ChaosResolved
06-09-2006, 06:43 AM
Sasquatch: A Monster of a Festival – Wrap-Up
Friday
Now, I’m a pretty laid-back guy, but when I’ve had barely two hours of sleep, my ride is two hours late, and the possibility of missing Wolfmother is becoming more likely, well, my irritability scale broke through the meter and hit 11.
To make a long and anxiety-ridden story short, my lady and I got lost for nearly two full hours on the way to the Gorge, showed up after the punctually challenged ladies, and yes, we missed Wolfmother. So in case you were ever curious as to what a horse’s ass feels like, just ask me.
Although we missed Wolfmother, in addition deadboy and the elephentment and the Trucks on a secondary stage, we were not late as And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead swarmed the mainstage right as we reached the peak of the Gorge Amphitheatre. And let me tell you, as this was my first time at the Gorge, that when you reach that peak, nothing can prepare you for what you’re about to see. Imagine this: You die and go to Heaven, and in Heaven there is the most elegant rock n’ roll venue you’ve ever seen with a view that would make the Hulk weep. Got that image? Now multiply that by 100, and you might have something close to what experiencing the Gorge is like.
After the initial shock of the venue’s sheer beauty wore off, I plopped down on the flawless grass and took in Trail of the Dead’s set. I’ve never been fully sold on the band through their records; I’d always thought they were good, but nothing spectacular. I never heard that extra little bit that others did to skyrocket the band into greatness. Well, maybe it was just because I had never seen them live yet. Trail of the Dead dominated the budding crowd as though they were playing in their hometown at Emo’s. The near perfect acoustics at the Gorge made even the mightily loud Trail of the Dead sound crystal clear. Needless to say, Trail of the Dead breathed life into the crowd and demands another listen from me.
Grade: B+
Friday’s festivities were primarily located on the mainstage, which was just fine and fancy free because I was in no mood to move around, after the car ride from Hell. Post-punk act TV on the Radio took the stage next, right around 6 p.m. Like Trail of the Dead, I never much cared for TV on the Radio’s recorded works, and to be honest, I still don’t. However when Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, and the gang took the stage, the owned my ears for 45 minutes straight. Frontman Adebimpe was mach-3 the entire set, never slowing down and relentlessly pouring his soul into the performance. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was always too mild and snoozy for my tastes, but when executed live, TV on the Radio sound like an entirely different band. Not only was this one of the top surprise performances throughout all of Sasquatch, but it was also one of the best.
Grade: A-
But as they say, all good things must come to an end. And good things stopped when HIM took the stage. I actually stomached his entire one-hour set, but Alex and I were left with no choice but to eloquently discuss how terrible of a band HIM is. Frontman Ville Hermanni Valo is without doubt the most manufactured musician in the rock world: He always had a cigarette burning between his fingers, and yet he never seemed to smoke it; he dawned a replica Interview With a Vampire costume; and he talked of pain and suffering between songs. During that hour, there was enough cheese at the Gorge to feed Ghana for a week. And then, as though Bam Margera himself had bitch-slapped me with a skateboard, it dawned on me: HIM is this younger generation’s Korn. It’s not that HIM is a bad band; it’s just that their target audience is between 12 and 16 years old. Surely when most of these kids are 21, their musical tastes will have expanded, just as mine did when I realized Korn was not in fact the best band ever. The reason it sounds so bad to me is because I’m not 13.
Grade: D-
Regardless, HIM still wore me out, and I decided to pass on Bauhaus, who didn’t do much for me, take a breather back at the campsite, and return for the night’s headliner: Nine Inch Nails. Now, as I’ve said before, I’m a casual NIN fan, but their performance was without doubt one of the best I’ve ever seen – if not, the best. When my lady and I arrived at the Amphitheatre, there was a NIN laser-light show being projected onto a cliff (sweet), with Sparta playing in the background. Suddenly, KAZAAM! The Amphitheatre went pitch black, and NIN erupted into an orgasm of sound and light. Relentlessly blazing through their catalogue, NIN hit classics and new hits with undoubtedly the best light show I’ve ever seen or heard of. Combined with exceptional sound and an incredible stage presence, NIN put on a classic rock n’ roll show. Of course, the crowd went crazy when “Closer” was performed, and with good cause too because it so happened that the most creative light display was executed during that song.
