Monday marks the day of Sasquatch’s most emotionally manipulative lineup, with the hardcore Jersey boys Titus Andronicus, the heavy metal outfit Baroness from Savannah, GA and the electronic combo Jamie xx back-to-back with Caribou and Eugene homeboy Sufjan Stevens.
Highlights from today:
• Hard rock band Thunderpussy was the first act on the main stage today. Singer Molly Sides, dressed in chrome rags that she called her “disco ball outfit” honed Grace Slick in her domineering stage presence, rolling around, doing high kicks, slithering on the ground winding the microphone cord into a cat’s cradle with her hands and around herself. This group — which has yet to release a single — absolutely rules.
• Sir the Baptist congregated over the Yeti stage with a gospel-funk sermon. Much like listening to Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book, Sir the Baptist really makes a strong sell for the holy spirit.
• New Jersey-based indie punk band Titus Andronicus are still playing shows since The Most Lamentable Tragedy came out last summer. I last saw Titus in 2011 during a noon show at Coachella, soon after they came out with The Monitor. The band is every bit as potent. It opened with “No Future Part III,” with the interminable refrain “You will always be a loser!” The crowd responded with as much violent force. Moshing, as it were, is like sex for your violent impulses. And Titus is a good place to exorcise those feelings.
• Further: Baroness and Australian psych-rock group King Lizard and the Wizard Gizzards are two acts to watch.
• Tim Heidecker (of Tim and Eric fame) recently put out a non-comedy, “somewhat earnest” album In Glendale. “Everybody loves it. It’s got a 10 on Pitchfork,” Heidecker told the crowd at Sasquatch. “It’s the Sgt. Pepper of this generation,” Heidecker immediately proved it by jumping into “Cleaning Up the Dog Shit.” And later after “Scientology (That’s the Plan for Me),” he started “Ghost in my Bed,” which begins “I buried your head under the Hollywood sign.” Someone in the front row must’ve gasped, as the whole band looked at them. Heidecker stopped abruptly, looked down and asked, “Do we have a problem?” Later with “Slurp It Up” – a song he wrote about drinking your own piss. The audience sang “Hot piss on the top of my lips!” with Heidecker, like it was “Juke Box Hero.” When he sang about peering into his toilet bowl, he got sidetracked to talk about his “20/20 vision” and “beautiful blue eyes.” “Everybody with glasses needs to leave,” he demanded. He pointed at his bespectacled bassist. “I’m talking to you.” Then he pointed to a blind festivalgoer with a cane in the front row. “He’s going to get some merch.”