Tips to Remember
? Bring layers of clothing to prepare for all weather, including the Gorge getting cold after dark.
? If you’re camping on-site, don’t forget a tent, sleeping bags, a flashlight and other camping supplies.
? Bring sunscreen, sealed bottled water, blankets you’re not attached to, and shoes that can get dirty if need be.
? Lineup schedules and Gorge rules and regulations are at www.sasquatchfestival.com.
The first time you crest the small hill at the entrance of the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash., the view provided of the central Washington portion of the Columbia River gorge is breathtaking. With the sun high above the Amphitheatre’s great grassy bowl, and the main stage framed on both sides by
views of the gorge’s canyon walls, the Amphitheatre is a beautiful location to take in a concert.
This is especially true for one of the Amphitheatre’s biggest shows, the Sasquatch Festival, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27. The sixth-annual Sasquatch Festival is headlined this year by Björk, the Beastie Boys, the Arcade Fire and Interpol, with more than 40 acts in total performing on the festival’s three stages. The festival draws many bands from the Pacific Northwest; local acts this year include the Dandy Warhols, Common Market, The Helio Sequence, Minus The Bear, Stars of Track and Field and Viva Voce, among others.
Anita Robinson, the lead singer and guitarist for Portland-based duo Viva Voce, is looking forward to her band’s Saturday afternoon set. “I’ve been wanting to go to Sasquatch, but it seems like we’ve always been on tour. Plus, getting to play is really exciting,” Robinson said.
“I just know I wanted to be a part of it because it’s a northwest festival and we’re a northwest band; this is our home and we want to be a part of what’s happening.” Robinson is honored by the chance to perform at such an important northwest festival, saying, “Even though we’ve been playing for a long time and have three records out, it still means a lot that whoever is putting together something like this thinks we’ll be a good fit.” Viva Voce perform Saturday at 3:15 p.m. on Sasquatch’s Yeti stage.
The Slip, who performed in Eugene on Tuesday, April 24 at the WOW Hall, will also be performing at Sasquatch and are excited for the show. “I’m really looking forward to it because I’ve never been to the Gorge,” drummer Andrew Barr said. “Everyone’s been telling me it’s the most gorgeous concert site.”
Barr is looking forward to the festival opportunity to “get out of that tunnel vision of touring” and getting the chance to play music during the day of the festival for “people wandering around…really happy to be out in the sun.” The Slip play at 1:10 p.m. on Saturday on Sasquatch’s Wookie stage.
Both Barr and Robinson had one artist in mind when asked who they were most excited to see perform: Björk, who takes the main stage at 11 p.m. Saturday night.
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