Grade: A
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/s1.JPG
Saturday
After a night of rain-soaked sleep, I surprisingly arose feeling a lot better than I did the day before. But Saturday was a long day at the Amphitheatre, so I decided to skip the first two acts of the day, and arrived for Sufjan Stevens.
I was pretty excited to Stevens because I’ve fully enjoyed both his “state” albums, and I wanted to see how they’d transfer live. My assumption was that it’d be a little more rocking, a little more wild, and a little more electric similar to that of Bright Eyes’ shows. I was dead wrong. Stevens and his band were so quiet and timid that you could fully hear Stephen Malmus’ set blasting from 200 yards away on the second stage. Even people back at our campsite, where you could literally hear every performance from the mainstage, said Malkmus dominated the sound waves. There was very little in the means of stage presence too. The entire band was wearing ridiculous outfits, and that’s about as far as it went. Stevens also got preachy. In addition to playing the National Anthem, which I found pretty inappropriate considering the venue and average Sasquatch attendee, he had a giant inflatable Uncle Sam on stage. His nationalism was pretty obnoxious. But he didn’t sound bad on stage; he just sounded exactly like he does on an album, which totally defeats the purpose of a live show, particularly at the Gorge.
Grade: C+
Following Stevens was Iron & Wine, an act that I was pretty stoked to see. Immediately, Sam Beam showed more passion than his mainstage predecessors. As his 45-minute set began, only Beam was on stage with an acoustic guitar. His voice was a little gruff and shaky at first, but after a couple songs he fell right into that soft, smooth voice he’s known for. However, it was nice to hear his rougher side because it definitely added a new dimension and perspective to his show. As his set went on, more musicians found their way on stage: first a bass, then a violin, then a drummer, and finally Beam switched out his acoustic for an electric. This totally awesome transition gave his set depth that many performers didn’t have. It was the same Iron & Wine, but just performing folk-rock instead of traditional folk. To close the set, the band ended with my personal favorite of theirs, “Jezebel,” but rockified. It was a terrific rendition, and Iron & Wine proved to be a surprise smash in my book. Hopefully, the next record will see an expansion of the folk-rock side.
Grade: B+
Neko Case was up next on the mainstage, but right as she stepped on, the Gorge was hit with a brutal hailstorm. Usually, when I’ve seen hail, it’ll hail for 15 minutes max; not this time. Marble-sized hail pulverized the audience for over an hour. Luckily, I was dry and safe from inside the media tent. But unfortunately, the extreme weather, which also included directly overhead lightening, cancelled Case’s set. She toughed-out two-and-a-half songs, but that was it before her set was shutdown. It was a total drag too because I was stoked for her set, and she sounded really impressive during those two songs.
Grade: N/A
Things were delayed as Canada’s Tragically Hip prepped for their set. I knew just a little about these guys, and when they took the stage at 7 p.m., all the crazy Canadians in the crowd let their presence known. There were definitely fans that specifically came for the Tragically Hip, but I can’t seem to understand why because overall, they were supremely mediocre. I can’t stress enough at how many people they drew to Sasquatch, but I’d also be surprised to say that they won over many new fans. They just did not get my motor running.
Grade: C-
Northwest heroes the Shins took the stage next. They are one of those bands that I neither endorse, nor do I bash, but I was still curious to see their set. Even if I wasn’t into their music, they still put on a great show simply for the fact that they got the entire crowd back into the concert. Saying simple jokes and interacting with the crowd pulled the cold, drenched audience out of their funk, and the morale was high once again. The Shins did in fact put on a good show though. Nothing I’d call home about, but at a smaller venue, I could really picture this band being a ton of fun. They sounded great, and like I said, they were really out to please the people.
