Seattle – The energy was palpable last week at the Neptune Theater as the crowd buzzed with anticipation, knowing that they were about to learn who would be playing at the biggest music festival in the Northwest.
The 2015 Sasquatch! Music Festival Launch Party, presented by Washington Healthplanfinder, featured music by Seattle-based acts The Young Evils and Tacocat and a solo acoustic set by Ty Segall. The theater was packed with Seattleites who had patiently waited hours in line the previous Saturday morning to receive their free passes to the exclusive show.
Host and comedian Chris Gethard (Broad City, The Chris Gethard Show) kicked off the evening asking, “What are the things NOT to miss at Sasquatch?” The shouted answers ranged from poetic: “The sunset!” “The top of the hill!” to the more humorous: “Honey Buckets!!” Amid laughter, Gethard introduced the first performers of the night, The Young Evils.
A five-piece outfit from Seattle, The Young Evils originated as a Vaselines-inspired pop duo of Troy Nelson and Mackenzie Mercer, who met while working at West Seattle’s Easy Street Records. Now, along with Brendon Helgason, Michael Lee, and Scott Helgason, the band delivers explosive punk-pop, courtesy of Mercer’s edgy, yet natural, vocals and easy chemistry between the musicians. They performed songs mostly off their latest EP, False Starts, which was recorded at L.A.’s Sound City Studios and was released in November. As Brigit Anderson noted back in 2013 at one of their shows, “The Young Evils are a band that excels live.” Two years later, the group is still rockin’ it onstage, and we can only expect more from them.
After The Young Evils set, the audience was treated to a two-minute recap video of footage from last year’s Sasquatch! Festival. Obviously intended to build up hype, the film succeeded at eliciting cheers and applause from the crowd, and the anticipation only grew stronger.
Before the lineup could be announced, however, Tacocat (shown above) took the stage. The Seattle quartet, who killed it at last year’s Sasquatch! Festival, candidly delivered catchy bubblegum-punk on crowd favorite songs like “Bridge to Hawaii,” “Hey Girl,” and “Crimson Wave.” Even with sound issues due to a wonky cable, the group won over the audience thanks to frontwoman Emily Nokes’ effervescent stage presence and tambourine slaying.
Next up, the moment we’d all been waiting for: the announcement of the 2015 Sasquatch! Music Festival lineup. The screen went dark, and then in big block letters appeared the name “Kendrick Lamar” – the crowd went wild for the Grammy-winning rapper. Other headlining names appeared, including Robert Plant, Modest Mouse, and Lana Del Rey.
As usual, Sasquatch! balances big-name artists with musicians from the Pacific Northwest. Along with The Decemberists, St. Vincent, Ryan Adams, Of Monsters and Men, Tame Impala, James Blake, and Spoon, this year will see acts such Ayron Jones and the Way, Shaprece, Thunderpussy, Smokey Brights, Cataldo, and Rose Windows, who all hail from Seattle.
Closing out the night was a solo acoustic set by Ty Segall. Though he typically puts on a “loud and fuzzy” performance with his full band, this evening the audience saw a softer, more controlled side of Segall. Playing songs off his hit 2014 record Manipulator, the rocker also performed covers of Pink Floyd and The Cars.
All in all, it looks to be another promising year at the Gorge. For the full lineup of the Sasquatch! 2015 Music Festival, which takes place Memorial Day Weekend, visit here, and stay tuned for Best New Bands’ picks for this year.
Caitlin Peterkin
With degrees in journalism and music, Caitlin’s written for Paste Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and MajoringinMusic.com. She loves cheese, laughing at GIFs of corgis, road trip sing-alongs, and connecting with people over good beer and good music.
Latest posts by Caitlin Peterkin (see all)
- 6 New Bands to Catch at Capitol Hill Block Party - July 21, 2016
- Israel Nash – Silver Season - October 7, 2015
- The Season of Israel Nash - October 1, 2015
Pingback: Of Monsters and Men Release New Single - Best New Bands