Three Imaginary Girls - Sasquatch 2007

Sasquatch 2007: Notes from the Yeti Stage

elle — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:40:13 +0000

26 May 2007

When I headed over to the smallest stage of the Sasquatch! music festival, the "Yeti" stage, to catch The Blow's set, all the knowledge of the duo I came armed with was that they're fronted by one woman. I had heard of them, but I didn't know their aesthetic or set-up. I was really surprised by the group's performance. While I came away with mixed feelings about whether I had enjoyed their set or not, I must say I have much respect for singer Khaela Maricich.

As the rest of us dance around like nerds in the privacy of our bedroom, she is courageous enough to do it on stage. And while we all might not have the best vocals while dancing around, Maricich definitely has fantastic vocal range. Her songs are easy to relate to, with topics about falling in love with one-night stands, break ups, and never hearing back from that amazing boy you hung out with once. The everyday familiarity of her lyrics, plus the catchy synth-beats produced and played by accomplice Jona Bechtolt, prove to draw a rabid following, as the crowd was filled with many dancing girls singing along, and erupted into cheers after each song. Although I'm not personally into performers just pushing play on their laptops, their music was very poppy and fun. What really stood out about Ms. Maricich's performance more than her quirky dancing and great singing ability, was her in-between stories. Before each song, she shared a short memory about what the lyrics were about, all of which were very humorous; if she decided to leave music, Khaela should definitely consider stand-up comedy.

Later on in the day, I headed back over to the Yeti stage to catch Mirah's set. After being misled into watching a set of children's songs instead of Mirah's own repertoire a few weeks back, I was definitely looking forward to her Sasquatch! performance. However, I would again leave unsatisfied, although not by Mirah's own doing. The lovely Portlander put on a wonderful set, with her own full band as back up. She played all the fan favorites and charmed the crowd with talk about the beautiful Gorge and sunset.

The only thing I felt could have been better was closing song, "Cold Cold Water." On CD, it's an epic, theatrical crescendo, but during this performance it was half as long, lacking the climatic instrumental interlude. Otherwise, Mirah performed wonderfully, as expected.

The stage and venue was the downfall of the show. The sound crew poorly mixed her vocals, to the point where horrible feedback occurred throughout the set. Somehow, perhaps by not muting the extra mics when not in use, the crowd was picked up so that you could hear talking projected through the speakers in-between and even during songs. The talk consisted of, "Who is this? What stage is this? Is this that chick Mirah?" and other various loud conversations by people who obviously were not fans. Between an incompetent sound guy and inconsiderate festival goers, a perfect opportunity to catch a great local fixture in an amazing outdoor setting turned into an almost unbearable event.

Between an incompetent sound guy and inconsiderate festival goers, a perfect opportunity to catch a great local fixture in an amazing outdoor setting turned into an almost unbearable event.

Sasquatch 2007: Beastie Boys

Tim Hanken — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:55:37 +0000

27 May 2007

beastie_sasquatch07.jpg

When the Beastie Boys and Bjork were announced as headliners for this year's Sasquatch festival, I reacted with collective “ehh”. I had grown up with the Beasties; I can remember singing “Brass Monkey” in the back of the school bus on field trips. I was with them all the way to Ill Communication then I drifted away and generally lost interest in the four years that passed before they released Hello Nasty. That being said, I was excited to see them if for no other reason than nostalgia and the fact that they’ve been such an influential force in music.

Surviving Sunday at Sasquatch (say that five times fast) was a matter of endurance. Polyphonic Spree were blown off the main stage by high winds and as the main stage stood quiet, many concert goers had had enough of the cold and the wind and headed for the exits. When the lights finally went out on the stage signifying the Beastie’s arrival, the crowd roared in appreciation. Soon Mike D was on the mic letting everyone know that they were going to warm it up and “burn this motherfucker down” and as they jumped into “Gratitude," it was like they were saying thanks to the crowd for braving the cold. All three of the Beasties were sharply dressed, Mike D looking like a young Bob Dylan in a tight blue suit, Ad Rock sporting a black suit with a red sweater, Ray Charles sunglasses and a fedora that made him look like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, and MCA in an olive suit that would have been up to code for a high school history teacher. The fancy duds didn’t stop Ad Rock or Mike D from running side to side across the stage as they tore through “Body Movin’” and “Sure Shot” back to back. The energy that the Beasties brought to the stage was incredible, especially considering the frigid weather.

Further on in the set Ad Rock took the time to dedicate “Something’s Got to Give” to our current political leaders. Although the King Ad Rock wishes for "peace amongst the races", something tells me our folks in Washington are more the “Rhymin’ and Stealin’” type, or at least stealing anyway. As the show moved along I soon realized that I am a bigger Beasties fan than I gave myself credit for, as I knew just about every song they played. They weren’t just playing their recent tunes or tracks of the new instrumental album The Mix Up; they went back into the catalog for classics like “Pass the Mic” and the set closer “So What’Cha Want."