Grade: B
And now the bummer news: Sasquatch promoters came on stage informing the crowd that the Flaming Lips would not be performing, and Ben Harper was up next. Dang! I’d been hearing so many good things about their new album, and my girlfriend, who was thrilled to see them, got me really excited about them too. But smelly ol’ Ben Harper came on stage next. We decided to leave at that point because even though we avoided the elements for the most part, we were still cold and wet, and Ben Harper didn’t entice either of us enough to stay. We departed and listened to his set from our campsite. If you’re a Harper fan then seeing him at the Gorge would be a must because even from a half-mile away, he sounded impressive. And as a kicker, he played “Bohemian Rhapsody” during his encore.
Grade: B
Oh but folks, here’s the bitch of it all: Apparently, the Flaming Lips went on and played for two hours after Ben Harper. Thanks Sasquatch; that information could’ve been more useful before I left the Amphitheatre to sleep in my luxurious Hyndai Accent.
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/s4.JPG
Sunday
Sunday was more or less “the big day” because it had the two acts I was most excited to see, and because like, a bajillion of my friends went that day too. I had no real inclination to show up before the Decemberists’ set at 4 p.m., but everyone else wanted to go the entire day; what can I say? Peer pressure’s a bitch.
So we showed up to the Amphitheatre for Pretty Girls Make Graves at 12:45. I knew it was going to be a mistake, and I insisted that we skip it, but no one listens to the music expert. It’s not like I totally do this for a living. Whatever. So Pretty Girls takes the stage, and just like their most recent album Elan Vital, the band sounded deflated, boring, and empty. For some reason, Andrea Zollo couldn’t seem to find her mouth near the microphone because her voice was all over the place. And when she did sing, it was pretty mediocre. This was also the only band that ever had feedback or sounded like shit live; even HIM had a respectable mix. Their set was primarily Elan Vital stuff, and sure enough, I fell asleep during the last 30 minutes of their set.
Grade: C-
I awoke just in time as Nada Surf took the stage. I originally though I’d walk around, and check out the other stages after a few songs, but as it turned out, Nada Surf had a pretty solid set. Surprising everyone by opening with “Popular,” Nada Surf primarily stuck to their newest Barsuk release, with tracks like “Concrete Bed”; it translated well live. I enjoyed their set enough to stay throughout, however, it also wasn’t anything I’d go home and brag about. A very solid set from the veteran power-pop act.
Grade: B
Staying at the mainstage, Arctic Monkeys followed Nada Surf, and although I’ve never been impressed by them on record, they did had a decent set. It got repetitive, and I began to lose interest by the end, but overall, it wasn’t a bad set at all. Sure, I think they’re total, unoriginal hacks, but their live show was fairly decent. Arctic Monkeys brought in a rather large following to Sasquatch, which I guess didn’t surprise me, and I’m sure they gained a lot of new fans through their performance. Personally, I found them to be obnoxious brats, but I think that’s the message they want to send, regardless. It was better than to be expected, but I still had no desire to run out and get their album.
Grade: B-
And so beings the final five mainstage acts; three of which was stoked to see, and two of which I could care less. But we’ll get to that in a moment. The Decemberists took the stage, accordion and all. Frontman Colin Meloy immediately won my vote over by his quirky, playful stage presence, and the band’s near perfect sound. The Decemberists performed a nearly flawless set, both in means of execution and song selection. The band played a lot of material from their most recent release, Picaresque, like “Infata,” “We Both Go Down Together,” and undoubtedly the set’s best performance “The Bagman’s Gambit.” They also hit a lot of older songs, which included the fan favorite “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” and “Clemintine.” Their highly theatrical set finished off by Meloy tossing his guitar into the crowd and giving a few audience members the opportunity to “jam” with the band, before he “executed” his band members as a grand finale. I wasn’t just impressed; I was blown away.
