Sasquatch Recap

Posted by MajorLB

Sasquatch is at the Gorge Ampitheater in George, Washington and is fucking B-E-A-utiful. There are two stages and a comedy/dance tent in edition to the main stage ampitheatre. I really didn't like the main stage which is a shame because there were some really good acts on it. The lawn was too steep to sit on comfortably for any length of time and the sound quality is not that great and the energy is just dead (at least during the day). Instead of being able to listen to Animal Collective I heard about a lesbian crush, fear of sexual inexperience, and how someone almost got into a fight from the girls behind me. So, while Animal Collective, The Doves, The Decembrists, TV on the Radio, M Ward, and Silversun Pickups were all very good they just weren't that grat of experiences. I now know to get closer or go stand at the front. Erykah Badu came across the main stage really well, too bad most people were at Girl Talk. And the Fleet Foxes were pretty awesome especially with the gorgeous scenery:



Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
This was the first band I saw off the main stage and it got me excited to be at the music festival. Their matching vests are cute and I loved the chick's energy and the interesting percussion instruments. I wish the other guy would've sang more and that they would have actually had the chick's mic on from the beginning.




Bon Iver
This was probably my favorite set of Saturday and I'm quite pleased that I left the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for this. The had some technical difficulties which made them start super late and kept them from being able to play some songs (Woods maybe? which was sad), but overall I was super impressed with the way the album translated to a band and a live stage. If you haven't listend to his album or EP - DO IT and if you get the chance to them do that too.


When I was going back to camp (by myself because my friends are LAME) after a few minutes at Crystal Castles and Kings of Leon (I've seen them before twice as you know) I ended up on this access road and saw them loading up their gear:



Fences
This was enjoyable, but I wasn't super impressed considering all the good stuff I heard about this guy beforehand. Maybe it was the TERRIBLE sound engineering on this stage. He probably cussed at the feedback between every other song. It was a good lead-in to the nap I took during St. Vincent right afterward. (She was really good, but the blanket in the sun called to me.)


Of Montreal
Yes yes yes yes yes fuck yes. Why did I miss them when they came to Seattle? Oh right, I'm an idiot.

I happen to like the music (a lot), but even if you don't you sorta have to appreciate the show that Of Montreal puts on and I can only imagine how much better it is when not in a festival setting. There were many costumes (fogging jacket anyone?) and props and people in tiger masks climbing the scaffolding, but my favorite was actually the picture below. At first you're like "why are all this people coming on stage and taking pictures of the crowd and doing random shit?" and then the freeze in unison for a minute and you take a closer look and realize it's OTHER ARTISTS. Sweet! I know it's a shitty picture, but who can you identify. There's the guy from Fences in the front left and so is the chick from Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band.

Shoutout to M83 which played right before Of Montreal. I liked.

Horse Feathers
Biggest Regret - not getting my shit together in time to come and here there set. I only caught the last 1 or 2 songs as walked to Santigold when we got into the venue. Albina is probably one of my favorite songs. Seriously, check them out. I will definitely see them live if I ever get a chance.


Santigold
Santigold is the only artist I went down to the front of the main stage. It was suprisingly eay and I should have done it more often, but lots of the main stage acts (during the day at least) were more mellow and I was too lazy to stand for them. It made a huge difference though from my complaint above about the main stage. Sound and energy was better and Santigold rocked it even if it was mainly the songs from her album which you can hear all over TV (seriously I think 8 out of 11 were licensed for TV usage).

I also got to see a litte wrestling down there. I have no idea what this guy did because he got picked up in the middle of the crowd and security was trying to get him out of the crowd when I saw it. My favorite thing about this is how unsympathetic the crowd was. (now security didn't have tasers because that's a whole different thing I can rant on) This guy did something stupid and now a guy 3 times his size is wrangling him and yet he resists. One guy recording it did say "we gotta keep it fair" but otherwise people went and got other security and made joking comments to the guys whining. "What is he doing to me?" "He's gonna fuck you if you don't get up"

School of Seven Bells
I had never heard of these guys but I would go see them again in a dark venue because they definitely didn't look like they belonged in the sun.


What What

I saw this during the Knux (which was sadly meh) and stopped eating chicken fingers long enough to take a picture for those who will appreicate it. If you don't get it then click the links.

I actually like the Knux music and enjoyed when they did Bang Bang but after that there wasn't enough actual performing going on. As I walked away I heard them play MGMT from the sound system (and probably rapped over it) and that was enjoyable...



Other highight was Aziz Ansari. Fucking Hilarious! Except the Raaaaaaaandy stuff was meh but I'll still see Funny People.