Memorial Day weekend is definitely the time to fly the coop and get the hell out of Eugene for a few days of pure debauchery and non-school related fun. Attending the Sasquatch! Music Festival, a three-day concert series at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Eastern Wash., was my perfect idea of a weekend getaway.
May 24, 2008
For a morning when we were all surprisingly on time, we had a plethora of problems. First of all, we had way too much stuff to fit in the car so the drive was unusually cramped with negative legroom and headspace.
The next blow came when our handle of Bacardi smashed into the pavement at Sea-Tac International Airport while picking up the last member of our crew. This tragedy caused a 40-minute diversion into the depths of nearby Burien, Wash., to find a liquor store.
We thought the worst was over when our back-right tire blew out on I-90 with only 20 minutes to go until we reached our destination.
Between having a momentary freak-out and changing the offending tire, it took us quite some time to get back on the road.
We didn’t get to the Gorge Amphitheatre campsite until 4 p.m., which was unfortunate because the concert started at noon.
By the time we made the lengthy hike from our campsite to the venue, I was tired, jittery and in serious need of some solid tunes to assuage the wounds from all of the day’s setbacks.
As usual, Sasquatch! more than provided with a fabulous mainstage set by The New Pornographers beginning soon after our arrival on the grassy hill of the amphitheater.
The pop-alt-rock group’s performance drew heavily from its newest album, “Challengers,” and the immense crowd sang along to fan-favorites such as “Myriad Harbour” and “Mass Romantic.”
As the set closed, my concert-comrade Rachael Mammen and I abandoned the hill and went down to the floor of the main stage to watch the next two performances by M.I.A. and Modest Mouse.
It was here that I ran into University of Oregon freshmen Joey Isaac, Robert Murry and Mike Faul who came to the concert series with M.I.A. as their main incentive.
“We’re coming to live the dream,” Isaac said. “Every band is amazing.”
By far, M.I.A. stole the show with her crazy beats and unabashed use of machine-gun noises throughout many of her songs. The crowd was pumped and everyone was grooving to the music, especially during her newest hit, “Paper Planes.”
The vibe on the floor is so much different than up on the hill. The bass vibrates your bones and the music fills you to the core.
The energy level was maintained through Modest Mouse’s set of Northwest classics, including “Float On” and “Paper Thin Walls.”
By the time their set was over, we were exhausted, our feet hurt and our backs were sore from bouncing to the music with the rest of the crowd.
We retreated back to the hill to watch R.E.M., the main attraction of the day.
Within the first few songs, which mostly promoted their new album, “Accelerate,” the skies opened up and it began to rain. Lacking waterproof gear and freezing our asses off, we eventually had to head back to camp before the set was over.
I guess I’m not a hardcore R.E.M. fan because while they were good, they weren’t worth the weather.
May 25, 2008
Sunday morning started off bright and early at 7 a.m. as I overheated in my sleeping bag in our crowded tent.
Our morning fare was the breakfast of champions, consisting of grilled hot dogs, Rockstar energy drinks and Busch Light.
We lazed around the campsite drinking brews and bumping tunes from the car until noon, when we began the treacherous journey to the amphitheater.
It was all worth it, though, when we got a premier seat at the bottom of the hill close to the main stage for the first show of the day that we cared about: the Northwest’s revered Blue Scholars.
This Seattle hip-hop duo is made up of one MC, Geologic, and one DJ, Sabzi. This particular performance got everyone’s hands in the air as the crowd did the bump-and-grind to old-time favorites such as “The Ave” and newer hits like “Fire for the People.”
The crowd went wild when fellow Massline artists Gabriel Teodros and Common Market’s MC RA Scion joined the Blue Scholars on stage.
The next two acts, Tegan & Sara and the Cold War Kids, were both solid performances, but nothing to write home about.
The energy picked up once again with an exciting show by The Presidents of the United States of America. I think that everyone knows “Peaches” and “Lump” from the ’90s and I’m sure that everyone in the audience sang along with every word.
The most riveting show of the evening came from jam/hip-hop/reggae group Michael Franti and Spearhead. He had the whole front of the house jumping to the beat, waving their hands in the air and swinging their shirts or bandannas above their heads.
Despite the fact that I was almost accosted by security during that show, it was the highlight of my day, despite the bigger performances later that night by Death Cab for Cutie and The Cure.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Cure fan and their set was awesome. I’ve loved them since I was a little kid and have fond memories of bouncing around my room to “Friday I’m in Love.”
May 26, 2008
I can’t believe that Sasqatch! is already over.
Between all the drunken shenanigans at the campsite and the amazing music at the Gorge, I think I’ve had a more than excellent weekend.
Monday’s set was definitely not a disappointment as it began with a mosh-pit worthy performance by The Hives.
It only got better as Mexican legends Rodrigo Y Gabriela pounded out original and covered songs alike on their classical style guitars.
Flight of the Conchords provided the hilarity of the day with a comical performance that included songs such as “Albi the Racist Dragon” and “Jenny.” The front-of-the-house crowd had a blast throwing around a naked blow-up doll.
By far, though, I think the best and trippiest set ever had to be the Festival closer: The Flaming Lips’ U.F.O. Show.
Singer Wayne Coyne opened the show by lowering himself to the stage on a flying saucer before climbing into a ginormous hamster ball and rolling around on top of the audience. The lights, confetti and streamers that were accompanied with the Lips’ fantastic music made it more of an experience than a musical performance.
At the end, we left the Gorge drained, sunburned and happy with dreams of next year’s festival dancing through our heads. There’s no better way to spend a Memorial Day weekend.
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