Grade: A
Everyone’s favorite Hasidic reggae superstar Matisyahu was up next, and I know for a fact a ton of people were at Sasquatch to see him because if I walked 15 feet in any direction from my campsite, his album Shake Off the Dust... Arise could be heard. Now, I’m not a reggae fan at all; in fact, I basically straight up don’t like the music. But Matisyahu put on a great show, and I was intrigued most of the time. His only faults as a performer were his decisions to preach between songs. Not religiously, but he had to interrupt the mood with rants like “God gave us heaven on earth, and we need to be happy, with rainbows, and bunnies, and other chipper shit.” That kind of crap just makes me sick to my stomach, much like Sufjan Stevens set. Surprisingly, however, his best songs were the more traditional sounding reggae tunes, and my attention didn’t really go until the last 15 minutes of his set.
Grade: B
Aww shit son! Queens of the Stone Age took the stage next, and Josh Homme, quite possibly the slyest rock star alive was sporting a new jet-black dew. I’ve never seen QOTSA before, but I was super pumped, as they are one of my favorite acts around. And after seeing the truly sensational live DVD effort Over the Years and Through the Woods, I figured I’d die and go to heaven. But as great as they sounded, it was exactly how it sounded on the DVD. I mean, there were literally no surprises to their set list with the exception of “Tension Head.” Otherwise, they played exactly what you think they would: “Regular John,” “Feel Good Hit of the Summer,” “The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret,” “Monsters in the Parasol,” and all the Songs for the Deaf and Lullabies to Paralyze singles. They sounded great, but like I said, there were literally no surprises in their set. I didn’t really get that excited. Maybe watching the DVD wasn’t a good idea because it spoiled their live show for me. But again, that’s not to say that QOTSA totally rocked the joint, and I’m convinced Homme is the coolest man alive.
Grade: B
Death Cab for Cutie was on stage next, and I’m a notorious basher of this band because I think they are one of the most boring recorded bands in history; plus, I think I don’t enjoy them as much because so many people do like them, and that confuses me. But to be fair, I do like the band’s earlier stuff. All the girls I was there with were totally stoked to see DCFC, and of course they thought their set was the best thing since indoor plumbing. And although I can’t agree to that, I will admit that Death Cab rocked really hard. With a great light show, Death Cab looked less like a wimpy indie-rock band and more like a real rock band. I was impressed to say the least, and although I may never get into the band’s discography, at least from here on out, I won’t dread their concerts if I have to go. They had a huge Northwest response, and like I said, I can’t take anything away from them because they put on a hell of a show.
Grade: B+
Finally! The time has arrived for my most anticipated act: Beck. During his hour-and-a-half set he hit every Beck song you could want to hear, which included the obvious from Odelay and Guero, but also included “One Foot In the Grave,” “Mixxed Bizness,” “The Golden Age,” and “Lost Cause.” And this isn’t even including the new song he debuted called “The Information,” which had a darker sound than any of Beck’s previous material. Additionally, it was more politically and lyrically direct than anything before. Without doubt, it sounded better than anything on Guero, and once again suggests that Beck has reinvented himself. Aside from sounded totally legit and perfect, Beck had the most inventive live show I’ve ever seen. Projected onto the three big screens was not Beck or his band, but stringed puppets that emulated whatever was happening on stage. I realize this sounds dorky, but it truly was awesome to say the least. Not to mention Beck had the best freestyle dancer I’ve ever seen, going ape shit crazy the entire time. I don’t know he kept that energy up, but it was phenomenal. Essentially, there were four or five things going on stage at once, which made this the best live performance I might have ever seen. For his encore, the big screens projected a short film of the “Beck puppets,” which wasn’t just funny because it was Beck; it was hilarious all the way around, with Beck taking many jabs at himself through his puppet. If the opportunity comes, never miss this man’s show.
Grade: A
So, if you managed to read that all, then you’d know that Sasquatch was quite the adventure, and one of the best experiences I could’ve ever had. The festival’s obvious standout performers were Nine Inch Nails, Beck, the Decemberists, and TV on the Radio. Come next year, you Northwestern folk shouldn’t neglect the festival and go. Even if a lot of the bands don’t appeal to you, which some didn’t for me, your mind might definitely be changed. Plus, the Gorge is rated the best venue in the United States and for damn good cause.
