Sasquatch Music Festival Day 2 Review – 2008.05.25
Being out at the Gorge for any amount of time is kind of a surreal experience. You are out there in the high desert of Washington state and you can literally sit back and watch the weather change by the minute, which this entire weekend it did. While there, you are confined to this relatively small space compared to the vast surroundings, littered with rattlesnakes, ground squirrels, and birds of prey. The artificial existence is hard not to notice when entering the park established for these large festivals and concerts, when you head down the hill and are struck by the view pictured above. I am sure more than one or two bands out there that weekend had a moment when they felt like they were in the middle of Sting’s “Desert Rose” video…
MP3: 65daysofstatic – Failsafe from The Destruction of Small Ideas
The UK post-rockers were the first act I caught on the second day of the festival and I had heard a lot of good things about them. They seemed very serious and not so into the show as I’d have hoped, but the music was great. I am sure they are used to more dark and stuffy venues as opposed to the wilderness of the Gorge.
65daysofstatic Website | Myspace
MP3: What Made Milwaukee Famous – Resistance St. from What Doesn’t Kill Us
I’d met the guys from WMMF the day before while doing some video work with them and they were a great group of guys. Unfortunately, I did not get much of a chance to check out their live show, although what I did hear and the reaction from the crowd were both great.
What Made Milwaukee Famous Website | Myspace
MP3: J. Tillman – Steel On Steel from Vacilando Territory Blues
Tillman played his mid-day set to a pretty good sized, yet seated crowd on the grass of the Yeti meadow. There was some short banter with the crowd, but mostly he played a good mix of songs from his last few albums to a couple new tunes from his forthcoming album, Vacilando Territory Blues.
White Rabbits Website | Myspace
MP3: Tegan And Sara – You Wouldn’t Like Me from So Jealous
Tegan and Sara took the stage fairly early that day to a surprisingly really eager crowd. As soon as they started in with their set, fans went crazy and were having a great time singing along and screaming. It was a bit overwhelming from the photo pit… I could only imagine what it’d be like for them as performers to deal with that for an entire hour. Intense.
Tegan and Sara Website | Myspace
MP3: Rogue Wave – Lake Michigan from Asleep At Heaven’s Gate
MP3: The Presidents Of The United States – Lump from The Presidents Of The United States
Billed as “The Presidents” for the festival, POTUSA revived a main stage show probably very reminiscent of their show 13 years ago when their self titled was released and “Peaches” and “Lump” were there two biggest hits at the time. A super energetic band they played to the crowds expectations and we one of the liveliest acts to the play that weekend, bouncing all over the stage.
The Presidents Of The United States Website | Myspace
MP3: Mates of State – My Only Offer from Re-Arrange Us
Mates of State rushed to take the stage as the band before them took a little longer than expected to finish their set. Jumping right into their music, not all the mics were set and their vocals didnt come in until a few seconds after they began singing, but it was alright. They showcased how over 10 years of making music together they’ve grown into making much more mature, yet still catchy, pop music. A definite highlight of the set was them playing “These Days” by Nico and off of their own 2002 split with Dear Nora.
Mates of State Website | Myspace
MP3: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Cold Son from Real Emotional Trash
Malkmus and the Jicks got a pretty late start after the Kooks took their sweet time getting off the stage. As Malkmus put it, “These tidy Americans” setup in less than 10 minutes and were off rockin’ a good mix of and new material. The jamming “Real Emotional Trash” really shines live as the band can groove together really well. As usual, Janet’s superb drumming ads a lot of flare to the Malkmus catalog.
Stephen Malkmus Website | Myspace
MP3: The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry Buy it at Insound!
The Cure closed the night with probably one of the longest sets I’ve ever seen from a single band. Two and a half hours, he walked off the stage twice looking just exhausted, yet he persevered and gave the crowd everything they wanted.
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