There was just something so idealistic about their story: two Mexican metalheads go to Ireland to busk on the streets and end up as international superstars. There was also just something so unbelievable about so much noise coming from two acoustic guitars. Rod y Gab made listening to “Stairway to Heaven” cool again. Their covers of Metallica’s “One” and “Orion” went viral in the early days of YouTube sharing.

Now, the Mexican duo have released Area 52, their fourth studio album, following the breakout success of their self-titled record and its follow-up, 11:11. This one, though, is quite different, and it seems to demand an answer to the uncertainty of what we value most about this group. Part of that answer might lie in the fact that Rodrigo y Gabriela have teamed up with C.U.B.A., a 13-piece Cuban orchestra, as well as a number of guest musicians, to give their new album a distinctly more localized sound than their previously global patois.

The mode of assessing Area 52 is difficult. As an Afro-Cuban record, it’s solid. There are thoughtful, pithy solos sprinkled into songs, with variations of instrumentation to keep it fresh and exciting. Bassist Carles Benavent’s lively lines are the perfect counterpoint to the dual acoustic guitar attack, and the minimally invasive percussion never covers up Gabriela’s ramshackle guitar percussion. There are moments of lush orchestration and smooth lines, as well, as during the slower sections of “Diablo Rojo”. Producer Peter Asher re-recorded all of Rod’s and Gab’s guitar parts, which results in a much cleaner, more austere acoustic guitar sound than the reverb layered tracks on Rodrigo y Gabriela. But how does this new album stand as a particularly Rodrigo y Gabriela record?

When they’re at their most transparent on Area 52, the duo are at their best, and that’s on “11:11”. There’s a strong, acknowledged Pink Floyd influence on this song–you can hear it in the tune’s odd time signature and epic classic rock chord progression– but what stands out is the core of the two guitarists. A light bass and piano accompaniment highlights Sanchez’s minor blues-flavored licks and Quintero’s ever-fascinating strumming percussion. When the horns emerge for a quick accentuation on the chorus lick, it’s the perfect usage, complementing the guitarists rather than taking over.

The middle of the track is dominated by piano and bass in what feels like a jazzy departure, until a heavily distorted electric guitar comes in, doing its best David Gilmour impression, Sanchez vamping arpeggio figures underneath. The whole thing feels like a natural outgrowth from the classic Rod y Gab sound, rather than an arrangement of their music for Cuban jazz combo.

C.U.B.A. is mostly absent on “Logos”, the album’s ballad, where a small combination of bass, piano, and light percussion showcase the standout melody. On other songs, the duo remind their audience that they cannot be contained within one genre or national style, inserting a lengthy sitar solo by Anoushka Shankar into the middle of “Ixtapa”. The song speaks in a weird and uncanny musical Esperanto, the sitar trading licks with the Cuban horn section on a Mexican folk song. Despite the differences, it all works.

“Arrangement” is the perfect word for what Rodrigo y Gabriela have done on this album, and the tracks tread a fine line between creative reworkings of their compositions and simple “cover versions” of their own music. Here on “Diablo Rojo”, which originally appeared on their self-titled, the various parts have been interwoven with a big Latin percussion breakdown, a flute doubling the leads, and punctuating horn accents. Arranger Alex Wilson knew to leave the best part of the composition to his two stars, however: Sanchez is the highlight on his big perpetuum mobile build to the final verse, accompanied by the frantic percussive strumming of Quintero.

In retrospect, the self-titled album sounds like it was recorded on a shoestring budget, in a room with one microphone, too much echo and too much reverb. When they begin “Tamacun” on Rodrigo y Gabriela, it bowls you over. It almost sounds like metal. On Area 52, the same song sounds like Miami Sound Machine, and in a good way. C.U.B.A. brings out the jazzy side of Rodrigo y Gabriela, an attribute that was previously subsumed into their more democratic brand of stylistic internacionalismo. Still, fans who long for that raw, unadulterated, romanticized sound of the earlier albums won’t find solace in Area 52.

Essential Tracks: “11:11″, “Diablo Rojo”, “Ixtapa”, “Logos”

One of our fifty most anticipated albums of 2012, bedroom pop composer Mauro Remiddi (aka Porcelain Raft) will release his debut LP, Strange Weekend, on January 24th via Secretly Canadian. Below, you can stream the 10-track effort in its entirety (via The Hype Machine).

Other albums available for an early spin include:

– Nada Surf’s seventh LP, The Stars Are Indifferent, is out January 24th via Barsuk. Stream it now at NPR.org.

– Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s fourth LP, Area 52, is out January 24th via ATO Records. Stream it now at NPR.org.

– First Aid Kit’s sophomore LP, The Lion’s Roar, is out January 24th via Wichita Recordings. Stream it now at NPR.org.

Latin rock duo Rodrigo y Gabriela have scheduled spring tour dates in support of their upcoming fourth studio album, Area 52. Kicking off in Seattle on April 3rd, the trek will see the duo joined by 13-piece Cuban orchestra C.U.B.A., who collaborated on the recording of Area 52.

Area 52 hit stores on January 24th via ATO Records and you can stream it now at NPR.org.

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2012 Tour Dates:
04/03 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount Theatre
04/04 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
04/05 – Oakland, CA @ The Fox Theatre
04/07 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
04/10 – Broomfield, CO @ 1STBANK Center
04/12 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
04/13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
04/14 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/16 – Toronto, CA @ Massey Hall
04/20 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
04/21 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
04/23 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
04/25 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
04/26 – Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavilion
04/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
05/01 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
05/04 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz Fest
05/05 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s

Radiohead will appear in an upcoming episode of Austin City Limits, the television show’s website announced today.  Now in its 38th season, the performance-based program tapes at the 800-person capacity Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Afterward, the concert is broadcast on PBS.

A taping date for Radiohead’s appearance has yet to be announced, though the band is scheduled to perform at Austin’s Frank Erwin Center on March 7th. Ticket information is also forthcoming.

Other bands slated to appear on this season of ACL include The Shins, Rodrigo y Gabriella, and The Civil Wars. Stay tuned for more updates.

Photo by Tina K.

When last we heard from latin rock duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela, they were providing the lone ray of goodness to come out of Jerry Bruckheimer’s fiendish love of over-wrought action scenes. (Thank you to the great Chris Coplan for coming up with that line originally.) Now, the band is ready to unleash their fourth studio album, and first-ever collaborative affair. Titled Area 52, the record features nine tracks from Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s discography re-arranged and re-configured for a 13-piece Cuban orchestra known as C.U.B.A. Legendary guitarist turned produced Peter Asher (James Taylor, Diana Ross) oversaw the project.

Explains Rodrigo Sanchez in an issued press release:

The album is called Area 52 because we felt like Mulder and Scully approaching this — it was just a crazy idea, to see if a big Cuban band could play our music, a step in the dark. We knew it was out there, everyone has heard of Area 51, but we wanted to take it a little further. We saw it as a trip into the unknown, an experiment. Okay we knew the producer, and had spoken to the arranger on Skype; but we didn’t know the musicians or the studio, or Cuba for that matter.

Area 52 will be released by ATO Records on January 24th, 2012. In support, the duo plans to tour extensively in 2012.

“Not considering this opening worthy of more attention, I continued our pursuit to the Northwest, being desirous to embrace the advantages of the prevailing breeze.” – George Vancouver, 17th century English explorer

Breathtaking describes a lot of things. It’s typically a “go-to” adjective for anything remotely awe-inspiring. For Sasquatch! Music Festival, it’s the only word that works. There’s little room for where it doesn’t work, come to think of it. Even the drive in from Seattle, WA is enough to yank tears from the eyes. Driving through the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, you can’t miss the ominous Douglas-firs, or pry your hands from the wheel at the unpredictable roads that weave and snake through the mountainous terrain. It’s an adventure in every sense of the word.

But, that’s just the drive. Once you’re there, snuggled between the small towns of Quincy & George, you’re essentially cut off from the traditional confines of society. You’re a free spirit, roaming the natural habitat. It’s a liberating feeling, but also somewhat frightening. You’re at the hands of society’s loose change. Actually, it’s very frightening. But, that risk is what makes it so extraordinary. After everyone’s settled and the traffic conditions slacken, festivalgoers, musicians, and staff co-exist together in a melting pot within a melting pot. It’s madness, it’s a little chaotic, but it’s raw. It harkens back to the age-old American idealism of venturing beyond, exploring the uninhabited abyss.

What an abyss, though. It’s so easy to just say, “Well, the Gorge is out of this world. Duh.” But, that’s really it. Natural wonders retain that title for a reason. The Gorge earns it triple-fold. There are colors baked into its natural walls that haven’t even been named yet. Even more spellbinding, these colors evolve every minute, every hour, and each day. So at first glance, it’s something you’ll remember forever, but that feeling never leaves you.

Couple that with music and it’s truly a win-win.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Friday, May 27th

Rival Schools – Bigfoot Stage – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

“Hey there,” Rival Schools‘ vocalist Walter Schreifels muttered, cracking open the four-day Sasquatch! weekend. As the still evolving crowd poured in from the nearby gates – which had only opened 15-20 minutes prior to the set – the New York rockers breezed through a slightly raucous if not traditional set. Opener “Wring It Out”, their current single supporting this year’s Pedals, wrenched some acclaim from fanatics who scattered around the mid-sized Bigfoot stage, granting the band access to segue straight into other new material, specifically “69 Guns”, which turned things up a notch. It didn’t take long for the quartet to scale back to older material, either. Oldie ”Everything Has Its Point”, a track that dates back to their 2001 debut, United by Fate, popped up rather quickly. Then the rest just fell into place. -Michael Roffman

Mariachi El Bronx – Yeti Stage – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

There’s a moment in every festival where a band conjures up the wonderful “freak flag” moment. For Sasquatch!, it came an hour into the weekend, when Los Angeles’ own The Bronx donned the sombreros and dove head first into mariachi music. Dubbed Mariachi El Bronx, after the group’s WTF 2009 LP of the same name, the group really stirred the proverbial post-modern fiesta hippy pot, to which everyone just sort of let their souls run wild. Sometime amidst the chaos, one of the band members exclaimed, “There’s some badass shit going on today.” Although it was a tad too early to admit this, that pretty much summed up the remainder of the day. Mariachi men or fortune tellers? Hmm. -Michael Roffman

Biffy Clyro – Bigfoot Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

I was lucky enough to catch Biffy Clyro at the Illosaarirock Festival in Finland last year and was completely won over by the Scottish trio’s driving live act and larger-than-life sound. Though the catchy prog-metal band isn’t well known in North America, and they were one of the first bands to play at the start of the festival, they still managed to draw a sizeable crowd of fans who knew all lyrics by heart and were moshing out during some of the harder numbers. The Biff (as their fans affectionately call them) were quick and bouncy, turning their more pop-based songs into metal numbers and causing lead singer and guitarist (and Jesus lookalike) Simon Neil to break his strings several times over. -Karina Halle

Bob Mould – Mainstage – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Similar to Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould travels alone these days. Actually, the major difference between the two is that the latter actually travels. However, their stage show is strikingly similar – at least when Westerberg last toured. It’s bare bones logic: a famed songwriter, alone, with an electric guitar, and a largely celebrated discography in the noggin. That might sound like a match made in heaven, but when you’re playing the Gorge Amphitheatre, it’s a tad…vacuous? Still early in the schedule, with the sun blazing beyond the hills and mountainous plains (if that makes sense), Mould, decked out in red flannel and some jeans, strolled out to a small yet adoring fan base. (Small in the sense that he’s performing at the fucking Gorge.) Still, as he patrolled through Hüsker Dü classics like “Hardly Getting Over It” or solo hits a la “Wishing Well”, he maintained an edge that was hard to dismiss. In the middle of the set, one fan nearby caught his attention, screaming, “Just rock on man! You’re doing great!” A sweaty, rather exhausted Mould replied back, “I’m trying, man.” In the end, you have to respect that. -Michael Roffman

Against Me! – Bigfoot Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

In keeping with Friday’s theme of nonstop hard rock, Against Me! played a consistently high-energy set to close the Bigfoot Stage for the evening. No acoustic breakdowns or intimate stage banter, just rocker after rocker, including highlights “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong”, “T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)”, and “I Was a Teenage Anarchist”. At one of the Florida punk band’s headlining shows it would have been tiring, but this was an ideal one-hour festival set. Outside of maybe Dave Grohl, Wayne Coyne, and Dave King, Tom Gabel was quietly the most likable frontman at Sasquatch!. Against Me! also earns points for choosing plain black tees over the flannel everyone else was wearing throughout the weekend. - Harry Painter

The Bronx – Mainstage – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Jackie Kingsbury

“I want to see all of you move out there! There’s a Sasquatch in all of you!” – Matt Caughthran

Not many bands received two sets at Sasquatch this weekend; although, it’s arguable you could even count The Bronx’s shows as two sets. After an upbeat Mariachi show, they wandered to the Sasquatch stage where they stripped off the gear, but turned up the volume. There, the band screamed and thrashed, while the nearby pit proceeded to go ape-shit. They slammed through tracks like “They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)” and “White Tar”, and set a much different vibe than the Mariachi set, as body parts were actually smashed at this show. To go from playing sexy salsa tunes to hardcore numbers with names like “Heart Attack America” was more or less a bloody and triumphant transition. -Ted Maider

Death From Above 1979 – Mainstage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The banner behind what would eventually become the DFA riot was a picture of a tombstone that read: “DFA 1979, 2001-2006”. Far more interesting than the tombstone, however, were the ghoulish images of Jesse Keeler and Sebastian Grainger emerging from the gravesite. The secret’s been out for some time (see: Coachella and SXSW), but Death From Above 1979 are back from the dead and sounding better than ever.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Not ones to stop and chat, the pioneering duo took the stage and began melting faces right off the bat. The two took the slow afternoon from zero to 60 in a matter of milliseconds, and they didn’t relent for the entire time they were allotted. Mosh pockets opened up in literally every part of the Gorge, from the very front of the pit to the lawn seating, which made sense, considering DFA1979 has the power to bring human beings the insatiable urge to push one another. The set climaxed with a three song KO – “Sexy Results”, “Romantic Rights”, and “Do It!” – and as one might expect, everyone left the pit drenched in other people’s sweat, blood, and booze. Which I’m sure is what DFA consider a complete triumph. -Winston Robbins

Foo Fighters – Mainstage – 9:30 p.m.

When Sasquatch first announced that the festival would be four days long instead of three, many people wondered how on Earth they’d be able to draw in the crowds on Friday, the day that wasn’t a national holiday. Then they announced the Foo Fighters were headlining that night and everything fell into place. If there is any band that fans would skip out on work for, it’s the Foo Fighters.

Of course, it’s always been kind of “cool” to rag on the Foo for being too commercial or “happy”, but riding high on the success of their latest album, Wasting Light, even cynical festival-goers were at least stopping by the main stage to check out their act. And if they checked their cynicism at the door, it was hard to walk away disappointed.

From the moment Dave Grohl and his plaid-clad crew of chain-smoking Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, and Taylor Hawkins (the only one not in flannel), took to the stage, the audience was treated to two hours of wailing guitars, singalong anthems, and never ending energy. They opened with Wasting Light’s raucous “Bridge Burning” and sailed all the way through to “Everlong” (forgoing the encore, as Grohl said, “We’d rather keep playing until the end”) and the enthusiasm from the band and the crowd never dipped for a second. Though I would have loved for all songs off of Wasting Light to be played, they did pull out a fair chunk of it including “White Limo”, “Arlandria”, and “Dear Rosemary” (featuring Bob Mould who played the same stage earlier). The soaring, feel-good “Walk” united the crowd as much as their older hits such as “My Hero” and “Learn to Fly” did, and they even tossed out lesser-played songs such as “I’ll Stick Around” and “Generator”.

The thing about the Foo Fighters is that they never just play their songs as is, they have to take them a step beyond. At Sasquatch this meant an extra epic jam session for “Monkey Wrench”, a drum solo courtesy of the tireless Hawkins, and numerous bridge breakdowns and build ups. Though it’s an effective live tool, the technique became repetitive after the 10^th song, but as soon as Grohl slams back into the chorus, you were singing along with him and bumping elbows with people in the world’s happiest mosh pit. There were rumors that Grohl’s ex-bandmate Krist Novoselic was there watching from the side stage, which would have been an amazing opportunity for him to come out and join the band (especially since he contributed to Wasting Light’s heartfelt “I Should Have Known”), but perhaps he wanted this moment to be all about the Foo Fighters and not a quick Nirvana reunion, which is understandable. The Foo Fighters ended Friday with a sea of smiles and set the bar high for the whole festival. -Karina Halle

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Friday Gallery by Heather Kaplan

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Saturday, May 28th

Seattle Rock Orchestra – Bigfoot Stage – 12:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

On paper, an orchestra performing the songs of Radiohead sounds worthwhile — and what better venue to house such an event than the stage closest to the entrance of a hip music festival as a bunch of likely Radiohead fans walk in? Last year was a similar deal, with the Seattle Rock Orchestra instead performing an Arcade Fire tribute. For whatever reason, this time around, people were not moved to sing along, dance, or even pay much attention. Seattle Rock Orchestra, which has at times been comprised of over 60 members, brought out a couple dozen at most to play hits from The Bends and OK Computer. The problem was it felt more like a standard cover band with a string section than a real orchestra as the abridged SRO recited uninspired arrangements of “Just”, “Airbag”, “Paranoid Android”, and “My Iron Lung”.

There were bright spots, however. “Exit Music”, “Electioneering”, and “Karma Police”, despite never approaching the emotional gusto of the originals, at least did some justice to them and made the strings and horns feel necessary. Using multiple decidedly un-Yorkeian vocalists (including a female) was a good call, and the performances never felt cheesy. - Harry Painter

The Radio Dept. – Mainstage – 1:05 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

For as long as The Radio Dept.’s been at it, and for how very little they tour, they should have been placed later in the day. But beggars can’t be choosers, and no matter the time of day, The Radio Dept. in the flesh is The Radio Dept. in the flesh. Touring behind their latest singles collection Passive  Aggressive, their setlist consisted entirely of the singles they’ve released over the past decade and a half. From Lesser Matters’ “Ewan” to the more recent “Heaven’s On Fire” off their last LP, 2010′s Clinging To A Scheme. The three piece Swedish outfit timidly went about their 45 minutes to a fairly full floor, which makes sense, given the fact that they’re somewhat reclusive and playing to a very, very large Gorge lawn crowd. Never ones to crack under the pressure, they played a beautiful set note for note. -Winston Robbins

k-os – Bigfoot Stage – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Karina Halle

Toronto-based musician k-os (nee Kevin Brereton) brought a lively dose of his grooving rap-rock to the Bigfoot stage. There was a distinct lack of hip-hop acts at Sasquatch, so savvy festival-goers were quick to catch his set, his reggae-induced beats suiting the blue-sky and sunshine perfectly. Songs like “Sunday Morning”, “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman”, and “Man I Used to Be” went over well despite the stage’s frequent sound problems that plagued his microphone and interrupted a few of the songs. -Karina Halle

Local Natives – Mainstage – 3:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

It would have been easy to overlook the Local Natives as the band that played Sasquatch! because Fleet Foxes can’t be there every year. That is, it would have been easy had they not turned so many heads. Besides it being a little hard to take seriously a folk band led by a guy with a porn star mustache, Local Natives earned their stripes with what frontman Taylor Rice said was their biggest gig yet (the list includes their appearance at Sasquatch! 2010 on the smaller Bigfoot Stage). Local Natives played the usual Gorilla Manor material, before reporting they would be heading home to L.A. to record the next album. - Harry Painter

Trailer Park Boys – Banana Shack – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Karina Halle

What to say about the Trailer Park Boys? Because Canada’s answer to Reno 911 follows the lives of Nova Scotian ex-convicts Bubbles (Mike Smith), Ricky (Rob Wells), and Julian (John Paul Tremblay) in a trailer trash mockumentary style, it was interesting to see how the show would play out as a live comedy show (at a US festival, too). Though it was hard to hear and see at times, the trio managed to titillate the mainly Canadian crowd (this I deduced from the “Go Canucks Go” chant just prior) and maybe win over a few new fans. The free hot dogs that Julian tossed into the crowd probably helped too. -Karina Halle

Wolf Parade – Mainstage – 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

This set was doubly tragic. Not only did indie veterans Wolf Parade only get 45 minutes to play, but it would (possibly, probably) be the last time they performed for a very long time. They announced months ago that they were going on an indefinite hiatus, Sasquatch! Music Festival being the last stop before calling it quits. The enormity of the situation wasn’t lost on the crowd, either. Wolf Parade drew the largest group of people for any band non head or sub-headlining. Seemingly undaunted by any of these stressors, they put on a historic show. Once again, it was tragically short, but it was bursting at the seams with the best work of their career. Obviously, the tracks from Apologies To Queen Mary (“You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son” and “Fancy Claps” in particular) were the best received, but they gave each track the treatment it deserved. Expo 86 cut “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way)” primed the crowd before they played themselves off with a rendition of “I’ll Believe In Anything” that sent chills down the spines of all those who grasped the reality of the situation. -Winston Robbins

J. Mascis – Yeti Stage – 4:35 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

The demographics that made up Sasquatch! couldn’t have been expected to know or care who J. Mascis was, and it appeared most didn’t. But it wasn’t much of a challenge for the silver-maned, baseball cap-wearing Dinosaur Jr. frontman to win people over. Featuring songs off his debut solo album, Several Shades of Why, as well as some Dino Jr. favorites, Mascis’ set alternated between accessible acoustic folk rock and the noisy guitar solos for which he is known. The 1993 Dino Jr. track “Get Me”, in particular, had the Yeti crowd in a trance. Mascis wins the old guy award for the weekend, as great as Bob Mould was. - Harry Painter

Jenny & Johnny – Bigfoot Stage – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

It was not a secret that the crowd kept very well, they were absolutely at this set just to see Jenny Lewis. And why wouldn’t they be? She was true to form: beautiful, endearing, and immensely talented. Joke was on the Lewis-driven crowd, though, when they realized that singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice (the Johnny portion of the duo) was no laughing matter. The two (with the help of Rilo Kiley and Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band drummer Jason Boesel) put on a sweet show, singing songs about love and loss with unmatched pop sensibility. I’m Having Fun Now tracks “Scissor Runner” and “Pet Snakes” seemed to particularly catch the attention of the crowd. But in the end, the hapless Jenny Lewis fans got what they wanted when she broke out Acid Tongue epic “The Next Messiah”. -Winston Robbins

Wye Oak – Yeti Stage – 5:40 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Saturday’s breakout act was a hell of a follow-up to J. Mascis. Baltimore’s Wye Oak, which consists of singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner and drummer/keyboardist (simultaneously!) Andy Stack, is a duo that has all the depth of a standard four-piece. Wasner could work on emphasizing her vocals, but between Wye Oak and The Radio Dept., Saturday was a good day for dream pop. -Harry Painter

The Antlers – Bigfoot Stage – 6:20 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Fresh off the release of their impeccable Burst Apart, it was uncertain how this set would go for The Antlers. It was so vastly different from its predecessor, it seemed impossible that the two albums could ever share the same stage. This worry was alleviated when it was revealed track by track that they were playing Burst Apart in the order it appears on the LP tracklist. Coming out with the enormous “I Don’t Want Love”, the Brooklyn trio (with a backing drummer) destroyed the Bigfoot Stage fearlessly. There wasn’t time for them to play the album in its entirety, unfortunately, in the 45 minutes they were allotted, but they got the first six of the 10 tracks in, and peaked during an almost post-rock version of “Rolled Together”. They closed with the only track from their 2009 hit album Hospice they’d play all night, “Two”. But even that old track had been altered to sound a tad more Burst Apart-y, for lack of a better phrase. It will be interesting to see how The Antlers go about splicing these two vastly different pieces of work into a coherent live set, but it was something we were fortunately (or unfortunately?) spared of having to deal with. But after seeing them play a sunset performance at The Gorge, there seem to be very few things The Antlers can’t do right. -Winston Robbins

The Thermals – Yeti Stage – 6:45 p.m.

