After seeing the lineup of Sasquatch this year I almost wanted to ditch that whole “photographer” gig and just go as a fan. A fan of so many bands throwing down at the festival that I wanted to stay and watch each act to the end (a luxury not given to those who have 50 bands to cover and only the first 10-15 minutes or so of each performance to shoot). Their songs had penetrated my most often selected playlists and had often sound-tracked my long days editing content at Amazon or bike rides through Venice and since the move, Seattle. Obviously my love for my craft led me to the right decision. Packing my camera gear, Hilary, a tent, and some basic supplies we headed out across the state to hit what I consider to be the greatest music venue I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
We arrived at the festival only to find out that the campground area of the
Gorge had filled to capacity (something about overbooking the festival by some 1500 people) and we were to be camped in a parking lot close to the entrance. We drove out over the long bladed grass, parked and began setting up camp. It was game time, in the next 4 days we would cover 50 unique and dynamic groups across 4 stages at the edge of some of the most beautiful scenery one could ask for.
Foo Fighters
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
Wye Oak
Dan Mangen
Talk Demonic
The Thermals
Aloe Blacc
!!!
Foo Fighters by Dave Endicott
Foo Fighters
One of the biggest critiques I heard while milling around the media tent at
Sasquatch was that the Foo Fighter’s performance was just the “Dave Grohl” show. Immediately I wanted to demand the spirited and energetic performance but as I gave it a little more thought I realized they were right, it was the Dave Grohl show, but I think that they were wrong to say this in critique. The truth is, Grohl was explosive and it’s not that the rest of the fighting foo’s weren’t doing their part but more that Grohl was just that good. He ruled the entire expansive main stage in a way that I did not expect to see again at Sasquatch and I left that show grateful for having seen it.
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears by Dave Endicott
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
The full sound overflowing with energy made it impossible to ignore Joe and his Honeybears. This was one of the groups I came to the festival waiting to see having fallen in love with “Bitch, I love you” months before. Their travel schedule was brutal and they arrived exhausted but you wouldn’t be able to tell from their spirited performance.
Wye Oak by Dave Endicott
Wye Oak
As is the case with any major festival you really can’t have heard of everyone on the line up and Wye Oak fell into that category for me. I walked into the performance blind except for a quick rec from my editor Steph. To say I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. These guys were fantastic Andy Stack rocked both the drums and the synth masterfully while Jen Wasner’s chilling vocals and guitar brought everything together. The crescendos into a heavy unexpected bass were core rocking and the haunting vocals overlaying that completed the experience. It was the middle of the day, it was warm, and I was feeling chills. Loved it. You should definitely check out their latest release “Civilian” which just dropped in march.
Dan Mangen by Dave Endicott
Dan Mangen
Walking up on Dan and his band was fantastic. I always get a little excited when I see a full stand up bass and a line of brass. What wasn’t expected in that brass line was the French horn, a pleasant surprise to say the least and one that added quite a twist. True to his style Dan’s dry wit played through in-between the songs and it was impossible not to tap your foot when the band got going.
Talk Demonic by Dave Endicott
Talk Demonic
There was something magic about Lisa Molinaro layering her violin phrases on top of each other while Kevin O’Connor laid down some fantastic bass and beats huddled over his drum set and synth. Swelling tones and solid rhythms made talk demonic an act worth Googling when I returned to internet access having spiked my interest even more than the tracks I had heard from them before, certainly not a live act to be missed.
The Thermals by Dave Endicott
The Thermals
Having not seen a truly good 3 chord punk rock show since warped tour I was psyched to catch the locally based (Portland, Oregon) The Thermals and they lived up to every one of my expectations. Their performance was made up mostly of heavy chords and hard hitting bass with energy for days. The smaller stage gave them a really intimate show feeling which lended itself really well to the band’s style. I walked in to their act already a fan so one might call me biased but these guys and gal kicked ass.
Aloe Blacc by Dave Endicott
Aloe Blacc
Aloe blacc’s commanding stage presence and soaring vocals made for an incredible show. Feet were tapped, hips were swayed, heads were bobbed and everyone got a little bit of that Aloe Blacc charm incredibly apparently in his latest album “Good Things”.
!!! by Dave Endicott
!!!
When I’m working a show there aren’t many things that can get in the way of
being able to focus on getting a shot I feel is publishable. However, having Nic Offer of !!! (Most commonly pronounced “chk chk chk”) putting on a performance of that caliber and that level of “interactivity” with the press certainly made it difficult. I can’t say it was unexpected as !!! is known for some pretty incredible high energy dance punk shows, and it led to some telling photos as the sun was setting beyond the the audience in the open air Valhalla of a venue. I definitely left pleased.
