Now before the adventure began, my friend gave me a DVD featuring the latest albums from all the bands playing Saturday. Talk about a great research tool for a festival, and a cool friend. I decided that I really wanted to see three bands, those being Beirut, Okkervil River, and Fleet Foxes.
I was only intending on going Saturday, but through happenstance I ended up going all three days. The week of the event, I bought a stray ticket for Sunday for 50 bucks, not a bad deal. And Monday morning I get a text from a girl inside that she has a free ticket. "Okay."
I arrived Friday night at the Sun Lake campgrounds, about an hour away from the festival, and had a boisterous evening of drinking and laughing and setting up deranged tents. I camped there last year too. And it's still an hour away.
So, Saturday morning came around and were off! But fifteen minutes into the drive my friend realized he had forgotten his ticket back at the campground. I became agitated, as I would most likely miss Fleet Foxes at 12:30pm. We arrived at the festival to catch the remaining seconds of their performance on the main stage. Thankfully, we are still friends after his blunder.
Dengue Fever were up next and I viewed this one from the grass, but it looked like people down by the main stage were enjoying themselves. Their music transported me directly to a shady Seattle neighborhood on Aurora, into the Chinese karaoke bar called the Mandarin Gate. Does that make me less cultured, that their music is inspired by Cambodian music? I'm just glad I didn't catch that fever.
Not a great start to Saturday, but Beirut were up next, and they were stellar. "Nantes" and "Guyamas Sonora" off their new album grabbed at the audience. It was mostly because of those soaring, heart-pulling horns. This music asks you to dance and you pretty much have to.
A cool Youtube video of Beirut performing "Nantes" in an old stairwell. (Thanks Ratika)
Oh and check it out, that's my friend with the big white hat:
Then, to much astonishment, The National, another band I was hoping to see, was a no show and Fleet Foxes ended up taking their place on the main stage. Talk about luck. They reproduced the music from their album Sun Giant very well, and Pecknold's voice against the Gorge backdrop felt surreal at moments ("Oliver James" - album version), though I think their drums could have been mic'd a bit better. The symbols lost a lot of volume when the wind picked up.
By 5:25, The New Pornographers were up and at the time, the music sounded very poppy, but I've been listening to their new album recently, and slowly the songs are weening their way into my tastes. Neko Case's voice lures me on "All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth". My ears also perk up on songs "Challengers" and "Myriad Harbour".
I spent most of the day at the main stage so I didn't have to worry about jumping around a whole lot. Though, I did head to the Wookie Stage for the band, Okkervil River. I thoroughly enjoyed their album Black Sheep Boy (as noted in my April blog post). Their new album, The Stage Names, wasn't quite as good, but still has lots of heart, and it shows in Will Sheff's stage performance. That man jumps around like mad and sings feverishly and "biographical song[s]" as he said on stage, making for great entertainment, and also beckoning you to move your ass a bit. Some songs to check out: "For Real" and "A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene".
After that it was over to Modest Mouse on the main stage. I didn't have any real attachment before or after their performance at Sasquatch, but when Isaac Brock sings, it looks like he's ready to fight God. And that is entertaining enough.
I skipped out on REM.
Sunday & Monday posts coming soon.
