That that period of five years could produce 11 of the 20 greatest albums of all time may seem inconceivable, but it reveals the meaning behind Rolling Stone’s preoccupation with the late 60s: Rolling Stone concerns itself principally with the development of rock. After all, it was not nearly as interested in Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, or any other rock ‘n’ roller as it was in the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, Jimi Hendrix–all early rockers. If we consider that pop, jazz, folk, and classical are the four fundamental musical categories, then rock ‘n’ roll and rock must be separate subcategories of pop.

During the 1970s rock splintered into numerous factions. Of those factions the most instrumental to the next decade were punk, new wave, and post-punk, all products of the late 70s. These genres informed the development of alternative.

One could argue that alternative deserves its own category separate from rock (so that we would now have rock ‘n’ roll, rock, and alternative, not to mention electronic music and hip hop). But alternative developed fluidly from rock; there was no big bang moment, like the ones that had prompted the creation of rock ‘n’ roll and rock. Every 80s alternative band had its roots in previous rock music, despite certainly adding its own unique stuff to the mixture: the Replacements came from punk and rock, Husker Du from hardcore, the Cure from post-punk. REM, the Smiths, the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Go-Betweens were all pop acts at heart. By the late 80s, alternative had been established as a definite genre, one which Sonic Youth solidified beyond all shadow of a doubt with 1988’s Daydream Nation. But as a mutation of what had come before, alternative was not in a category all its own.

It wasn’t until ’91, when Nirvana brought alternative to the fore with Nevermind, that a separate category was truly created. Once alternative was mainstream, it was no longer an alternative to anything–instead, it was all over the radio. Almost immediately, there was a retreat by artists “with integrity” back underground. What blossomed then was indie music.

People often contrast Nevermind with Pavement’s 1992 full-length debut Slanted & Enchanted, with the former representing the behemoth of 90s alternative, and the latter quirky, experimental groups everywhere deliberately avoiding the mainstream–in other words, indie groups. In a startling and quick change of roles, alternative had become Dane Cook and indie Louis CK (with a few exceptions, most notably Radiohead). The reason every critic has such a hard-on for Pavement is because, according to consensus, they were the first indie band (although one could make a case for Tom Waits or Camper Van Beethoven).

Indie was the realization of where alternative was going in the 80s; it broke away from rock, like the moon splitting from the earth, to become its own Genre with a capital G. Pavement defined the movement, but acts like Liz Phair, Yo La Tengo, Guided by Voices, Built to Spill, and Beck were quick to follow, producing music that captured the huge amounts of energy that float around after any big bang. You can hear the same contagious exuberance in rock music from the late 60s–rock was so new and so exciting. “Drive My Car,” the first track on Rubber Soul, is full of that energy, as are the first tracks from any Pavement album, or Exile in Guyville, There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, Mellow Gold… any indie album from that era you want to point to.

Unlike rock in the late 60s, 90s indie was for the most part below the national radar, at least for a while. It grew steadily until the turn of the millennium, when it overtook alternative to become the most iconic contemporary form of pop music in the country (aside from hip hop). If you had to attribute this to two albums, you might say 2000’s Kid A by Radiohead–which showed in a bigger way than Nirvana’s 1993 disownment of the mainstream, In Utero, that a major act could spurn popularity and take big risks–and 2004’s Funeral by the Arcade Fire–which brought beauty to catchy arena rock.

Since 2000 indie music has exploded into a thousand different scenes, with each year seeing wildly different releases. For example, 2011 has had Fleet Foxes’ second album, Helplessness Blues–mostly acoustic, gorgeously melodic and contemplative–but also Fucked Up’s David Comes to Life–loud enough to ruin your ears, insistently energetic, driven by electric guitars and screams, and emotive in the extreme whether that involves anger or happiness or sadness. Due to this huge diversity, the 2000s are similar to the 1970s, which added nuance and depth to the sounds and themes of the late 60s.

One more parallel between the 60s and 70s, and the 90s and 2000s is that indie currently has its own Rolling Stone, in the form of Pitchfork. (If you’re not a fan, then realize too that even in its prime Rolling Stone didn’t perfectly represent rock.) These two music publications are probably the most significant in pop history, the two that stand out historically and in terms of cultural heft. It’s no coincidence that the successor to Rolling Stone emerged in response to indie; its arrival is one of many signals of major change in pop music. As with Rolling Stone, Pitchfork is principally concerned with the creation of a new genre and the aftermath of that creation.

And in the same way that the public has come to glorify the late 60s over all other music decades, due in no small part to the influence of Rolling Stone’s characteristic hang-up, it’s entirely possible that the public will in the future look back on the 1990s and perhaps the 2000s as a phenomenal era in music, on par with the late 60s. That we are witnesses to the crazy, gorgeous, incredibly productive aftermath of the indie big bang may be just as amazing to the youngsters of tomorrow as are Woodstock survivors today.