There are some pros and cons to the Yeti Stage. On the positive side, it faces the outside horizon; the area that surrounds the festival; the natural habitats that bring people here week after week. On the downside, it also faces the setting sun. Many artists have had problems with this; after all, who wants to rock out with a blinding sun? However, Portland’s own The Thermals remained true to their name, using the sun’s radiant energy to, and please pardon the use of the pun, thermally ignite. With an agreeable combination of both new and old, the minimalistic trio punched and kicked through nearly 20 songs in the evening’s transitioning hour. During an incendiary opening cut of “Time to Lose”, vocalist Hutch Harris took things to the floor, channeling his inner Chuck Berry, and kept things going with “Returning to the Fold”, “Not Like Any Other Feeling”, and “It’s Trivia”. Blame it on their tour with the always thrilling Matt & Kim, but The Thermals were fiddling with an energy that hasn’t been this exciting for awhile. The crowd fed off it, too. Before they trekked forward, Harris observed: “Oh yeah, it’s getting rowdy out there. Keep it going Sasquatch.” They did, but so did the band. -Michael Roffman

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Washed Out – Banana Shack – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

The newly re-vamped Verizon Banana Shack seemed the perfect home for chillwave pioneers Washed Out. But hindsight’s 20/20, and they would have been better suited at a regular stage. The Banana Shack is more commonly home to house/dance music, and it took an extremely long time to get the band’s gear onstage. They finally managed to start 20 minutes after their scheduled time, and seemed very scattered throughout their set as a result. Leading man Ernest Greene was the glue that held the set together as he ran through a shortened set that incorporated old favorites (“New Theory, “Feel It All Around”), introduced a new song, and closed with a rendition of their latest single “Eyes Be Closed” that was almost good enough to redeem the flaws of the show. Washed Out started out as Ernest Greene, and as it has expanded to a five-piece, some of his earlier songs seemed very crowded with five instruments trying to create a fairly small sound. But as for the song they debuted and “Eyes Be Closed”, the band couldn’t have sounded better, and Washed Out’s forthcoming Within And Without will no doubt be a bigger, bolder record. But this particular show? Washed Out dropped the ball. -Winston Robbins

Bright Eyes -Mainstage – 8:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The veteran cast of Bright Eyes (along with their backing band, which includes Rilo Kiley/Mystic Valley Band drummer, Jason Boesel) took the stage one at a time -legendary producer/artist Mike Mogis, followed by the master of quiet intangibles Nate Walcott, all leading to the centerpiece of the indie legends: Conor Oberst. Oberst emerged from the side of the stage throwing his arms around, while wearing a hood that covered most of his face, which made him look uncannily like B. Rabbit from 8 Mile. The music that ensued was far from rap battling, however, and Oberst took no time getting into his all too short sub-headlining set with a massive rendition of The People’s Key single “Firewall”, which sent the crowd into an uproar. It was deathly cold and getting colder by the minute, but that didn’t deter the insanely devoted Oberst fans down in the pit.

Every movement he made, every word he said (of course he had something to say about politics and the state of affairs in our day and age), and every song he sung inspired the crowd to get more and more worked up. Their hour set included songs from every era of the Bright Eyes career: tracks from I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, Lifted or the Story is in the Telling, Cassadaga, and even one from Fevers & Mirrors, which he dedicated to his contemporaries that he’d been in the business with since late 90’s: Iron & Wine and Death Cab For Cutie. And while I’m sure they appreciated the gesture, the set was about the fans.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

“Four Winds”, “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”, and a combination of “Road To Joy” and  “One For You, One For Me” caused a particularly large uproar. The latter of the three mentioned was possibly the most moving of the entire weekend. Oberst left the stage to join his adoring fans, one of whom hurdled the barrier and kissed him passionately on the lips before being escorted away by security. As the voice over to “One For You, One For Me” played over the PA, Oberst remained at the front of the crowd hugging and shaking the hands of fans, some of whom were literally weeping to be in his presence. Love him or hate him, Conor Oberst has an immovable charisma that speaks powerfully to some. -Winston Robbins

Robyn – Bigfoot Stage – 9:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

It wasn’t really fair to pit Robyn between Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie – especially since the latter hasn’t toured in quite awhile. However, the Swedish treat sweetened enough folks by name alone to create a massive scene at the Bigfoot Stage. Technical difficulties pushed the set back 25 minutes, which turned the crowd into a tepid mob scene. Several fans chanted “Robyn!”, plenty walked away, and one guy wholeheartedly attempted to sell the crowd on chanting “18 minutes late!” (which soon evolved into “25 minutes late!”), though no one joined him. They didn’t have to because once the international sensation appeared, all energy was focused on dancing. Strictly dancing. Smiling, waving, and stripping down – even amidst the chilly winds rolling through – Robyn powered through a close pocketed 45 minute set, starting with “Fembot”, continuing on with “Bad Gal”, and naturally including her scorching single (and Gossip Girl burner), “Dancing On My Own”. A double dosage of percussion injected some adrenaline into an already impressive stage set up, tailoring songs like “Indestructible” with an epic sheen. Basically, if you haven’t seen her live, then you’re not just missing out, you’re selling your heart short. -Michael Roffman

Death Cab for Cutie – Mainstage – 9:30 p.m.

Writer’s Note: Ben Gibbard needs a haircut.

As it was the 10^th anniversary of Sasquatch, it seemed reasonable to book some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest modern acts to carry on the torch for another year. Seattle’s own Death Cab for Cutie was a perfect choice for such an occasion as they continue to embody the Washington spirit. As time has raced on by, Death Cab has gone from an indie sensation to a slew of pop-stars with constant airplay. Only in Seattle, right?

To prove that they were worthy of a headlining title, Gibbard  & Co. took the stage to deliver one of the most surprising shows of the weekend. The energy was quite high – especially for a Death Cab gig. Opener “I Will Possess Your Heart” lasted for ages, but its thumping bass line and stirring percussion were enough to stir the crowd. This sort of chemistry washed over other gems like “Movie Script Ending”, an electrifying “Cath”, and a version of “Long Division” that brought people to crowd surf. Hit after hit, and song after song, Death Cab for Cutie rattled their catalog for a show that would not only impress the Sasquatch crowd, but also make every fan jealous that they missed this show.

The true highlight of the set though was when Gibbard came out alone to strum away Plans favorite, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”. Feeling the raw intimacy of the song, the crowd joined along and sang in unison, their voices echoing off the walls of the Gorge. People will follow Gibbard anywhere, I guess. -Ted Maider

Photo by Kyle Johnson

Sleigh Bells -Banana Shack – 10:10 p.m.

Photo by Winston Robbins

The Banana Shack was hands down the best addition to this year’s installment of Sasquatch!. Very much like Coachella’s Sahara Tent, the Banana Shack was solely for the purpose of comedians during the day and electro raves at night. So, of course, this is the stage where Sleigh Bells landed. Their set was unfortunately stuck in the middle of Death Cab’s and Robyn’s respective sets, but it mattered very little in the end. They were 20 minutes late to start, but they made up for that by not only going an extra half hour longer than they were scheduled, but by rocking especially hard. Sleigh Bells are admittedly more flash than music, but their flash is so illustrious that it enhances the music to levels many of their contemporaries could only hope to achieve. After an instrumental cover of “Iron Man” by Derek Miller, Alexis Krauss joined him for what would be an hour of sheer sweaty chaos. Sleigh Bells is best played at maximum volume, and the sound in the Banana Shack more than accommodated this ideal. Being that Treats is a fairly short album they played almost every track, the highlights being “Riot Rhythm”, “Infinity Guitars”, and a very funky version of “Rill Rill”. -Winston Robbins

Bassnectar – Bigfoot Stage – 11:30 p.m.

Photo by Kyle Johnson

Disclaimer: I hate dub-step.

Prior to this show, an audience member informed me humans are conditioned to enjoy heavy bass, as the vibrations remind our subconscious of time spent in the womb and the comfort we received within it. This has to be true because thousands of people crammed in for Bassnectar’s late night show…. and, well, he delivered. The DJ, whose popularity has clearly skyrocketed within the past couple years, blew out speakers, mixed Nirvana, and played one of the highest energy sets possible. The only thing more insane than the DJ himself was the crowd. People tossed glow sticks, moshed, crowd-surfed and went ballistic. It was hands down the best dance show of the weekend.

Disclaimer: I still hate dub-step. -Ted Maider

Saturday Gallery by Heather Kaplan

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Sunday, May 29th

The Drums – Mainstage – 1:05 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

For the past year or two, New York post-punk rockers The Drums have raised eyebrows in critics’ circles for making Joy Division sound sunny and fun. Their self-titled debut hit plenty of End of the Year lists last year and despite some lineup changes, they continue to truck on and maintain a some gravitas in the indie community. None of that’s changed. If their early spot at the Mainstage is any indication, they’re not going anywhere. Songs like “Best Friend”, “Let’s Go Surfing”, and “Down by the Water” are all classics by now. They’re great. But when beach blonde Jonathan Pierce introduced new song “Money”, and reported that the band wrapped up recording their sophomore follow up, things took a turn for the best. Sounding like a spunky outtake from New Order’s Movement, “Money” whisked on by with a sharp noise that made cuts in everyone’s ears. That’s a good thing. Waiting until we hear the studio version? Not a good thing. Either way, the boys continue to look hip (from hair to toe) and sound fresh. At this point, they can continue championing the whole surfer rock thing, even if that whole image has been burned to the ground. They at least earned it. -Michael Roffman

Fitz & The Tantrums – Mainstage – 2:10 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

There is nothing new going on here. Fitz & The Tantrums play a predictable blend of funk and neo-soul designed, of course, to get the dance floor moving. But these guys are really good at it. Fitz, full name Michael Fitzpatrick, is a David Bowie lookalike in a flashy suit who puts in his 110 percent to get the crowd involved. How often do you see a frontman request a clap or mass kneel and fail miserably? In Fitz’s case, he had everyone, lawn included, complying with his every command — so you know he’s doing something right. Highlights included “Rich Girls”, the single “MoneyGrabber”, and a cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”. - Harry Painter

S. Carey – Bigfoot Stage –  3:00 p.m.

Sean Carey has come a long way from being the guy that timidly confronted Justin Vernon at a show to tell him he admired his music. Not only did he shortly thereafter join Bon Iver, but he embarked on a solo career of his own while Justin Vernon was off doing other things (you know, hanging out with Kanye West and stuff). Over the past year or so, S. Carey has toured behind his debut solo record, All We Grow, with a notable spot opening up for last year’s biggest folk sensation The Tallest Man On Earth. Carey came out confident and played his quiet, beautiful post-rock to a very large crowd, considering how early in the day he was scheduled to play. He and his five piece brought their A game and finished big with an impromptu cover of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks theme song, followed by a very subtle cover of Bjork’s “Unravel”, and an emotional version of the title track, “All We Grow”. This was surely one of his last solo performances, as he will be joining back up with Bon Iver, who is about to take over the world yet again when their new album drops later this June (don’t pretend for a second you haven’t downloaded the leak…). -Winston Robbins

Tokyo Police Club – Mainstage – 3:15 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Tokyo Police Club has been whoring out their Canadian goodness to all the festivals in the past year, so it seemed natural that they’d show up at Sasquatch! (considering how many Canadians were there to support them). The band was definitely a decent way to fill some time throughout the day’s heat, and they actually played a pretty good set. They got the crowd to help them out with “Tessellate” and jammed on gems like “Elephant Shell” and “Nature of the Experiment”. The real show though was when the band brought their good friend on stage, not to rock, but to propose to his girlfriend. Perfect for an indie-rock festival. -Ted Maider

Sam Roberts Band – Bigfoot Stage – 4:05 p.m.

Photo by Karina Halle

Juno-award winning (you know, the Canadian Grammys) singer/songwriter Sam Roberts is perfect festival fodder and his appearance on the Big Foot stage was no exception. His brand of smooth-voiced rock and roll is simple enough for sunny days but catchy enough to keep an audience moving on their toes, which is exactly what he did. Even people who weren’t planning on catching the show were stopping by the stage and joining along with the singalongs and hand-waving to such songs as “Brother Down” and “The Last Crusade”. Watching the smiling festival-goers jump and flail around to “Them Kids” made you think that the song’s lyrics were wrong and the kids do “know how to dance to rock and roll” after all. Well, at least they try. -Karina Halle

Beach House – Mainstage – 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Three years ago, Beach House‘s Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally were performing at intimate venues like Chicago’s own Schubas. You know, to maybe 300 people tops? So seeing them entertain thousands at the Gorge on Sunday evening was beyond surreal. Here’s a place that acts like Pearl Jam or Dave Matthews Band have used for their landmark live efforts. Now, this Baltimore dream pop duo can say they’ve matched them – sort of. They may not be able to rope in that many on their own, but they’re certainly up for the task, at least if their stage presence is any indication. Tighter, more intense, and highly personable, Legrand and Scally actually look alive these days. In between their lush and gorgeous ballads like “Zebra” or “Walk in the Park”, the two committed to some friendly banter. Legrand even remarked on the group’s questionable set time: “We like that our set started at 4:20, but we don’t really care about that. That makes me sound like a pothead.” As the sun glazed the surrounding fields, everyone was at peace with themselves, including a little indie toddler, who tossed dirt around and brought smiles from passerby’s. “Humans are meant to cooperate. Good job, human beings,” Scally observed. Yes, kudos. -Michael Roffman

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – Yeti Stage – 4:35 p.m.

Austin, TX’s Black Joe Lewis likes to have a good time. His Honeybears make that happen each time they’re on stage together. As the sun started to spill over, the bluesy octet owned the Yeti Stage, and its many inhabitants. Lewis’ trademark swagger has finally worked. For the past two years, they’ve been a festival staple, though in smaller capacities. Although the Yeti Stage is technically the smallest of the Sasquatch! venues, the crowd proved he needs to move up next time he’s in “town.” This wasn’t a group of passerby’s; no, this was more like a loyal following. And by the time they started grooving to a muddy rendition of “Louie, Louie” or “Bird is the Word!”, they had hundreds of fans screaming their hearts out. Too bad the nearby BBQ was overpriced. It could’ve added to the great backyard jam. Oh well. -Michael Roffman

Photo by Jackie Kingsbury

Mad Rad – Yeti Stage – 5:40 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

It’s hard to explain Seattle’s Mad Rad. They’re essentially a slew of Caucasians that create nasally-sounding hipster hip-hop. But it’s loud, it’s obnoxious, and it’s enigmatic. For a small group that’s technically still unheard of, they commandeered one of the largest crowds at the Yeti Stage. They didn’t waste any time roping them in, either. The band’s ensemble includes Buffalo Madonna, Terry Radjaw, DJ Darwin, and P Smoov and all of them shared the spotlight equally. Throughout their then potentially hazardous set, Buffalo, Terry, and P Smoov tossed toilet paper into the crowd and rapped while crowd surfing over fans. Some of the best crowd interaction of the weekend happened during songs like ”Love in a Strange World” or “I Want Your Blood”, which have deeper meanings than their titles imply. Then again, they’re just not the same without the ridiculous introductions before them. Bottom line: Look ‘em up. -Michael Roffman

Archers of Loaf – Bigfoot Stage – 6:20 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

So, was the reunion worth it? Archers of Loaf, known for their weird songs in the ’90s, played the Bigfoot Stage to one of the smallest crowds of the entire weekend. In fact, I saw more people with artist wristbands at the show than kids with festival wristbands. It didn’t stop the band from rocking out, though, and dishing out numerous classics like the dreary “You and Me” or the thrashing “Audiowhore”. But considering nobody seemed to know who they were, it makes one think, are reunions even important anymore, or just a bunch of Internet hype? -Ted Maider

Das Racist – Yeti Stage – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

You know what, we’ll try and cut Das Racist some slack, as they traveled all the way from performing a show at Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain the night before. But even if we gave them the most slack in the history of slack cutting, this was still one of the worst performances at Sasquatch. Things got off to a bad start when they didn’t go on until 40 minutes after they were supposed to. The crowd was visibly restless, and were on the verge of eating and/or maiming each other when Das Racist finally came on. And from there, one would assume that they were never able to fully recover. Das Racist’s bread and butter is drunken, lazy, nonsensical raps. It’s just part of their charm. But for this particular performance they were either remarkably jet lagged, or especially drunk. Even when they finally started performing, they barely moved, and their raps should be more accurately described as very quick mumbling. Not even their extremely popular “hahahaha jk?” could save them. And what had been one of the largest crowds at the Yeti Stage quickly dispersed, either to find some floor space for The Flaming Lips, or to bump up the hill to see Gayngs. -Winston Robbins

Gayngs – Bigfoot Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Gayngs were tragically scheduled against The Flaming Lips, which obviously took away from a crowd that should have been bigger. But for those who stuck around, it was well worth the small portion of The Flaming Lips that had to be missed. All eyes were intensely glued to the stage, hoping Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce of Bon Iver would show up, but when the suave 10-piece band took the stage neither of the men were to be found. After the initial disappointment wore off, the crowd began to get into Gayngs’ slow, sexy jams. Ryan Olson has enough charisma and then some to make up for the lack of Vernon. The backing band consisted of relatively unknown individuals, (other than Zach Coulter) but were all immensely impressive. With Olson at the helm, the backing musicians rapidly seeing limelight, and Bon Iver members popping in and out, Gayngs very well might one day be America’s answer to Broken Social Scene. “The Gaudy Side of Town”, “The Crystal Rope”, and set closer “The Last Prom On Earth” were all met with huge fanfare and massive sing-a-longs despite a no-showing Justin Vernon. -Winston Robbins

The Flaming Lips – Mainstage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The Flaming Lips are no stranger to the festival scene. Not only do they seem to play every notable festival year after year, their music feels expertly tailored for the events filled with drug-infused music lovers and experimental looky-loos. Their appearance at Sasquatch though had one change from the norm; they were playing their beloved album, 1999′s The Soft Bulletin, in its entirety. Of course they had their trademark theatrics to wow over the general public, such as guns that shot pastel confetti, the cast of The Wizard of Oz dancing on the sides of the stages, singer Wayne Coyne in a giant hamster ball, multi-colored balloons, and crazy video projections. But hardcore fans were also delighted to hear the psychedelic harmonies and orchestrations of the acclaimed album. It started off at a good pace with “Race for the Prize” luring people into the set’s vibe.

By the time they reached “The Spiderbite Song“, Coyne began to tell stories about the band members Steven Drozds and Michael Ivins, which slowed the momentum down. Sure, Coyne can sometimes yammer on too much, but at least he’s always engaged and always sincere with his interaction with the audience, and appreciative of the set’s stunning location. Even if you weren’t high off your gourd, you still felt a bit of magic at the playful atmosphere and the sight of the orange sun setting behind the rugged hills of the Columbia River Gorge.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The set ended on a rather somber note which might have pulled some of the crowd down before Modest Mouse hit the stage, but there’s no doubt Lips fans walked away satisfied. It was a good way for the band to marry their over-the-top theatrics with their spared down melodies, making it feel that even though you were surrounded by many, the Lips were singing just for you. -Karina Halle

Flying Lotus – Banana Shack – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

Let’s think of this set in terms of stocks and bonds. Skipping The Flaming Lips for Flying Lotus is obviously a high risk investment. But every now and again on Wall Street, sheer dumb luck makes Franklins fall from the sky, and your payout becomes exponentially larger than what you invested to begin with, making your initial investment worth the risk. The 2,500 people that were either brave or drunk enough to make this gamble came out of Flying Lotus’ set feeling like masters of stocks and bond; it was truly one of the greatest risks they ever took.

Even Steven Ellingson (Flying Lotus) himself was surprised to see so many people in the crowd, remarking “I made the two and a half, three hour drive here thinking the whole time no one would show up. But you did! And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for it.” And it was with that grateful sentiment that FlyLo started his set, which was an hour of pure electronic/hip-hop bliss. Ellingson was literally smiling the entire time, and the wheat had been separated from the chaff, if you will, leaving only the truest of true fans to party with Flying Lotus, creating an even more legitimate environment.

Photo by Luke Johnson

As a result of FlyLo’s appreciation and the crowd’s enthusiasm, he rolled out a set that will go down in history as one of his most spectacular. Incorporating Radiohead, Lil’ Wayne, and dozens of other artists in with his own infectious beats sent chills down the spines of those watching. The Banana Shack nearly toppled over (figuratively, of course) when he mixed the sheer grit of Tyler, The Creator’s “Yonkers” on top of one of his most bass-heavy tracks, “Melt!”. Word spread quickly and a major topic of conversation between festival-goers for the rest of the weekend was about how bummed they were that they went with The Flaming Lips (all due respect to Mr. Coyne and Mr. Drozd) over Flying Lotus. -Winston Robbins

Yeasayer – Bigfoot Stage – 9:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

After The Flaming Lips fizzled out, thousands flocked to the Bigfoot Stage, where Yeasayer turned the heat up. (Actually, it was getting pretty cold, so it made sense that people would want to dance.) Though the lights were impressive and Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder all maintained a stoic composure, a few tracks felt a tad hollow. On record, “O.N.E.” feels so all encompassing, but on stage it felt lacking. Maybe it was just too loud or too open of a space, but the tracks didn’t leave any bruises upon impact. Instead, they just warmed things up. “Ambling Alp” solved a lot of these issues, but by then, most were flocking away towards Modest Mouse. See you in the clubs, guys. -Michael Roffman

Modest Mouse – Mainstage – 9:45 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Prior to this show, I heard countless horror stories about Modest Mouse, and people’s experiences with them. Stories like “I’ve seen them three times and they sucked for all of them” were quite popular, as well as, “Last time, Issac Brock was so drunk he couldn’t even sing ‘Dramamine’”. One must assume that the people who organize Sasquatch! know what they’re doing, because they billed Modest Mouse as Sunday’s headliner, and it seemed to be one of the headliners most people were concerned about. But when Brock and friends took the stage, everyone swelled and wondered what was going to come next. Brock stood in front of the mic quietly as feedback filled the Gorge until finally, he took a deep breath and screamed, “THIS PLANE IS DEFINITELY CRASHING!”, which meant one thing: “Shit Luck”. For those in attendance, as a Modest Mouse fan, you can die happy now.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

They didn’t stop there either. The band dipped all over their catalog for the next two hours. A soothing “Gravity Rides Everything” followed, a fantastic rendition of “Dramamine” (complete with all the lyrics) was delivered, two new songs were debuted (“Lampshades on Fire”, “Poison”), and even more recent stranger songs like “King Rat” were played, too. People danced, people sang, yet all were genuinely pleased that, for once, Modest Mouse was fucking killing it. They even played their most mainstream hit, “Float On”, which was more than enough to get the crowd on their feet and rocking out with every ounce of strength. But by far the most epic part of the night was the encore that included “World at Large”, especially as every “Ba ba ba” bounced off the Gorge. Only at Sasquatch kids… -Ted Maider

MSTRKRFT – Banana Shack – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Jackie Kingsbury

Leave it to Jesse Keeler to be responsible for creating not one but two of the most out of control shows at Sasquatch! 2011. His other project, the recently reincarnated Death From Above 1979, rocked the Gorge to its knees two days prior, and he did it again, only this time in a completely different vein of music. Keeler and his producer cohort Al-P took to the Sasquatch! equivalent of Coachella’s Sahara Tent, The Banana Shack, to throw what would be the biggest rave at this year’s installment of the festival. In the past, MSTRKRFT haven’t been known for their studio music being extremely rave-centric. But with the release of this year’s singles “Back In the USSA” and “Beards Again” (both of which were played during the set), it seems as though MSTRKRFT may be headed that way if and when they decide to drop a new full-length.

