Pickathon 2016 Preview: From Farm to Earhole
By Dan Lurie
It’s harvest season at Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, Oregon, but don’t expect a bountiful yield of corn, wheat or leafy greens. This farm is known for one thing: rock n’ roll. Each summer, an eye-opening lineup of musicians rolls up on the property for Pickathon, a music festival without comparison.
The 2016 lineup boasts a stellar mix of up-and-comers and veteran stalwarts, including Jeff Tweedy, Yo La Tengo, Beach House, Wolf Parade, Kevin Morby, Chanti Darling and countless ridiculous others. It also promises locally sourced comedy for the first time.
The setting makes Pickathon truly unique. Some of these folks will quite literally induce barn stomping, because two of the stages are in barns. Others will rock under the shadow of a mountain, or in the woods in what appears to be the greatest fort ever assembled from humble branches. Upping the ante even further, Pickathon enlists the Portland State School of Architecture to redesign its Treeline Stage each year for maximum shock and awe.
The festival also goes HAM when it comes to food and drink, with a fleet of Oregon’s finest food carts and bearded craft brewers all set to invade the amber fields of grain. There’s camping onsite, so pack a rucksack and let the good times roll.
Pickathon goes down August 5-7. Check out www.pickathon.com for the full lineup and schedule.