In ’97 Robert Christgau wrote of riot grrrl-kinda-sorta group Sleater-Kinney, “One reason you know they’re young is that they obviously believe they can rock and roll at this pitch forever.” But Sleater-Kinney did keep rocking and rolling with crazy energy until the broke up in 2006. Who knows how long indie will retain its newness? During the early 70s, when rock stopped being new and became the norm, music certainly didn’t see any drop-off in quality. Hopefully indie will remain powerful in the same way, and remain that way in people’s memory once the next new Capital-G Genre comes along. We should savor being in the here and now to hear this incredible phenomenon.

Datsik’s remix of Diplo and Lil Jon’s tune, “You don’t like me,” turned the (already maxed out) energy level of the crowd and switched it to hyper speed.  People wildly chanted the simple lyrics to the song while also forming a mini mosh-pit.  Although I’d never choose to be in one of the grimey and aggressive pushing battles, I’m always extremely entertained to watch from a close angle.  Mosh-pits are a necessity to any head banging, body shaking, hand waving, colorful lighting, bass-in-yo-face type show.

When Datsik dropped his remix of the Don Diablo’s ft. Dragonette, “Animale” track, I looked back at the pleased crowd and saw smiles sweeping across the large hall.  Between the perfect bass drops, singable melodies, a touch grime, and a couple womp womps, Datsik has nailed the recipe for the perfect track….”I guess he’s got his swagga back,” (even though it’s never left his side).

There’s several developed subgenres of dubstep (brostep, moonbahton, filthstep) and Dastik covered a handful of them that night.  His variation of tracks was a solid variety which appealed to all.  I know people always question the future of dubstep and where is it going to go next, or if it’s going to last as a staple in electronic music.  Judging from Friday’s utterly insane crazy-licious dubstapades, I think it’s safe to say, dubstep will be here for the long haul. Thank gawd. I’m also thanking Datsik for providing me with one hell of the rage-your-face-off night. Gracias.

#dubstep4life

Bumbershoot 2011 Day Three

(September 5th, 2011 – Seattle, Washington)

**

There may not be a better way to begin a day of musical carousing than by watching Charles Bradley, otherwise known as “The Screaming Eagle of Soul,” and “The Black Swan,” take the stage for an intimate, live KEXP performance. The Gainesville, Florida born funk-star and soul-singer is a true legend, and it’s easy to see why. Draped in a royal-red, sequined blazer, and offering a reverential bow, Bradley held the audience in a state of excited bliss through his entire set, which–thanks to the wise and wonderful disc jockey’s at KEXP–went on at least three songs longer than even Bradley had anticipated.

My assessment of the Danish duo Quadron might have been unfairly influenced by Charles Bradley’s thrill ride performance (hard for even the most charismatic of young performers to beat), but charisma seemed to be exactly the thing Quadron lacked. Insisting on singing loopy, lethargic ballads to a well-caffeinated early-afternoon audience is never the best idea (and maybe the Bumbershoot coordinators should be held responsible because as far as I could tell, Quadron doesn’t typically deal in up-beats).

** Head Like A Kite

Head Like A Kite, on the other hand, knows exactly how to put on a day time show. Clad in white jump-suits, bearing props (including a bald mannequin head and a telephone receiver that doubled as a microphone) and surprising the crowd with a dancer in a panda bear costume, HLAK ensured there would be icing on the cake of their performance. Already one of Seattle’s sweethearts HLAK’s set further solidified their position amongst the ranks of locally adored musicians.

I was reticent to go indoors on such a beautiful, sunny day (why, Bumbershoot organizers, didn’t you let Big Boi perform after the sun set?) but I had to see everyone’s favorite Outkast perform. Letting Big Boi convince me (repeatedly) to put my hands in the air was the right decision. I was hesitant, especially after the first three songs ended up being Big Boi focused medleys of all the best known Outkast songs, but eventually the set evened out providing a worthwhile reason to let Key Arena temporarily shield me from the sun.

** Big Boi of OutKast

Around 4pm I reemerged to watch Dennis Coffey’s finger tips fly. His backup band, while endearingly Amish-seeming in attire and comportment, couldn’t hold a candle to the flame of this Michigan-native’s extreme musical skill–I almost wished he’d taken the stage alone, and I noticed (once I’d left the crowd to stand in the embarrassingly long line of people waiting for a Bumbershoot tote bag) that the music was much more adept at being ambient and backgrounded than it was at being a crowd’s focal point.

A shout goes out to those hard working individuals who manned the tote bag tent for the duration of the festival. Bumbershoot schwag was abundant, but the best of it, by far, was the personally screen-printed tote bags that were free, and available to every festival participant. I waited. The bags are large, durable, and feature one of two originally designed Bumbershoot prints (sponsored by Toyota). It was hot, and the line was long, but now I have a Bumbershoot bag and no regrets.