Photo by Jackie Kingsbury

With the exception of a few of the hip hop samples that appeared on their (pretty lackluster) sophomore album, Fist of God, they didn’t play a single song off their two LPs; they played only new music that was a menagerie of smart sampling, well placed drops, and house-savvy beats. When it came for them to leave, Keeler announced to the crowd that they wanted to keep playing, and that they would soldier on well past their time slot and wouldn’t leave until the crowd didn’t want to hear them anymore or until an authority figure told them they couldn’t go on any longer. Obviously the ravers didn’t want them to stop (how do ravers go for 12 hours at a time and barely even break a sweat? They’re a rare sub-species, who I find to be particularly interesting), especially when they  combined their “Beards Again” with Daft Punk’s “Da Funk”. They ended up playing until 11:40, 40 minutes after when they were scheduled to stop. Eat your heart out, Sahara Tent. -Winston Robbins

Ratatat – Bigfoot Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

Ratatat has found their niche in the music world. After two solid releases – their self-titled, and Classics – the instrumental duo found themselves immensely popular, giving them the leniency to sort of do whatever the hell they want, musically. And they’ve done just that. They’ve gone down an alley of quick, bright sampling that is fairly different than their first two releases, but impressive all the same, especially in a live setting.

They pulled the late night slot at Sasquatch, which screams perfection in terms of time slot placement. And even though MSTRKRFT and Modest Mouse ate through a good bit of their set, Ratatat drew a huge crowd, especially once the aforementioned bands were done. People returning to camp were naturally drawn in by the enormously catchy sound, and even more so by the bizarre visual arrangements.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

Not only did the stage lighting involve some of the most elaborate sets at Sasquatch! (other than The Flaming Lips, of course), the montages being played over  the massive screens were so visually captivating, it was nearly impossible to look away. From bad infomercial acting to wildly shifting arrangements of birds, the screens were nearly as fun to watch as the band itself, who were quite impressive. No longer touring solely behind LP4, they were allowed to visit old favorites like “Loud Pipes”, “Kennedy”, and “Wildcat”. But that didn’t stop them from playing some of the strongest new material such as “Falcon Jab”, “Shempi”, and “Neckbrace”. But no track even held a candle to the one encore song they played as they approached one in the morning: an incredibly well re-arranged version of all-time classic “Seventeen Years”. It was the perfect way to end the most dance heavy day of the festival. -Winston Robbins

Sunday Gallery by Heather Kaplan

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Monday, May 30th

Wavves – Mainstage – 11:30 a.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Perhaps it was the fact that they were a late addition, but Wavves was scheduled far too early in the morning. It’s not like Nathan Williams’ surf-punk project needs the extra exposure or anything, they get plenty of that from every musically oriented output in the civilized world. But after three days of hard festival partying, 11:30 a.m. was a little too early for everyone but the absolute biggest Wavves fans. Regardless, they put on one of the most energetic shows of the day, peaking with the one two punch combo of “King of the Beach” and “Idiot”. -Winston Robbins

Young the Giant – Mainstage – 12:35 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Young the Giant had its work cut out for it following a morning Wavves set, and results were mixed. The energy lagged a little, perhaps because of the heat and everyone being tired by Monday. But Sameer Gadhia and co. did their best to counteract this, and had the pit jumping during the set-closing single “My Body”. - Harry Painter

Twin Shadow – Yeti Stage – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Brooklyn’s George Lewis, Jr., aka Twin Shadow, crafted an excellent album in Forget. It’s sad, it’s haunting, and it’s beautiful all at once. But none of that came across live, which may sound like a knock, but is a huge compliment. Lewis and his confident five-piece band went about their songs tirelessly for their 50 minute set. As well as debuting two new songs (which hopefully means he’s working on a follow-up with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, who produced the first record), Twin Shadow did ultra dance versions of their ominous new wave songs (in the order that they appear on the record) “Tyrant Destroyed”, “When We Were Dancing”, and “I Can’t Wait”. If Lewis doesn’t become a prominent figure in the rise of chillwave, whatever the hell that means anymore, I’ll be thoroughly surprised. The man is an incredible performer, has great stage presence, and best of all writes fantastic music. -Winston Robbins

Old 97′s – Mainstage – 1:40 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Once again, maybe it has to do with playing in the heat on a tired Monday afternoon when everyone was trying to nap, but the Old 97′s completely failed to get a reaction out of anyone outside the front rows. And it’s just as likely the Old 97′s were the ones putting everyone to sleep. One song blended into another, into another. The songs that made an impression were “I’m a Trainwreck”, “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)”, and “Timebomb”. -Harry Painter

Chromeo – Mainstage – 2:45 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

On paper, a midday Chromeo show sounds as enthralling as watching Miami Vice on a sick day. It’s just not the right mood. However, early Sunday at the Gorge, Montreal’s unlikely duo Dave 1 and P-Thugg delivered all the glitz and glamour of their traditional live show. The fans helped make it magical, too. In addition to dancing and sweating a storm under the scorching hot sun, thousands of fans tossed around inflatable sea animals, exclaiming as each shark or octopus made its way toward them. Surrounded by his back up singers, an idea no doubt borrowed from the late Robert Palmer, Dave 1, remarked, “Pretty lively for a Monday afternoon, I’d say.” Between set opener (and last year’s hit single) “Don’t Turn the Lights On” to the lyrical madness that’s “Momma’s Boy”, the two prowlers of the night became close friends with the sun. Judging from the sea of festivalgoers flooding the area, Chromeo made a connection there, too. -Michael Roffman

Black Mountain – Bigfoot Stage – 3:00 p.m.

God bless Black Mountain for adding a little classic rock pep to what was an exasperatingly slow morning. I guess even festivals sometimes suffer from cases of“The Mondays”. The Vancouver-based hard rockers took the stage to a massive hometown(ish) crowd. It seemed as though every member of the audience knew every word to every song. They opened big with Wilderness Heart duet “The Hair Song”, blending male and female vocals to perfection. The set got even bigger with the trippy In The Future track “Wucan”, followed by the climactic “Tyrants” with its epic drum solo, followed by the metal-worthy guitar solo. Not a whole lot of crowd interaction went on, but when you are that naturally talented, that matters little. They were certainly a fan favorite of the morning. -Winston Robbins

Guided by Voices – Mainstage – 3:50 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Sadly and incredibly, Guided by Voices was the victim of the largest exodus of the weekend, one only possible because of Chromeo’s humongous crowd. The hordes of youngins that turned up for Chromeo’s mid-afternoon dance party and filled out the floor somehow found their way out in 20 minutes to watch Paul F. Tompkins or something. GBV, a reunion act that appears to be nearing the end of its current run, was left with maybe 200 people in the pit and a largely apathetic lawn crowd.

The liquor-swigging Robert Pollard commented on the disparity, observing that no one seemed to care about GBV. He mockingly wondered aloud, “Who was that last shitty band?” and his loyal pit-dwellers screamed back “Chromeo” at him before engaging in a “GBV” chant. The negativity ended there, however, and Pollard twice expressed gratitude for being invited to Sasquatch! and “all these lovely events.”

The presence of acts like GBV, J. Mascis, and Archers of Loaf was a sweet reminder of a time when being “indie” didn’t mean being a huge pussy. The crunchy indie rock began with “Over the Neptune / Mesh Gear Fox” and continued with favorites like “Kicker of Elves” and “Game of Pricks”. It was a set enjoyed by a select few, which used to be part of the fun of indie rock. - Harry Painter

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Mainstage – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

People love to dance, but sometimes they like to watch other people dance even more. That’s why Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings were so much fun to watch; not only can Jones sing her soul out, but she packs a mean shuffle as well. And while people will likely remember that Jones and her band sounded like a vintage soul band, and a good one at that, they will remember more vividly a young hipster named Patrick, whom Jones pulled on stage upon seeing him go nuts in the pit. “Come on, security, let him go,” pleaded Jones before yanking him up and singing at him. Patrick, a skinny white kid dressed in thigh-length shorts and a red and green striped hoodie, showed no nerve dancing in front of thousands plus cameras. The contrast was priceless; think DJ Qualls and his large black girlfriend in Road Trip. - Harry Painter

Surfer Blood – Bigfoot Stage – 6:20 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

“Thanks for sticking around and watching us in the rain!” –John Paul Pitts

It seems dreary weather and Surfer Blood’s sludgy sound go together perfectly, but all in all, there needs to be more bands like this in indie music these days. Sure, their sound is a bit murky, but it’s totally distinct, and the band constantly exerts loads of energy. For example, singer and guitarist John Paul Pitts has a tendency to thrash his guitar about like it’s a toy (although he claimed their equipment had been stolen prior), and he likes to run up on the amps and into the crowd. During “Take it Easy” he wandered through the audience, shaking hands (including our very own Winston Robbins). And the band played such a high-octant version of “Fast Jabroni” and dedicated it to all of us “living the gremlin life”. They even revealed new material with tracks entitled “Miranda” and “Golden Boys” to show that this isn’t the last we have heard of Surfer Blood…and thank God for that one. -Ted Maider

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Mainstage – 6:35 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Rodrigo y Gabriela are so talented you can’t help but laugh at how small they make everyone else look. Their coordination is flawless, they make it look easy, and now they apparently do it without sitting on a stool. Both players, but Rodrigo especially, genuinely love the stage. Rodrigo wears a knowing smile on his face, one that says “You think that was good? Then watch this.” They even controlled the weather; it begun to suddenly pour rain when Rodrigo y Gabriela came on, then stopped after 15 minutes. The set included tributes to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica, but only a tease of the beginning of “Stairway to Heaven” (denied!). - Harry Painter

Best Coast – Yeti Stage – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

For awhile, Monday looked like the perfect day for the sunny cadence of Best Coast. For one, it was by far the hottest of the four days and, what’s more, the sun graced every corner of the Gorge Amphitheatre grounds. You couldn’t hide from it. However, after a surprisingly demanding set by Foster the People, a five minute session of heavy rain (the heaviest of the weekend) came down and pretty much changed the scenery. Throw in a chilly breeze and some dusty clouds and you suddenly had a very unlikely setting for Bethany Cosentino & Co. “I feel like I’m at Woodstock or some shit,” Cosentino, the sweet tongue songwriter with the grungy underbelly, observed. “But seriously, this shit is fucked up.” In addition to pounding away favorites like “Miss You”, “Boyfriend”, and “When I’m With You”, Cosentino also got fuzzy and dirty on “The End” and “Crazy for You”. By the time she rang through “Our Deal”, she had the very dedicated yet very wet crowd feeding out of the palm of her hand. Nice try, weather. -Michael Roffman

The Decemberists – Mainstage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

It was a bit of a bittersweet moment watching The Decemberists, finding out it would be Jenny Conlee’s last appearance with the band for a while as she fights breast cancer. But Conlee was in great spirits, and The Decemberists played happy songs; in fact, it was an all-around feel-good set.

The band mainly stuck to The King Is Dead material, with a couple off of 2009′s The Hazards of Love and some older ones. Early on, Colin Meloy’s acoustic guitar began to experience problems, which was a blessing in disguise. Because guitarist Chris Funk, also in disguise as the Russian Sasquatch, is a born entertainer, a fact that manifested while Meloy had his guitar fixed. Funk told a “Sasquatch joke” that consisted of incoherent growls, before becoming “Jazzquatch” and displaying his scat-singing skills. Bassist Nate Query joined in with some slap bass, while Sara Watkins topped it all off with some yodeling. By the time Meloy came back into the fold, The Decemberists had begun leading the audience in a sing-along of The Outfield’s “Your Love”.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

By this point it wasn’t clear anyone wanted to hear The Decemberists play their own music anymore, but they did just in case. The band redeemed the set after the guitar problems, and closed by taking crowd participation to the next level. They played (and acted out) a full rendition of “The Mariner’s Revenge”, leading the whole amphitheatre in screaming as if everyone had been eaten by a giant whale. Tens of thousands of honest-to-goodness dorks complied, and it was delightful. - Harry Painter

Deerhunter – Bigfoot Stage – 9:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Admittedly, I was embarrassed for the people of Sasquatch! when 10 minutes before Deerhunter were to start, there were hardly 200 people in attendance. But as Bradford Cox came on to help speed up the sound check and equipment set up (they were a good 10 minutes behind schedule), I got so busy watching him, I didn’t notice that that 200 had multiplied to thousands. And as a light rain began to fall and the deepest purple thunderclouds loomed overhead, people began to don their ponchos and garbage bags.

Photo by Ted Maider

Rushed by all of these factors, Bradford Cox and his Georgia outfit dove right into things and didn’t stop more than one or two times to tune or say thank you. It all became one beautiful cohesive piece of music, beginning with “Desire Lines”  bleeding into their new, unreleased “60 Cycle Hum”, which then turned rapidly into “Little Kids”, making for a 15 minute cohesive jam. The stormy clouds still threatened, but never quite made their move, but that didn’t stop the cold. The crowd was obviously spellbound, but for tracks that are in theory very danceable (“Nothing Ever Happened”), it was very hard to make the human body do anything other than just try and survive. The wind howled across the lands and up onto the stage, which added an epically ethereal touch to some already very ethereal rock music. And finally the lights all dimmed to leave one spotlight on Bradford Cox, who stood alone while he buzzed into a slow, chilly version of “Helicopter” that perfectly encapsulated the set. -Winston Robbins

Wilco – Mainstage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

“This is the place where Wilco had our worst show ever,” Jeff Tweedy said of the band’s 2004 Sasquatch! set (blame Arcade Fire). The deck was stacked against them this time around too — Wilco was the only Sasquatch! headliner without roots in Washington; Wilco’s set came in the middle of a much more energetic Deerhunter set on the Bigfoot Stage; and lastly, Wilco’s kind of a sad band, which doesn’t necessarily make for good festival-closing material. Tweedy even acknowledged it was hard to follow The Decemberists’ happy alt-rock tunes with a bunch of sad songs, but “I guess that’s what we do.”

Admittedly, if you like to end a weekend of music by partying, you were better off just watching Deerhunter and Major Lazer and heading back to the tent. Admittedly, the Chicago rockers started off by playing slow folksy songs, and didn’t exactly offset them with arena rock anthems. But what Wilco did do was play a set of 20-plus great songs with style and precision, which is all you can ask.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

Wilco’s set included Yankee Hotel Foxtrot selections like “Ashes of American Flags”, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, “War On War”, and “Jesus Etc.”, the last of which Tweedy implored the crowd to sing along to; it complied. Other favorites scattered throughout were the rarely played “Company In My Back”, “Misunderstood”, “Via Chicago”, “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”, and “Impossible Germany”.

One thing that can’t be stressed enough is how much Nels Cline made the show. Whether it was his screeching guitar solos, his slide guitar twangs, or his keyboard noodling, Cline’s roles took precedence in almost every song; he’s so crucial to the performance, it’s almost hard to imagine how this band made do before 2004.

Photo by Christopher Nelson

Wilco ended the night with “Hoodoo Voodoo”, with Tweedy all smiles. A fan threw a glowstick at him, and Tweedy responded, “You missed.” More glowsticks came, and Tweedy invited them. More glowsticks, and even half-full water bottle came flying toward the stage, almost nothing hitting the target. Right when you thought Tweedy might be mad, he simply said, “You guys suck” and “good night.” Maybe this wasn’t Wilco’s worst show ever, but like Sasquatch!, Wilco had an anniversary to celebrate, and that’s just what the band did. - Harry Painter

Monday Gallery by Heather Kaplan

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The Culture of Sasquatch!

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CoS at Sasquatch!: Mini Documentary