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/s3.JPG
--Kamran Rouzpay
Friday
Now, I’m a pretty laid-back guy, but when I’ve had barely two hours of sleep, my ride is two hours late, and the possibility of missing Wolfmother is becoming more likely, well, my irritability scale broke through the meter and hit 11.
To make a long and anxiety-ridden story short, my lady and I got lost for nearly two full hours on the way to the Gorge, showed up after the punctually challenged ladies, and yes, we missed Wolfmother. So in case you were ever curious as to what a horse’s ass feels like, just ask me.
Although we missed Wolfmother, in addition deadboy and the elephentment and the Trucks on a secondary stage, we were not late as And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead swarmed the mainstage right as we reached the peak of the Gorge Amphitheatre. And let me tell you, as this was my first time at the Gorge, that when you reach that peak, nothing can prepare you for what you’re about to see. Imagine this: You die and go to Heaven, and in Heaven there is the most elegant rock n’ roll venue you’ve ever seen with a view that would make the Hulk weep. Got that image? Now multiply that by 100, and you might have something close to what experiencing the Gorge is like.
After the initial shock of the venue’s sheer beauty wore off, I plopped down on the flawless grass and took in Trail of the Dead’s set. I’ve never been fully sold on the band through their records; I’d always thought they were good, but nothing spectacular. I never heard that extra little bit that others did to skyrocket the band into greatness. Well, maybe it was just because I had never seen them live yet. Trail of the Dead dominated the budding crowd as though they were playing in their hometown at Emo’s. The near perfect acoustics at the Gorge made even the mightily loud Trail of the Dead sound crystal clear. Needless to say, Trail of the Dead breathed life into the crowd and demands another listen from me.
Grade: B+
Friday’s festivities were primarily located on the mainstage, which was just fine and fancy free because I was in no mood to move around, after the car ride from Hell. Post-punk act TV on the Radio took the stage next, right around 6 p.m. Like Trail of the Dead, I never much cared for TV on the Radio’s recorded works, and to be honest, I still don’t. However when Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, and the gang took the stage, the owned my ears for 45 minutes straight. Frontman Adebimpe was mach-3 the entire set, never slowing down and relentlessly pouring his soul into the performance. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was always too mild and snoozy for my tastes, but when executed live, TV on the Radio sound like an entirely different band. Not only was this one of the top surprise performances throughout all of Sasquatch, but it was also one of the best.
Grade: A-
But as they say, all good things must come to an end. And good things stopped when HIM took the stage. I actually stomached his entire one-hour set, but Alex and I were left with no choice but to eloquently discuss how terrible of a band HIM is. Frontman Ville Hermanni Valo is without doubt the most manufactured musician in the rock world: He always had a cigarette burning between his fingers, and yet he never seemed to smoke it; he dawned a replica Interview With a Vampire costume; and he talked of pain and suffering between songs. During that hour, there was enough cheese at the Gorge to feed Ghana for a week. And then, as though Bam Margera himself had bitch-slapped me with a skateboard, it dawned on me: HIM is this younger generation’s Korn. It’s not that HIM is a bad band; it’s just that their target audience is between 12 and 16 years old. Surely when most of these kids are 21, their musical tastes will have expanded, just as mine did when I realized Korn was not in fact the best band ever. The reason it sounds so bad to me is because I’m not 13.
Grade: D-
Regardless, HIM still wore me out, and I decided to pass on Bauhaus, who didn’t do much for me, take a breather back at the campsite, and return for the night’s headliner: Nine Inch Nails. Now, as I’ve said before, I’m a casual NIN fan, but their performance was without doubt one of the best I’ve ever seen – if not, the best. When my lady and I arrived at the Amphitheatre, there was a NIN laser-light show being projected onto a cliff (sweet), with Sparta playing in the background. Suddenly, KAZAAM! The Amphitheatre went pitch black, and NIN erupted into an orgasm of sound and light. Relentlessly blazing through their catalogue, NIN hit classics and new hits with undoubtedly the best light show I’ve ever seen or heard of. Combined with exceptional sound and an incredible stage presence, NIN put on a classic rock n’ roll show. Of course, the crowd went crazy when “Closer” was performed, and with good cause too because it so happened that the most creative light display was executed during that song.