** Phantogram

Tote bag in hand, I skimmed over the shows of Sharon Van Etten and Urge Overkill (who I guess I should have loved, but honestly didn’t), and zeroed in on Phantogram’s evening performance. I don’t know what to say about Phantogram other than, wow. And yes. If you haven’t let Phantogram into your life yet, now is the time. Sarah Barthel dominated the stage from the beginning, carefully but casually mixing her own vocals to create a siren song that resonated throughout the entire set.

** Urge Overkill

At the end of the day, Daryl Hall and John Oates were undeniably the act to see, and I have no shame in admitting that I opted for the less obvious, but immensely gratifying and intense songs of The Reverend Horton Heat. Going in blind, I would never have expected such an energetic climax to my time at Bumbershoot, and I doubt that even the people in Key Arena, singing along to “Maneater” felt as satisfied with the show as Horton Heat’s audience felt. Like the coked-up love child of a blue grass band and a motorcycle gang, Horton Heat’s performance was both charming and terrifying.
Once I’d fully digested my regret at not having eaten a stick of chocolate covered strawberries, not having delineated more clearly on my map where exactly I was parked, and not having heard two feather-haired pop-wonders sing about how their private eyes are watching me, I (like most Seattlites) abandoned Seattle Center until next year, and despite this year’s perfect weather, I won’t be fooled–I’ll be showing up with my umbrella.

** Photographs taken by Steven Smith

Bumbershoot 2011 Day Two

(September 4th, 2011 – Seattle, Washington)

**Atari Teenage Riot

Maybe it was a mistake to kick-off the second, glorious, sunny day of Bumbershoot (a fun, colloquial way of saying umbrella), Seattle’s annual international music and arts festival, by arriving at 6pm after seven hours on an airplane, and walking straight into the dark pit of the Exhibition Hall music stage. Watching Anti-Flag rage incoherently about social injustice to a group of half-interested, disaffected, fans who couldn’t be convinced to mosh or crowd surf despite the abundance of signs expressly forbidding such acts of rebellion, was a doomed endeavor from the start. Anti-Flag may be considered punk, but their Bumbershoot performance was more like preppy-hardcore. To their credit, all four members look impossibly young (they were playing shows in 1988—when I was six—a fact that you’d find impossible to believe if you’d have seen the way they skipped onto the stage and bounced about clutching their wireless electric guitars like Adderall induced teenagers playing Rock Band), but while the band’s physical appearance has made the necessary 21st century adjustments, their sound has not, and no amount of screaming or goading between songs, was going to turn the meager, apathetic audience into the thrashing punk kids to whom Anti-Flag owes their former glory. The sentiment—“This Machine Kills Fascists”—painted on the front of one guitar, suggests that the band believes their message still resonates with the protest music of previous generations, a fact that, unfortunately may only be true for fans who can manage to reconcile it with the freshly showered pop-punk-prince appearance of the band’s everlasting members; a feat I certainly wasn’t capable of in my surly, ripe-off-the-plane condition.

Bumbershoot is held in the Seattle Center, originally designed to house the 1962 World’s Fair, featuring a sunken fountain the size of a house, a monorail, and a phenomenal view of the space needle. The best decision I made in the first-formative hours of my time at Bumbershoot was to avoid (post Anti-Flag facto) most shows taking place in indoor arenas (with the exception of one event at Key Arena, which, maybe because it serves beer that can actually be consumed outside of a beer corral, manages to be a reasonably satisfying indoor venue). The impeccably clean open-air environment at Bumbershoot (I never once saw an overflowing garbage can or felt filthy sitting on the shag-rug soft grass that covers the lawns, and the bathrooms were stench free and stocked with TP) offered exceptional visibility and circulation, and allowed such an easy flow of traffic between sets that the decision to take any of these artists indoors would seem ponderous if it weren’t for Bumbershoot’s annual tradition of taking place under a cloudy, rainy sky.

**The Butthole Surfers

The Butthole Surfers on the Fisher Green Stage (one of three, large, outdoor arenas) provided a welcome counter-point to my Anti-Flag debacle. The air was fresh and warm, the breeze was nice, and whoa! Butthole Surfers are actually pretty awesome. They played to a remarkably young crowd, which reawakened my guilty feelings about hanging a Butthole Surfers poster up in my room as a teenager–not because I’d ever heard their music, but because I thought their name was cool and might piss my parents off. It was good to find out that this band might still be around because they’ve actually got a lot to offer, while they were once deeply rooted in hardcore punk, now the band seems to lean into a calmer, happier, more psychedelically inspired sound that suits them well.

Also satisfying was the open air performance by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Leon Russell (who looked more God-Gone-Country than ever before) and his band of merry music makers at the Starbucks Stage. A cover of “Wild Horses” and Russell’s shimmering white beard were a smash hit combination, and the considerably older crowd danced with more enthusiasm to the countrified beats than any audience I’d seen before it.