Cameras: Michael Roffman, Ted Maider
Edited By: Colin Peterson

]]> "Not considering this opening worthy of more attention, I continued our pursuit to the Northwest, being desirous to embrace the advantages of the prevailing breeze." - George Vancouver, 17th century English explorer Breathtaking describes a lot of things. It's typically a "go-to" adjective for anything remotely awe-inspiring. For Sasquatch! Music Festival, it's the only word that works. There's little room for where it doesn't work, come to think of it. Even the drive in from Seattle, WA is enough to yank tears from the eyes. Driving through the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, you can't miss the ominous Douglas-firs, or pry your hands from the wheel at the unpredictable roads that weave and snake through the mountainous terrain. It's an adventure in every sense of the word. But, that's just the drive. Once you're there, snuggled between the small towns of Quincy & George, you're essentially cut off from the traditional confines of society. You're a free spirit, roaming the natural habitat. It's a liberating feeling, but also somewhat frightening. You're at the hands of society's loose change. Actually, it's very frightening. But, that risk is what makes it so extraordinary. After everyone's settled and the traffic conditions slacken, festivalgoers, musicians, and staff co-exist together in a melting pot within a melting pot. It's madness, it's a little chaotic, but it's raw. It harkens back to the age-old American idealism of venturing beyond, exploring the uninhabited abyss. What an abyss, though. It's so easy to just say, "Well, the Gorge is out of this world. Duh." But, that's really it. Natural wonders retain that title for a reason. The Gorge earns it triple-fold. There are colors baked into its natural walls that haven't even been named yet. Even more spellbinding, these colors evolve every minute, every hour, and each day. So at first glance, it's something you'll remember forever, but that feeling never leaves you. Couple that with music and it's truly a win-win. -Michael Roffman President/Editor-in-Chief Friday, May 27th Rival Schools - Bigfoot Stage - 4:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan "Hey there," Rival Schools' vocalist Walter Schreifels muttered, cracking open the four-day Sasquatch! weekend. As the still evolving crowd poured in from the nearby gates - which had only opened 15-20 minutes prior to the set - the New York rockers breezed through a slightly raucous if not traditional set. Opener "Wring It Out", their current single supporting this year's Pedals, wrenched some acclaim from fanatics who scattered around the mid-sized Bigfoot stage, granting the band access to segue straight into other new material, specifically "69 Guns", which turned things up a notch. It didn't take long for the quartet to scale back to older material, either. Oldie "Everything Has Its Point", a track that dates back to their 2001 debut, United by Fate, popped up rather quickly. Then the rest just fell into place. -Michael Roffman Mariachi El Bronx - Yeti Stage - 4:30 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan There's a moment in every festival where a band conjures up the wonderful "freak flag" moment. For Sasquatch!, it came an hour into the weekend, when Los Angeles' own The Bronx donned the sombreros and dove head first into mariachi music. Dubbed Mariachi El Bronx, after the group's WTF 2009 LP of the same name, the group really stirred the proverbial post-modern fiesta hippy pot, to which everyone just sort of let their souls run wild. Sometime amidst the chaos, one of the band members exclaimed, "There's some badass shit going on today." Although it was a tad too early to admit this, that pretty much summed up the remainder of the day. Mariachi men or fortune tellers? Hmm. -Michael Roffman Biffy Clyro – Bigfoot Stage - 5:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan I was lucky enough to catch Biffy Clyro at the Illosaarirock Festival in Finland last year and was completely won over by the Scottish trio’s driving live act and larger-than-life sound. Though the catchy prog-metal band isn’t well known in North America, and they were one of the first bands to play at the start of the festival, they still managed to draw a sizeable crowd of fans who knew all lyrics by heart and were moshing out during some of the harder numbers. The Biff (as their fans affectionately call them) were quick and bouncy, turning their more pop-based songs into metal numbers and causing lead singer and guitarist (and Jesus lookalike) Simon Neil to break his strings several times over. -Karina Halle Bob Mould - Mainstage - 5:45 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Similar to Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould travels alone these days. Actually, the major difference between the two is that the latter actually travels. However, their stage show is strikingly similar - at least when Westerberg last toured. It's bare bones logic: a famed songwriter, alone, with an electric guitar, and a largely celebrated discography in the noggin. That might sound like a match made in heaven, but when you're playing the Gorge Amphitheatre, it's a tad...vacuous? Still early in the schedule, with the sun blazing beyond the hills and mountainous plains (if that makes sense), Mould, decked out in red flannel and some jeans, strolled out to a small yet adoring fan base. (Small in the sense that he's performing at the fucking Gorge.) Still, as he patrolled through Hüsker Dü classics like "Hardly Getting Over It" or solo hits a la "Wishing Well", he maintained an edge that was hard to dismiss. In the middle of the set, one fan nearby caught his attention, screaming, "Just rock on man! You're doing great!" A sweaty, rather exhausted Mould replied back, "I'm trying, man." In the end, you have to respect that. -Michael Roffman Against Me! - Bigfoot Stage - 6:10 p.m. Photo by Christopher Nelson In keeping with Friday's theme of nonstop hard rock, Against Me! played a consistently high-energy set to close the Bigfoot Stage for the evening. No acoustic breakdowns or intimate stage banter, just rocker after rocker, including highlights "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong", "T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)", and "I Was a Teenage Anarchist". At one of the Florida punk band's headlining shows it would have been tiring, but this was an ideal one-hour festival set. Outside of maybe Dave Grohl, Wayne Coyne, and Dave King, Tom Gabel was quietly the most likable frontman at Sasquatch!. Against Me! also earns points for choosing plain black tees over the flannel everyone else was wearing throughout the weekend. - Harry Painter The Bronx – Mainstage – 6:45 p.m. Photo by Jackie Kingsbury “I want to see all of you move out there! There’s a Sasquatch in all of you!” – Matt Caughthran Not many bands received two sets at Sasquatch this weekend; although, it’s arguable you could even count The Bronx’s shows as two sets. After an upbeat Mariachi show, they wandered to the Sasquatch stage where they stripped off the gear, but turned up the volume. There, the band screamed and thrashed, while the nearby pit proceeded to go ape-shit. They slammed through tracks like "They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)" and "White Tar", and set a much different vibe than the Mariachi set, as body parts were actually smashed at this show. To go from playing sexy salsa tunes to hardcore numbers with names like “Heart Attack America” was more or less a bloody and triumphant transition. -Ted Maider Death From Above 1979 - Mainstage - 8:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan The banner behind what would eventually become the DFA riot was a picture of a tombstone that read: “DFA 1979, 2001-2006”. Far more interesting than the tombstone, however, were the ghoulish images of Jesse Keeler and Sebastian Grainger emerging from the gravesite. The secret’s been out for some time (see: Coachella and SXSW), but Death From Above 1979 are back from the dead and sounding better than ever. Photo by Heather Kaplan Not ones to stop and chat, the pioneering duo took the stage and began melting faces right off the bat. The two took the slow afternoon from zero to 60 in a matter of milliseconds, and they didn’t relent for the entire time they were allotted. Mosh pockets opened up in literally every part of the Gorge, from the very front of the pit to the lawn seating, which made sense, considering DFA1979 has the power to bring human beings the insatiable urge to push one another. The set climaxed with a three song KO – “Sexy Results”, “Romantic Rights”, and “Do It!” - and as one might expect, everyone left the pit drenched in other people’s sweat, blood, and booze. Which I’m sure is what DFA consider a complete triumph. -Winston Robbins Foo Fighters – Mainstage - 9:30 p.m. When Sasquatch first announced that the festival would be four days long instead of three, many people wondered how on Earth they’d be able to draw in the crowds on Friday, the day that wasn’t a national holiday. Then they announced the Foo Fighters were headlining that night and everything fell into place. If there is any band that fans would skip out on work for, it’s the Foo Fighters. Of course, it’s always been kind of “cool” to rag on the Foo for being too commercial or “happy”, but riding high on the success of their latest album, Wasting Light, even cynical festival-goers were at least stopping by the main stage to check out their act. And if they checked their cynicism at the door, it was hard to walk away disappointed. From the moment Dave Grohl and his plaid-clad crew of chain-smoking Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, and Taylor Hawkins (the only one not in flannel), took to the stage, the audience was treated to two hours of wailing guitars, singalong anthems, and never ending energy. They opened with Wasting Light’s raucous “Bridge Burning” and sailed all the way through to “Everlong” (forgoing the encore, as Grohl said, “We’d rather keep playing until the end”) and the enthusiasm from the band and the crowd never dipped for a second. Though I would have loved for all songs off of Wasting Light to be played, they did pull out a fair chunk of it including “White Limo”, “Arlandria”, and “Dear Rosemary” (featuring Bob Mould who played the same stage earlier). The soaring, feel-good “Walk” united the crowd as much as their older hits such as “My Hero” and “Learn to Fly” did, and they even tossed out lesser-played songs such as “I’ll Stick Around” and “Generator”. [vimeo 24549112 500 325] The thing about the Foo Fighters is that they never just play their songs as is, they have to take them a step beyond. At Sasquatch this meant an extra epic jam session for “Monkey Wrench”, a drum solo courtesy of the tireless Hawkins, and numerous bridge breakdowns and build ups. Though it’s an effective live tool, the technique became repetitive after the 10th song, but as soon as Grohl slams back into the chorus, you were singing along with him and bumping elbows with people in the world’s happiest mosh pit. There were rumors that Grohl’s ex-bandmate Krist Novoselic was there watching from the side stage, which would have been an amazing opportunity for him to come out and join the band (especially since he contributed to Wasting Light’s heartfelt “I Should Have Known”), but perhaps he wanted this moment to be all about the Foo Fighters and not a quick Nirvana reunion, which is understandable. The Foo Fighters ended Friday with a sea of smiles and set the bar high for the whole festival. -Karina Halle Photo by Heather Kaplan Friday Gallery by Heather Kaplan [nggallery id=220] Saturday, May 28th Seattle Rock Orchestra - Bigfoot Stage - 12:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan On paper, an orchestra performing the songs of Radiohead sounds worthwhile -- and what better venue to house such an event than the stage closest to the entrance of a hip music festival as a bunch of likely Radiohead fans walk in? Last year was a similar deal, with the Seattle Rock Orchestra instead performing an Arcade Fire tribute. For whatever reason, this time around, people were not moved to sing along, dance, or even pay much attention. Seattle Rock Orchestra, which has at times been comprised of over 60 members, brought out a couple dozen at most to play hits from The Bends and OK Computer. The problem was it felt more like a standard cover band with a string section than a real orchestra as the abridged SRO recited uninspired arrangements of "Just", "Airbag", "Paranoid Android", and "My Iron Lung". There were bright spots, however. "Exit Music", "Electioneering", and "Karma Police", despite never approaching the emotional gusto of the originals, at least did some justice to them and made the strings and horns feel necessary. Using multiple decidedly un-Yorkeian vocalists (including a female) was a good call, and the performances never felt cheesy. - Harry Painter The Radio Dept. - Mainstage - 1:05 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan For as long as The Radio Dept.’s been at it, and for how very little they tour, they should have been placed later in the day. But beggars can’t be choosers, and no matter the time of day, The Radio Dept. in the flesh is The Radio Dept. in the flesh. Touring behind their latest singles collection Passive  Aggressive, their setlist consisted entirely of the singles they’ve released over the past decade and a half. From Lesser Matters’ “Ewan” to the more recent “Heaven’s On Fire” off their last LP, 2010's Clinging To A Scheme. The three piece Swedish outfit timidly went about their 45 minutes to a fairly full floor, which makes sense, given the fact that they’re somewhat reclusive and playing to a very, very large Gorge lawn crowd. Never ones to crack under the pressure, they played a beautiful set note for note. -Winston Robbins k-os – Bigfoot Stage - 3:00 p.m. Photo by Karina Halle Toronto-based musician k-os (nee Kevin Brereton) brought a lively dose of his grooving rap-rock to the Bigfoot stage. There was a distinct lack of hip-hop acts at Sasquatch, so savvy festival-goers were quick to catch his set, his reggae-induced beats suiting the blue-sky and sunshine perfectly. Songs like “Sunday Morning”, “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman”, and “Man I Used to Be” went over well despite the stage's frequent sound problems that plagued his microphone and interrupted a few of the songs. -Karina Halle Local Natives - Mainstage - 3:15 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan It would have been easy to overlook the Local Natives as the band that played Sasquatch! because Fleet Foxes can't be there every year. That is, it would have been easy had they not turned so many heads. Besides it being a little hard to take seriously a folk band led by a guy with a porn star mustache, Local Natives earned their stripes with what frontman Taylor Rice said was their biggest gig yet (the list includes their appearance at Sasquatch! 2010 on the smaller Bigfoot Stage). Local Natives played the usual Gorilla Manor material, before reporting they would be heading home to L.A. to record the next album. - Harry Painter Trailer Park Boys – Banana Shack - 3:45 p.m. Photo by Karina Halle What to say about the Trailer Park Boys? Because Canada’s answer to Reno 911 follows the lives of Nova Scotian ex-convicts Bubbles (Mike Smith), Ricky (Rob Wells), and Julian (John Paul Tremblay) in a trailer trash mockumentary style, it was interesting to see how the show would play out as a live comedy show (at a US festival, too). Though it was hard to hear and see at times, the trio managed to titillate the mainly Canadian crowd (this I deduced from the “Go Canucks Go” chant just prior) and maybe win over a few new fans. The free hot dogs that Julian tossed into the crowd probably helped too. -Karina Halle Wolf Parade - Mainstage - 4:20 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan This set was doubly tragic. Not only did indie veterans Wolf Parade only get 45 minutes to play, but it would (possibly, probably) be the last time they performed for a very long time. They announced months ago that they were going on an indefinite hiatus, Sasquatch! Music Festival being the last stop before calling it quits. The enormity of the situation wasn’t lost on the crowd, either. Wolf Parade drew the largest group of people for any band non head or sub-headlining. Seemingly undaunted by any of these stressors, they put on a historic show. Once again, it was tragically short, but it was bursting at the seams with the best work of their career. Obviously, the tracks from Apologies To Queen Mary (“You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son” and “Fancy Claps” in particular) were the best received, but they gave each track the treatment it deserved. Expo 86 cut “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way)” primed the crowd before they played themselves off with a rendition of “I’ll Believe In Anything” that sent chills down the spines of all those who grasped the reality of the situation. -Winston Robbins J. Mascis - Yeti Stage - 4:35 p.m. Photo by Christopher Nelson The demographics that made up Sasquatch! couldn't have been expected to know or care who J. Mascis was, and it appeared most didn't. But it wasn't much of a challenge for the silver-maned, baseball cap-wearing Dinosaur Jr. frontman to win people over. Featuring songs off his debut solo album, Several Shades of Why, as well as some Dino Jr. favorites, Mascis' set alternated between accessible acoustic folk rock and the noisy guitar solos for which he is known. The 1993 Dino Jr. track "Get Me", in particular, had the Yeti crowd in a trance. Mascis wins the old guy award for the weekend, as great as Bob Mould was. - Harry Painter Jenny & Johnny - Bigfoot Stage - 5:10 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider It was not a secret that the crowd kept very well, they were absolutely at this set just to see Jenny Lewis. And why wouldn’t they be? She was true to form: beautiful, endearing, and immensely talented. Joke was on the Lewis-driven crowd, though, when they realized that singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice (the Johnny portion of the duo) was no laughing matter. The two (with the help of Rilo Kiley and Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band drummer Jason Boesel) put on a sweet show, singing songs about love and loss with unmatched pop sensibility. I’m Having Fun Now tracks “Scissor Runner” and “Pet Snakes” seemed to particularly catch the attention of the crowd. But in the end, the hapless Jenny Lewis fans got what they wanted when she broke out Acid Tongue epic “The Next Messiah”. -Winston Robbins Wye Oak - Yeti Stage - 5:40 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Saturday's breakout act was a hell of a follow-up to J. Mascis. Baltimore's Wye Oak, which consists of singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner and drummer/keyboardist (simultaneously!) Andy Stack, is a duo that has all the depth of a standard four-piece. Wasner could work on emphasizing her vocals, but between Wye Oak and The Radio Dept., Saturday was a good day for dream pop. -Harry Painter The Antlers - Bigfoot Stage - 6:20 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider Fresh off the release of their impeccable Burst Apart, it was uncertain how this set would go for The Antlers. It was so vastly different from its predecessor, it seemed impossible that the two albums could ever share the same stage. This worry was alleviated when it was revealed track by track that they were playing Burst Apart in the order it appears on the LP tracklist. Coming out with the enormous “I Don’t Want Love”, the Brooklyn trio (with a backing drummer) destroyed the Bigfoot Stage fearlessly. There wasn’t time for them to play the album in its entirety, unfortunately, in the 45 minutes they were allotted, but they got the first six of the 10 tracks in, and peaked during an almost post-rock version of “Rolled Together”. They closed with the only track from their 2009 hit album Hospice they’d play all night, “Two”. But even that old track had been altered to sound a tad more Burst Apart-y, for lack of a better phrase. It will be interesting to see how The Antlers go about splicing these two vastly different pieces of work into a coherent live set, but it was something we were fortunately (or unfortunately?) spared of having to deal with. But after seeing them play a sunset performance at The Gorge, there seem to be very few things The Antlers can’t do right. -Winston Robbins The Thermals - Yeti Stage - 6:45 p.m. There are some pros and cons to the Yeti Stage. On the positive side, it faces the outside horizon; the area that surrounds the festival; the natural habitats that bring people here week after week. On the downside, it also faces the setting sun. Many artists have had problems with this; after all, who wants to rock out with a blinding sun? However, Portland's own The Thermals remained true to their name, using the sun's radiant energy to, and please pardon the use of the pun, thermally ignite. With an agreeable combination of both new and old, the minimalistic trio punched and kicked through nearly 20 songs in the evening's transitioning hour. During an incendiary opening cut of "Time to Lose", vocalist Hutch Harris took things to the floor, channeling his inner Chuck Berry, and kept things going with "Returning to the Fold", "Not Like Any Other Feeling", and "It's Trivia". Blame it on their tour with the always thrilling Matt & Kim, but The Thermals were fiddling with an energy that hasn't been this exciting for awhile. The crowd fed off it, too. Before they trekked forward, Harris observed: "Oh yeah, it's getting rowdy out there. Keep it going Sasquatch." They did, but so did the band. -Michael Roffman Photo by Heather Kaplan Washed Out - Banana Shack - 7:00 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider The newly re-vamped Verizon Banana Shack seemed the perfect home for chillwave pioneers Washed Out. But hindsight’s 20/20, and they would have been better suited at a regular stage. The Banana Shack is more commonly home to house/dance music, and it took an extremely long time to get the band’s gear onstage. They finally managed to start 20 minutes after their scheduled time, and seemed very scattered throughout their set as a result. Leading man Ernest Greene was the glue that held the set together as he ran through a shortened set that incorporated old favorites (“New Theory, “Feel It All Around”), introduced a new song, and closed with a rendition of their latest single “Eyes Be Closed” that was almost good enough to redeem the flaws of the show. Washed Out started out as Ernest Greene, and as it has expanded to a five-piece, some of his earlier songs seemed very crowded with five instruments trying to create a fairly small sound. But as for the song they debuted and “Eyes Be Closed”, the band couldn’t have sounded better, and Washed Out’s forthcoming Within And Without will no doubt be a bigger, bolder record. But this particular show? Washed Out dropped the ball. -Winston Robbins Bright Eyes -Mainstage - 8:15 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan The veteran cast of Bright Eyes (along with their backing band, which includes Rilo Kiley/Mystic Valley Band drummer, Jason Boesel) took the stage one at a time -legendary producer/artist Mike Mogis, followed by the master of quiet intangibles Nate Walcott, all leading to the centerpiece of the indie legends: Conor Oberst. Oberst emerged from the side of the stage throwing his arms around, while wearing a hood that covered most of his face, which made him look uncannily like B. Rabbit from 8 Mile. The music that ensued was far from rap battling, however, and Oberst took no time getting into his all too short sub-headlining set with a massive rendition of The People’s Key single “Firewall”, which sent the crowd into an uproar. It was deathly cold and getting colder by the minute, but that didn’t deter the insanely devoted Oberst fans down in the pit. Every movement he made, every word he said (of course he had something to say about politics and the state of affairs in our day and age), and every song he sung inspired the crowd to get more and more worked up. Their hour set included songs from every era of the Bright Eyes career: tracks from I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, Lifted or the Story is in the Telling, Cassadaga, and even one from Fevers & Mirrors, which he dedicated to his contemporaries that he’d been in the business with since late 90’s: Iron & Wine and Death Cab For Cutie. And while I’m sure they appreciated the gesture, the set was about the fans. Photo by Heather Kaplan “Four Winds”, “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”, and a combination of “Road To Joy” and  “One For You, One For Me” caused a particularly large uproar. The latter of the three mentioned was possibly the most moving of the entire weekend. Oberst left the stage to join his adoring fans, one of whom hurdled the barrier and kissed him passionately on the lips before being escorted away by security. As the voice over to “One For You, One For Me” played over the PA, Oberst remained at the front of the crowd hugging and shaking the hands of fans, some of whom were literally weeping to be in his presence. Love him or hate him, Conor Oberst has an immovable charisma that speaks powerfully to some. -Winston Robbins [vimeo 24559363 500 325] Robyn - Bigfoot Stage - 9:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan It wasn't really fair to pit Robyn between Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie - especially since the latter hasn't toured in quite awhile. However, the Swedish treat sweetened enough folks by name alone to create a massive scene at the Bigfoot Stage. Technical difficulties pushed the set back 25 minutes, which turned the crowd into a tepid mob scene. Several fans chanted "Robyn!", plenty walked away, and one guy wholeheartedly attempted to sell the crowd on chanting "18 minutes late!" (which soon evolved into "25 minutes late!"), though no one joined him. They didn't have to because once the international sensation appeared, all energy was focused on dancing. Strictly dancing. Smiling, waving, and stripping down - even amidst the chilly winds rolling through - Robyn powered through a close pocketed 45 minute set, starting with "Fembot", continuing on with "Bad Gal", and naturally including her scorching single (and Gossip Girl burner), "Dancing On My Own". A double dosage of percussion injected some adrenaline into an already impressive stage set up, tailoring songs like "Indestructible" with an epic sheen. Basically, if you haven't seen her live, then you're not just missing out, you're selling your heart short. -Michael Roffman Death Cab for Cutie – Mainstage – 9:30 p.m. Writer’s Note: Ben Gibbard needs a haircut. As it was the 10th anniversary of Sasquatch, it seemed reasonable to book some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest modern acts to carry on the torch for another year. Seattle’s own Death Cab for Cutie was a perfect choice for such an occasion as they continue to embody the Washington spirit. As time has raced on by, Death Cab has gone from an indie sensation to a slew of pop-stars with constant airplay. Only in Seattle, right? To prove that they were worthy of a headlining title, Gibbard  & Co. took the stage to deliver one of the most surprising shows of the weekend. The energy was quite high - especially for a Death Cab gig. Opener “I Will Possess Your Heart” lasted for ages, but its thumping bass line and stirring percussion were enough to stir the crowd. This sort of chemistry washed over other gems like “Movie Script Ending”, an electrifying “Cath”, and a version of “Long Division” that brought people to crowd surf. Hit after hit, and song after song, Death Cab for Cutie rattled their catalog for a show that would not only impress the Sasquatch crowd, but also make every fan jealous that they missed this show. The true highlight of the set though was when Gibbard came out alone to strum away Plans favorite, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”. Feeling the raw intimacy of the song, the crowd joined along and sang in unison, their voices echoing off the walls of the Gorge. People will follow Gibbard anywhere, I guess. -Ted Maider Photo by Kyle Johnson [vimeo 24552419 500 325] Sleigh Bells -Banana Shack - 10:10 p.m. Photo by Winston Robbins The Banana Shack was hands down the best addition to this year’s installment of Sasquatch!. Very much like Coachella’s Sahara Tent, the Banana Shack was solely for the purpose of comedians during the day and electro raves at night. So, of course, this is the stage where Sleigh Bells landed. Their set was unfortunately stuck in the middle of Death Cab’s and Robyn’s respective sets, but it mattered very little in the end. They were 20 minutes late to start, but they made up for that by not only going an extra half hour longer than they were scheduled, but by rocking especially hard. Sleigh Bells are admittedly more flash than music, but their flash is so illustrious that it enhances the music to levels many of their contemporaries could only hope to achieve. After an instrumental cover of “Iron Man” by Derek Miller, Alexis Krauss joined him for what would be an hour of sheer sweaty chaos. Sleigh Bells is best played at maximum volume, and the sound in the Banana Shack more than accommodated this ideal. Being that Treats is a fairly short album they played almost every track, the highlights being “Riot Rhythm”, “Infinity Guitars”, and a very funky version of “Rill Rill”. -Winston Robbins Bassnectar – Bigfoot Stage – 11:30 p.m. Photo by Kyle Johnson Disclaimer: I hate dub-step. Prior to this show, an audience member informed me humans are conditioned to enjoy heavy bass, as the vibrations remind our subconscious of time spent in the womb and the comfort we received within it. This has to be true because thousands of people crammed in for Bassnectar’s late night show…. and, well, he delivered. The DJ, whose popularity has clearly skyrocketed within the past couple years, blew out speakers, mixed Nirvana, and played one of the highest energy sets possible. The only thing more insane than the DJ himself was the crowd. People tossed glow sticks, moshed, crowd-surfed and went ballistic. It was hands down the best dance show of the weekend. Disclaimer: I still hate dub-step. -Ted Maider Saturday Gallery by Heather Kaplan [nggallery id=221] Sunday, May 29th The Drums - Mainstage - 1:05 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan For the past year or two, New York post-punk rockers The Drums have raised eyebrows in critics' circles for making Joy Division sound sunny and fun. Their self-titled debut hit plenty of End of the Year lists last year and despite some lineup changes, they continue to truck on and maintain a some gravitas in the indie community. None of that's changed. If their early spot at the Mainstage is any indication, they're not going anywhere. Songs like "Best Friend", "Let's Go Surfing", and "Down by the Water" are all classics by now. They're great. But when beach blonde Jonathan Pierce introduced new song "Money", and reported that the band wrapped up recording their sophomore follow up, things took a turn for the best. Sounding like a spunky outtake from New Order's Movement, "Money" whisked on by with a sharp noise that made cuts in everyone's ears. That's a good thing. Waiting until we hear the studio version? Not a good thing. Either way, the boys continue to look hip (from hair to toe) and sound fresh. At this point, they can continue championing the whole surfer rock thing, even if that whole image has been burned to the ground. They at least earned it. -Michael Roffman [vimeo 24496576 500 325] Fitz & The Tantrums - Mainstage - 2:10 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan There is nothing new going on here. Fitz & The Tantrums play a predictable blend of funk and neo-soul designed, of course, to get the dance floor moving. But these guys are really good at it. Fitz, full name Michael Fitzpatrick, is a David Bowie lookalike in a flashy suit who puts in his 110 percent to get the crowd involved. How often do you see a frontman request a clap or mass kneel and fail miserably? In Fitz's case, he had everyone, lawn included, complying with his every command -- so you know he's doing something right. Highlights included "Rich Girls", the single "MoneyGrabber", and a cover of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". - Harry Painter S. Carey - Bigfoot Stage -  3:00 p.m. Sean Carey has come a long way from being the guy that timidly confronted Justin Vernon at a show to tell him he admired his music. Not only did he shortly thereafter join Bon Iver, but he embarked on a solo career of his own while Justin Vernon was off doing other things (you know, hanging out with Kanye West and stuff). Over the past year or so, S. Carey has toured behind his debut solo record, All We Grow, with a notable spot opening up for last year’s biggest folk sensation The Tallest Man On Earth. Carey came out confident and played his quiet, beautiful post-rock to a very large crowd, considering how early in the day he was scheduled to play. He and his five piece brought their A game and finished big with an impromptu cover of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks theme song, followed by a very subtle cover of Bjork’s “Unravel”, and an emotional version of the title track, “All We Grow”. This was surely one of his last solo performances, as he will be joining back up with Bon Iver, who is about to take over the world yet again when their new album drops later this June (don’t pretend for a second you haven’t downloaded the leak…). -Winston Robbins Tokyo Police Club – Mainstage – 3:15 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider Tokyo Police Club has been whoring out their Canadian goodness to all the festivals in the past year, so it seemed natural that they’d show up at Sasquatch! (considering how many Canadians were there to support them). The band was definitely a decent way to fill some time throughout the day’s heat, and they actually played