Grade: A
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/s1.JPG
Saturday
After a night of rain-soaked sleep, I surprisingly arose feeling a lot better than I did the day before. But Saturday was a long day at the Amphitheatre, so I decided to skip the first two acts of the day, and arrived for Sufjan Stevens.
I was pretty excited to Stevens because I’ve fully enjoyed both his “state” albums, and I wanted to see how they’d transfer live. My assumption was that it’d be a little more rocking, a little more wild, and a little more electric similar to that of Bright Eyes’ shows. I was dead wrong. Stevens and his band were so quiet and timid that you could fully hear Stephen Malmus’ set blasting from 200 yards away on the second stage. Even people back at our campsite, where you could literally hear every performance from the mainstage, said Malkmus dominated the sound waves. There was very little in the means of stage presence too. The entire band was wearing ridiculous outfits, and that’s about as far as it went. Stevens also got preachy. In addition to playing the National Anthem, which I found pretty inappropriate considering the venue and average Sasquatch attendee, he had a giant inflatable Uncle Sam on stage. His nationalism was pretty obnoxious. But he didn’t sound bad on stage; he just sounded exactly like he does on an album, which totally defeats the purpose of a live show, particularly at the Gorge.
Grade: C+
Following Stevens was Iron & Wine, an act that I was pretty stoked to see. Immediately, Sam Beam showed more passion than his mainstage predecessors. As his 45-minute set began, only Beam was on stage with an acoustic guitar. His voice was a little gruff and shaky at first, but after a couple songs he fell right into that soft, smooth voice he’s known for. However, it was nice to hear his rougher side because it definitely added a new dimension and perspective to his show. As his set went on, more musicians found their way on stage: first a bass, then a violin, then a drummer, and finally Beam switched out his acoustic for an electric. This totally awesome transition gave his set depth that many performers didn’t have. It was the same Iron & Wine, but just performing folk-rock instead of traditional folk. To close the set, the band ended with my personal favorite of theirs, “Jezebel,” but rockified. It was a terrific rendition, and Iron & Wine proved to be a surprise smash in my book. Hopefully, the next record will see an expansion of the folk-rock side.
Grade: B+
Neko Case was up next on the mainstage, but right as she stepped on, the Gorge was hit with a brutal hailstorm. Usually, when I’ve seen hail, it’ll hail for 15 minutes max; not this time. Marble-sized hail pulverized the audience for over an hour. Luckily, I was dry and safe from inside the media tent. But unfortunately, the extreme weather, which also included directly overhead lightening, cancelled Case’s set. She toughed-out two-and-a-half songs, but that was it before her set was shutdown. It was a total drag too because I was stoked for her set, and she sounded really impressive during those two songs.
Grade: N/A
Things were delayed as Canada’s Tragically Hip prepped for their set. I knew just a little about these guys, and when they took the stage at 7 p.m., all the crazy Canadians in the crowd let their presence known. There were definitely fans that specifically came for the Tragically Hip, but I can’t seem to understand why because overall, they were supremely mediocre. I can’t stress enough at how many people they drew to Sasquatch, but I’d also be surprised to say that they won over many new fans. They just did not get my motor running.
Grade: C-
Northwest heroes the Shins took the stage next. They are one of those bands that I neither endorse, nor do I bash, but I was still curious to see their set. Even if I wasn’t into their music, they still put on a great show simply for the fact that they got the entire crowd back into the concert. Saying simple jokes and interacting with the crowd pulled the cold, drenched audience out of their funk, and the morale was high once again. The Shins did in fact put on a good show though. Nothing I’d call home about, but at a smaller venue, I could really picture this band being a ton of fun. They sounded great, and like I said, they were really out to please the people.