**Toro y Moi

After the sun set, Toro y Moi stole the award for show of the day with a solid and exuberant set. All my praise to the Fountain Stage, easily the most accessible, beer drinker friendly of the three outdoor venues offered. The music on this stage was often some of the best available, but what really set it apart was it’s digital screen. Thanks to Chazwick Bundick’s post-chillwave musical gymnastics and the mystery figure in charge of the mesmerizing graphics displayed behind them, tantalizing the dance-ready crowd, Toro y Moi’s performance was the most enjoyed-by-all show of the day.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the biggest loser was not actually Anti-Flag or Carbon Leaf (who I saw last, and whose peace-and-love warblings left me feeling mildly nauseated), but The Kills who played a disappointing closing set on the Fisher Green Stage. Having heard live recordings of The Kills before, I knew their drums had a tendency to sound thin and their vocals too quiet, so I wasn’t looking forward to hearing them so much as I was to seeing them. Alison Mosshart, is usually one hell of a hot, hot mess, and the band’s video for “Last Day of Magic” promises that so much dynamic sexual chemistry exists between the two band members that I could hardly resist wanting to see what would happen on the live stage. Unfortunately, in a festival filled with mostly well behaved musicians, The Kills opted to play the divas, finally taking the stage thirty-minutes after they were slated to play (sure, blame the sound guy). The ultimate effect was thin and unsatisfying, as expected, but what’s worse, Mosshart seemed more strung-out than she seemed sexy, and there was something desperate about the way she was climbing up on the speakers and flinging her hair around so early in the set.

For a half-day of frantic music indulgence, I would have preferred a more tightly knit layout with less musical options, but having attended the sweltering, overcrowded Capitol Hill Block Party earlier in the summer, I was ultimately grateful for the spacious design and open accessibility of Bumbershoot’s stages, and with the sun pounding down even in the waning hours of daylight, I have to attest to the genius of organizing a summer music festival around an enormous, relief granting fountain.

** Photographs taken by Steven Smith

Considerably darker and drearier in tone than previous works, Bad Vibes seems to stay away from the overly complex hip-hop rhythms he’s seemed to favor in the past.  Instead, Shlohmo seems to prefer an omnipresent sub bass pulse that warps the emanating sonic wall into the nauseating ebb and flow commonly associated with seasickness.

Another discrepancy between this work and those prior is the apparent shift from an industrial sonic pallet towards one drenched in the sounds of nature.  Album opener, “Big Feelings” is a semiconscious walk through the jungle with bird-calls and rainy static wafting throughout the track.  Shortly afterwards on “It Was Whatever,” the birdcalls come back, though this time accompanied by primal, ethereal howls and percussion that sounds strangely organic.

If you’re reading this and growing disheartened because you’ve lost the industrial rhythmic mastermind incarnate as the original Shlohmo you will find solace in tracks such as “Just Us” and “Trapped In A Burning House” which seem to pay homage to his earlier releases by way of grinding sythn beds and considerably more prominent percussive elements.

However, I for one am truly enjoying the new sounds.  Shlohmo is a field-recording fanatic and it seems only fitting that the sounds of our natural world find their way into a genre that’s been almost exclusively made up of cheap synth loops and poorly constructed percussion sequences.  This album offers a new side to a still-green producer and more importantly pushes the boundaries of an entire genre into new and exciting territory.  Who knows, maybe there’s hope for electronic music after all.

In the first three years of her career she has put all her cards on the table, all the shock value, stories of a painful childhood, drug abuse, her dropping out of NYU and most importantly, her music and clothing. There is a reason for the word “clothing” going after “music.” If only as much time was put into the recording process as her outfits and set design. Lady Gaga is a sensation, but her latest album, Born This Way, fails in comparison to her previous package, The Fame and its expansion, The Fame Monster. The problem is in the title. Lady Gaga was not famous at all when she wrote and released The Fame. It was a cute title, endearing and tongue-in-cheek. Every song on The Fame was about money, recognition and sex. The later work, The Fame Monster was an obvious foreshadowing into dangerous territory.

In 2009, The Fame Monster, an eight song follow-up that featured club hits like “Bad Romance,” “Alejandro” and “Telephone,” already provided a window into the Haus of Gaga mindset. Lady Gaga was here to make a statement, she was weird, into Hitchcock and Alexander McQueen. She loved gay men. We already knew! The fact is, The Fame Monster was an excellent CD, and everyone knew history was in the making. No one since Britney Spears had even come close to achieving the pop-culture obsession of someone like Madonna or Michael Jackson. The sheer frenzy of it drew out the excitement or in some cases, extreme frustration, in everyone. The media became consumed, the fans became crazed and everyone in the world was waiting with bated breath, anticipating her next album, which had been described as “…Too precious to talk about” by RedOne, her own producer. On the topic of Born This Way, to her fans, Lady Gaga was quoted in saying “I promise you, I’ll never let you down.”

