - Yeti Stage)

I first encountered Seattle's Fresh Espresso nearly 2 years ago when they played on a show with my dear friend Billy the Fridge (a show that I helped out with as Bill's hype man, so far my lone performance in the world of hip hop) and knew then that they had something going on that would one day bring them to a much bigger audience than the 50 or so people in attendance that night. I have to say I wasn't all that surprised when I found myself alongside a packed Yeti stage as these guys absolutely rocked the place (as much as a non-rock band can I suppose). Plenty of energy, catchy beats and pretty great rhymes (this coming from someone who really doesn't understand/appreciate hiphop all that much) kept the place bumping for the entirety of their set. Not to take anything away from the set itself but halfway through, the guys introduced someone on stage who proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes) in another great Sasquatch moment. These guys are only going to get bigger and bigger with a live show the likes of this.

Bobcat Goldthwait (3:15pm - Rumpus Room)

I only caught the tail end of Bobcat Goldthwait's set, the man most famous (I'd guess) for his inclusion in the Police Academy movies of the 80s but the few jokes/stories that I did hear, mainly the ones involving shopping in a fancy home decor store and running into Kirsten Dunst as well as being on a plane with the US Special Olympic team as it crashed were both very funny. For some reason (him being 'hot' I believe), Bobcat did most of the set in a tshirt and boxer shorts... interesting guy for sure.

Craig Robinson (4:30pm - Rumpus Room)

For those unaware, Craig Robinson is Daryl, the warehouse manager on the US version of The Office and I had no idea what to expect from him as a standup and of course what we got... wasn't stand up. However it was even better, as Robinson spent the majority of his set behind a keyboard where he belted out renditions of various songs ranging from "Jesse's Girl" to K-C & Jo-Jo as well as some self-penned numbers he got the audience to sing along to (never before have I heard an audience singing such lyrics as "Take Your Panties Off" and "I Want to Fuck You In Your Mouth" but trust me, it happened). Eventually he got up from behind the keyboard to do a bit about Twilight which was interrupted by an audience member shouting "Stop, I haven't seen it yet" which was surprising in how funny of a moment it actually was (made obvious by Robinson's own laughing at the situation). Alex and I left early to make sure that we didn't miss any of the next set although we were later informed by Justin that Robinson eventually ran out of material with 11 minutes left and filled that time by taking questions from the audience.

She & Him (5:20pm - Sasquatch Stage)

I think it's safe to say that practically every indie boy's dream crush over the past year or two is Zooey Deschaniel, known for her numerous film performances (Almost Famous, 500 Days of Summer) but something not everyone is aware of (including some people sitting around me) is her musical stylings alongside M. Ward in enchanting duo, She & Him. 2 years ago they unleashed an amazing debut record, "Volume 1" and earlier this year, the sequel dropped and it's more of the same... sunny slabs of pop genius that's remiscient of 60s AM radio that's really made special Deschaniel's delivery. Another great band to chill out on the hill and enjoy, made even better as the sun managed to poke through the inconsistent cloud cover setting a beautiful later afternoon scene as I sung along to great songs such as the lead off single from the new record, titled "In The Sun." Unfortunately I had to dash early on their set to catch another but I don't know if I could've had a better first experience with She & Him.

No Age (6:15pm - Yeti Stage)

When No Age came through Vancouver last June, I found myself at the forefront of a warzone in the Biltmore as the place came unglued to these guys' minimalist punk blasts accented by slabs of distortion of creeping soundscapes. I knew that I had to be up close to witness a repeat performance and boy was I excited as these two opened with last year's stellar "You're A Target" as once again, I found myself surrounded by people losing their proverbial shit. Since the last time I saw them, the duo have added a third member who adds the bits of noise and ambiance that sets their punk fragments apart from other bands. Other standout songs were "Eraser", "Teen Creeps", "Losing Feeling" as well as quite a few new songs, the highlight of them (for me) involved guitarist Randy Randall singing along with drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt on the choruses. Great band who I wish I could see on a much more regular basis.

Band Of Horses (6:40pm - Sasquatch Stage)

After all the amazing bands I saw, I felt it was fitting that the conclusion of Sasquatch 2010 (for us at least) was going to be Band Of Horses, a group whom I've loved ever since I first heard their breakout single "The Funeral" back in 2005. Having seen them only 9 months or so ago, I had an idea of what I was in for although again as was the case with numerous bands this weekend, having the backdrop of the most beautiful venue on earth certainly helps as it did here. Playing a great set made up of songs from their first two records as well as their brand new record, the highlights being the afformentioned "The Funeral", "Detlef Schrempf" and "No One's Gonna Love You." I can forsee these guys continuing to get bigger as their lastest release "Infinite Arms" was their first on a major label and who can resist their brand of Carolina by way of the Northwest brand of folk rock... very glad that I got to end my weekend on such a high note.

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--Epilogue--

Another weekend at the Gorge in Quincy, WA flew by and I have to say Sasquatch 2010 as a whole was very successful. For anyone who's on the fence on whether or not they should go, I have to say you really owe it to yourself to go at least once. Yeah you have to deal with a bunch of shitty people and you get 3 lousy nights of sleep, no showers (unless you're willing to pay and wait in a line), lousy food for the most part, but in the end it's worth it to experience so much great music in such a short amount of time in such a beautiful place with such great friends. God this was a whole lot to write out but hopefully this will inject some life into this blog and I can keep up with this momentum. Thanks,