After a brief intermission the boys returned with a vengeance for a four-song encore that began with “Intergalactic” and ended with “Sabotage” and everybody had the opportunity to shout out all of there frustrations from the weekend — the ten dollar beers, the cold, and the delays — and sing along with Ad Rock Wwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Seeing the Beastie Boys live made me realize how good they really are. I think I had taken them for granted as I moved away from their music. Their artistic progression from a screaming punk band to the pioneers of rap rock to their newest manifestation as an instrumental trio is amazing in and of itself, but the thing that really brought it home for me is how they left everything they had out there on that cold windy stage. Even if they didn’t play “Girls” or “Fight for Your Right” for all my comrades on the bus.

Soon Mike D was on the mic letting everyone know that they were going to warm it up and “burn this motherfucker down” and as they jumped into “Gratitude," it was like they were saying thanks to the crowd for braving the cold.

Sasquatch 2007: Viva Voce

Tim Hanken — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:06:39 +0000

26 May 2007

vivavoce_sas07.jpg

Viva Voce’s Sasquatch appearance on Saturday took place on the Yeti Stage, which was essentially located in the Gorge food court. It was as if the organizers of the event decided “Well these people are going to have to stand in incredibly long lines to buy overpriced food, we may as well let them rock while they’re standing there”. The perfect accompaniment to a bad gyro on this day was Portland’s Viva Voce.

I got to the Yeti stage a little late and missed the very beginning of their set, but in time to witness them tear into “Believer” and “So Many Miles”. These two tracks exemplify all that is great about Viva Voce, the fact that Kevin Robinson can play drums and play other instruments at the same time (harmonica in the case of “Believer”), and the huge guitar riffs that Anita Robinson lays down with just the right amount of distortion (as well as being able to writhe around with her guitar while keeping her cowboy hat).

Viva Voce culled a set list exclusively from their latest album Get Yr Blood Sucked Out and played each song with the tightness that one achieves when touring non stop in support of a record for the better part of a year.

Kevin’s voice was a little gruff this time around, giving it a little bit of a rough edge. This gruffness was especially evident in the closing song of their set, a cover of Alan Parsons Project's “Eye in the Sky” like you’ve never heard it before: Kevin half singing and half William Shatner style spoken word, “I am the eye in the sky, looking at you, I can read your mind.” Turns out they recorded “Eye in the Sky” for a recent compilation album of arena rock covers entitled Bridging The Distance to benefit P:ear, a Portland non-profit that helps the city’s transitional youth through tough times. Along with Viva Voce there are tracks form other Portland related artists such as The Decemberists and The Dandy Warhols. Good tunes and a good cause, you can’t beat that. I’m hoping that on Bridging the Distance II, or whatever the follow up is called, we’ll get a Viva Voce version of “Jukebox Hero.” “Just one guitar” it’s all Viva Voce need to bring the house down.

“Just one guitar” it’s all Viva Voce need to bring the house down.

Thanks to the internet for these three things

imaginary liz — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:47:21 +0000

There's a lot of hubbub and good stuff circulating as folks recount their recent Sasquatch and NYC PopFest adventures, but here's a few other things making me thankful for the internet.

Atmosphere is Everything: A Sasquatch 2007 Manifesto

Phil Duncan — Wed, 30 May 2007 19:44:19 +0000

26 May 2007

longwinters07squatch.jpg

Having grown up within throwing distance of the Gorge, I have always felt a sort of familial connection with the venue. I have walked the streets of George and Quincy in November, when the amphitheatre is silent and the campground only echoes the Dionysian decadence of the summer months. I guess you could say I’m a little protective.

The Sasquatch festival is permanently etched in red ink on my calendar every year. The combination of having the music I love played in a place that I grew up holding sacred is bigger than Christmas for me. Seeing the bright colors of the Flaming Lips’ live show splayed on the mammoth, glacier-cut rocks or witnessing Death Cab for Cutie destroy their equipment at the climax of “Prove My Hypothesis” at sunset are memories that are engraved forever in my mind. Moments like those are why I love music.

And I believed that this year would be no different. With arguably the biggest and best Sasquatch roster ever, I truly felt that this year could possibly surpass anything I had ever seen in the Columbia valley, even better than the hydroplane races I grew up watching in the Tri Cities.

But, I was wrong. Not only was I wrong, but the Sasquatch festival and the Gorge in general might be tarnished for many years to come, well, to me at least.

The first indicators that this year’s Sasquatch was going to be different than years past began before I even stepped a foot through the gate. The line was much longer and more unruly than ever before, which caused me to miss the Saturday Knights, a group who I had purposely avoided seeing in Seattle, just so I could see them for the first time on the Gorge main stage.