Let me get something straight, for any doubters. I am a Lady Gaga fan, I’m just not a blind fan. She is by no means an idol of mine. I follow her, I listen to her music in my house and car. I saw her in concert last summer. I loved her first two albums, but, here it comes, Born This Way is simply half-assed. Unlike her previous ventures into fun topics and hooks that could land Captain Ahab Moby Dick, or Santiago his giant marlin, Born This Way is drab, lacks creativity and is largely religious. Well, I take it back, it isn’t actually religious at all, but biblical mentions are not few or far between, Jesus in particular. It is my strong feeling that is not wise to alienate one’s fans. Fortunately for Lady Gaga, her fans are so devoted at this point she could truly become a satanist without them blinking an eye. Obviously the Jesus references are part of her schtick, and a not-so-subtle attempt to stir up controversy, especially on the second single “Judas.” The video for “Judas” is possibly her worst yet, a metaphorical ode to a very bad man indeed.

I feel very uncomfortable at all the Jesus references, being an atheist or at least a agnostic, and I can imagine many of her more fair-weather fans might as well. Honestly I’m more uncomfortable at how ridiculous it is in general to write a song called “Government Hooker” or “Black Jesus + Amen Fashion” or even “Electric Chapel” which are all titles on her album. The absolute worst though I must say is the non-religious “Highway Unicorn (Road 2 Love)” which is not a funny joke at all if indeed it is one. Gaga explains to E! News that she is “…Obsessed with religious art” on defending “Judas,” and probably over half her album.

Here are some of the obvious preachy and over the top references to look out for, all very strong cases for contemplating Lady Gaga’s lazy songwriting abilities…

“I’m beautiful in a way and god makes no mistakes.” (“Born This Way”)

“Jesus is my virtue but Judas is the demon I cling to.” (“Judas”)

“I won’t speak your Jesus Christo.” (“Americano”)

“On the runway, work it, black Jesus.” (“Black Jesus + Amen Fashion”)

“I’ll dance, dance, dance with my hands, hands, hands above my head  like Jesus said.” (“Bloody Mary”)

“Pray for your sins right under the glass disco ball.” (“Electric Chapel”)

…I suggest buying this album in its entirety on Amazon.com for 99 cents if it’s still available, because that is what it’s worth.

Day Two: Matt & Kim and Aloe Blacc

Day Two was without question when first timer’s to Sasquatch (like myself) realize what the festival is and how it compares to the other established festivals throughout the world. Campers continued to arrive throughout the morning, afternoon and evening, more camping space had to be allocated at the sheer volume of people got closer to the 50,000 mark; the amount in tickets sold.

Disappointingly, as you’d expect, not many showed up right as doors opened to the festival grounds and so a good portion of people missed the Seattle Rock Orchestra, a volunteer community orchestra that performed a variety of excellent Radiohead covers on the Bigfoot stage. This served as a great opener for the afternoon. On the other side of the premises, Pepper Rabbit amassed a decent enough crowd opening the Yeti stage, and seemed to grab some smiles at the same time.

Throughout the day the Yeti stage had it’s moments, Vancouver’s Dan Mangan performed an excellent set with an extremely large audience surrounding the smallest stage. For the first time in the festival, someone had proven far too big for their stage as over a thousand crowded his set. J. Mascis and Wye Oak also had significant responses over at the Yeti stage. The Thermals also put on a good show closing the stage for the rest of the evening with an hour long set.

The Mainstage didn’t have as much support as it did the night before, despite having more people there. Although the crowd attendance went up to a point that ridiculed yesterday’s gathering, the enthusiasm for the music wasn’t really there.

Sweden’s own The Radio Dept. performed well early in the afternoon, they had the crowd enjoy their laid-back vibe, as did Alberta Cross beforehand, but it wasn’t until The Head and The Heart and Local Natives that the crowd really got into it. The Head and The Heart’s set won over the fans at the front of the stage as well as all those covering the hills on blankets. Their chemistry together and occasional cameos by friends leaping onto the stage from behind the setup and dancing did nothing but improve the crowd’s mood and feelings toward them. I even saw an elderly couple walk down the side of the hills leading to the Gorge, join hands at it’s base and head to the mainstay to hear them. Local Natives were also fantastic, the crowd’s response reminded me of something like an Arcade Fire performance in their enthusiasm.

As the evening drew own, the Mainstage which is of course aimed for the headliners received lukewarm responses. Large crowds stayed for Wolf Parade and Pink Martini, both of which performed well, but weren’t met with the response you’d expect from that many spectators. The same can be said for Iron & Wine’s set which came later on. The pit of fans by the stage remained consistently happy to be viewing their group, but further back the same definitely couldn’t be said. Pink Martini also suffered from their genre of music. Fantastic as it undoubtedly was, they presented a more traditional and classical sound of an era most there weren’t interested in indulging in.

