The summer music season is upon us.
Every Memorial Day long weekend, I kick off my summer music season by heading to the Sasquatch Music Festival. It’s a 3 day event filled with music, comedy, camping and loads of fun. The festival takes place at The Gorge Amphitheater, which is located basically in the middle of nowhere, about halfway between Seattle and Spokane on the edge of the Columbia River. Behind the main stage is one of the most stunning concert views you’ll ever see: a sprawling river canyon as far as the eye can see. It’s unbelievable, and probably something you have to see in person to appreciate. The photo at the top gives you a taste, but definitely doesn’t do it justice.
For those of you that have never experienced a music festival, picture your favorite camping trip of all time. Now multiply that by about 3000 times because, at the same time, you get to see some of today’s best musicians perform, often at unbelievable outdoor venues.
With that said, I’m pretty sure I don’t have to directly tell you that I had an AMAZING time for that weekend kickin’ it Sasquatch style at the Gorge.
Here’s my list of the best performances I saw, all of which are bands that you should DEFINITELY check out! I’m giving you a top 8, just ‘cause I like that number.
Full list after the jump.
8. Deadmau5
The Canadian superstar DJ Deadmau5 put on a massive show. He closed down the first night of the festival with an unbelievable late night light show. Whether you’re into Dance/Electro/House music or not, the production that went into the set was second to none. Of course, he wore his signature ‘mau5 head during the performance while spinning his tracks from inside of his half-cube stage set, both of which were equipped with wicked lights. Check the video below for a taste of how gnarly the production was.
Track to check out: Strobe
Before the weekend began, I wasn’t sure how well these Ivy League prepsters would perform at an outdoor venue like the Gorge. It turned out that their mix of African drum beats and catchy melodies proved irresistible to just about every single person present. It was a literal dance fest. They got my hearty stamp of approval. I’ve included their awesome video for “Giving Up The Gun” below, which includes cameos by Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil’ Jon and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Tracks to check out: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance -
For me, My Morning Jacket is a band that you MUST see perform live. Though I love their album stuff, their live show is epic. This was the second time I’d seen them in an outdoor festival setting, and both times were amazing. Lead singer Jim James and the boys really benefit from the expansive outdoor setting. Their southern rock style guitar anthems screamed into the night as they closed out the first night.
Tracks to check out: Off the Record, One Big Holiday.
5. MGMT
The opinions of MGMT’s new album, Congratulations, couldn’t be more polar; some people love it, others hate it. The album takes a completely different direction than the band’s 2007 album, Oracular Spectacular. The dancey pop-style hits that made MGMT household names are nowhere to be found on this album. At Sasquatch, the good news for fans of all types was that MGMT chose to give them the best of both worlds. Along with a selection of new tracks, the band mixed in some of their uber-famous dance hits into the set to get the crowd moving, including a super satisfying send off of their super-pop track “Kids” (see official video below).
Other tracks to check out: Electric Feel, Congratulations.
4. Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi is not your typical rapper. His newest album resembles the 808s and Heartbreaks style of emotional rap/singing that Kanye introduced to us, so I was skeptical as to whether or not he could get the crowd into his set. I was wrong to doubt him. The performance brought some much needed heavy bass to the main stage with hits from both his debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Days, and his well known mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi.
Tracks to check out: Day N’ Night, Pursuit of Happiness.
If you’re familiar with Band of Horses then you know that they play beautiful music. I was sure going into the weekend that their mix of soaring, airy songs would provide for an unbelievable Gorge experience. I was right. As the sun set on day 3 of the festival, this local Seattle band provided a perfect cap to my weekend. The pairing of tracks from their newly released Infinite Arms album with classics from both Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin was brilliant. The band’s tour de force song, “The Funeral,” was flawless in every way.
Tracks to check out: The Funeral, Detlef Schrempf, Marry Song.
LCD Soundsystem’s latest album, This Is Happening, has critics in a frenzy. As lead singer James Murphy’s project, LCD has been hearing constant praise since they burst on to the scene in 2005. The Sasquatch Festival turned out to be the perfect place for the band to play some of their infectious genre bending dance anthems. It was an incredible sight to see the entire crowd dancing in unison for their rendition of “All My Friends,” which is, without a doubt, one of my favourite songs of the last ten years (see video below).
1. The National
Just under a month ago, The National released a new album entitled High Violet. I’m already calling it a modern masterpiece. But despite my affection for the band, going into the festival, I was a little unsure how their tunes would translate to this type of venue. They didn’t have any problem with that. The group’s driving drum rhythm and lead singer Matt Berninger’s unique voice made for an unforgettable set and my most memorable for the weekend. I didn’t think there was much the band could do to improve my opinion of their work, until I saw them live.
Tracks to check out: Mistaken For Strangers, Conversation 16.
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