Sasquatch Music festival

A couple of weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to attend the Sasquatch Music Festival. This once a year music festival came up in conversation while I was working at spud!. As my coworker coincidentally had the same music interests, we would spend time discussing upcoming concerts and indie bands before the arrival of the head of the department. One day, she mentioned that the Sasquatch music festival was coming up. I had missed it the year before since Aaron and I were driving home from Ontario, but after looking up the lineup, there was no way I was missing it this year. The Decemberists is what reeled me in completely ^-^

A few months passed, and then another few and finally the week of the festival came into view. We left on Thursday morning with the intention of meeting up with Margo in Seattle, whom I had not seen for over 5 years, then arriving at the Gorge on Friday afternoon. The trip over the border did not go smoothly. We were asked to step out of the car to go into an office where a bunch of Asians were and then a family of Mexicans later entered. We were then questioned repeatedly about the purpose, location, and reason for the trip and also our occupations. After awhile, we were let go and resumed our trip.

We arrived at the campground Friday afternoon quite unprepared for the sun beating down upon us as we set up the tent. It was a large field fenced off from the rest of the campgrounds with porta-potties spread throughout the field and three portables that had 2 showers and 4 flushable toilets per gender. This was the highlight of premier camping and the main reason why we paid an extra $70USD. Friday was spent hiding behind the car, away from the sun.

::SATURDAY::

Saturday was the beginning of a new adventure! We were originally not planning on arriving at the festival until around 4pm as that was when the first set we wanted to see started. However, the sun and its heat woke us around 7am, so we started the day earlier than planned. The Sasquatch Festival consists of 3 stages, the main stage: Sasquatch, medium-sized stage: Wookie, and the smallest stage: Yeti. There is also a comedy/dance tent located near the entrance.

We went in around 11am and found a shaded place to sit on the hill where the main stage was located. Our first taste of the music at Sasquatch consisted of garbled rap punctuated with random shouts of the name of their band, Champagne Champagne being emitted from the Yeti Stage. Vince Mira started soon after on the main stage, adding his melodic Johnny Cash-like music in with the rapping. Eventually, Owl City joined in with his bubbly, cheerful electronic pop music. Truthfully, I had wanted to see Owl City, but was unwilling to relinquish my position under the shaded tree, so it was nice I was able to listen to Owl City albeit from afar. Listening to Owl City was like floating on fluffy pink cotton candy clouds and dancing with unicorns and baby ducks peeping in the background. I dare you to listen.

Eventually the sun moved, as did the shade, so we lost our spot and had to leave before we burned. I truthfully do not remember much of the next few hours, since I was exhausted from the lack of shade. I vaguely remember thinking that Blind Pilot was okay. I'll have time to check them out later as they are opening for the Decemberists in July. Also, while wandering about we saw Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele at the Yeti Stage and came to the conclusion that yes, his ukulele was quite magnificent. We found shade near the Sasquatch Stage and listened to M.Ward. I will need to check up on him later on as his music was quite good… After awhile, we headed over to the comedy show to see Todd Barry, the bongo drummer from Flight of the Conchords. He gave quite a good show, but a lot of the show was him making fun of a lot of the audience members. I had to leave early as I wanted to see Arthur & Yu at the Yeti Stage and managed to escape Barry’s cynical eye as I left. I arrived in time to see Arthur & Yu start, but the instruments drowned out Wescott’s (Yu) voice during the performance. I was slightly disappointed as it was her voice in their song “There are Too Many Birds” that first drew me to their band. I left a little early to make it to Sun Kil Moon as their concerts overlapped. Sun Kil Moon is not the type of band that is meant for a music festival such as Sasquatch. The music is a bit more morose and softer than the rest of the bands that are found at the festival. The Decemberists were wonderful as always. Of course I may be biased, as they are one of my favourite bands. Not only that, but I was watching them play from the very top of the hill. They were still fun to watch from afar as they did try to fit the role they were singing.

