Last Thursday was the big reveal for this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival lineup. I went to Sasquatch last year and had the time of my life. Aside from the most gorgeous venue, The Gorge Amphitheatre, the quality of music and vibe of the weekend are the huge draws to attend. It’s the one monumental rhythmic experience a music lover from Vancouver can enjoy, without making the trip to California (i.e. Coachella).
So how was last year? Last year was supercalifrawesome. Headliners were Foo Fighters, Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, and Wilco. Imagine the festival was a big foo. And right on the first day, the Foo Fighters come in and fight that foo. And they not only fight the foo, they demolish the foo. I mean, I didn’t hear the Foo Fighters, I heard the Foo Destroyers, the Foo Dominators. To summarize, they rocked. Opening Sasquatch with one of the best rock bands around was a great idea. Whoever suggested that should get a mecha-raise.
Death Cab was next, pounding out favourites like “Cath,” “Crooked Teeth,” and “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.” Now, many festivals grab you with their big names, but Sasquatch isn’t like that. What’s beautiful about Sasquatch is the undercard, the little known bands. Sasquatch has a knack for grabbing the bands on the edge of success, just waiting to tour the world with their talent. Last year those bands included Foster The People, Dan Mangan, Aloe Blacc, City And Colour, Fitz & The Tantrums, Local Natives, Reggie Watts, The Head & The Heart, and, for you dubstep fans, Skrillex.
One of my highlights was joining my Canadian brothers and sisters at Dan Mangan and belting out “Robots” to the backdrop of the Columbia River. It was just a beautiful experience, transcending time. That’s what the whole weekend felt like. It felt like we were rebels, expressing ourselves in the valley with pretty lights and momentous sound, dancing and stargazing, rocking and hell raising.
That’s why I was so excited last Thursday, when it was announced that Jack White, Beck, Bon Iver, Pretty Lights, Tenacious D, The Shins, Beirut, Girl Talk, and The Roots were going to this year’s Sasquatch, along with the always brilliant undercard, of which I will slowly discover over the next three months.
So if you’re going to be around at the end of May, maybe check out Sasquatch, and have yourself an experience. Tickets go on sale February 11th.