a pretty good set. They got the crowd to help them out with “Tessellate” and jammed on gems like “Elephant Shell” and “Nature of the Experiment”. The real show though was when the band brought their good friend on stage, not to rock, but to propose to his girlfriend. Perfect for an indie-rock festival. -Ted Maider [vimeo 24559422 500 325] Sam Roberts Band – Bigfoot Stage - 4:05 p.m. Photo by Karina Halle Juno-award winning (you know, the Canadian Grammys) singer/songwriter Sam Roberts is perfect festival fodder and his appearance on the Big Foot stage was no exception. His brand of smooth-voiced rock and roll is simple enough for sunny days but catchy enough to keep an audience moving on their toes, which is exactly what he did. Even people who weren’t planning on catching the show were stopping by the stage and joining along with the singalongs and hand-waving to such songs as “Brother Down” and “The Last Crusade”. Watching the smiling festival-goers jump and flail around to “Them Kids” made you think that the song’s lyrics were wrong and the kids do “know how to dance to rock and roll” after all. Well, at least they try. -Karina Halle Beach House - Mainstage - 4:20 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Three years ago, Beach House's Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally were performing at intimate venues like Chicago's own Schubas. You know, to maybe 300 people tops? So seeing them entertain thousands at the Gorge on Sunday evening was beyond surreal. Here's a place that acts like Pearl Jam or Dave Matthews Band have used for their landmark live efforts. Now, this Baltimore dream pop duo can say they've matched them - sort of. They may not be able to rope in that many on their own, but they're certainly up for the task, at least if their stage presence is any indication. Tighter, more intense, and highly personable, Legrand and Scally actually look alive these days. In between their lush and gorgeous ballads like "Zebra" or "Walk in the Park", the two committed to some friendly banter. Legrand even remarked on the group's questionable set time: "We like that our set started at 4:20, but we don't really care about that. That makes me sound like a pothead." As the sun glazed the surrounding fields, everyone was at peace with themselves, including a little indie toddler, who tossed dirt around and brought smiles from passerby's. "Humans are meant to cooperate. Good job, human beings," Scally observed. Yes, kudos. -Michael Roffman Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Yeti Stage - 4:35 p.m. Austin, TX's Black Joe Lewis likes to have a good time. His Honeybears make that happen each time they're on stage together. As the sun started to spill over, the bluesy octet owned the Yeti Stage, and its many inhabitants. Lewis' trademark swagger has finally worked. For the past two years, they've been a festival staple, though in smaller capacities. Although the Yeti Stage is technically the smallest of the Sasquatch! venues, the crowd proved he needs to move up next time he's in "town." This wasn't a group of passerby's; no, this was more like a loyal following. And by the time they started grooving to a muddy rendition of "Louie, Louie" or "Bird is the Word!", they had hundreds of fans screaming their hearts out. Too bad the nearby BBQ was overpriced. It could've added to the great backyard jam. Oh well. -Michael Roffman Photo by Jackie Kingsbury Mad Rad - Yeti Stage - 5:40 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan It's hard to explain Seattle's Mad Rad. They're essentially a slew of Caucasians that create nasally-sounding hipster hip-hop. But it's loud, it's obnoxious, and it's enigmatic. For a small group that's technically still unheard of, they commandeered one of the largest crowds at the Yeti Stage. They didn't waste any time roping them in, either. The band's ensemble includes Buffalo Madonna, Terry Radjaw, DJ Darwin, and P Smoov and all of them shared the spotlight equally. Throughout their then potentially hazardous set, Buffalo, Terry, and P Smoov tossed toilet paper into the crowd and rapped while crowd surfing over fans. Some of the best crowd interaction of the weekend happened during songs like "Love in a Strange World" or "I Want Your Blood", which have deeper meanings than their titles imply. Then again, they're just not the same without the ridiculous introductions before them. Bottom line: Look 'em up. -Michael Roffman Archers of Loaf – Bigfoot Stage – 6:20 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider So, was the reunion worth it? Archers of Loaf, known for their weird songs in the '90s, played the Bigfoot Stage to one of the smallest crowds of the entire weekend. In fact, I saw more people with artist wristbands at the show than kids with festival wristbands. It didn’t stop the band from rocking out, though, and dishing out numerous classics like the dreary “You and Me” or the thrashing “Audiowhore”. But considering nobody seemed to know who they were, it makes one think, are reunions even important anymore, or just a bunch of Internet hype? -Ted Maider Das Racist - Yeti Stage - 6:45 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan You know what, we’ll try and cut Das Racist some slack, as they traveled all the way from performing a show at Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain the night before. But even if we gave them the most slack in the history of slack cutting, this was still one of the worst performances at Sasquatch. Things got off to a bad start when they didn’t go on until 40 minutes after they were supposed to. The crowd was visibly restless, and were on the verge of eating and/or maiming each other when Das Racist finally came on. And from there, one would assume that they were never able to fully recover. Das Racist’s bread and butter is drunken, lazy, nonsensical raps. It’s just part of their charm. But for this particular performance they were either remarkably jet lagged, or especially drunk. Even when they finally started performing, they barely moved, and their raps should be more accurately described as very quick mumbling. Not even their extremely popular “hahahaha jk?” could save them. And what had been one of the largest crowds at the Yeti Stage quickly dispersed, either to find some floor space for The Flaming Lips, or to bump up the hill to see Gayngs. -Winston Robbins Gayngs - Bigfoot Stage - 7:30 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider Gayngs were tragically scheduled against The Flaming Lips, which obviously took away from a crowd that should have been bigger. But for those who stuck around, it was well worth the small portion of The Flaming Lips that had to be missed. All eyes were intensely glued to the stage, hoping Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce of Bon Iver would show up, but when the suave 10-piece band took the stage neither of the men were to be found. After the initial disappointment wore off, the crowd began to get into Gayngs’ slow, sexy jams. Ryan Olson has enough charisma and then some to make up for the lack of Vernon. The backing band consisted of relatively unknown individuals, (other than Zach Coulter) but were all immensely impressive. With Olson at the helm, the backing musicians rapidly seeing limelight, and Bon Iver members popping in and out, Gayngs very well might one day be America’s answer to Broken Social Scene. “The Gaudy Side of Town”, “The Crystal Rope”, and set closer “The Last Prom On Earth” were all met with huge fanfare and massive sing-a-longs despite a no-showing Justin Vernon. -Winston Robbins The Flaming Lips - Mainstage - 8:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan The Flaming Lips are no stranger to the festival scene. Not only do they seem to play every notable festival year after year, their music feels expertly tailored for the events filled with drug-infused music lovers and experimental looky-loos. Their appearance at Sasquatch though had one change from the norm; they were playing their beloved album, 1999's The Soft Bulletin, in its entirety. Of course they had their trademark theatrics to wow over the general public, such as guns that shot pastel confetti, the cast of The Wizard of Oz dancing on the sides of the stages, singer Wayne Coyne in a giant hamster ball, multi-colored balloons, and crazy video projections. But hardcore fans were also delighted to hear the psychedelic harmonies and orchestrations of the acclaimed album. It started off at a good pace with “Race for the Prize” luring people into the set's vibe. By the time they reached “The Spiderbite Song“, Coyne began to tell stories about the band members Steven Drozds and Michael Ivins, which slowed the momentum down. Sure, Coyne can sometimes yammer on too much, but at least he’s always engaged and always sincere with his interaction with the audience, and appreciative of the set’s stunning location. Even if you weren’t high off your gourd, you still felt a bit of magic at the playful atmosphere and the sight of the orange sun setting behind the rugged hills of the Columbia River Gorge. Photo by Heather Kaplan The set ended on a rather somber note which might have pulled some of the crowd down before Modest Mouse hit the stage, but there’s no doubt Lips fans walked away satisfied. It was a good way for the band to marry their over-the-top theatrics with their spared down melodies, making it feel that even though you were surrounded by many, the Lips were singing just for you. -Karina Halle Flying Lotus - Banana Shack - 8:40 p.m. Photo by Christopher Nelson Let’s think of this set in terms of stocks and bonds. Skipping The Flaming Lips for Flying Lotus is obviously a high risk investment. But every now and again on Wall Street, sheer dumb luck makes Franklins fall from the sky, and your payout becomes exponentially larger than what you invested to begin with, making your initial investment worth the risk. The 2,500 people that were either brave or drunk enough to make this gamble came out of Flying Lotus’ set feeling like masters of stocks and bond; it was truly one of the greatest risks they ever took. Even Steven Ellingson (Flying Lotus) himself was surprised to see so many people in the crowd, remarking “I made the two and a half, three hour drive here thinking the whole time no one would show up. But you did! And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for it.” And it was with that grateful sentiment that FlyLo started his set, which was an hour of pure electronic/hip-hop bliss. Ellingson was literally smiling the entire time, and the wheat had been separated from the chaff, if you will, leaving only the truest of true fans to party with Flying Lotus, creating an even more legitimate environment. Photo by Luke Johnson As a result of FlyLo’s appreciation and the crowd’s enthusiasm, he rolled out a set that will go down in history as one of his most spectacular. Incorporating Radiohead, Lil’ Wayne, and dozens of other artists in with his own infectious beats sent chills down the spines of those watching. The Banana Shack nearly toppled over (figuratively, of course) when he mixed the sheer grit of Tyler, The Creator’s “Yonkers” on top of one of his most bass-heavy tracks, “Melt!”. Word spread quickly and a major topic of conversation between festival-goers for the rest of the weekend was about how bummed they were that they went with The Flaming Lips (all due respect to Mr. Coyne and Mr. Drozd) over Flying Lotus. -Winston Robbins Yeasayer - Bigfoot Stage - 9:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan After The Flaming Lips fizzled out, thousands flocked to the Bigfoot Stage, where Yeasayer turned the heat up. (Actually, it was getting pretty cold, so it made sense that people would want to dance.) Though the lights were impressive and Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder all maintained a stoic composure, a few tracks felt a tad hollow. On record, "O.N.E." feels so all encompassing, but on stage it felt lacking. Maybe it was just too loud or too open of a space, but the tracks didn't leave any bruises upon impact. Instead, they just warmed things up. "Ambling Alp" solved a lot of these issues, but by then, most were flocking away towards Modest Mouse. See you in the clubs, guys. -Michael Roffman Modest Mouse – Mainstage – 9:45 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Prior to this show, I heard countless horror stories about Modest Mouse, and people’s experiences with them. Stories like “I’ve seen them three times and they sucked for all of them” were quite popular, as well as, “Last time, Issac Brock was so drunk he couldn’t even sing ‘Dramamine’”. One must assume that the people who organize Sasquatch! know what they're doing, because they billed Modest Mouse as Sunday’s headliner, and it seemed to be one of the headliners most people were concerned about. But when Brock and friends took the stage, everyone swelled and wondered what was going to come next. Brock stood in front of the mic quietly as feedback filled the Gorge until finally, he took a deep breath and screamed, “THIS PLANE IS DEFINITELY CRASHING!”, which meant one thing: “Shit Luck". For those in attendance, as a Modest Mouse fan, you can die happy now. Photo by Heather Kaplan They didn’t stop there either. The band dipped all over their catalog for the next two hours. A soothing “Gravity Rides Everything” followed, a fantastic rendition of “Dramamine” (complete with all the lyrics) was delivered, two new songs were debuted ("Lampshades on Fire", "Poison"), and even more recent stranger songs like “King Rat” were played, too. People danced, people sang, yet all were genuinely pleased that, for once, Modest Mouse was fucking killing it. They even played their most mainstream hit, “Float On”, which was more than enough to get the crowd on their feet and rocking out with every ounce of strength. But by far the most epic part of the night was the encore that included “World at Large”, especially as every “Ba ba ba” bounced off the Gorge. Only at Sasquatch kids… -Ted Maider [vimeo 24559386 500 325] MSTRKRFT - Banana Shack - 10:00 p.m. Photo by Jackie Kingsbury Leave it to Jesse Keeler to be responsible for creating not one but two of the most out of control shows at Sasquatch! 2011. His other project, the recently reincarnated Death From Above 1979, rocked the Gorge to its knees two days prior, and he did it again, only this time in a completely different vein of music. Keeler and his producer cohort Al-P took to the Sasquatch! equivalent of Coachella’s Sahara Tent, The Banana Shack, to throw what would be the biggest rave at this year’s installment of the festival. In the past, MSTRKRFT haven’t been known for their studio music being extremely rave-centric. But with the release of this year’s singles “Back In the USSA” and “Beards Again” (both of which were played during the set), it seems as though MSTRKRFT may be headed that way if and when they decide to drop a new full-length. Photo by Jackie Kingsbury With the exception of a few of the hip hop samples that appeared on their (pretty lackluster) sophomore album, Fist of God, they didn’t play a single song off their two LPs; they played only new music that was a menagerie of smart sampling, well placed drops, and house-savvy beats. When it came for them to leave, Keeler announced to the crowd that they wanted to keep playing, and that they would soldier on well past their time slot and wouldn’t leave until the crowd didn’t want to hear them anymore or until an authority figure told them they couldn’t go on any longer. Obviously the ravers didn’t want them to stop (how do ravers go for 12 hours at a time and barely even break a sweat? They’re a rare sub-species, who I find to be particularly interesting), especially when they  combined their “Beards Again” with Daft Punk’s “Da Funk”. They ended up playing until 11:40, 40 minutes after when they were scheduled to stop. Eat your heart out, Sahara Tent. -Winston Robbins Ratatat - Bigfoot Stage - 11:00 p.m. Photo by Christopher Nelson Ratatat has found their niche in the music world. After two solid releases – their self-titled, and Classics - the instrumental duo found themselves immensely popular, giving them the leniency to sort of do whatever the hell they want, musically. And they’ve done just that. They’ve gone down an alley of quick, bright sampling that is fairly different than their first two releases, but impressive all the same, especially in a live setting. They pulled the late night slot at Sasquatch, which screams perfection in terms of time slot placement. And even though MSTRKRFT and Modest Mouse ate through a good bit of their set, Ratatat drew a huge crowd, especially once the aforementioned bands were done. People returning to camp were naturally drawn in by the enormously catchy sound, and even more so by the bizarre visual arrangements. Photo by Christopher Nelson Not only did the stage lighting involve some of the most elaborate sets at Sasquatch! (other than The Flaming Lips, of course), the montages being played over  the massive screens were so visually captivating, it was nearly impossible to look away. From bad infomercial acting to wildly shifting arrangements of birds, the screens were nearly as fun to watch as the band itself, who were quite impressive. No longer touring solely behind LP4, they were allowed to visit old favorites like “Loud Pipes”, “Kennedy”, and “Wildcat”. But that didn’t stop them from playing some of the strongest new material such as “Falcon Jab”, “Shempi”, and “Neckbrace”. But no track even held a candle to the one encore song they played as they approached one in the morning: an incredibly well re-arranged version of all-time classic “Seventeen Years”. It was the perfect way to end the most dance heavy day of the festival. -Winston Robbins Sunday Gallery by Heather Kaplan [nggallery id=222] Monday, May 30th Wavves – Mainstage - 11:30 a.m. Photo by Ted Maider Perhaps it was the fact that they were a late addition, but Wavves was scheduled far too early in the morning. It’s not like Nathan Williams’ surf-punk project needs the extra exposure or anything, they get plenty of that from every musically oriented output in the civilized world. But after three days of hard festival partying, 11:30 a.m. was a little too early for everyone but the absolute biggest Wavves fans. Regardless, they put on one of the most energetic shows of the day, peaking with the one two punch combo of “King of the Beach” and “Idiot”. -Winston Robbins [vimeo 24559430 500 325] Young the Giant - Mainstage - 12:35 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Young the Giant had its work cut out for it following a morning Wavves set, and results were mixed. The energy lagged a little, perhaps because of the heat and everyone being tired by Monday. But Sameer Gadhia and co. did their best to counteract this, and had the pit jumping during the set-closing single "My Body". - Harry Painter Twin Shadow – Yeti Stage - 1:00 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider Brooklyn’s George Lewis, Jr., aka Twin Shadow, crafted an excellent album in Forget. It’s sad, it’s haunting, and it’s beautiful all at once. But none of that came across live, which may sound like a knock, but is a huge compliment. Lewis and his confident five-piece band went about their songs tirelessly for their 50 minute set. As well as debuting two new songs (which hopefully means he’s working on a follow-up with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, who produced the first record), Twin Shadow did ultra dance versions of their ominous new wave songs (in the order that they appear on the record) “Tyrant Destroyed”, “When We Were Dancing”, and “I Can’t Wait”. If Lewis doesn’t become a prominent figure in the rise of chillwave, whatever the hell that means anymore, I’ll be thoroughly surprised. The man is an incredible performer, has great stage presence, and best of all writes fantastic music. -Winston Robbins Old 97's - Mainstage - 1:40 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Once again, maybe it has to do with playing in the heat on a tired Monday afternoon when everyone was trying to nap, but the Old 97's completely failed to get a reaction out of anyone outside the front rows. And it's just as likely the Old 97's were the ones putting everyone to sleep. One song blended into another, into another. The songs that made an impression were "I'm a Trainwreck", "Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)", and "Timebomb". -Harry Painter Chromeo - Mainstage - 2:45 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan On paper, a midday Chromeo show sounds as enthralling as watching Miami Vice on a sick day. It's just not the right mood. However, early Sunday at the Gorge, Montreal's unlikely duo Dave 1 and P-Thugg delivered all the glitz and glamour of their traditional live show. The fans helped make it magical, too. In addition to dancing and sweating a storm under the scorching hot sun, thousands of fans tossed around inflatable sea animals, exclaiming as each shark or octopus made its way toward them. Surrounded by his back up singers, an idea no doubt borrowed from the late Robert Palmer, Dave 1, remarked, "Pretty lively for a Monday afternoon, I'd say." Between set opener (and last year's hit single) "Don't Turn the Lights On" to the lyrical madness that's "Momma's Boy", the two prowlers of the night became close friends with the sun. Judging from the sea of festivalgoers flooding the area, Chromeo made a connection there, too. -Michael Roffman Black Mountain – Bigfoot Stage - 3:00 p.m. God bless Black Mountain for adding a little classic rock pep to what was an exasperatingly slow morning. I guess even festivals sometimes suffer from cases of“The Mondays”. The Vancouver-based hard rockers took the stage to a massive hometown(ish) crowd. It seemed as though every member of the audience knew every word to every song. They opened big with Wilderness Heart duet “The Hair Song”, blending male and female vocals to perfection. The set got even bigger with the trippy In The Future track “Wucan”, followed by the climactic “Tyrants” with its epic drum solo, followed by the metal-worthy guitar solo. Not a whole lot of crowd interaction went on, but when you are that naturally talented, that matters little. They were certainly a fan favorite of the morning. -Winston Robbins Guided by Voices - Mainstage - 3:50 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Sadly and incredibly, Guided by Voices was the victim of the largest exodus of the weekend, one only possible because of Chromeo's humongous crowd. The hordes of youngins that turned up for Chromeo's mid-afternoon dance party and filled out the floor somehow found their way out in 20 minutes to watch Paul F. Tompkins or something. GBV, a reunion act that appears to be nearing the end of its current run, was left with maybe 200 people in the pit and a largely apathetic lawn crowd. The liquor-swigging Robert Pollard commented on the disparity, observing that no one seemed to care about GBV. He mockingly wondered aloud, "Who was that last shitty band?" and his loyal pit-dwellers screamed back "Chromeo" at him before engaging in a "GBV" chant. The negativity ended there, however, and Pollard twice expressed gratitude for being invited to Sasquatch! and "all these lovely events." The presence of acts like GBV, J. Mascis, and Archers of Loaf was a sweet reminder of a time when being "indie" didn't mean being a huge pussy. The crunchy indie rock began with "Over the Neptune / Mesh Gear Fox" and continued with favorites like "Kicker of Elves" and "Game of Pricks". It was a set enjoyed by a select few, which used to be part of the fun of indie rock. - Harry Painter Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Mainstage - 5:10 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan People love to dance, but sometimes they like to watch other people dance even more. That's why Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings were so much fun to watch; not only can Jones sing her soul out, but she packs a mean shuffle as well. And while people will likely remember that Jones and her band sounded like a vintage soul band, and a good one at that, they will remember more vividly a young hipster named Patrick, whom Jones pulled on stage upon seeing him go nuts in the pit. "Come on, security, let him go," pleaded Jones before yanking him up and singing at him. Patrick, a skinny white kid dressed in thigh-length shorts and a red and green striped hoodie, showed no nerve dancing in front of thousands plus cameras. The contrast was priceless; think DJ Qualls and his large black girlfriend in Road Trip. - Harry Painter Surfer Blood – Bigfoot Stage – 6:20 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider “Thanks for sticking around and watching us in the rain!” –John Paul Pitts It seems dreary weather and Surfer Blood’s sludgy sound go together perfectly, but all in all, there needs to be more bands like this in indie music these days. Sure, their sound is a bit murky, but it's totally distinct, and the band constantly exerts loads of energy. For example, singer and guitarist John Paul Pitts has a tendency to thrash his guitar about like it’s a toy (although he claimed their equipment had been stolen prior), and he likes to run up on the amps and into the crowd. During “Take it Easy” he wandered through the audience, shaking hands (including our very own Winston Robbins). And the band played such a high-octant version of “Fast Jabroni” and dedicated it to all of us “living the gremlin life”. They even revealed new material with tracks entitled “Miranda” and “Golden Boys” to show that this isn’t the last we have heard of Surfer Blood…and thank God for that one. -Ted Maider [vimeo 24559407 500 325] Rodrigo y Gabriela - Mainstage - 6:35 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan Rodrigo y Gabriela are so talented you can't help but laugh at how small they make everyone else look. Their coordination is flawless, they make it look easy, and now they apparently do it without sitting on a stool. Both players, but Rodrigo especially, genuinely love the stage. Rodrigo wears a knowing smile on his face, one that says "You think that was good? Then watch this." They even controlled the weather; it begun to suddenly pour rain when Rodrigo y Gabriela came on, then stopped after 15 minutes. The set included tributes to Jimi Hendrix and Metallica, but only a tease of the beginning of "Stairway to Heaven" (denied!). - Harry Painter Best Coast - Yeti Stage - 6:45 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan For awhile, Monday looked like the perfect day for the sunny cadence of Best Coast. For one, it was by far the hottest of the four days and, what's more, the sun graced every corner of the Gorge Amphitheatre grounds. You couldn't hide from it. However, after a surprisingly demanding set by Foster the People, a five minute session of heavy rain (the heaviest of the weekend) came down and pretty much changed the scenery. Throw in a chilly breeze and some dusty clouds and you suddenly had a very unlikely setting for Bethany Cosentino & Co. "I feel like I'm at Woodstock or some shit," Cosentino, the sweet tongue songwriter with the grungy underbelly, observed. "But seriously, this shit is fucked up." In addition to pounding away favorites like "Miss You", "Boyfriend", and "When I'm With You", Cosentino also got fuzzy and dirty on "The End" and "Crazy for You". By the time she rang through "Our Deal", she had the very dedicated yet very wet crowd feeding out of the palm of her hand. Nice try, weather. -Michael Roffman [vimeo 24559343 500 325] The Decemberists - Mainstage - 8:00 p.m. Photo by Heather Kaplan It was a bit of a bittersweet moment watching The Decemberists, finding out it would be Jenny Conlee's last appearance with the band for a while as she fights breast cancer. But Conlee was in great spirits, and The Decemberists played happy songs; in fact, it was an all-around feel-good set. The band mainly stuck to The King Is Dead material, with a couple off of 2009's The Hazards of Love and some older ones. Early on, Colin Meloy's acoustic guitar began to experience problems, which was a blessing in disguise. Because guitarist Chris Funk, also in disguise as the Russian Sasquatch, is a born entertainer, a fact that manifested while Meloy had his guitar fixed. Funk told a "Sasquatch joke" that consisted of incoherent growls, before becoming "Jazzquatch" and displaying his scat-singing skills. Bassist Nate Query joined in with some slap bass, while Sara Watkins topped it all off with some yodeling. By the time Meloy came back into the fold, The Decemberists had begun leading the audience in a sing-along of The Outfield's "Your Love". Photo by Heather Kaplan By this point it wasn't clear anyone wanted to hear The Decemberists play their own music anymore, but they did just in case. The band redeemed the set after the guitar problems, and closed by taking crowd participation to the next level. They played (and acted out) a full rendition of "The Mariner's Revenge", leading the whole amphitheatre in screaming as if everyone had been eaten by a giant whale. Tens of thousands of honest-to-goodness dorks complied, and it was delightful. - Harry Painter Deerhunter – Bigfoot Stage - 9:00 p.m. Photo by Ted Maider Admittedly, I was embarrassed for the people of Sasquatch! when 10 minutes before Deerhunter were to start, there were hardly 200 people in attendance. But as Bradford Cox came on to help speed up the sound check and equipment set up (they were a good 10 minutes behind schedule), I got so busy watching him, I didn’t notice that that 200 had multiplied to thousands. And as a light rain began to fall and the deepest purple thunderclouds loomed overhead, people began to don their ponchos and garbage bags. Photo by Ted Maider Rushed by all of these factors, Bradford Cox and his Georgia outfit dove right into things and didn’t stop more than one or two times to tune or say thank you. It all became one beautiful cohesive piece of music, beginning with “Desire Lines”  bleeding into their new, unreleased “60 Cycle Hum”, which then turned rapidly into “Little Kids”, making for a 15 minute cohesive jam. The stormy clouds still threatened, but never quite made their move, but that didn’t stop the cold. The crowd was obviously spellbound, but for tracks that are in theory very danceable (“Nothing Ever Happened”), it was very hard to make the human body do anything other than just try and survive. The wind howled across the lands and up onto the stage, which added an epically ethereal touch to some already very ethereal rock music. And finally the lights all dimmed to leave one spotlight on Bradford Cox, who stood alone while he buzzed into a slow, chilly version of “Helicopter” that perfectly encapsulated the set. -Winston Robbins Wilco - Mainstage - 9:30 p.m. Photo by Christopher Nelson "This is the place where Wilco had our worst show ever," Jeff Tweedy said of the band's 2004 Sasquatch! set (blame Arcade Fire). The deck was stacked against them this time around too -- Wilco was the only Sasquatch! headliner without roots in Washington; Wilco's set came in the middle of a much more energetic Deerhunter set on the Bigfoot Stage; and lastly, Wilco's kind of a sad band, which doesn't necessarily make for good festival-closing material. Tweedy even acknowledged it was hard to follow The Decemberists' happy alt-rock tunes with a bunch of sad songs, but "I guess that's what we do." Admittedly, if you like to end a weekend of music by partying, you were better off just watching Deerhunter and Major Lazer and heading back to the tent. Admittedly, the Chicago rockers started off by playing slow folksy songs, and didn't exactly offset them with arena rock anthems. But what Wilco did do was play a set of 20-plus great songs with style and precision, which is all you can ask. Photo by Christopher Nelson Wilco's set included Yankee Hotel Foxtrot selections like "Ashes of American Flags", "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", "War On War", and "Jesus Etc.", the last of which Tweedy implored the crowd to sing along to; it complied. Other favorites scattered throughout were the rarely played "Company In My Back", "Misunderstood", "Via Chicago", "Spiders (Kidsmoke)", and "Impossible Germany". One thing that can't be stressed enough is how much Nels Cline made the show. Whether it was his screeching guitar solos, his slide guitar twangs, or his keyboard noodling, Cline's roles took precedence in almost every song; he's so crucial to the performance, it's almost hard to imagine how this band made do before 2004. Photo by Christopher Nelson Wilco ended the night with "Hoodoo Voodoo", with Tweedy all smiles. A fan threw a glowstick at him, and Tweedy responded, "You missed." More glowsticks came, and Tweedy invited them. More glowsticks, and even half-full water bottle came flying toward the stage, almost nothing hitting the target. Right when you thought Tweedy might be mad, he simply said, "You guys suck" and "good night." Maybe this wasn't Wilco's worst show ever, but like Sasquatch!, Wilco had an anniversary to celebrate, and that's just what the band did. - Harry Painter Monday Gallery by Heather Kaplan [nggallery id=223] The Culture of Sasquatch! [nggallery id=218] CoS at Sasquatch!: Mini Documentary [vimeo 24701991 500 325] Cameras: Michael Roffman, Ted Maider Edited By: Colin Peterson ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/festival-review-cos-at-sasquatch-11/feed/ 19 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/05/the-15-hottest-summer-tours-of-2011/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/05/the-15-hottest-summer-tours-of-2011/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/05/summer-tours-thumb.jpg Fri, 20 May 2011 21:59:05 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=120693 Once you’re done with school as a whole, there’s little to look forward to once summer rears its head. What was once the time of year that marked months off from teachers, books, and their various dirty looks has forever changed; as an adult, it’s still just a time for you to work a job you might hate/resent just like the rest of the year, except now it’s hot and gross outside. Plus, those damn kids are staying up all night and enjoying their responsibility-free existences.

