Sasquatch 2012: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Sasquatch Music Festival
Memorial Day Weekend, 2012
The Gorge Amphitheatre
By Matt Ashworth
Sasquatch is a yearly music festival at the Gorge Amphitheare in George, Washington (for those of you out-of-staters, yes, that really is what the town is called). I’ve never been, but that’s not Sasquatch’s fault. It just had bad timing.
You see, I hung up my symbolic Dr. Marten’s moshing boots nearly a decade ago. This after a lifetime of going to shows and hitting just about every Indie/Alternative music festival in the state. I did the first six Lollapaloozas, six or seven of radio station 107.7 The End’s “End Fest” shows, and countless other smaller outdoor music events.
Unfortunately, the introduction of Sasquatch, now in its tenth year, coincided with the exact moment when I simultaneously lost patience with large crowds and sleeping in a dirty parking lot with a bunch of drunk kids on acid.
That timing is a shame too, because Sasquatch consistently assembles one of the best lineups of any music festival in the country, carefully selecting familiar Indie rock institutions (this year boasts Beck, Jack White and the Shins; Bjork, Massive Attack and R.E.M. made appearances in previous years), the day’s best and brightest (Explosions in the Sky, the Joy Formidable, Santigold, Wild Flag) and bands that will likely command your attention over the next eighteen months (Allen Stone, Fly Moon Royalty, Gold Leaves, Yellow Ostrich.)
It’s this last category that I find the most useful. The good folks at Sasquatch clearly scour the hordes of new bands the emerge each year and pick the best of the best, which makes for a handy guide for aging music nerds who want to stay current with what the cool kids are listening to. Silly things like day jobs and raising a family limit my time to consume new music, so in that regard, Sasquatch is a huge help.
For the second straight year I checked out at least three songs from as many of the performers as possible and then shared my thoughts through my @ashmatty Twitter handle via the #Sasquatch and #NMSqautch hash tags. They’ve assembled an amazing lineup for 2012; if you’re not there already, head out now. Music continues through late Monday night.
- It’s likely that Active Child will play in some sort of tent at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- I think yes on Active Child’s “Hanging On.” Hold tight through trancey Sigur Ros parts for big payoff in the chorus. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Only one Alabama Shakes song on @Spotify. It’s pretty great. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Speaking of the @Alabama_Shakes, I’d say they were the most hyped/talked about band of #sxsw 2012. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Now I’m listening to @apparatofficial for the #NMSquatch project. I need to remember not to mix that name up with @ratatatmusic. #Sasquatch
- If I don’t already know the artist, I’m listening to their five most popular songs on @Spotify for the #NMSquatch project. #Sasquatch
- I do like the @apparatofficial, but it’s making me sleepy. Will note for next dinner party. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Congrats also to @beatconnexion for the #Sasquatch billing. They did our http://www.twitter.com/nadamucho) 4 on the Floor series at @highdive in 2010. #NMSquatch
- My fave @beatconnexion (two young men from UW who make beautiful sounds with laptops) song ow.ly/ba5Dr. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Here’s @guerrillacandy on “5 Locals to Watch at #Sasquatch” ow.ly/ba4nM. #NMSquatch
- Speaking of hip dinner music, try Beats Antique. Really like this first track “Beauty Beats.” #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- These @BeatsAntique songs are great. This is why I do the #NMSquatch project! Would be curious to see what they do live at @Sasquatch.
- I liked a couple of Ben Howard’s songs OK. I had to try pretty hard though. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Yikes. Don’t like this first Blind Pilot song “Half Moon.” Not good enough to be this pansy. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Yep. I’m recommending you youngsters steer clear Blind Pilot at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- The @blackwhales are a very good Seattle band. 60s style pop with a bit of psychedlia and Kinks mixed in. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Yes, do. RT @nadamucho: Check out this @blackwhales video and their set @Sasquatch. fb.me/1NPCnizLT #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- In other #NMSquatch news, I’m dominating @blackwhales drummer Davey Brozowski in Words With Friends. #Sasquatch
Bonus points to Black Whales for replying to my Tweets.
- Cass McCombs seems pretty good. Might be boring live and outdoors. Depends on what kind of band he brings. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Really like Cass’s “Love Thine Enemy.” Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Like the @CassMcCombs. Go see him at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- The Cave Singers (@thecavesingers) really are one of those bands that’s more than the sum of its parts. #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- A little boring at times, but really good vibe and spirit on the Cave Singers songs. #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- Childish Gambino is the hip-hop project of @DonaldGlover from TV show “Community.” #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I seem to be in the minority, but I really, really like that first Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Here’s my favorite song from #Sasquatch performers @cyhsyband. Sounds like David Byrne has Peter Hook on bass. #NMSquatch
- Gotta appreciate the Clout Cult. Putting out solid albums and saving the environment since 2003. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Clout Cult are very operatic. Love dude’s pansy vocals. “When Water Comes to Life” is especially good.
