[This post originally appeared on Team Tinnitus]
Sasquatch is a hairy beast that lives in the woods, also known as Bigfoot. Sasquatch is also a music festival that takes place once a year, way out in bumfuck Washington. The town of George, Washington to be exact, which is an awesome name for a town. I went this year and this is what I saw.
A.C. NEWMAN: I didn’t really get into this guy’s set, can’t really say why. It’s really nice music, but maybe it just seemed a little too straight after shotgunning beers and smoking j’s at 1pm. Yeah, that’s probably what it was.
MENOMENA: I feel like I’ve been completely stalking these dudes lately. They’re probably starting to get a little creeped out. I saw them at SXSW, after the Gang of Four show at the Filmore, then here. It’s like every time they leave Portland, there I am, waving awkwardly, mooching band beer, always, THERE. I swear this is just coincidence. Anyway, they were good, it’s awlays cool to see people I don’t recognize getting stoked on their wonderful music, and Brent seemed to be wearing a kids soccer uniform. Who’s creepy now, HUH??
(Horrible period where my only options were Jem, Blue Scholars, and the Dears, NONE of which appeal to me at all. Bummed a cigarette under a tree. Smoked out to Jem’s whitebread reggae.)
ARCADE FIRE: My friend Javan and I were talking about Canadian bands and I was saying something halfway snarky about “trying really hard”. Which is a good thing right? I honestly wanted to mean it that way but sometimes I don’t, and I honestly didn’t know what I meant when I sat down for this show. Midway through the Arcade Fire’s set – the emotional histrionics and the dudes running around banging on stuff and making orgasm faces like some kind of indie-rock Stomp – and I thought I knew. “Trying really hard” can be like when Celine Dion tries really hard, holds her stomach, slowly curls her hand into a fist and raises it towards the heavens. It can mean schmaltz.
And yet somehow I went away liking this band more. Their songs really are pretty amazing, they sound great in a huge-ass canyon/cliff setting, and they really ARE trying hard and that’s a good thing and I hate my asshole self for implying otherwise.
WILCO: Liked it. Nils Kline is an awesome guitarist. “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” was made for arenas like this one.
KANYE WEST: So great. Awesome performer, all the more impressive given his skill as a producer. Played snippets of classic R&B hits to introduce his own R&B hits. Possibly the highlight. “Possibly” because later on my friend Kat was saying how she thought the lyrics to this song were a little effed up. I totally ignored this at first, then I read these awesome, thought-provoking posts from Julianne Shepherd and Jessica Hopper, and I got to thinking, wait, what is up with that song? And, maybe more importantly, why did I instantly dismiss my female friend’s complaint? No really, READ THOSE POSTS.
MODEST MOUSE: Good band, but I think I’ve officially decided (officials please take note) that this is not “my” good band. I just can’t really get into it. I feel like they have two basic songs, the sad song and the angry song, and I am just not needing all that sadness and anger. But (surprise!) I really like “Float On”. All my friends like them and I like my friends so I’m not talking shit. Just talking.
THE PIXIES: I never ever ever thought I’d see the Pixies once, let alone three times in my lifetime, as I now have. At this point the thrill of seeing these amazing, AMAZING!! songs live has faded and I am free to fixate on the bad parts of their show, and their are enough to make me wish I had only seen them once.
CONCLUSION: Really fun way to spend a Saturday with good friends. Really really hot. Next time save energy for the post-fest party in the campground. Bring a frisbee.