But if there is one way to regain some of that summertime frivolity and carefree attitude, it’s once again through the power of music. Sure, there are festivals galore, but if you’re not willing to travel, and you live in, say, Omaha, Nebraska, you’re limited to what festival experience you can undertake. Of course, there is one solution to the music-going experience that takes as much effort to attend as the work ethic of a 15-year-old on the Fourth of July: waiting for that big summer tour to roll into town. Every year, with the dawning of swimsuits and as the first hints of BBQs waft through the air, artists big and small hit the road to tout their new album and play for those with a lot of time on their hands. Despite the sheer volume of shows, just what ones will truly make the thermometer go pop?

As we do every other season of the year, CoS has your back. Presented below in easy-to-digest form, kind of like the hot dog itself, we’ve compiled a list of the biggest summer tours going down as we speak. From top 40 superstars like Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj to indie phenoms like Bright Eyes and Mountain Goats and from newcomers like The Vaccines to more established acts like Eddie Vedder and Roger Daltrey, a plethora of artists are heading across the country, vying for your attention and trying to make your summer actually fun again. We’ll tell you where they’ll all be, why you should be there, and how you can get your seat. All you’ve gotta do is show up. So, slap on some sunscreen, call in sick from work if you’ve got to, and enjoy great live music before winter comes back and puts a sleeperhold on this good time we call summer.

-Chris Coplan
News Editor

Feature artwork by Cap Blackard.

A Perfect Circle

There is a core, built-in group of people that need no persuading to see A Perfect Circle this summer, but there’s no reason the band shouldn’t sell out every show. Never mind that Maynard James Keenan is still, on a good day, one of the best rock vocalists around–and not too shabby on a bad day–and that APC released a couple of brilliant albums in the years (mainly between Tool albums) the band was together. APC will be playing the best stuff off those few albums, as well as at least one new song–maybe even more if the band is inspired. Even those unfamiliar with APC will find something to like about seeing the veritable supergroup live. This lineup of APC features the enigmatic frontman Keenan, mercenary drummer Josh Freese, and guitarist James Iha playing real music again. They’ll be at various festivals, including Lollapalooza (and basically everywhere else), from June to August. -Harry Painter

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When and where:
05/22 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
06/29 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
06/30 – Kent, WA @ Showare Center
07/02 – Gibbons, AB @ Boonstock
07/04 – Winnipeg, MB @ Centennial Concert Hall
07/06 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
07/08 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
07/09 – Toronto, ON @ Edgefest
07/10 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/12 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
07/13 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
07/15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
07/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing
07/17 – Washington, DC @ Constitution Hall
07/19 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
07/20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
07/22 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
07/23 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
07/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
07/26 – San Diego, CA @ SDSU Open Air Theatre
07/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater
07/29 – Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
07/30 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/02 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/05-06 – Kansas City, KS @ Kanrocksas
08/05-07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

Animal Collective

Since their 2009 tour in support of the ever-rewarding Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective hasn’t really let us go a week without something new: outstanding solo records from both Panda Bear and Avey Tare, solo tours in support of Panda’s new record, an epileptic Fantasia-style feature-film, an art installation, an incredible EP, and the list goes on. But for fans of the Baltimore Psych titans, it still isn’t enough. The band hasn’t had a full-fledged tour in two years, and when they have, they’ve stuck to Europe or the American West Coast. That’s why when AnCo announced a new string of dates this spring (including the band’s first ever stop at their last album’s namesake, Columbia, MD’s Merriweather Post Pavilion), people got pretty fucking psyched. Videos from the band’s recent California dates, including their stop at Coachella, reveal that there’s a lot to expect. First off, the band will take the form of band again. Noah Lennox will sit behind a full drum set, a returning Deakin will strum some chords and noodle around on an actual guitar, Tare will take the Billy Joel approach behind a keyboard, and Geologist will do whatever inexplicable shit Geologist always does. On top of that, they’ll be debuting a slew of new material, most of which sounds bandy-er than usual. And if Coachella is any indication, the light show might be pretty epic, too. -Drew Litowitz

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When and where:
05/13-15 – Minhead, UK @ ATP Curated by Animal Collective
05/16 – Eastbourne, UK @ Winter Gardens
05/17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
05/18 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
05/19 – Cologne, DE @ Electron
05/20 – Berlin, DE @ Astra
05/21 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Stodola
05/22 – Krakow, PL @ Studio
05/23 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
05/24 – Zagreb, HR @ Pogon Jedinstvo
05/25 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
05/26-28 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Festival Kilbi
05/28 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
05/27-06-01 – Paris, FR @ Festival Villette Sonique
07/07 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theatre
07/08 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
07/09 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
07/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn)
07/13 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
07/15 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival

Archers of Loaf

The name Archers of Loaf may not spark a lot of discussion in 2011, but it sure did 15 years ago when the “White Trash Heroes” first made the rounds. The North Carolina noise rockers released four albums in the ’90s, scored some hits on college radio, and in 1995 toured with Weezer (the good kind). Their short run came to an end in 1998, but now that they’ve reunited, it’s a valuable opportunity to catch up on a slice of indie goodness on which many missed out. Imagine if TV on the Radio or Deerhunter broke up right now and came back 12 years later. This is that, kind of. -Harry Painter

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When and where:
05/21 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
06/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
06/11 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
06/12 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
06/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/26 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
07/09 – Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
07/22 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
07/23 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
08/05 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
08/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
08/19 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
09/02 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
09/03 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
12/09-11 – Minehead, UK @ ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas

Arctic Monkeys w/ The Vaccines

While Death Cab for Cutie and Frightened Rabbit may have had a lot in common, the case of Arctic Monkeys and newcomers The Vaccines is one of the past meeting the future. Arctic Monkeys started out as newcomers themselves before 2006′s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not caught on big time across the globe. Subsequent albums have seen the band’s stock rise, and now, as they ready to drop their fourth album, Suck It and See, the rockers find themselves on a precipice of sorts, ready to grab some of that initial fame once again or float off into oblivion if the rest of the album doesn’t meet raving-mad fan expectations. Regardless of where they land, they’re taking their hard work and making a go of recreating their success for The Vaccines. AM’s fellow countrymen dropped their debut LP back in March and find themselves in a place Alex Turner and company once did not so long ago: great songs, beloved by critics everywhere, looking for that one spark to blow their career up and possibly put them in line for some well-deserved attention in the indie rock world. While no result is definitive, one thing is certain: This tour is going to be one crazy-good time, mates. -Chris Coplan

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When and where:
05/17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/19 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
05/21 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
05/22 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia
05/24 – New York, NY @ Summer Stage
05/26 – Detroit, MI @ Clutch Cargoes
05/27 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
05/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
05/30 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
05/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
06/02 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theatre
06/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
08/01 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium
08/02 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
08/03 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
08/05-06 – Kansas City, KS @ Kanrocksas
08/05-07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
08/10 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
08/11 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
08/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

Bright Eyes w/ everyone

Long has it been rumored that Bright Eyes‘ latest release, The People’s Key, will be their last under the Bright Eyes moniker. Acting accordingly, Conor Oberst and Co. have been/will be taking their show on the road for a massive world tour to finish things off in style. Touring partners for the spring leg include Jenny and Johnny, Dawes, Titus Andronicus, Death Cab for Cutie, and a pair of shows with M. Ward. But come summertime, the real fun starts. After returning from a European tour, not only will Bright Eyes be appearing at Lollapalooza, but they’ll embark on a short tour with fellow indie rock legends The Mountain Goats. Although The Mountain Goats are listed as the opener, this feels more like a joint headlining tour. And for the eight cities lucky enough to witness it, I’m sure both acts will shine like the true veterans they are. -Winston Robbins

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When and where:
05/23 – Saskatoon, SK @ Odeon
05/24 – Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Center ^
05/25 – Calgary, AB @ Stampede Corral ^
05/27 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre ^
05/28 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
05/31 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory +
06/01 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House +
06/03 – Denver, CO @ Filmore Theater +
06/04 – Council Bluffs, IA @ WestFair Amphitheater +
06/06 -  St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant %
06/07 – Louisville, KY @ Iroquois Amphitheater %
06/08 – Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion @ Indoors %
06/09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AC @ Indoors %
06/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for Performing Arts %>
06/11 – Vienna, VA @ Filene Center At Wolf Trap %>
06/16 – Zurich, CH @ Kaufleuten
06/17 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/18 – Scheeßel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/19 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
06/21 – Colonge, DE @ Royal Albert Hall
06/22 – Paris, FR @ Alhambra
06/23 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall +
06/25 – Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES @ Azkena Rock Festival
06/28 – Gothenburg, SE @ Where The Action Is
06/29 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
07/01 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/02 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/04 – Hradec Králové, CZ @ Rock For People
07/05 – Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien Open Air +
07/07 – Ultrecht, NL @ Tivoli +
07/08 – Birmingham, UK @ HMV Institute +
07/09 – Kinross, UK @ T in the Park
07/10 – Naas, IE @ Oxegen
07/12 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage +
07/13 – Leeds, UK @ Academy +
07/14 – Manchester, UK @ Academy +
07/15 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
07/27 – Lewiston, NY @ Art Park ( Free Show) #
07/28 – Belknap, NH  @ Meadowbrook Pavilion #
07/29 – Shelburne, VT @ Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green at Shelburne Museum #
07/30 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
07/31 – Baldwinsville, NY @ Paper Mill Island Amphitheater #
08/03 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park #
08/04 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room #
08/05 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/06 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
08/08 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
08/14 – East Hampton, NY @ Music to Know Festival

! = w/ Titus Andronicus
$ = w/ Farmer Dave Scher
^ = w/ Death Cab For Cutie
+ = w/ Jenny and Johnny
% = w/ Dawes
> = w/ M. Ward
# = w/ The Mountain Goats

Britney Spears w/ Nicki Minaj

The key to a great tour isn’t just about how amazing the shows are or how much pyro they blast during the duration. It’s also about how the lineup works to perpetuate and facilitate a great idea or concept. In the case of Britney Spears hitting the road with Nicki Minaj in a supporting capacity, that notion is the batshit crazy, immovable object that does weird accents meeting the irresistible force of pop music who’s made a few questionable life choices (see: Kevin Federline). Along with being two of pop’s greatest commodities right now, Spears and Minaj are two very different narratives of the same sugarcoated genre. The plucky Minaj is in the boom period of her career, where a dynamic performance aboard this tour could keep her rocket ship to stardom on a path to complete domination. Spears, on the other hand, is on what seems to be her 100th career resurrection, free of all that extra weight (the metaphorical and physical variety) and ready to show the world she is still our pop princess. Sure, they’re working together to put on a great show, but with a tale of the tape like that, not to mention their diva tendencies, they’ll be going at it tooth and nails for our love and attention. And that means we win no matter who nabs the most headlines. -Chris Coplan

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When and where:
06/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Power Balance Pavilion
06/18 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
06/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
06/24 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
06/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand
06/28 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
06/29 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
07/01 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/04 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
07/06 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Center
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/09 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
07/12 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
07/13 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
07/15 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
07/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
07/20 – Orlando, FL @ Armway Center
07/22 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
07/28 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
07/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
07/31 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
08/02 – Uniondale, NJ @ Nassau Coliseum
08/05 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ IZod Center
08/08 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/11 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/13 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

Death Cab for Cutie w/ Frightened Rabbit

Here’s a history lesson for the indie rock fans of the world. Back in November 2008, Death Cab for Cutie tapped Frightened Rabbit to open for them during their tour of UK and Ireland. Now, some two and a half years later, the American rockers are bringing back the Scots for another round of touring as they support their new LP, Codes and Keys. In various interviews regarding the record, the band have spoken about how the album is one where they’ve matured due to each band member having endured major life changes. With marriages and kids and new residencies, the band are dealing with issues of home and belonging to the machinations of updated sonics, with the record featuring less guitars and more ambiance than other DCFC records. Undoubtedly, some fans may love the new record, while others may yearn for the indie, guitar-driven noise of previous efforts. Cue Frightened Rabbit and the sound of emotionally wounded and vulnerable young lads dealing with heartache, being forlorn, and trying to be optimistic in a world gone mad. With DCFC expanding their repertoire and Frightened Rabbit making their music tighter, fans are going to get the best of both worlds. Also, they may cry or feel some shit. -Chris Coplan

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When and where:
07/27 – Columbus, OH @ LC Outdoor Amphitheater
07/28 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
07/29 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Ampitheatre
08/01 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
08/02 – Brooklyn, NY @ Williamsburg Waterfront
08/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
08/06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
08/07 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
08/08 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Ampitheatre
08/10 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/11 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
08/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena
08/13 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theater
08/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
08/16 – La Jolla, CA @ RIMAC Arena
08/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pool
08/22 – West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
08/23 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
08/25 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion
08/26 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium

The Decemberists

Folk-phenoms The Decemberists are literally at the top of their game, having just scored their first number one record with The King Is Dead. To help celebrate the accomplishment on tour, they’ve enlisted some impressive support: Mexican speed-guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela, surf-pop revivalists Best Coast, and rising Seattle stars The Head and the Heart will all open select dates. Unsurprisingly, the festival circuit regulars will also hit at least five summer events. The real goods may come when they head the Newport Folk Festival in July; Gillian Welch, background vocalist on seven The King Is Dead tracks, is also on the bill, heralding the likely prospect of an onstage collaboration. Sadly, keyboardist/accordionist Jenny Conlee will be kept offstage through June (including Sasquatch! and Bonnaroo) while she battles breast cancer. CoS wishes her a speedy recovery, so she may rejoin her bandmates on what is sure to be a prodigious tour. -Ben Kaye

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When and where:
05/29 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater #
05/30 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/10 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
06/11 – Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Amphitheater &
06/13 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion &
06/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn) &
06/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music &
06/16 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre $
06/18 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Bluegrass Festival
07/19 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion ^
07/20 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Gardens ^
07/22 – Missoula, MT @ Big Sky Brewery ^
07/25 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom !
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica !
07/27 – Interlochen, MI @ Interlochen Center for the Arts !
07/29 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Event Center !
07/30 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
07/31 – Holyoke, MA @ Mountain Park /
08/01 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark !
08/03 – Charlottesville, VA @ nTelos Wireless Pavilion !
08/04 – Cincinnati OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music !
08/05 – Indianapolis, IN @ White River State Park !
08/08 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s >
08/11 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center $
08/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
08/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Music Festival

# = w/ Rodrigo Y Gabriela
& = w/ Best Coast
^ = w/ Typhoon
! = w/ The Head and the Heart
> = w/ Caitlin Rose
$ = w/ Sara Watkins
* = w/ Wye Oak
/ = w/ Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside

Eddie Vedder

For anyone familiar with Pearl Jam, it should not be news that lead singer Eddie Vedder is a ukulele enthusiast. Vedder has been known to pull out his uke during live shows and do either simplified versions of Pearl Jam songs or songs that he’d specifically written for the ukulele. The first studio recording of a Vedder ukulele song, “Goodbye”, appeared on the soundtrack for the Jack Johnson-produced surf video A Brokedown Melody in 2004. Seven years later, Vedder has compiled an album full of his tropical ditties, including the aforementioned song and lead single “Longing to Belong”, which can be heard here. Vedder’s entrancing baritone sounds right at home over the simple chords of the ukulele. He’ll be touring 17 dates behind the album (with Glen Hansard opening) this summer. One of rock’s greats playing quality ukulele songs for an entire set? A must-see, hands down. -Winston Robbins

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When and where:
06/15 – Providence, RI @ Providence Performing Arts Center (PAC) *
06/16 – Boston, MA @ The Wang Theatre *
06/18 – Hartford, CT @ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts *
06/21 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
06/22 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
06/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre *
06/26 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre *
06/28 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre *
07/01 – St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre *
07/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre *
07/05 – San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall *
07/06 – Long Beach, CA @ Terrace Theater *
07/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
07/09 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
07/11 – Oakland, CA @ The Paramount Theatre *
07/14 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall *
07/15 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall *

* = w/ Glen Hansard

Foo Fighters

Of all the shows this writer saw while at South by Southwest 2011, and in the first five months of this year for that matter, no one band delivered a more awe-inspiring performance than Foo Fighters. Sure, I’m a sucker for stadium bands, but hell, they’re capable of playing a 70,000-person stadium for a reason. Two-and-a-half hour sets featuring more hooks in the first 15 minutes alone than most dream of in a lifetime? Check. Touring the hell out of the world in support of Wasting Light, which is a strong candidate for album of the year? Double check. And they have Pat Smear back in the fold? Check-a-rooni! Springsteen might not but touring this summer, but at least we have a suitable alternative. So, have yourself a Foo-tastic summer. -Alex Young

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When and where:
05/20 – Memphis, TN @ FedExForum !*
05/21 – Gulf Shores, AL @ The Hangout Festival
05/23 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Mid-America Center !*
05/26 – Missoula, MT @ Adams Center !*
05/27 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/09 – Interlaken, CH @ Greenfield Festival
06/11 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival
06/13 – Landgraaf, NL @ Pinkpop
06/15 – Milan, IT @ IdRHO Festival
06/17 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/18 – Berlin, DE @ Wuhlheide
06/19 – Scheeßel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/21 – Copenhagen, DK @ Refshaleoen
06/22 – Stockholm, SE @ Stockholm Stadium
06/24 – Oslo, NO @ Telenor Arena
06/26 – Helsinki, FI @  Kalasatama
07/02 – Milton Keynes, UK @ The National Bowl *^%
07/03 – Milton Keynes, UK @ The National Bowl *$#
07/06 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio de Deportes
07/07 – Lisbon, PT @ Optimus! Alive Festival
07/09 – Naas, IE @ Oxegen
07/10 – Kinross, UK @ T in the Park
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/09 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center &~
08/10 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Center &~
08/18 – Kiewet, BE @ Pukkelpop
08/20 – St Polten, AT @ Frequency Festival
08/21 – Erfurt, DE @ Highfield Festival
08/23 – Cologne, DE @ Laxness Arena
08/24 – Ubersee, DE @ Chiemsee Festival
08/26 – Paris, FR @ Rock En Seine
09/14 – St. Paul, MN @ Excel Center +/
09/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center +/
09/17 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center +/
09/19 – Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills +/
09/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena +/
09/22 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena +/
09/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ CONSOL Energy Center +/
09/25 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Center *
09/26 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ IZod Center +/

! = w/ Motorhead
* = w/ Biffy Clyro
^ = w/ Death Cab For Cutie
% = w/ Tame Impala
$ = w/ Jimmy Eat World
# = w/ Hot Rats
& = w/ Fucked Up
~ = w/ Doughboys
+ = w/ Rise Against
/ = w/ Mariachi El Bronx

Katy Perry

If there is one female artist in today’s music industry who seems to really have struck gold, it’s Katy Perry. Her most recent album, Teenage Dream, has garnered her four number one hits along with four Grammy nominations, and now she plans on taking the album on the road. With her European leg of the tour already completed, Perry is heading back to North America in early June for a 58-show run.

Along with her collection of number ones, Perry is bringing along a few friends to open the show for her. Surprisingly, these friends are Robyn, Janelle Monáe, and Marina & the Diamonds, each opening for Perry on selected dates. The tour, appropriately titled the California Dreams Tour, promises all of Perry’s hits and fan favorites, along with a continuation of her California Candyland theme from her “California Girls” video, which for many fans may just be the biggest selling point. The North American portion of the tour begins in early June and continues through September, when Perry heads back to Europe. -Arya Davachi

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When and where:
06/07 – Atlanta, GA @ Arena at Gwinnett Center *
06/09 – Orlando, FL @ UCF Arena *
06/10 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum *
06/11 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center *
06/14 – Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center *
06/15 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion *
06/17 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum *
06/18 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
06/19 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center *
06/22 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena #
06/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center #
06/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center #
06/25 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena #
06/28 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills #
06/30 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre #
07/02 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre #
07/03 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place #
07/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena #
07/07 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest #
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena #
07/09 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center #
07/13 – Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre $
07/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre $
07/16 – Calgary, AB @ Calgary Stampede $
07/17 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place $
07/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/20 – Seattle, WA @ KeyArena at Seattle Center
07/22 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
07/23 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena *
07/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena *
07/26 – Denver, CO @ 1stBank Center *
07/28 – Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie *
07/29 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
07/30 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
08/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre *
08/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
08/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
08/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
08/09 – San Diego, CA @ Valley Wide Casino Center
08/12 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion ^
08/13 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
08/14 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
08/17 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
08/19 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena $
08/20 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center $
09/07 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center $
09/08 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena $
09/10 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Arena $
09/11 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena $
09/13 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Arena $
09/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse $
09/16 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center $
09/17 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center $

* = w/ Robyn
# = w/ Marina and the Diamonds
$ = w/ Janelle Monae
^ = w/ Oh Land

Okkervil River w/ Titus Andronicus

Okkervil River just put out a pretty cool new album. They haven’t toured in a long while, the last notable tour being their joint one with Wilco in 2009. But in a few weeks, Sheff will dawn his nicest professorial attire for a tote around the country. Shows at SXSW revealed a louder, more confident, more grandiose Okkervil River. There, the band mostly played newer material (mainly new stuff and songs from The Stage Names and The Stand-Ins, aside from Black Sheep Boy gems “A Stone” and “For Real”). So, get ready for a more raucous affair and a more volatile Sheff leading the Austin Texans into battle. Just don’t expect “Red” or “The Velocity of Saul at the Time of his Conversion”.