- Clout Cult kinda sometimes sound like Polyphonic Spree. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Now for some @ComTruise in the #NMSquatch #Sasquatch project.
- Not enjoying all of @ComTruise’s laserbeams. #NMSquatch #Sasquatch
- Nope. Great name fellas, but #ComTruise is not my cup of tea either. Weird electronic. #NMSquatch #Sasquatch
- It should probably also be noted that I am old. #ComTruise #NMSquatch #Sasquatch
- I really dig the @deertickmusic. @Lumpybaker and I caught them at the @TractorTavern earlier this year. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Here’s my favorite @deertickmusic song http://ow.ly/9p1P7 #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- The @deertickmusic have similar scope as Westerberg: garage-rockcountry-folk. Even cover “Bastards of Young.” #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Dum Dum Girls are similar to that band Cults. Love the fuzzy guitars. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I think yes on these gals. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Undecided on the “There is A Light that Never Goes Out cover.” I should mention that it’s one of my favorite songs ever. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch.
- Definitely catch @DymeDef at #Sasquatch. Those cats played our @nadamucho bday show in 2008 and were fantastic. #NMSquatch
- Here’s a track from the @DymeDef debut http://ow.ly/9p1VL #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Big yes on Explosions In The Sky of course. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Now on to @Feist for the #Sasquatch #NMSquatch project. I think there’s a Feist song I like. Hope I can find it.
- Damn. This first #Feist song is some heavy break up stuff. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Here’s the #Feist song. From the iPod commercial! Love it. “1234!” . #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Skipping around on albums for artists I don’t know well, to mix it up. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I get a Lauryn Hill vibe from Seattle’s @FlyMoonRoyalty. Smooth, interesting hip-hop/soul with female vocals. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Damn my Indie cred, but I gotta say yes on Grouplove too. They seem destined for a car commercial. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Love the track “Colours” from @GroupLove. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Also like “Itchin’ on a Photograph” from @GroupLove. Album seems spotty. Check them out at #Sasquatch though. #NMSquatch
- I’m glad Seatte band The Head & The Heart are experiencing success. They seem like nice people. #NMSquatch #Sasquatch
- #Sasquatch performers @headandtheheart played a show for us at @highdive right before they took off. Good live. #NMSquatch
- Big yes on @SubPop band @HelioSequence if you’re going to #Sasquatch. Great live. #NMSquatch
- Newer Helio Sequence stuff does sound more boring than I remember. Don’t think I’ve listened to either Sub Pop record (sorry.) #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- The Helio Sequence will likely still bring it live at #Sasquatch though. #NMSquatch
- Say, fun fact about #Sasquatch performer @HearWeGoMagic. It’s latest project of Luke Temple, formerly of Seattle’s Mill Pond Records (now defunct.) #NMSasquath
- Now the @LukeTemple and @HereWeGoMagic are on @SecretlyCanadian. Really good mix of electronic and guitars and atmosphere. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I recommend the @HereWeGoMagic at #Sasquatch. Try “How Do I know?” (Video) http://bit.ly/J9mVPo. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- We already told you about @HowlinRain on @NadaMucho earlier this year http://bit.ly/JGeiRa. Go see them at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch.
- Lest everyone think I’m a Negative Nelson, tonight I cover some #Sasquatch acts I already know and love. #NMSquatch
- One guy worth checking out at #Sasquatch is Jack White. He’s in a really cool band called the White Stripes. #NMSquatch
- Anyone know if Jack’s touring with a band or really playing solo? #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Don’t know that Jack White will ever top the first 15 seconds of “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground.” It’s perfect. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Jamey Johnson’s a mellow country guy. Hopefully the kids will be overturning cars during his set at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- Man. Bravo to @Sasquatch for booking a straight country guy like Jamey, but I just can’t see it playing. #NMSquatch
- Maybe Jamey Johnson will bring in some of that elusive Grant County revenue for #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- I adore The Joy Formidable. Here’s why. http://bit.ly/n86cb1 #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- And this one. #JoyFormidable #Sasquatch #NMSquatch http://ow.ly/aRD6Y
- This one’s great too http://ow.ly/aRDau. They just ave a lot of really good songs. #JoyFormidable #Sasquatch #NMSquatch.
