I haven’t yet been to all the big American festivals (it’s the first thing on my bucket list), but from what I hear, Sasquatch! is by far the most beautiful. If you’ve actually been to The Gorge, it’s not hard to believe, but photographs just don’t do it justice. Regardless of the stunning scenery, Sasquatch! always brings a staggering variety of hot artists to its three stages and this year was no exception. Most of the festival-goers pitch tents for the weekend at the campground, which is full of beautiful people (many, many Canadians), copious amounts of inexpensive alcohol, and kumbaya-circle jam sessions. Add in the spectacular setting and you’ve got yourself a pretty sweet festival.
The Good
Nurses-Saturday at the Yeti Stage: Nurses, one of my favorite Portland bands, took to the Yeti stage on the first day of the festival to bring their layered psych-pop sound to a sizable crowd that insisted on tossing beach balls around, despite the fact that they kept ending up on the stage. With only three members, it’s surprising that the dreamy, layered songs from their latest album, Apple’s Acre, translate live as well as they do. Aaron Chapman sings with an earthy urgency that only adds to the dense, yet never overwrought, arrangements. I may have been one of few who knew all the words, but I’m sure more than a few people were charmed by the talent and playfulness of Nurses.
Broken Social Scene- Saturday at the Main Stage: After Nurses and listening to Portugal. The Man and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros from afar (neither gave a standout performance), it was time to head down to the pit of the Main Stage for a string of unforgettable sets, starting with Broken Social Scene. The ever-revolving collective focused on songs from their sublime new release, Forgiveness Rock Record, but managed to play almost all of my classic BSS favorites, including “Fire Eye’d Boy,” “7/4 Shoreline,” and “Cause=Time.” Lisa Lobsinger sang the female vocals and frontman Kevin Drew pumped the crowd up with inspirational banter and rock star stage presence. The epic anthem “World Sick” and the ambient energy of “Meet Me in the Basement” were the perfect bookends to a spectacular set.
The National-Saturday at the Main Stage: As if the Broken Social Scene set wasn’t enough, Sasquatch! veterans The National took to the stage only 30 minutes later. I’ve been slightly obsessed with their new album, High Violet, I must admit. It’s about as brooding and poetic as ever, but with a startling, dark edge. Matt Berninger looked convincingly distressed as he sang High Violet’s (arguably) best song, “Afraid of Everyone,” holding the microphone with both hands and shouting “I don’t have the drugs to sort/ I don’t have the drugs to sort it out.” The band played other highlights from High Violet, including standout “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” which is classic, brilliant, The National fare. You can’t help but relate when Berninger nonchalantly sings “I still owe money/ To the money/ To the money I owe.” Watching Berninger crouch down against the speakers, it was hard not to wonder if there was too much wine in his plastic cup or if he was just engrossed in his own songs, but in all truth, the answer probably didn’t matter.
Vampire Weekend-Saturday at the Main Stage: As the sun began to set over the Gorge, Vampire Weekend came out to a screaming crowd and put on a fantastic high-energy show, complete with sing-a-longs and pulsing stage lights. The clarity and precision of Vampire Weekend’s live sound is what makes them a truly great band. Nothing is muffled or left behind and every sound, voice, and beat is used to its fullest. These guys actually sounded even better live. The Columbia boys had the crowd dancing like happy fools and helping out with the exuberant “Whoa!” in “M79.” The setlist was a perfect combination of the band’s two records and was a wonderful way to end my first day at the festival.
Local Natives-Sunday at the Bigfoot Stage: This was my third time seeing Local Natives (after serendipitously discovering them at Musicfest Northwest last September), and it seems that each show is more amazing than the last. I don’t use the word amazing lightly, but this five-piece from Los Angeles truly deserves the acclaim. Clean harmonies accompany soaring melodies and the well-matched duo lead vocals of Taylor Rice and Kelcey Ayer. The band seemed genuinely thrilled to be on stage Sunday, and Rice sweetly dedicated “Who Knows Who Cares” to his girlfriend for her birthday. They killed the whole set, but the masterpiece Talking Heads cover “Warning Sign” and the band’s own “Sun Hands” were hands-down highlights.