Iron & Wine’s set also suffered from poor mixing. The overall sound for the first several songs was too low to reach over the whole Gorge area, and the vocals weren’t high enough. Bright Eyes felt a slight improvement, performing well, but with the fact that there was such a mellow vibe to his music, a good number of fans visited other stages. Much better sound mixing.

As for Death Cab For Cutie, the Seattle group that rounded everything up, they performed their music brilliantly. However, I don’t believe their generally mellow and somber sound is geared for this sort of audience or setting, Foo Fighters’ set the night before suited the vibe much more. Overall the mainstay was best for a few sets in the afternoon. Besides that, Bigfoot was where the real fun happened.

Regardless of the lukewarm crowd response, the camera work for the Gorge’s Mainstage was fantastic. Everything was shot and timed superbly, every moment captured and cameras alternated right on time to showcase the performances.

After the Seattle Rock Orchestra kicked everything off at the Bigfoot stage, the Secret Sisters came along and to a small crowd, charmingly performed their material. The sweet Southern country sound had the crowd smile as they performed such songs as “Why Worry,” which they prefaced saying at the heart of everything they’re just hopeless romantics.

K-Os came on shortly afterwards, considerably more sober than I’ve seen him perform at other festivals. Without question, he was focused and ready to deliver a great show, although at points the audience weren’t doing their job and had to be reminded to get involved. As he motioned around the stage K-Os lost his hat, regardless, he didn’t miss a beat and just continued on. Aloe Blacc came on following K-Os, and didn’t start performing until about 10 minutes after his scheduled set start. As anyone who has attended a festival knows, this is an issue as several artists perform simultaneously daily, so to plan who you see, you need people to be there when they should, at least he didn’t pull a Robyn though.

Aloe Blacc’s set was one of the day’s highlights. He came out to his waistcoats clad, smartly dressed band performing the instrumental to “I Need A Dollar” before quickly switching it up into other album songs. The crowd, largely familiar only with “I Need A Dollar,” lapped it up. Blacc’s smile, dancing and smooth movements won the audience over, when he imitated Stevie Wonder, Al Green and Marvin Gaye briefly, he had everyone’s attention solidified. What stood out was the fact that he really knew how to control the audience, relatively new to recognition,

Blacc had the crowd completing the hook for “You Make Me Smile” after the first verse. Clearly he was happy performing, even dedicating a song about lies and trust to the former Governor of California about his infidelities. The set concluded, of course, with “I Need A Dollar,” in which everyone in the surrounding area headed as close to the stage as possible to sing alongside.

Also on the Bigfoot stage Sharon Van Etten performed. She was interesting to watch, and it being her first festival, she was cute in her awkwardness, Early on she asked the crowd “How many of you are drunk right now?” Which at just after 4pm was met with a flurry of hand raises and roars.

The Antler’s followed Sharon van Etten, and though they did perform well, their melancholy lyrics didn’t work as hoped with their audience. Many were confused as to how to react, although the music behind the lyrics was enough for some.

Matt and Kim though, Matt and Kim! I was a fan before, but they’ve now sold me on whatever they decide to do in the future. One of the best shows I’ve seen, and the best Sasquatch saw that day. Clearly a little drunk, Kim sat behind her drums and Matt behind the keyboard/sampler. The duo, known for their massive hit “Daylight” showcased how to command a stage by literally taking the reigns of their show’s horse. Covering various songs throughout their catalogue, and covering portions of others, Matt and Kim were nothing if not energetic and passionate. Both couldn’t seem to lose their smiles, nor drive for showcasing their music.

Kim stole the show though, she would frequently get out from behind her drums to come to the front of the stage and try to get the crowd to sing along to chorus, but more often than not she would jump up onto her bass drum and stand, dancing along or doing some form of interpretation to their material. She was quite literally the happiest drummer I’ve ever seen, and the audience went on and on and on.

At one point they started dancing along suggestively to “It Takes Two,” they headed back behind their instruments and Matt remarked about Kim “I like to say Kim’s a freak on the streets, and a lady in the sheets.” To which she responded “I wasn’t a lady this morning” before laughing and dropping her jaw staring at an audience member.

Truly, I didn’t expect them to blow me away today. But they did, their personalities were shown on stage.

Throughout the set, when Kim graced the mic she referenced the mainstage, “Let’s make them hear this over at the mainstage!” Thankfully, their set despite it’s huge crowd, was at the 2nd largest setup. People were able to gather as close as possible and still see the actual performers as opposed to their likeness on a larger stage’s screen. Kim even crowd surfer in an unusual manner, asking members of the audience to put their hands up, she picked a cluster of strong looking guys with a few girls around them, and stood on their hands (there were several clustered together holding each ankle. Once comfortable she was stable she began dancing and gyrating above. She did this a few times over.