- L.A. Riots also electronic. A little better groove so far. Still a bit wacky for my tastes. #NMSquatch #Sasquatch
- L.A. Riots get bonus points for having a song called “Control Your Tuba.” It doesn’t contain any. #NMSquatch #Sasquatch
- I’ve been enamored with this band Little Dragon that’s playing #Sasquatch since @samuelson put them on his 2011 year end. #NMSquatch
- Seriously, go listen to “Ritual Union” by @LittleDragon right now. #fb #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- So what, exactly, is “Portlandia” at #Sasquatch all about? Sketch comedy? Fred & Carrie doing songs? #NMSquatch
- If “Portlandia” live at #Sasquatch involves Fred Armisen saying words, you probably want to skip it. #NMSquatch
- Now Pretty Lights for #Sasquatch #NMSquatch project.
- The #Sasquatch #NMSquatch project is infinitely better w/ @Spotify because I can listen to the 3-5 most popular tracks for each artist.
- Pretty Lights are super fun DJ music. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Dan Lurie, a @nadamucho contributor, had good things to say about @RadiationCity at @SXSW 2011. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I think I like the @RadiationCity, in proper doses. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Caught a few songs from @reptarathens on way back from @mellowjohnnys. Crazy afrobeat rhythms mixed w/all sorts of other stuff. #sxsw #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I definteily liked Reptar better the first time, when they were called The Talking Heads. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Transparency is key in music criticism. Related note: I have never heard a Roots song I really liked. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- The last Roots album I listened to was Illadelph Halflife, which is extremely competent but completely unmemorable. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Have heard rave reviews about the Roots live show though. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- The band @SaidTheWhale should name all of their songs something that precedes “Said the Whale.” #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- The ocean is cold…said the whale.#Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- If you’re hard pressed for chewing gum, bite down on a slab of my blubber…. said the whale.” #Sasquatch #NMSquat
- I bet you wish you had your own blowhole, don’t ya?… said the whale. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I’m a conscious breather! .. said the whale. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Aw man, do we HAVE to share a trailer with those nerds in Foster the People? … said the whale. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Genius. Thanks for being good sports. Off to check out your tunes. RT @saidthewhale: @nadamucho @ashmatty Kriling me softly?
Bonus points for Said The Whale for replying on Twitter and for coming up with a better example than any of mine.
- Love the @Sbtrk. That song with @LittleDragon is outtasite. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Is it wrong that I’m more excited about the @wildginger buffet than the @sharonvanetten performance?
- Enjoyed @sharonvanetten’s short set at @TripleDoor for @kexp. Pretty voice, varied instrumentation and more texture than I expected.
- Pneumonic for @sharonvanatten’s band to remember set list at @TripleDoor: “Why Must God Love Sharon Always.”
- Wow. 30 seconds in to Shearwater and I already can’t stand it. #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- Shearwater are, as Eloise and her kindergarten teacher would say, “not my cup of tea.” #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Cleansing palette with Fugazi, who are not playing #Sasquatch this year. #NMSquatch
- Having just seen @TheShins secret @Starbucks show at the Moore, I can confidently recommend seeing them at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- Great mix of stuff from all four albums when @TheShins played last Friday. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Stuff from @TheShins new album sounded great live too. A bit more intricate bass and percussion in the mix. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Man did I love Silversun Pickups the first time around, when they were called the Smashing Pumpkins. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- It must be hard being in the Silversun Pickups. Being earnest and melodrammatic all the time takes so much energy. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- I do love “Kissing Families” by Silversun Pickups. Great screams when the song peaks at the end. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Fact: my wife’s college buddy Eric plays mandolin in Trampled by Turtles (@tbtduluth). #NMSquach #Sasquatch
- Knew nothing about @tbtduluth when my wife took me to see “her buddy’s band” at the @TractorTavern in 2010. #NMSasquatch #Sasquatch
- My favorite @tbtduluth song is “Empire,” from their 2008 album Duluth ow.ly/ba3x6. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- BTW, those @tbtduluth kids do traditional bluegrass with a punk spririt and alt-country songwriting. Recommended at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- I took a lot of heat for supporting Pela. I like that guy’s new project We Are Augustines too. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
- Wild Flag (Carrie/Janet from S-K plus Mary from Helium) were awesome at #SXSW last year. Go see them at #Sasquatch. #NMSquatch
- There’s 2 @wildflagmusic vids u must see before building a #Sasquatch lineup. Here’s one. http://ow.ly/9p21w #NMSquatch
- My other fave @wildflagmusic song. Like the Breeders if they were tougher. http://ow.ly/9p23E
- Wolfgang Gartner has some sort of crazy classical music smashed all up with wacky beats type of a thing going on. #Sasquatch #NMSquatch.
- Watch out for kids listening to Wolfgang Gartner. They are definitely on drugs. #SaveOurChildren #Sasquatch #NMSquatch
I’ll be following along online this weekend from the comfort of home, so take lots of pictures and share them on Twitter via #Sasquatch or post to our Facebook page.