I missed the rest of the Decemberists concerts and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (whom I had wanted to really see because I have heard that Karen O dresses up in really crazy costumes) as I was too exhausted from a full day of sun and was in need of a shower. I still managed to catch random strains of Yeah Yeah Yeahs from my tent. It was actually nicer to sit in the quiet campground and listen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from afar.

::SUNDAY::

Second day, same as the first, a little bit louder, a little bit worse! The second day was super crowded, so much more than on Saturday. In fact, we had to fight to find spots under the shade. We arrived early again as the sun once again woke up. Mike Watt and The Missingmen opened on the main stage. Mike Watt is quite older than what one would expect in the punk genre, but definitely made up for it in his enthusiasm for playing. He is just a guy who enjoys what he is playing and for that I admired him. Street Sweeper Social Club came up on stage afterwards. I had listened to them before going to Sasquatch, but did not really like their music as it is a rap rock group. They did have a very captivating stage presence though and I enjoyed listening to them during the set. I would recommend seeing them live.

I cannot remember doing anything else until we went to see the Red Wine Boys. Todd Barry and Jon Benjamin made up this duo. The tent was packed and they came on stage drinking red wine. Their set consisted of making fun of the audience and then answering questions the audience would ask. They were buzzed by the second half of the set and Aziz Ansari (the racist grocer from Flight of the Conchords) came on to wineboard Benjamin. As a finale, they showed a slideshow of what they said were dicks from Maine. I did not really see much as the guy in front of me was on his knees and straining to see, thus blocking my view. Afterwards, they started spraying the audience with watered down red wine. We left to go to the record shop so that I could get M83’s autographs. While in line, I had the pleasure of listening to the middle of the Avett Brother’s set with my favourite of their songs, “Die Die Die”. We went back to the comedy tent in the hopes of finding a seat to watch Aziz Ansari and to ensure a spot for Zach Galifianakis. Unfortunately, it was jammed so full at the tent that people were standing partially in the sun in order to watch. We ended up going over to a beer tent to watch the end of The Wrens until we could go back to jam our way in. Zach Galiafiankis, according to Aaron, is a set meant for a bar sitting, not for a festival as he is apparently not used to hecklers. He was pretty funny and followed his normal routine of showing off his characters, playing the piano, and the grand finale of his music video with him ripping paper off of a board although he ended 30min early. Aaron says it is probably because he was pissed at all the people heckling him…

M83 was the most amazing concert I attended. They played on the Wookie stage and I stood at the front, with a sore back and sore legs from having stood all day with a backpack on. Their experience was almost spiritual as you watched them play, the sun setting behind us, shining down on the big video screen behind them. Morgan Kibby was amazing as the keyboardist and Loic Maurin as the drummer. I was one of many who were dancing along to the beat. The most reserved person must have been Anthony Gonzales as he fiddled with the buttons of all the electronic boxes on stage.

We did watch part of the NIN concert, which is their last tour before their go on hiatus. I truthfully did not find them all that amazing, but that may have had to do with me being once again at the very top of the hill with only a view of the video screen that was constantly blocked by some girls who decided they would dance up on the hill instead of down with the crowd. We did not bother staying for the rest of the concert as I couldn’t see anything anyways, so we headed over to Of Montreal, which I have heard good things from. We arrived in time to watch aliens infiltrate the stage and the guitarist anally probe an alien with his guitar. My attention was taken away by a guy next to us tossing a random girl’s cellphone into the crowd, then grabbing a passing girl and kissing her. Eventually, he went away, but I later learned it was to strip, as he came running by naked, right back into the crowd. By then I was dead tired and Aaron and I left to return to our campsite… and that….. was the end of my time at the Sasquatch Music Festival of 2009.

I came away from it with M83's autographs, a bad back, sunburns, and empty pockets. However, it was a fun experience and I'm willing to try it again!