Of course, the set concluded with “Daylight” followed by Kim running off the stage and jumping to hug everyone in the front row, almost segmenting where she gave her hugs.

Robyn showed up 30 minutes late which was a huge disappointment. Her set was fantastic, the electro sound, with her ad-libbing and surreal stamina, dancing throughout her set and being as sexually suggestive as possible. Had she started earlier, an overly drunk man may have been able to consume his three beers, but “Beverage Enforcement” spotted him, confiscating the beers and marking his arms with “X”s s as not to allow him to be served later and to show that he’d been flagged for potentially drinking too much and the consequences being dire. Robyn’s set was a colourful feast, despite her lateness she left people satisfied. That was unless they wanted to catch the beginning of Sleigh Bell’s set which was meant to fall immediately after Robyn’s at the Banana Shack.

The Banana Shack was packed on Saturday. The Trailer Park Boys really kicked that off, filling the large tent and the Red Bull bar which faced opposite it. Now, although they were amusing, I think the Trailer Park Boys are better suited to their television show, live they were alright, bringing up the Kokanee promo girls on stage and generally loafing around.

The Glitch Mob, also late arrivals, were fantastic. Though many found the Shack’s setup a little too much to handle. There was literally no room to move inside the tent as it spilled outwards, the rave type setting kicking in alongside The Glitch Mob’s flashy light setups.

Sleigh Bells came on at 10pm, and just like The Glitch Mob, the tent spilled out way beyond it’s boundaries as people

Sasquatch day two proved the price of admission on this day alone. Very curious to see how MSTRKRFT will go over at the Banana Shack considering the audiences at Glitch Mob and Sleigh Bells. The main statement to be underlined with today’s events is see Matt and Kim plus Aloe Blacc live. No if’s, ands, or buts.

Heading east along the I-90 for what seemed like an eternity was how the Sasquatch began for us and the tens of thousands of similar campers. The journey concluded at 724 Silica Road, Quincy, WA where we ended up joining a humungous car queue with signage which wasn’t far back enough. Instincts guided us into the right car lane for campers at the general campground, however many didn’t follow the same path of luck and you couldn’t help but see the panic as they tried to get into the ever mounting line.

After finally making it through into the camping area, we had the privilege of joining yet another queue inside the grounds to reach our soon to be allocated spot. The Gorge and bulk of the Sasquatch activity was completely out of sight once we had been told where to set up, and battling the rain and wind to erect our tent became the next obstacle to overcome.

Once ready, we made our way to the Gorge Amphitheater. Two main issues stuck out though; we weren’t checked for ID or tickets prior to entering the campground, that seemingly wasn’t any sort of a problem. However reaching the gates was a different story, maybe you could camp without a ticket, but not get involved in the show as a few friends of ticket holders found out. Above that was our trek to the campgrounds whereby it took us half an hour to exit the camp site, and a further ten minutes to pass over the pathway leading to the Gorge. I overheard a passer by remarking “I think by saying your four day ticket includes camping was a bit of a scam,” clearly a Sasquatch first timer, he wasn’t impressed. The scenic view proved worth it.

The camp site for general camping was organized chaos. The grass was easily a foot high, and it wasn’t the soft flexible kind; being in a sunny field, it was a mixture consisting of a good amount of sharp straw like dead grass. Once you placed down your tent, it was actually fairly comfortable to sleep on. The issue came though with your camping neighbours, but that’s to be expected. You also had scalpers parading around continuously.

Consistently on the walk from the campsite to the Gorge you would overhear criticisms. I timed the walk for myself; 20 minutes to get there, and of course, 25 or so back as it was uphill. “The Great Wall of Quincy” is how it looked from the start of the path. It wasn’t that long a walk per se, but considerably more than first timers expected.

I had aimed to interview Rival Schools, but the group were in a fair amount of a rush, so after performing Sasquatch 2011′s opening set and winning over some new fans, they left for their next date.

Scottish Biffy Clyro performed on the Bigfoot stage, with the band’s signature shirtless tattooed and for their lead singer, scruffy look. However, as we’re all well versed, appearances can be deceiving as they graced over their lengthy catalogue of course touching on the hits “Many of Horror (When We Collide)” and concluding with “Mountains”.

Bob Mould was the first to grace the main stage, and despite his legacy, he may not have been the best pick for opening day on the mainstage. With the beautiful Gorge backdrop, the location is designed for huge audiences and despite a great performance, a large audience he didn’t draw. The Bronx also fell significantly short of that later on, even musing “I still can’t see no motherfuckers dancing!” Despite the fact that they started off poorly, the shredded vocals group did manage to draw a larger crowd as their set went on. But were they there for the Bronx or Death From Above 1979 who would later follow?