The demographics of the line were also different. In years past, even in years when the Gorge was more sweltering than it was this year, the line was made up predominantly of spectacled, blazer wearing music geeks who passionately discussed the events that were to unfold. It used to be a small club that had its huge region-wide meeting and celebration once a year in the number one potato growing county in the nation. However, while small islands of that group were still gathered in the line, they were undoubtedly overwhelmed by shirtless, backward-capped gorillamen, who instead of debating the influences of Grizzly Bear or speaking of their anticipation to see a rare U.S. Manu Chao performance, grunted in monosyllables about how much they had drank last night, how much they were going to drink today, or about how bangin’ all the bikini-clad college girls were.

My suspicions of a possible Sasquatch degeneration proved correct once I got in the gate. It was like every fraternity house in the Western states had exploded into the mighty Columbia and washed up in drunk, misogynistic chunks on the shores of the Gorge. At a little after one in the afternoon, one would be hard pressed to find a hand that wasn’t firmly cemented to a tallboy of $10 Coors.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m no tightly corseted Puritan in any sense. I had few of the ten-buck brews myself, but when it came down to it, I was there for the music. However, it was quite evident that 90% of the attendees weren’t.

Case in point. I was extremely excited when I saw a few days before the festival that the Long Winters had been added to the bill. I remembered the fantastic show they put on at the Gorge a few years back, and licked my lips in anticipation to see what John Roderick and Co. would have in store this year. I was confused when I walked down to the floor level and basically made my way almost to the stage unimpeded. Where was the frenzy of people? Why wasn’t anyone singing along? I was dumbfounded by the apathy. The floor level, the level where the die-hards risk being kicked, pushed, and jumped on to see their favorite bands up close and personal, was as energetic as a Lutheran liturgy. People stood around talking amongst themselves and sending text messages on their phones. The scene could have easily been mistaken for after school at the mall food court. Didn’t they realize the greatness that they were witnessing? Here is a snippet of a conversation I heard while trying to enjoy the performance:

Guy with Tribal Arm Tattoo: Who are these guys?
Guy wearing a “Tough Love is in the Butt” T-shirt: The Long Winters.
Tribal Arm Tattoo: Who?
“Tough Love” T-shirt: I don’t know. The radio said they were good.

But it thankfully wasn’t all like this. Pockets of true fans still flocked to see bands on the smaller stages. The Aqueduct performance was superb, and the living room-sized crowd was energetic and knew what they were getting. And David Terry fed off this energy, and gave everyone the manbear-meets-piano performance that we’ve all came to expect. The same could be said about Grizzly Bear and Gabriel Teodros, who both gave polished and energetic shows to their loyal fan base in attendance.

Manu Chao also put on a great performance and was definitely the strongest of the day. You could see the showmanship that he has gained from years and years of touring every nook of the world. He could have easily played the Roman Coliseum, and wouldn’t have seemed dwarfed at all by the grandeur of the venue. Everybody – from the hipsters, to the drunken frat boys – leapt, yelled, and howled with him – even though most people couldn’t understand a word that came from his mouth.

But this camaraderie between the different factions of Sasquatch goers was short lived. By the time the sun had gone down and the Arcade Fire was preparing to come on stage, the day had taken a turn for the messy. We have all been to parties where one guy, who has been boasting all evening about how much he can drink, ends up vomiting recklessly and uncontrollably. Now imagine that this one guy has multiplied by a couple hundred, and you can get an idea of what the scene was by the time that the Arcade Fire had fired up the light show and started belting out “Black Mirror.” I saw all of the tried-and-true types of vomiting, all at basically the same time. The walk-and-puke. The calling-dinosaurs puke. The I’m-not-puking-I’m-just-spitting puke. I saw it all. It was hard to keep my eyes on the grand and emotional performance by the Arcade Fire while I was fearing that at any moment we all might be swept into the valley by a river of yark.

The day took a pleasant turn, however, during the long break between the Arcade Fire and Bjork. Everybody who said “fuck water” all day and had filled their body with nothing but barley and hops, were done. They had destroyed themselves. After the climax of team vomiting had ceased, the gorillamen slowly crawled out the front gates to their cars, tents, wherever. I’m sure that most of them couldn’t even pronounce Bjork, let alone did they care for her music. So as our favorite Icelander took the stage to put on a great show, we the few, the proud, the dedicated got the lay back and enjoy our victory – the victory of music. You just had to be careful not to put your hand in a puddle of puke.

When it came down to it, I was there for the music. However, it was quite evident that 90% of the attendees weren’t.

The Good, The Bad and The Wind: A Sasquatch Story

Tim Hanken — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:07:15 +0000

A Few Brief takeaways from this weekend's Sasquatch Festival.

Sasquatch: M.I.A. replaced with the Long Winters

imaginary char — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:44:46 +0000

From the Sasquach website:

M.I.A. cancelled: "Unexpected delays in the processing and issuance of MIA’s artist visa have forced her to cancel her appearance at this year’s Sasquatch Festival. We apologize to our fans and to the promoters of the festival and look forward to returning to the US as soon as possible."