Joining them is the equally ferocious Titus Andronicus, still basking in the glory of their epic prog-punk masterpiece, The Monitor. While they may have lost longtime bassist Ian Graetzer, there’s no putting Patrick Stickles and his militant New Jersey-ites to rest. Expect epic renditions of already epic tracks, a whole lot of gut-wrenching fury, messy but magnificent guitar solos, antebellum facial hair, and sweaty T-shirts. And don’t forget to brush up on your Jersey iconography. It’ll be like The Boss got really angry, really drunk, and really fucking awesome (in that Civil War kind of way). With both bands on the bill, it won’t just be a one-two punch, it’ll be a one-two bayonet wound from the neck of a splintering acoustic guitar. -Drew Litowitz

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When and where:
05/31 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #
06/01 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #
06/02 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
06/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre #
06/04 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place #
06/08 – Boston, MA @ Royale #
06/09 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom #
06/10 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theatre #
06/11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall #
06/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
06/14 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
06/15 – Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater
06/16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
06/17 – Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre
06/18 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
06/20 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theatre &
06/21 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom &
06/22 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fox Theater &
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern $
06/24 – San Diego, CA @ The Belly Up Tavern $
06/25 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre $
06/28 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s

# = w/ Future Islands
& = w/ Julianna Barwick
$ = w/ NewVillager

Roger Daltrey

Pete Townshend’s incurable tinnitus has put into question the continued presence of rock legends The Who as a touring unit. Plans were formulating as recently as last September, but have yet to bear fruit. The band’s other surviving member, frontman Roger Daltrey, must be as antsy as his fans, because although his guitarist remains on the bench, he’s taking their classic rock-opera Tommy on tour through the U.K., U.S., and Canada. Filling in for Townshend will be his brother, Simon, and the whole thing has Pete’s blessings. With Daltrey getting up in age and Townshend apparently unable to work around his hearing issues, there’s no telling how many more chances there will be to see The Who’s iconic catalogue played by its creators. Not to be pessimistic, but if The Who are on your bucket list, consider purchasing that ticket now. Here’s hoping Daltrey pulls a Waters and takes this definitive piece of work on a proper world tour, and maybe Townshend can even join him for at least one night. -Ben Kaye

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When and where:
07/03 – Alchester, UK @ Ragley Hall
07/04 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage
07/06 – Glasgow, UK @ Clyde Auditorium
07/07 – Manchester, UK @ Bridgewater Hall
07/09 – Nottingham, UK @ Royal Centre
07/10 – Newport, UK @ Centre
07/12 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
07/13 – Southend, UK @ Cliffs Pavillion
07/15 – Guildford, UK @ Guilfest
07/16 – Hampshire, UK @ Broadlands
07/17 – Harrogate, UK @ Ripley House
07/19 – Hull City, UK @ Hall
07/21 – London, UK @ Indigo
07/22 – Norwich, UK @ Blicking Hall
07/24 – Exeter, UK @ Powderham Castle
09/13 – Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock
09/15 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Pavilion
09/17 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
09/18 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
09/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ MANN Center
09/23 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
09/24 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
09/27 – Montreal, QC @ Place Des Arts
09/28 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
09/30 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
10/01 – Windsor, ON @ The Coliseum at Caesars Windsor
10/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center
10/07 – Hammond, IN @ Venue at Horseshoe Casino
10/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House
10/11 – Cedar Park, TX @ Cedar Park Center
10/12 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
10/14 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland by AMC
10/16 – Broomfield, CO @ 1STBANK Center
10/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre
10/21 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
10/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
10/24 – Portland, OR @ Rose Quarter-Theatre of the Clouds
10/25 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
10/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
10/29 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
10/30 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
11/01 – Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
11/02 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre

Sade

2001. That was the year of the last concert Sade performed. So when she announces a tour, it would behoove you to pay attention. Playing in support of last year’s excellent Soldier of Love, the trek is absolutely massive with over 50 dates between now and September. She’s not the only one on the road in support of a well-received album, though. Joining her for most of the tour dates will be John Legend, who finished up 2010 with The Roots on Wake Up!. There are plenty of chances for cross-generational fanbases here. Sade’s older fans may get into Legend’s soulful croons, and young people may gain appreciation for Sade’s unique blend of smooth jazz. Nothing wrong with that at all! -Joe Marvili

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When and where:
05/13 – Berlin, DE @ O2 World
05/14 – Prague, CH @ Arena
05/16 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
05/17 – Paris, FR @ Bercy
05/19 – Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle
05/20 – Amneville, FR @ Galaxie
05/23 – Rotterdam, NL @ Ahoy
05/25 – Dublin, IE @ The O2
05/27 – Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena
05/29 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena
05/31 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
06/16 – Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena *
06/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center *
06/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena *
06/21 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum *
06/22 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
06/24 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ IZod Center *
06/25 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center *
06/28 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
06/30 – Montreal, QC Bell Centre *
07/03 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena *
07/06 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
07/08 – Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse *
07/09 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
07/10 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center *
07/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena *
07/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena *
07/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center *
07/16 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena *
07/17 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center *
07/22 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena *
07/23 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
07/24 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
07/26 – Kansas City, KS @ Sprint Center *
07/28 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Cener *
07/29 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum *
07/31 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena *
08/03 – Detroit, MI @ The Palace at Auburn Hills *
08/05 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
08/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
08/11 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center *
08/13 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
08/14 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
08/15 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
08/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Power Balance Pavilion *
08/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
08/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
08/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
08/23 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Amphitheatre *
08/25 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion *
08/26 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
08/27 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
08/30 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center *
08/31 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center *
09/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ U.S. Airways Center *
09/03 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Arena *

* = w/ John Legend

Soundgarden

Ever since Soundgarden crushed Lollapalooza last August for their first show in 13 years, the question on everyone’s mind was “What’s next?”. Not much news came out in 2010, but we got what we wanted this year: a reunion tour. Crisscrossing the United States, the Seattle rockers will be playing amphitheaters and arenas throughout the entire month of July. As if the chance to hear “Black Hole Sun”, “Spoonman”, and “Jesus Christ Pose” wasn’t enough, there are the openers to consider as well. The first half of the tour will feature Coheed and Cambria. Next up will be the insanity that is a Mars Volta performance. Then to cap the whole thing off, a couple of dates with Queens of the Stone Age right in the middle of their own comeback tour. Oh, and if you still need more, how does the possibility of new material sound? Yeah, we thought you’d like that. -Joe Marvili

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When and where:
07/02 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre ^
07/03 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre ^
07/05 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/06 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena ^
07/08 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center ^
07/09 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater ^
07/10 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center For The Performing Arts ^
07/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing *
07/14 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Event Center *
07/16 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion *
07/18 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
07/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Center *
07/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum *
07/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint *
07/29 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena &
07/30 – George, WA @ The Gorge #

^ = w/ Coheed and Cambria
* = w / The Mars Volta
& = w/ Queens of the Stone Age and Meat Puppets
# = w/ Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon and Meat Puppets

“The Pirate That Should Not Be”, which you can stream right now at KCRW, is one of five songs (three of which are originals) by the duo that appear on the OST. While the pair have no prior soundtrack appearance, their first outing saw them write the three new cuts with legendary composer Hans Zimmer, who helmed the rest of the movie’s score. The trio’s collaboration has merited at least one creation that is more interesting than the film itself, a dark, folkorico-inspired number that sounds like a jungle cat running through the woods before taking flight on the sounds of an orchestral upswing.

Check out the entire tracklist below. The soundtrack drops May 17th, while the film hits theaters on May 20th.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides OST Tracklist:
01. Guilty of Being Innocent of Being Jack Sparrow – Written by Hans Zimmer
02. Angelica – Featuring Rodrigo y Gabriela – Written by Hans Zimmer, Eduardo Cruz, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero
03. Mutiny – Written by Hans Zimmer
04. The Pirate That Should Not Be – Rodrigo y Gabriela (Written by Rodrigo Sanchez, Gabriela Quintero and Hans Zimmer)
05. Mermaids – Written by Hans Zimmer and Eric Whitacre
06. South of Heaven’s Chanting Mermaids – Rodrigo y Gabriela (Written by Rodrigo Sanchez, Gabriela Quintero and Hans Zimmer)
07. Palm Tree Escape – Featuring Rodrigo y Gabriela
08. Blackbeard – Written by Hans Zimmer
09. Angry and Dead Again – Rodrigo y Gabriela (Written by Rodrigo Sanchez, Gabriela Quintero and Hans Zimmer)
10. On Stranger Tides – Written by Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli, and Eric Whitacre
11. End Credits – Written by Hans Zimmer
12. Guilty of Being Innocent of Being Jack Sparrow – Remixed by DJ Earworm
13. Angelica (Grant Us Peace Remix) – Remixed by Ki:Theory
14. The Pirate That Should Not Be – Remixed by Photek
15. Blackbeard – Remixed by Super Mash Bros & Thieves
16. South of Heaven’s Chanting Mermaids – Remixed by Paper Diamond
16. Palm Tree Escape – Remixed by Adam Freeland
17. Angry and Dead Again – Remixed by Static Revenger

The Decemberists have scheduled even more dates behind their chart-topping sixth album, The King Is Dead. Having already mapped out shows from now until mid-June, Colin Meloy and co. will resume their travels beginning July 19th in Jacksonville, OR. They’ll then slowly make their way east, hitting Boise, ID, Chicago, IL, and Cleveland, OH along the way, before playing a series of shows up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard. After that, The Decemeberists will head back west, playing Cincinnati, OH and Indianapolis, IN in early August, and then shows in Texas and Arizona during the middle part of the month. They’ll cap it all off with two dates in California, concluding August 13th with a headlining appearance at San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival.

Sub Pop-signed risers The Head and the Heart will open a portion of the newest dates and tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning April 22nd. You can find all of the band’s confirmed tour dates below.

The Decemberists 2011 Tour Dates:
04/18 – Iowa City, IA @ University of Iowa *
04/19 – Madison, WI @ Overture Hall *
04/21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center *
04/22 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre *
04/23 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion *
04/25 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College *
04/26 – Lousiville, KY @ Iroquois Amphitheater *
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ The Paegeant *
04/29 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues $
04/30 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s $
05/01 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz Festival
05/02 – Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre *
05/29 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater #
05/30 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/10 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
06/11 – Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Amphitheater &
06/13 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion &
06/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandhsell (Celebrate Brooklyn) &
06/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music &
06/18 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Bluegrass Festival
07/19 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion ^
07/20 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Gardens ^
07/22 – Missoula, MT @ Big Sky Brewery ^
07/25 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom !
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Nautica Pavilion !
07/27 – Interlochen, MI @ Kresge Auditorium !
07/29 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Event Center
07/30 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
07/31 – Holyoke, MA @ Mountain Park
08/01 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark !
08/03 – Charlottesville, VA @ nTelos Wireless Pavilion !
08/04 – Cincinnati OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music !
08/05 – Indianapolis, IN @ White River State Park !
08/08 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s >
08/11 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
08/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Music Festival

* = w/ Justin Townes Earle
$ = w/ Other Lives
# = w/ Rodrigo Y Gabriela
& = w/ Best Coast
^ = w/ Typhoon
! = w/ The Head and the Heart
> = w/ Caitlin Rose

Sasquatch! Music Festival celebrates 10 years in 2011, and along with the previously confirmed Foo Fighters, the festivities will be headed by Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Wilco, and The Flaming Lips, who will perform their 1999 classic, The Soft Bulletin, in its entirety.

Set to take place from May 27th-30th at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, the 2011 bill also features The Decemberists, Bright Eyes, Iron & Wine, Robyn, Wolf Parade, Chromeo, Beach House, Yeasayer, and three recently reunited outfits: Death From Above 1979, Guided By Voices, and Archers of Loaf.

Other confirmed notables include Bassnectar, Flogging Molly, Ratatat, Against Me!, Matt & Kim, Flying Lotus, Local Natives, Cold War Kids, Best Coast, Sleigh Bells, MSTRKRFT, Deerhunter, Major Lazer, Pink Martini, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Jenny & Johnny, Surfer Blood, !!!, The Thermals, CSS, GAYNGS, Tokyo Police Club, Black Mountain, Das Racist, Noah and the Whale, The Radio Dept., Old 97′s, Reggie Watts, Fitz & the Tantrums, Smith Westerns, and The Head & the Heart.

Rounding out the lineup are The Antlers, The Drums, Sharon Van Etten, K-os, Bonobo (DJ Set), City and Colour, Young the Giant, Moondoggies, Twin Shadow, Secret Sisters, Aloe Blacc, Villagers, Sam Roberts Band., Wye Oak, Rival Schools, Foster the People, Alberta Cross, S. Carey, White Denim, Cotton Jones, Basia Bulat, Other Lives, The Bronx, Gold Panda, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Tim Minchin, and Pepper Rabbit.

Update: You can find Sasquatch!’s day-by-day schedule here or below.

Four-days passes are now available through LiveNation. Stay tuned for an extraordinary giveaway very soon.

Watch all the action below. Videos come courtesy of The Audio Perv.

The Vaslines – “Sex With An X”

Tired Pony – “Dead American Writers”

The Avett Brothers – “Kick Drum Heart”

The Avett Brothers – “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”

Rodrigo y Gabriela – “11:11″

Rodrigo y Gabriela are deeply saddened to announce the cancellation of their forthcoming United States October tour.

After a year of relentless touring, the wear and tear finally caught up with Gabriela. Her incredibly physical style of play involves banging out complex rhythms on the neck and body of her guitar night after night, putting great stress upon her right hand and arm as well as joints like the wrist and elbow. It is under doctors recommendation that she rest her joints and muscles to avoid further harm and permanent damage. While the duo is incredibly frustrated to have to pull out of dates in cities they were very much looking forward to visiting for the first time, the move was an unavoidable reality that had to be made in order to ensure that Gabriela fully recovers and is able to play at full capacity for many years to come.

Rodrigo y Gabriela hope to return to the cities affected by the tour dates in the future and are grateful for their fans continued support and understanding.

These guys can’t catch a break. A few years ago they had to cancel another stateside tour because the U.S. apparently thought Rodrigo was a terrorist (he shared a name with someone on the watch list). For now though, their European dates in November remain on. Here’s the band’s full schedule, with canceled dates crossed out.

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2010 Tour Dates:
10/2 – Omaha, NE @ Holland Performing Arts Center
10/3 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
10/5 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
10/6 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
10/8 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Bands
10/9 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Kalamazoo State Theatre
10/11 – Buffalo, NY @ Baird Point Amphitheatre
10/12 – Albany, NY @ The Egg-Hart Theatre
10/13 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
10/15 – Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavillion
10/16 – Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore Charlotte
10/30 – Fribourg, CH @ Fri-son
10/31 – Zurich, CH @ X-Tra
11/02 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/03 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/05 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/06 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/07 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/12 – Dublin, IE @ Grand Canal Theatre
11/13 – Dublin, IE @ Grand Canal Theatre
11/16 – Brest, FR @ La Carena
11/17 – Rennes, FR @ Les Liberte
11/19 – Paris, FR @ Le Zenith
11/20 – Clermont-Ferrand, FR @ Cooperative de Mai
11/23 – Bordeaux, FR @ Medoquine
11/24 – Grenoble, FR @ Summum Alpexpo
11/26 – Avignon, FR @ Salle de Montfavet
11/27 – Montpellier, FR @ Zenith
11/29 – Nancy, FR @ L’Autre Canal
11/30 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106

Among the tickets on sale Friday include !!!, Blonde Redhead, Brandon Flowers, Broken Bells, Pennywise, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, The Dandy Warhols, The Gaslight Anthem, and Thirty Seconds to Mars. American Carnage tickets are also available to the general public.

Editors Note: Ticketmaster efficiently killed its Affiliate Program this week, putting a halt on all commissions from concert tickets sold within the first 24 hours of their on-sale date. (90 – 95% of all commissions made come during this window.) As a result, this is the last week you can support CoS by purchasing tickets, so please buy while you can!

!!!:

What: North American tour

When: September – November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

30 Seconds to Mars:

What: North American tour

When: September – October

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

American Carnage:

What: North American Tour featuring Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer

When: September – October

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Blonde Redhead:

What: North American tour

When: September – December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Brandon Flowers (of The Killers):

What: North American warm-up tour

When: August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Broken Bells:

What: Tour dates for Los Angeles and New York City

When: October 6th and 11th, respectively

Tixs: $27.50 – $32.50

Buy: Ticketmaster at 12:00 PM Local Time

The Dandy Warhols:

What: North American tour

When: November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

The Gaslight Anthem:

What: North American tour

When: September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s:

What: North American tour

When: September – November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Pennywise:

What: North American tour

When: September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Rodrigo Y Gabriela:

What: North American tour

When: August – October

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Are we missing anything? Let us know below! Also, if you’re looking for shows for an already sold-out show, try our partner site Seatgeek.com.

Touring in support of  their latest studio album, 11:11, the shows will most likely include selections from all three of their full-length records. Expect their well-known cover of Metallica’s “Orion” to pop up as well. The U.S. leg starts on August 13th in Redmond, WA, before moving down the west coast. They’ll play their last scheduled U.S. show in Austin, TX, on September 3rd. The duo isn’t done, though. In November, they’ll head back to Europe for a five-show residence at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in London, a show in Dublin, and another concert in France.

Tickets are currently available via Ticketmaster.com.

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2010 Tour Dates:
07/12 – Kilkenny, IE @ The Set Theatre
07/13 – Thurles, IE @ Semple Stadium
07/16 – Bern, CN @ Gurtenfestival
07/17 – Aix-les-Bains, FR @ Musilac Festival
07/18 – London, UK @ Latitude Festival
07/20 – Galway, IE @ Galway Arts Festival
07/21 – Saint-malo-du-bois, FR @ Festival De Poupet
07/23 – Nice, FR @ Nice Jazz Festival
07/24 – Lyon, FR @ Theatre de Fourviere
07/27 – Pau, FR @ EMMAÜS Lescar Festival
08/13 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater
08/14 – Troutdale, OR @ The Edgefield
08/16 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts
08/20 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/21 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre-U.C. Berkeley
08/24 – Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap
08/26 – Boston, MA @ Boston Opera House
08/28 – Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia Festival
08/30 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Concert Pavilion
09/02 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
09/03 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs Bar-B-Q – Waller Creek Outdoor Amphitheater
11/02 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/03 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/05 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/06 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/07 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/12 – Dublin, IE @ Grand Canal Theatre
11/19 – Paris, FR @ Le Zenith

The record was put together by KCRW DJ and Los Angeles Times Magazine contributor Nic Harcourt, Mercer Street/Downtown Records, and the Enough Project and is available as a digitial download starting today. A physical release will follow on June 22nd.

Explains Enough Projector co-founder John Prendergast (via LA Times), “One of the principal reasons why there is little international response to the terrible human-rights crimes in Congo — particularly against women and girls — is that people just don’t know that these things are happening… This compilation album will be a beacon to light the path to educating hundreds of thousands of people about the issues in Congo and what all of us can do to help end the suffering there.”

According to an issued press release, all profits raised through this compilation will help fund critical field research and awareness raising efforts that will work to end the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Find the complete tracklist below. For additional information about the Raise Hope For Congo project itself, click here.

Raise Hope For Congo Tracklist:
01. Lonely Soldier – Damien Rice
02. Not Immune – Imaad Wasif
03. Angel Mom – Jesca Hoop
04. 40 – Meshell Ndegeocello
05. Je t’aime – Staff Benda Bilili
06. Leila – Angelique Kidjo
07. Na Miso – Chantal Kreviazuk
08. World of Trouble – Norah Jones
09. My Name is Mwamaroyi – Sheryl Crow
10. Don’t Let Me – Amel Larrieux
11. Raise Hope – Omékongo Dibinga & Shahin Shahida
12. Never Again – Ozomatli & The Agahoza Shalom Youth Village
13. Sleep Alone – Bat For Lashes
14. Before You Were Young (Live at Joe’s Pub) – Travis
15. Hora Zero (Live at Wecheter) – Rodrigo y Gabriela
16. Tambara – Amadou & Mariam
17. Nsimba & Nzuzi – Konono No 1
18. Priority (A Cappella) – Mos Def

This year, which marks Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary, looks to be equally epic. We already know names like U2, Muse, Stevie Wonder, Jack Johnson, and Vampire Weekend will be playing for sure. Basically everyone else, including The Chemical Brothers, Oribtal, Phoenix, Ray Davies, Massive Attack, Fatboy Slim, Faithless, and The National are also expected to take part. And to think, there’s still another 600+ names we have absolutely no idea about…

Though the full lineup announcement is still forthcoming, today, Glastonbury offered a better glimpse of who will be taking part in this year’s festivities after revealing the lineup for the new West Holts Stage. The groove-heavy stage replaces the Jazzworld stage and will sport acts including Mos Def, Devendra Banhart, Fela Kuti, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, Os Mutantes, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, tUnE-YaRdS, Brother Ali, Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA Orchestra, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Mariachi El Bronx, Toots and the Maytals, and Tunng. That’s better than entire lineups of some music festivals!

“We’re going back to the real roots of Worthy Farm and its history with the name change for the stage” explained Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis in an issued statement. “West Holts was a ‘halt’ originally; one of the two places where we had to open the level crossing gates across the old railway line to get the cattle through for milking. It was a fair walk up to the farm, just as it is now, and those cows took some driving!”

Glastonbury 2010 takes place from June 24-27 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, England. Again, the full lineup for Glastonbury 2010 won’t be revealed for a few more weeks, but you can keep track of all the latest confirmations, expectations, and rumors here. Tickets for the festival are of course already soldout. However, further release of a limited number of canceled tickets will go on sale at 9am on Sunday, April 11th, although in order to purchase you must have registered beforehand.

Since its initiation, many artists have eagerly donated their songs to the cause, including Mos Def, Os Mutantes, Ozomatli and Rodrigo y Gabriela. But, it gets better still! The compilation album will also include the Toy Selectah mix of Morrissey’s “When Last I Spoke To Carol” from his most recent Years of Refusal.

So this year, remember to get out there and take your formal pledges to vote. Not only will you be supporting your country by greatly improving Latino communities across the United States, but you’ll be able to cash in your chips for a free download of this album just for taking ten minutes out of your daily schedule. What more can you ask for?

Be Counted: Represent! Tracklisting:
01. Across The Waters (Pitbull)
02. When Last I Spoke to Carol (Toy Selectah Mix) (Morrissey)
03. Su Veneno (Aventura)
04. No Hay Nada Mas (Mos Def)
05. El Emigrante (Los Tigres Del Norte)
06. Visible (Jaguares)
07. Hanuman (Rodrigo y Gabriela)
08. La Travesia (Juan Luis Guerra)
09. Believe (Ozomatli)
10. Los Illegales (Los Tucanes De Tijuana)
11. Esperando Tu Voz (Paulina Aguirre)
12. Las Calles (Ruben Blades)
13. Voy A Sacudirme (Kinto Sol)
14. Querida, Querida (Os Mutantes)
15. Tengo La Voz (Nortec Collective)
16. Che Che Cole (Makossa Mix) Antibalas
17. Mentiras (Los Amigos Invisibles)
18. Grains De Beaute (Ceú)
19. Yo Soy La Voz (Maleco Collective)
20. Solo A Terceros (Panda)
21. If You Want It (Pacha Massive)
22. Ayer Y Hoy (Brownout)
23. Agua Pa’ La Gente (Hip Hop Hoodíos)
24. Te Sueno Grande (Alvaro Torres)
25. Cuanto Cuesta (Reyes Del Bajo Mundo)
26. 3rd Eye Vision (Mishka)

Well, it took a little long than expected, but Mr. Zislin has returned to announce which of these stars will hanging out on from May 14-16. Among them include the now Grammy Award winning outfit the Zac Brown Band, John Legend, The Black Crowes, and Allison Krauss & Union Station (featuring Jerry Douglas).

Michael Franti & Spearhead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, and Brett Dennen are also confirmed to take part, as are The Whigs, OK Go, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Toubab Krewe, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and A.A. Bondy.

Three-day passes, priced at $159, will go on sale beginning Monday, February 15th. VIP Packages will also be available. Attendance will be limited to 35,000 people per day.

Between Gabriela’s breath-taking rhythm guitar playing, in which she gracefully caresses the strings while using her outer fingers to pound against its frame, and Rodrigo’s outstanding flamenco stylistic playing, you won’t be able to take your eyes off either of them. Since its release last September, 11:11 has more than exceeded expectations, receiving nothing short of praise and support. So, if you get the opportunity sometime this Spring, definitely check out this dynamic pair. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!

The newly announced dates kick off in late February in Washington, DC travel through the Midwest and South before capping things off on March 21st in Florida. A tour of France, a one-off at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, and a London residency are scheduled for the weeks and months that follow. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com. Find the band’s entire upcoming itinerary below.

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2010 Tour Dates:
02/28 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/01 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/02 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Byham Theater
03/05 -Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
03/06 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
03/07 – Louisville, KY @ Brown Theatre
03/09 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
03/10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Theatre
03/12 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
03/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
03/15 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
03/18 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
03/20 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach
03/21 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
04/07 – Crans Montana, CH @ Chapateau
04/08 – Zurich, CH @ X-Tra
04/10 – Paris, FR @ Olympia Theatre
04/11 – Paris, FR @ Olympia Theatre
04/13 – Marseilles, FR @ Docks Des Suds
04/14 – Toulouse, FR @ Bikini
04/16 – Bourges, FR @ The Phoenix
04/17 – Strasbourg, FR @ The Zenith
04/21 – Brussels, BE @ Forest National Club
04/29 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
11/02 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/03 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/05 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/06 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11/07 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

Beach House w/ Washed Out & Bachelorette:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Jay-Z:

What: Dates for New York, NY

When: March 2nd

Tixs: $39.50 – $139.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Rodrigo y Gabriela:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

RX Bandits:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Spoon w/ Deerhunter:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Trey Anastasio and Classic Tab:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: February

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Pre-sale tickets for the newly announced dates are available now via robgab.com, while the public sale will begin Friday, August 14th via Ticketmaster.com.

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2009 Tour Dates:
09/02 – London, UK @ Koko
09/04 – Laois, IE @ Electric Picnic
09/16 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
09/19 – Denver, CO @ Temple Hoyne Buelle Theatre
09/21 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
09/23 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
09/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
10/10 – San Diego, CA @ 4th & B Concert Theater
10/12 – Portland, OR @ Schnitzer Hall
10/14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
10/16 – Chicago, IL @ Riveria Theater
10/19 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
10/20 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
10/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/23 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
10/24 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
11/11 – Nantes, FR @ La Carriere
11/12 – Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
11/13 – Lille, FR @ Aeronef
11/18 – Laussane, CH @ Les Docks
11/20 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
11/21 – Rotterdam, NL @ Watt
11/23 – London, UK @ Hammersmith Apollo
11/24 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
11/26 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
11/28 – Manchester, UK @ Apollo
11/29 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall

We’d now like to apologize for the above example of sheer stupidity.

