Surrendering to the best indie musicians shred guitars, framed by endless expanse of summer air and the earthy gradients of cliffsides, is an essential part of the West Coast music festival experience. As far as settings go there are fewer places in the world that can beat the far-flung, sprawling beauty of the Amphitheatre Gorge. But what makes the festival a bucket list essential year after year is its high calibre line up. Curated according to the strength of live performances rather than the trendiness of the acts, Sasquatch lineups guarantee attendees a deeper experience than just a drug-fueled party. Traditionally the festival has showcased emotionally stirring indie rock bands with a smattering of chiller hip-hop and evening electronica but every year the envelope is pushed that little bit further to keep the festival relevant and edgy.
We left Vancouver at dawn on Saturday and leisurely drove into the campsite in the afternoon, thanks to a languorous pit stop at Trader Joe’s (why don’t we have one?!), the liquor store and a brunch spot. The landscape goes from leafy mists of the rainforest to the sepia expanse of sedimentary rock and long golden grass. But nothing prepares you for the Gorge itself. It is hidden by a series of hills and takes a while to get to from the campsite. We’re talking a solid half hour. And since outside food is not allowed on the festival grounds be prepared to make that trip a couple of times at least. The afternoons were blazed by the spring sun which made the trek especially bothersome, but evenings cooled off to perfect temperatures. Despite all these challenges the breezy views of the Gorge are worthy rewards. We spent Saturday and Sunday walking between stages, discovering new sounds, learning about new bands, sometimes dancing, sometimes just standing and staring at the musicians with naked awe, and people watching in between. As we left early on Monday morning, packing up our tents as quietly as we could, we knew we’d upped our West Coast quotient by generous numbers.
Acts We Loved
The National
Expectations were high but The National had the crowds eating out of their hands. They played a seamless set that flowed effortlessly like a river interrupted sporadically by Matt Berninger’s clueless musings (he genuinely thought Mother’s day was around the corner) and political frustrations. It was a performance that was drenched in emotion and that inspired emotion. There are few bands who preserve their authenticity in the face of success and fame, The National is one of them. They also provide men with a healthier model of masculinity – one where you can tell people that things are not right and that your struggling and still be “a man”. Having a beard and a flannel short most definitely helps.
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear had the magical late afternoon slash early slot where things had started to cool down. Their languid tunes matched the atmosphere to the tee. Grizzly Bear haven’t had a loud presence of late but through their Sasquatch performance, they proved that they are a quality band with longevity.
Anderson Paak
Anderson Paak led the hip-hop effort at Sasquatch to great success. His crowd rivalled that of The National despite the two acts being lined up back to back. Paak gave a power-packed performance supported by an extensive band. As a big Anderson Paak fan I have to admit listening to his A+ albums was a more satisfying experience than seeing him from far away the way I did. The midnight time slot didn’t help either. I know I would have liked it a lot more if the timing had been better. Sasquatch’s biggest hip hop deserves that.
Japandroids
Vancouver band, Japandroids, were tall and skinny and dressed in black and armed with a traditional punk rock energy. I loved their performance. They were incredibly energetic and so were not following any trends. They were loud and noisy. Impossible to ignore. They made Vancouver proud.
What So Not
Australian music producer is a festival darling. His sets have evolved and grown stronger over the year and this time around he had just released a new full length album. He brought the party after sundown and did not disappoint. Like with Anderson Paak I often find listening to What So Not to be a much more rewarding experience than watching him live but his Sasquatch performance was still quite strong.
Petit Biscuit
The young music producer brought the melodic electronica and the younger audiences. Well known for a few massively popular tracks, this was a great opportunity to explore what the French music producer had to offer. He played several instruments as well. When you see him live it really strikes you how young he is. It’s interesting to see the electronic djs who perform without much of a catalogue behind them and on the other other stages you have bands who have existed for decades and gotten stronger. This is definitely a new era for music where results are more immediate.
Too Many Zooz
If there is anything that I never thought I would see at a music festival it is a fiery red-haired man in tight pants gyrating on stage with a saxophone for an entire hour and a half without any vocals. Too Many Zoos was the wonderfully strangest thing. It was not my genre of music at all yet I was transfixed by Leo Pelligrino as he tirelessly pumped away at the sax and poking fun at being sexy with it. Too Many Zooz was a major highlight for me.
Escort
From one charming frontman to a charming frontwoman. Adeline Michele won the hearts of a tentful of dancing bodies. Not only was she beautiful but she played the guitar like a badass, vogued her way across the stage and sang with an unfaltering voice. This New York City band were an eclectic mix of funk, electronic, hip hop, r&b and disco. This concoction might seem a little busy but it was engineered just delicately enough to sound novel and always catchy. The crowd loved Adeline and her stage presence made Escort’s show one of the best at the festival.
Some Other Bands We Saw
Charli Bliss
Modest Mouse
Ray LaMontagne
Neko Case
TV On the Radio
Tune Yards
Sandy (Alex G)
Acts We Missed
Jai Wolf
Lizzo
Tokimonsta
Jacob Banks
– Prachi Kamble