The Tallest Man On Earth-Sunday at the Bigfoot Stage: Another wonderful scheduling pairing, The Tallest Man On Earth played to a surprisingly large crowd at the Bigfoot stage right after Local Natives. In witnessing fans at this show and one in Portland a few weeks ago, it seems that people who have seen him once are instantly obsessed with Kristian Matsson, a.k.a. The Tallest Man On Earth. Ironically, Matsson is strikingly small, but his gravelly voice and skilled guitar-playing are anything but. It was a strange event to see all of Local Natives’ gear be taken off stage and nothing be put back on except for Matsson’s few guitars and a metal chair. Sometimes simple is best, and a guitar is all he needs to put on a fantastic show. Matsson charmed the crowd with his between-song banter (with slight Swedish accent included) and songs like “Pistol Dreams,” “Love is All” and “The Wild Hunt.” He joked about playing another song about divorce before performing a wonderfully stripped-down cover of Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Matsson is humble in demeanor but extraordinarily confident in his songs, and that combination is what made standouts “King of Spain” and “The Gardner” so special.
The xx-Sunday at the Bigfoot Stage: The xx was perhaps the band that I was most pleasantly surprised to see on the Sasquatch! lineup when it came out back in February. Their album has stuck with me over the past year, but it was hard to imagine them floating around with face-painted hippies or performing out in the elements. The album art of their debut, a large white X on a black background, has become a symbol of the band’s signature aesthetic and uncluttered sound. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea; I heard a few festival-goers joking that they didn’t bring their garlic with them or that they should have brought their Twilight books for the band members to sign (a misinterpreted nod to their stark black and white brand). Despite a few minor technical difficulties at the Bigfoot Stage, The xx succeeded in bringing their understated, beat-heavy songs to life, festival-style. Front-members Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sims wore all black and exchanged come-on verses in their inconspicuous fashion, as if having a lovers discussion through their microphones. There was not much in the way of stage banter, and for this particular band, that was just as it should be. They were appreciative and humble, but any attempt at chatting with the audience would have seemed out of character. They played nearly their entire debut album, and the crowd bopped with enthusiasm to “VCR,” “Crystalized” and “Heart Skipped A Beat,” though the longing chorus of “Shelter” was the true highlight.
She & Him-Monday at the Main Stage: Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward make sweet, sweet music together. Their collaboration has yielded two albums full of saccharine folk-pop ditties with a hint of M. Ward edge and a dash of retro inspiration. It’s a bit too sunny for some, but I am hooked on Deschanel’s simple stories of love and cheerful optimism. Just about every indie boy I know has a giant crush on Deschanel, so you can image the excitement of having a veritable celebrity and indie crush at the festival (I should mention that almost every indie girl I know also has a crush on Zooey). The set was packed with high-energy songs that had Deschanel happily jumping around the stage with her trusty tambourine. Both she and Ward sounded like bona fide folk stars, backed by a talented band and two of The Chapin Sisters on vocals. “Thieves,” “Ridin’ In My car” and “Black Hole” were highlights, but I was disappointed that they didn’t fit in their admirable cover of “You Really Gotta Hold On Me.”
The New Pornographers-Monday at the Bigfoot Stage: I was one of few people on Monday night who had little interest in seeing the MGMT show at the main stage (sorry MGMT, but I hear you suck live and your new album is not so great). The crowd over at the Bigfoot for The New Pornographers‘ show was pathetically small because of all the MGMT hype, and Carl Newman and Neko Case knew it. They took a few jabs at the unfortunate scheduling (they did play the main stage two years ago, after all), but the conflict also meant that everyone in the audience that night was a tried and true fan, which made for an excited energy and enthusiastic sing-a-longs. Despite having a new album to promote, they played almost all of my old favorites, including “Sing Me Spanish Techno,” “Use It,” “Challengers,” “Jackie Dressed In Cobras,” “Letter From An Occupant” and the list goes on. To ask if they sounded good seems a silly question when Neko Case is your frontwoman and Carl Newman her partner, but to answer the question: Yes, they sounded great. In part I’m sad that The New Pornographers’ solid set didn’t get more attention, but I was secretly glad to be with the other dissenters of the evening.
The Also Really Good
YACHT, Laura Marling, Dirty Projectors, Phantogram, Band of Horses
The Not So Good
Passion Pit sounded pretty terrible, Kid Cudi was a bore, Langhorne Slim cancelled, and the weather was unusually spastic.
And now the wait begins for next year’s festival…sigh. Keep your eyes peeled in early February for news on next year’s lineup and ticket sales. In the meantime, catch The National, Vampire Weekend, She & Him, and The New Pornographers on their respective summer tours. She & Him, The National, Local Natives and The xx will be at Bonnaroo next weekend, and the Pitchfork festival will host Broken Social Scene and Local Natives in July. For my fellow Portlanders, it will most certainly be worth the price of the wristband to see The Tallest Man On Earth and The National at Musicfest Northwest in early September.
*All photos and text by Kelly Montgomery