What isn’t related to the number 11 is the fact that album was recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico and produced by Rodrigo y Gabriela, with John Leckie co-producing two of the tracks. The album was mixed in Wales and London by Colin Richardson, who you may know for his work with Slipknot and Trivium. There will also be a couple guests, including Testament’s Alex Skolnick and the duo of Strunz & Farah.

In support of 11:11, Rodrigo y Gabriela will embark on a North American tour beginning this September. So far, only five dates are on the agenda, but more will be announced in the coming weeks.

11:11 Tracklist:
01. Hanuman
02. Buster Voodoo
03. Triveni
04. Logos
05. Santo Domingo
06. Master Maqui (feat. Strunz & Farah)
07. Savitri
08. Hora Zero
09. Chac Mool
10. Atman (feat. Alex Skolnick)
11. 11:11

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2009 Tour Dates:
06/28 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
09/16 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
09/19 – Denver, CO @ Temple Hoyne Buelle Theatre
09/21 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
09/23 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
09/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theater

Sun and The Boss. It was hard not to be excited about those two things as Saturday descended on the green fields of Bonnaroo. And that’s without mentioning everything else making up day three. Trent? Wilco? The Mars Volta? A lack of mud, well, kind of? It was certainly a day worth remembering…

Elvis Perkins In Dearland:
This Tent: 12:30-1:30

There’s a lot of mystique surrounding the man who goes by the name of Elvis Perkins. Most know that his father was Norman Bates in the original Psycho and that his mother was tragically killed in September 11th.  But what does that say about him as a performer? Not much. Unfortunately, when he and the rest of Dearland made their way on stage Saturday morning, much of that air of mystery remained. Elvis Perkins is a weird dude, and his cleverly lackadaisical delivery of slow churning pscyh folk only exacerbates his oddness. He was interesting to watch, and as the set progressed, the band’s energy level rose notably. They even invited the cast of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon and all (why he didn’t have Justin sing on a track was confusing), for the last few songs. It was a good way to start another great day of music. – DL

Booker T & the Drive-By Truckers:
Which Stage: 3:00-4:45

Technically, there was no super jam as this year’s Bonnaroo, though one can certainly make a case that Booker T and the Drive-By Truckers’ performance on the Which Stage on Saturday afternoon was just as good as any super jam of Bonnaroo’s past. Maybe it was just the combination of Booker T’s soulful organ and the rock fury of the Drive-By Truckers shelling out classics like “Green Onions”, but that was just something particularly captivating about the hour-long performance that left quite a bit of awe. – AY

Rodrigo y Gabriela:
What Stage: 3:30-5:00

It’s always a pleasure to hear the glorious sounds of Rodrigo y Gabriela’s flamenco induced, acoustic guitar playing, but it was the magic behind this Mexican duo that kept everyone’s spirits high during the sun’s peak hours on the What Stage. Known for their fast, rhythmic guitar playing the duo captivated the audience with what they’ve always done best, along with impressive solos and a couple of new songs from their currently unreleased album 11:11. As always, Rodrigo continuously grabbed the crowd’s attention by repeatedly asking for our assistance carrying the beat, which made their hour and a half performance fly by almost too quickly, despite of course, our aching and raw palms. By then end, the crowd was left in a stupor; completely numb from watching Rodrigo’s fingers fly vertically along the fret board as Gabriela geared our focus towards her wavering fingers and unique rhythmic knuckle playing. – AF

Bon Iver:
This Tent: 3:30-4:45

The name may translate to “Good Winter” in French, perhaps raising some doubts as to how the chilly, atmospheric folk would translate in the blistering Tennessee heat. But, for Justin Vernon and the rest of Bon Iver, the name could mean “Bad Band” and they would still blow everybody within a hundred feet right off their feet. Justin and the dudes that make up the impossibly humble, yet unbelievably powerful Bon Iver, did exactly that on Saturday. The large “This Tent” was packed tight with bodies. I mean packed. Rumor has it that Drew Berrymore and Justin Long watched on from the equally populated VIP area to the stages side. There really wasn’t a more electric crowd at all of Bonnaroo, and for good reason. This was a hair raising, bone chilling, downright beautiful thing to witness. And it wasn’t soft or cutesy either. Throughout the unbelievable performance, Vernon attacked his electric guitar, two drummers slammed their arms down with great force, and atmospheric textures still found their way in. Perfect control was the key here, and it was there in excess. Vernon sat down with his national resonator for a stirring rendition of “Skinny Love,” with every single audience member singing along. He stood up and thrashed on songs like “Wolves” in a set that included a wonderful cover of Yo La Tengo’s “I Feel Like Going Home” and highlights from the beautiful For Emma, Forever Ago.

The true high point of the best performance at 2009’s installment of Bonnaroo (yep, I said it), however, came at the set’s bittersweet end. Nobody wanted the guys to exit the stage, but it would have been wrong to attempt to follow up all the raw energy and utter passion that Vernon and the rest of his band brought out during the impossibly climactic “Wolves”. With the crowd filling in by chanting the mantra-like ending lyrics “What might have been lost” Vernon was able to take his falsetto to immeasurable heights, impossibly crooning his way to a finish. Drums crashed, and chaos ensued before it was all over and the guys walked off of the stage, drenched in sweat (at least Justin was). Not one person could say it didn’t leave them standing in amazement, and the festival’s true highlight left everybody wanting to see Bon Iver again as soon as humanly possible. It may not have been a good winter, but it was definitely a phenomenal something. – DL

Of Montreal:
This Tent: 5:30-6:30

Just a few years ago, there weren’t many people who knew of Of Montreal. But, after countless tours and ridiculous stage shows, the media took them under their wing and come Saturday at Bonnaroo, the band’s set at That Stage was packed to the brim. The scene that soon ensued went something like this: After making fans wait 15 minutes past their original start time – thanks elaborate stage setup!, a man dressed in a suit and tiger mask appeared and smashed a bottle over Beatle Bob, who, yes, is still alive and was getting ready to introduce the band. Then, strode out the members of Of Montreal in their flamboyant costumes sending the crowd into a frenzy. A few minutes into the first song a Christmas tree was brought on stage by an assistant in a gas mask. He was joined by three others in zip-up pajamas who danced around opening their gifts; the first two were gas masks and the third was poison gas that resulted in the death of one of the kids. Out there? You bet.

Needless to say, Of Montreal’s hour long performance was easily one of the more entertaining sets of the weekend. Of the music played, because Of Montreal is a band first and foremost, the biggest highlight had to be the 12-minute epic that was “Past Is A Grotesque Animal” from 2007′s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? If you weren’t a fan of Montreal before the performance, you certainly left as one. If you were under the influence before the performance, you left scared shitless. – AK

Wilco:
What Stage: 6:00-8:00

Of course, at the Which Stage on Saturday, Wilco did what Wilco always does when they perform. They put on a solid show, filled with explosive energy, laid back whimsical philosophy, and heartbreaking tragedy all in one performance. Playing a great deal of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and highlights from most of their more recent studio albums, including the brand new Wilco (The Album), Wilco made a good choice by not trying to pull of a new album listening party in the form of a live performance. It was hard not to have a good time with Jeff and the rest of the guys in such highs spirits. Tweedy’s touchingly pathetic attempt at humor made fans remember why they fell in love with him in the first place: “If you guys start booing us, we have a built in excuse tonight.  We’ll just pretend you’re saying Bruuuuce.” With little crowd laughter, Tweedy pleaded, “I worked on that all day.” But there was no booing to be seen as Nels Cline shredded his strings and bent his guitar’s bridge, Glen Kotche effortlessly flailed about his drum set, and every one else did their part. The controlled chaos that Wilco can bring forth to seemingly simple songs is always great to see live. At the end, the guys proved they aren’t lying when they say “Wilco will love you.” – DL

The Mars Volta:
Which Stage: 7:15-8:45

Playing on the main stage at the same time as The Decemberists and Elvis Costello proved to be a rough decision, but it was hard to say no to The Mars Volta, what with their unique progressive-psychedelic-experimental-the-list-could-go-on rock sounds? As guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López slipped into the groove, frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala revved up his stage show, whipping around his white microphone cable while singing very apt lines like, “Give me that corpse please/That one that tore nightly/I really want it now.” Because he doesn’t play an instrument, Bixler-Zavala sought to match Rodríguez-López’s mind shattering riffs by falling to the ground and gyrating around the stage, all of which could have been more suitable for a nighttime slot.

“We’re gonna play one from our first album,” Bixler-Zavala declared. “Because according to our fans, all the other ones suck!” That, of course, led to “Drunkship of Lanterns”, the long, sweet and sour epic off 2003′s De-Loused in the Comatorium. In the audience, one fan casually remarked that she went to high school with the prog-rockers and when asked what they were like, she said, “Just like this. They did their own thing and told everyone else to fuck off.” Word to the wise: Let them do what they please, The Mars Volta put on an incredible show, even despite the rosy sun. – AK

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band:
What Stage: 9:30-12:30

It’s hard to sum up the three hours of heart-stopping, earth-shaking, love-making, Viagra-taking music that descended on Bonnaroo’s What Stage at 9:28 p.m. and refused to let go until three hours later. After all, entering the festival, there were about as many questions surrounding Bruce Springsteen & the Street Band‘s headlining performance as there were sun burnt, wide eyed campers conjugated at the What Stage waiting for Springsteen to appear from the shadows. How would Springsteen translate to a festival with a particularly strong jam base, especially in a year where Phish would be performing two sets? How would the ordinary festival fan react? How would the new material go over? Would he even dare to play it? Would The Boss take advantage of the slew of adoring artists willing to scramble on stage for a guest appearance at a moments notice?

This wasn’t New Jersey. This was Manchester, Tennessee.

By a little after midnight, our questions had been answered, with many perhaps different than what was originally guessed. There were no Morellos, Escovedos, or Anastasios on Saturday night. Minus an appearance from Evan Springsteen during “American Land”, this was strictly an E Street Band performance.

Set wise, Springsteen played it safe, seemingly well aware that a large contingent of the audience wasn’t familiar of selections past the greatest hits. So, following a few numbers from his latest offering, Working on a Dream, The Boss did just that – he opened with “Badlands”, thrilled with “Out in the Street” and “The River”, and offered an encore featuring “Rosalita”, “Glory Days” and “Dancing in the Dark” back-to-back-to-back. When request time came, the vibe was much of the same: Rather than embark on the latest edition of “Stump the Band,” Springsteen took to a performance of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – I kid you not!, “Growing Up”, and “Thunder Road”.

Three hours and 28 songs later, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band had answered all the aforementioned questions. Some, like most of the 80,000 who watched the band on Saturday night, surely walked away impressed with thoughts ranging from “Wow, I got to see ‘Born to Run’, dude” to “How old is that guy?” Others, such as the small contingent of Springsteen diehards who traveled to Manchester for the weekend, likely had an opposite opinions, perhaps a bit displeased by the greatest hits and cheesy mentality of the set.

My answer to the latter perspective? The Giants Stadium, WOAD shows will return. But for one night, in a field in Manchester, Tennessee, The Boss went a different route, one which made for one memorable evening for those 80,000 gathered in that field in Manchester, Tennessee. – AY

Nine Inch Nails:
Which Stage: 1:00-3:00

It’s hard to believe Trent Reznor when he says that this will be Nine Inch Nails’ final tour. After all, Reznor has taken long breaks in between albums up until his recent kick of productivity. But it sounded so sincere when mid-set Reznor stated, “It just dawned on me that tonight is our last show in the US.” If NIN genius is indeed calling it quits for good, then Saturday’s 1 AM set made everyone in attendance quite mournful of the loss. Drawing highlights from nearly every one of NIN’s albums, the set was chock full of raucous sing alongs and heart wrenching ballads that only Reznor could pin down. Skittish drum machines, ominous fog, and glaring strobe lights welcomed Reznor and touring band to the stage. The guys were at the top of their game, in a performance that was different from most other NIN shows. Instead of the usual, perfectly orchestrated, art-piece like NIN show, Reznor’s Bonnaroo performance came across as a raw, impromptu, intimate performance. Perhaps this was due to the rather informal way everything was done, the minimal band size (only four of them), and the lack of ornate lighting (though the lights weren’t completely simple). It was like seeing them in your backyard, despite the huge crowd that looked on. Everybody was chanting along to “Head Like A Hole” and “The Hand that Feeds”, and a surprise cover of Joy Division’s “Dead Souls” was exciting, but not until the stunning rendition of “Hurt” did it feel like this was the last time any of us would see NIN again. As Reznor sang the sad tune, nearly on the verge of tears, lighters went up, and he signed off, possibly for the last time ever on American soil. – DL

Yeasayer:
That Tent: 1:00-1:45

Yeasayer has come a long way since releasing All Hour Cymbals back in 2007, and Saturday night’s set must have been a milestone for them as they played to their largest audience yet in the That Tent. The band’s live set has changed some over the past year and a half as they have expanded it bringing on another member to help out on the electronic percussion which in turn has allowed Chris Keating to become more of a front man. Their sound has also expanded as they continue to rework old favorites like the more guitar focused “2080” and the spacey opener “Sunrise”. The energy was huge in the shrinking tent as the band introduced new songs that had some people wondering if they had been slipped something. Vocal effects, reverb, and some huge bass lines kept the dancing up with the roar of the audience getting louder after every song. For a band that had often been missed at the bottom of festival line-ups, this was their long awaited introduction to the music community, and it was a mind blowing one at that. – EM

MGMT:
That Tent: 2:15-3:45

This time last year, MGMT managed a popular Thursday night spot, which one could certainly argue attested to their rise in popularity over the last year. On early Sunday morning, the duo of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, now backed by a full band, returned to Bonnaroo for a much anticipated late night set at That Tent. And, well, some of the things that went down easily rivaled the festival’s biggest names. Although main stage act Nine Inch Nails were set up at Which Stage for an epic late night set at the same time, MGMT seemed to hold more than a candle to Reznor and Co. That Tent proved to be too small, with the crowd not only overflowing the boundaries of the tent itself, but spilled all the way back to the vendor stands and merch tents. Glow stick wars rivaled Phish’s Sunday set and standards “Time to Pretend”, “Electric Feel” and “Kids” electrified the crowd. One can now only wonder what where MGMT will be this time next year. If their Bonnaroo set is any indication, the duo could rise to be one of the most exciting acts in, hell, the entire world. – TB

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Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3:

Elvis Perkins In Dearland:

Booker T & the Drive-By Truckers:

Bon Iver:

Press Conference feat. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog:

Of Montreal:

Wilco:

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band:

Nine Inch Nails:

Yeasayer:

The final day of Outside Lands was fantastic. The sun decided to come out and play for a bit and we were delighted to bask in some warm weather for a change. The crowd was smaller compared to the previous two days, but not by too much. Although the crowd started pouring in around 3:30 p.m., everyone that came out early enjoyed themselves and took it easy on a fine Sunday morning. And the music was (in my opinion) the best yet.

Jackie Greene kicked things off at 1:00 p.m. on the main stage with his bluesy and soulful rock music. Greene had a lovely southern drawl as he sang, which helped his music take on a much sexier appeal. The band’s sound was reminiscent of 1960′s and 70′s rock and roll, drawing from artists The Rolling Stones and The Doors. It was really the perfect music to start off the morning and get your mind off of yesterday’s hang over. Greene remarked on his performance later, saying “I definitely recognize the historical value of playing at Golden Gate Park, but for me, it’s really special to play in your home town. I can just roll out of bed and get here in like 5 minutes. It’s great. San Francisco really did a great job with this thing.”

Next up was Nicole Atkins and the Sea (photo below) who put on quite a rockin’ show. There was a lot more intensity and energy in the group than when I saw the band last year in Atlanta, GA, with Atkins seeming extremely confident. Kicking things off with “Party’s Over,” the band continued to play a majority of their faster paced songs, while not forgetting their slower hits like “War Torn” and “The Way It Is.” The set even included an old Atkins song “Carouselle” from her Bleeding Diamonds E.P. and a cover of Patti Smith’s song, “Pissing In A River…” At the press conference later that afternoon, Atkins spoke out about her earlier performance claiming that, “since we are always the first set at festivals, we aren’t given much time and sort of just play a greatest hits set. It also really depends on what we were listening to before the show. Like if it was Mastodon then it’d be more metal. Well, at least in my mind anyways.”

At about 2:00 p.m., Stars got things going on the Twin Peaks stage. (Stay tuned for an interview with lead singer Torquil Campbell that will be posted up on the site in the next few days.) Campbell and Amy Millan took turns singing lead and Campbell was moving all over the stage, playing different instruments here and there. He even fell over once. The stage set up was really beautiful; with white rose bouquets tied to all the instruments. Stars drew in a huge crowd and captured the attention of all the incoming people from the neighboring front gate entrance. Truly a stunning performance.

The party really started when Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings took the main stage. Keeping 1960′s soul music alive and part of today’s music scene, the band drew in a huge crowd that was ready to get down and boogie. The Dap Kings started things off with a few songs of their own, later introducing the fabulous soul sister we had all come to see. Jones got up there and started shakin’ it like it was nobody’s business. She did her very own versions of the “Mash Potata” and the “Boogaloo” and you could tell she was having one hell of a time up there. While singing tunes like “100 Days and 100 Nights,” “Tell Me” and “The Collection Song”, Jones managed to create her own funky dance party. Later on, she grabbed one of the backstage crew guys and sang “Be Easy” to him, while advising the guy how to get a real woman of his own. The crowd went nuts, so she brought up another girl from backstage and even got security to O.K. someone from the crowd to get on the stage and dance with her. This was surely one of the most entertaining and fun shows at the festival this weekend and everyone was sad to see her leave the stage.

A half hour later, Rodrigo y Gabriela (photo below) set up on the main stage. Definitely one of the simplest stage set ups ever, the duo got up there with their guitars and a couple of chairs. Rodrigo y Gabriela were phenomenal and it was mind blowing to watch their fingers at work. They initially played songs like “Tamacun” and “Diablo Rojo” together, but then split up. The duo battled one another for a while to see who would get to solo first and Gabriela won. She got up there and really showed us what she could do with a guitar. There aren’t even words to describe what she was doing, but the crowd was clapping to the beat and keeping rhythm for her as we all jumped up and down. Then Rodrigo came out to switch places with her. Soon after, he fooled around with his guitar for a bit, but then he waltzed up to the stage, got serious for a moment, and started to play the beginning riffs of a Jack Johnson song which made everyone laugh hysterically. Then he whipped out a wah pedal and started sampling songs by artists like Jimi Hendrix and The White Stripes until he finally found the song that everyone was hoping for, “Stairway to Heaven”. Gabriela got back up up and finished the song with him. The duo got everyone’s spirits high and we clapped so hard to keep the beat that our hands were raw. As they exited, we were left motionless and were sad that we had to stop dancing.

Thankfully, the dance party started up again within minutes, on the neighboring Avenues stage with Los Amigos Invisibles (photo below). And so began the electrifying Latin disco dance party extravaganza! The band delighted us with bouncy tunes which no one could resist, not even themselves. Singing in Spanish, the band touched on a mix between 70′s disco and 90′s Euro-pop. Filled with electrifying guitar solos, funky bass and one wild keyboardist, it was hard to tell if the band or the crowd was having more fun. Tunes like “Que Rico” and “Ponerte en Cuatro” just blew us away, making us want more and more. Unfortunately, the band wasn’t allowed to do an encore and the stage cleared in preparation for the evening’s main event.

Many people were already crowded around the stage in anticipation of Jack Johnson. For those of us coming from the dance party, part of ourselves were still moving and it was hard to mellow out and settle down for the calm music that Jack Johnson brings to the table. Nevertheless, everyone ran in close for Outside Lands’ final event and Johnson brought the festival to a pleasant and peaceful end.

Feature image courtesy of Crowdfire.net.

At first glance of the schedule, I wondered how they were going to pull this year off by putting heavy hitters such as Foo Fighter and Kanye West on the south stage. In previous years, this was the obvious secondary stage, being that it was small and on a parking lot surface, but this year surprised me as they built it up and moved it onto the grass, creating a second main stage. This was an excellent move on the organizers part, and one that will help the festivals longevity. If that wasn’t enough, there were free rides provided by bike powered rickshaws, free water, and fun, free “swag” for recycling your waste that included jeans and even an iPod for those filling up the free bags they handed out.

Before I continue with the music, I must digress first and call out the organizers on a major mistake. For the entire summer I have been recovering from a major accident that put me in a wheel chair until recently. Every concert and festival I have attended has been extremely accommodating, making the experience that much better, until this past weekend. I assumed that the festival would provide handicapped parking, but as I searched for it, none of the attendants had any idea what I was talking about. Even more frustrating, I had to pay $30 for a regular space as all the handicapped parking I did see had been reserved for those using the race track, not for those going to the festival.

Now with that off my chest… on to the show!

Saturday started off with the indie-approved sensation Cat Power and the pop rock of KT Tunstall. Tunstall sounded great as she belted out her pop friendly hits to a filled out crowd. There were sing-alongs and dancing to be seen as everyone woke up at the crack of noon. Cat Power experienced some sound issues as her voice was hard to hear in the beginning, but luckily things did clear up, providing a great performance.

Gogol Bordello knocked the energy up a notch as they delivered another classic set filled with wine spitting and bucket playing, with all their gypsy-punk fury. Swell Season was a nice surprise to see on the line-up, and the Oscar winners delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova harmonized and worked through sleepy, gentle piano ballads, but once it was just Hansard with his worn out guitar, his furious strumming and passionate vocals took over the set. Given the quiet nature of the music, you could hear Lupe Fiasco‘s beats on the south stage, at which point Hansard dedicated a Van Morrison cover to the rapper. The highlight of the weekend came at the end of the set, when Hansard’s mic was cut off. He took it upon himself to jump into the crowd, guitar in tow, and lead everyone in a sing along of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin Nowhere”.

After Lupe Fiasco finished up, Bloc Party came on next for the last performance on its summer tour. The first mosh pits of the day broke out as they pummeled through their quasi-emo-dance rock, which sounded great and especially heavy. The most unique performers of the weekend were easily the Spanish guitar virtuoso’s Rodrigo y Gabriella. Their technique was as technically impressive as it was flawless. Their hands moved so quickly while strumming, it almost looked as if they weren’t hitting the strings at all. But indeed, they were, as they mixed lightning fast picking and strumming with guitar tapping percussion that had even the hardest of rock fans throwing up the devil horns. “Tamacun” closed out the set and left everyone amazed at what they had just seen.

Citizen Cope mellowed out the festival with a performance that sounded much better in this kind of setting than it had the previous time he was in the area at the 9:30 club. Songwriter Clarence Greenwood rolled through much of his well known material, adding bits of built up intensity, then bringing it back down to the hip swaying, head bobbing melodies he does best. Keeping the north stage chilled out, Wilco came on to welcome the sunset and delivered a powerful set of tunes. As a long time Wilco fan told me afterwards, it was the best he had seen them in the area, as they were especially “on” that evening. After a breathtaking extended solo on “Impossible Germany”, it’s not hard to consider them the quintessential live band.

Closing out Saturday on the south stage was the rock of the mighty Foo Fighters, while opposite on the north stage, some enjoyed acoustic surfer ballads of Jack Johnson. For those looking to rock, Foo Fighters tore through their impeccably impressive set, opening with their recent success “The Pretender”. As always, the charismatic Dave Grohl knocked the audience out of their sweaty shoes with a set that covered all the hits. The surprise came when they broke into their cover of The Who’s “Young Man Blues”, solidifying that everyone within earshot could do nothing but rock out. Half way through, and after the extended metal-esque “Stacked Actors”, Grohl and company brought out the acoustic numbers with their expanded band, glazing through “Marigold” and the powerful “My Hero”. That didn’t last long, however, as the rock was brought back with the classic Foo hit, “Everlong”, and continued to finish the night with “All My Life” and “Times Like These”.

We had been rocked hard, and there was still a day to go…