Grade: B
And now the bummer news: Sasquatch promoters came on stage informing the crowd that the Flaming Lips would not be performing, and Ben Harper was up next. Dang! I’d been hearing so many good things about their new album, and my girlfriend, who was thrilled to see them, got me really excited about them too. But smelly ol’ Ben Harper came on stage next. We decided to leave at that point because even though we avoided the elements for the most part, we were still cold and wet, and Ben Harper didn’t entice either of us enough to stay. We departed and listened to his set from our campsite. If you’re a Harper fan then seeing him at the Gorge would be a must because even from a half-mile away, he sounded impressive. And as a kicker, he played “Bohemian Rhapsody” during his encore.
Grade: B
Oh but folks, here’s the bitch of it all: Apparently, the Flaming Lips went on and played for two hours after Ben Harper. Thanks Sasquatch; that information could’ve been more useful before I left the Amphitheatre to sleep in my luxurious Hyndai Accent.
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/s4.JPG
Sunday
Sunday was more or less “the big day” because it had the two acts I was most excited to see, and because like, a bajillion of my friends went that day too. I had no real inclination to show up before the Decemberists’ set at 4 p.m., but everyone else wanted to go the entire day; what can I say? Peer pressure’s a bitch.
So we showed up to the Amphitheatre for Pretty Girls Make Graves at 12:45. I knew it was going to be a mistake, and I insisted that we skip it, but no one listens to the music expert. It’s not like I totally do this for a living. Whatever. So Pretty Girls takes the stage, and just like their most recent album Elan Vital, the band sounded deflated, boring, and empty. For some reason, Andrea Zollo couldn’t seem to find her mouth near the microphone because her voice was all over the place. And when she did sing, it was pretty mediocre. This was also the only band that ever had feedback or sounded like shit live; even HIM had a respectable mix. Their set was primarily Elan Vital stuff, and sure enough, I fell asleep during the last 30 minutes of their set.
Grade: C-
I awoke just in time as Nada Surf took the stage. I originally though I’d walk around, and check out the other stages after a few songs, but as it turned out, Nada Surf had a pretty solid set. Surprising everyone by opening with “Popular,” Nada Surf primarily stuck to their newest Barsuk release, with tracks like “Concrete Bed”; it translated well live. I enjoyed their set enough to stay throughout, however, it also wasn’t anything I’d go home and brag about. A very solid set from the veteran power-pop act.
Grade: B
Staying at the mainstage, Arctic Monkeys followed Nada Surf, and although I’ve never been impressed by them on record, they did had a decent set. It got repetitive, and I began to lose interest by the end, but overall, it wasn’t a bad set at all. Sure, I think they’re total, unoriginal hacks, but their live show was fairly decent. Arctic Monkeys brought in a rather large following to Sasquatch, which I guess didn’t surprise me, and I’m sure they gained a lot of new fans through their performance. Personally, I found them to be obnoxious brats, but I think that’s the message they want to send, regardless. It was better than to be expected, but I still had no desire to run out and get their album.
Grade: B-
And so beings the final five mainstage acts; three of which was stoked to see, and two of which I could care less. But we’ll get to that in a moment. The Decemberists took the stage, accordion and all. Frontman Colin Meloy immediately won my vote over by his quirky, playful stage presence, and the band’s near perfect sound. The Decemberists performed a nearly flawless set, both in means of execution and song selection. The band played a lot of material from their most recent release, Picaresque, like “Infata,” “We Both Go Down Together,” and undoubtedly the set’s best performance “The Bagman’s Gambit.” They also hit a lot of older songs, which included the fan favorite “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” and “Clemintine.” Their highly theatrical set finished off by Meloy tossing his guitar into the crowd and giving a few audience members the opportunity to “jam” with the band, before he “executed” his band members as a grand finale. I wasn’t just impressed; I was blown away.
Grade: A
Everyone’s favorite Hasidic reggae superstar Matisyahu was up next, and I know for a fact a ton of people were at Sasquatch to see him because if I walked 15 feet in any direction from my campsite, his album Shake Off the Dust... Arise could be heard. Now, I’m not a reggae fan at all; in fact, I basically straight up don’t like the music. But Matisyahu put on a great show, and I was intrigued most of the time. His only faults as a performer were his decisions to preach between songs. Not religiously, but he had to interrupt the mood with rants like “God gave us heaven on earth, and we need to be happy, with rainbows, and bunnies, and other chipper shit.” That kind of crap just makes me sick to my stomach, much like Sufjan Stevens set. Surprisingly, however, his best songs were the more traditional sounding reggae tunes, and my attention didn’t really go until the last 15 minutes of his set.
Grade: B
Aww shit son! Queens of the Stone Age took the stage next, and Josh Homme, quite possibly the slyest rock star alive was sporting a new jet-black dew. I’ve never seen QOTSA before, but I was super pumped, as they are one of my favorite acts around. And after seeing the truly sensational live DVD effort Over the Years and Through the Woods, I figured I’d die and go to heaven. But as great as they sounded, it was exactly how it sounded on the DVD. I mean, there were literally no surprises to their set list with the exception of “Tension Head.” Otherwise, they played exactly what you think they would: “Regular John,” “Feel Good Hit of the Summer,” “The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret,” “Monsters in the Parasol,” and all the Songs for the Deaf and Lullabies to Paralyze singles. They sounded great, but like I said, there were literally no surprises in their set. I didn’t really get that excited. Maybe watching the DVD wasn’t a good idea because it spoiled their live show for me. But again, that’s not to say that QOTSA totally rocked the joint, and I’m convinced Homme is the coolest man alive.
Grade: B
Death Cab for Cutie was on stage next, and I’m a notorious basher of this band because I think they are one of the most boring recorded bands in history; plus, I think I don’t enjoy them as much because so many people do like them, and that confuses me. But to be fair, I do like the band’s earlier stuff. All the girls I was there with were totally stoked to see DCFC, and of course they thought their set was the best thing since indoor plumbing. And although I can’t agree to that, I will admit that Death Cab rocked really hard. With a great light show, Death Cab looked less like a wimpy indie-rock band and more like a real rock band. I was impressed to say the least, and although I may never get into the band’s discography, at least from here on out, I won’t dread their concerts if I have to go. They had a huge Northwest response, and like I said, I can’t take anything away from them because they put on a hell of a show.
Grade: B+
Finally! The time has arrived for my most anticipated act: Beck. During his hour-and-a-half set he hit every Beck song you could want to hear, which included the obvious from Odelay and Guero, but also included “One Foot In the Grave,” “Mixxed Bizness,” “The Golden Age,” and “Lost Cause.” And this isn’t even including the new song he debuted called “The Information,” which had a darker sound than any of Beck’s previous material. Additionally, it was more politically and lyrically direct than anything before. Without doubt, it sounded better than anything on Guero, and once again suggests that Beck has reinvented himself. Aside from sounded totally legit and perfect, Beck had the most inventive live show I’ve ever seen. Projected onto the three big screens was not Beck or his band, but stringed puppets that emulated whatever was happening on stage. I realize this sounds dorky, but it truly was awesome to say the least. Not to mention Beck had the best freestyle dancer I’ve ever seen, going ape shit crazy the entire time. I don’t know he kept that energy up, but it was phenomenal. Essentially, there were four or five things going on stage at once, which made this the best live performance I might have ever seen. For his encore, the big screens projected a short film of the “Beck puppets,” which wasn’t just funny because it was Beck; it was hilarious all the way around, with Beck taking many jabs at himself through his puppet. If the opportunity comes, never miss this man’s show.
Grade: A
So, if you managed to read that all, then you’d know that Sasquatch was quite the adventure, and one of the best experiences I could’ve ever had. The festival’s obvious standout performers were Nine Inch Nails, Beck, the Decemberists, and TV on the Radio. Come next year, you Northwestern folk shouldn’t neglect the festival and go. Even if a lot of the bands don’t appeal to you, which some didn’t for me, your mind might definitely be changed. Plus, the Gorge is rated the best venue in the United States and for damn good cause.
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--Kamran Rouzpay