Over on the Bigfoot stage, Against Me! held their own. Ranging in their material from thrash rock to captivating more mellow songs, the audience continually grew and became more engrossed in the group’s set.

The Amphitheater on this 2011 Memorial Day weekend started having it’s potential realized when Death From Above 1979 graced the stage. The sun was descending, with inspiring views as it did so, and the temperature was dropping, but the un-obstructed visibility from the sun was becoming apparent and did nothing but help Sebastian Granger’s five year wait to perform again with DFA1979. Their cool form of punk won over the thousands eclipsing the Gorge’s hills.

DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid’s set at the Banana Shack drew a huge raver crowd, touching on Indian inspired sounds amongst others to form the DJ set, Anjali’s audience spilled out of the “shack” and surrounded the area, loving every second of it. For those uninterested in the Foo Fighters, Anjali presented a very contrasting option. Excellent set.

Predictably the Foo Fighters took in the largest audience, despite people leaving to enjoy the campsite. The group of course played the Foo hits, touching on call and response chants and having their audience really enjoy the band. Grohl was definitely a captivating frontman, clearly a little drunk, cursing repeatedly, but keeping his mid song musing entertaining and sharp. As soon as the next song began, there was no shred of evidence that he wasn’t clear in his thoughts as the group performed their material amazingly live, Grohl bopping to the beat, his head resembling the movements of how the muppets were brought to live, quick snapped head bobbing. There was an amusing point in which Dave Grohl tried to get the crowd to perform alongside one of the group’s newer songs, but not enough knew it to sing along when the music stopped. Regardless, Grohl smiled, quipped about them being older Foo Fighter fans and continued on.

The first day of Sasquatch was confusingly fantastic. Despite my campground issues, for which I don’t blame the other campers, more so myself (what was I to expect? Lights out after the show and everyone falls asleep?), the offerings by the festival on the first day were definitely impressive. I’m still looking for the actual Sasquatch though, there are lots of frauds wearing his image in the crowd, but their outfits seem removable.

Dengue Fever’s Sennon Williams takes a minute to explain the fever that he’s had, and been sharing, for the last ten years.

The name of the band, while it does coincidentally have a nice play on words along the lines of “disco fever” and “dance fever”, actually stems from the keyboardist, Ethan’s, “Journey through Cambodia on the back of truck stricken with dengue fever, surrounded by livestock and supplies”. While being severely affected by the illness, and exclaiming, “I think I’m going to die”, he heard some Cambodian pop music, and worries of his illness abated as a new love was born.

The decision thereafter for the name itself came unanimously amongst the members after consideration of their mutual experiences traveling South East Asia, and Ethan’s trouble just sort of “worked” for a name, especially with Nimol at the front of this wild ride.

The last decade has been really rewarding to Dengue Fever, as they travel the world, sharing their sound, story, and wild performances. The band’s members are “not traditionalists”, when it comes to creation, in the sense that they’re constantly looking to write new music, and not to take influence from others in the field, but really bring together these two cultures of America and Cambodia, and make something rocking and new. Sennon’s on the right track with this, as the band was even able to record an entire album in England at Peter Gabriel’s state of the art studios. The real magic, it seems, occurs both on the road, and back at their home studio: “The Shoe Box”.

Dengue Fever have really become their own family of sorts on the road all these years. Zac & Ethan bring a strong brotherly dynamic to the band, who for the most part have been friends for most of their lives. Nimol, as Sennon puts it, “Is an explosive force that takes over the stage entirely”, and once the band starts performing, even he forgets things like, “What they’re doing”, but seamlessly delivers innovate rocking shows. When looking at live performances, they’re even taken aback to the point of saying “I don’t remember that” and “I guess it should be toned down”, but it never is, and is always continuously phenomenal.

2011′s Cannibal Courtship continues the theme of exotic South East Asian adventure, in it’s name. The name, however is both a metaphor for a codependent relationship, as well as that of say, an insect devouring it’s lover after mating. This is also (like much of Dengue Fever’s treatise) a play on words for the band as a whole, as a dependent relationship of two cultures, “coming together to make something new and unique”.

What do the next ten years have in store for Dengue Fever? Sennon puts it quite simply: “More innovation, creation, and rocking music”. Dengue Fever has gotten as far as they have with those principles close to heart, and the way things are going, surely it will continue. Stay tuned to Dengue Fever for more awesome albums, and tours nearby.

Right from the start we’re placed in a daydream. A cavernous drone punctuated by a distant horn with the soothing call of singer Rebekah Raa easing you into “Some Say”, the first track. Raa’s voice suits the sound so well with its air of imperfection and beauty. The lyrics and chants flow naturally into the music to the point that you’d forget they ever existed apart.

It’s this great aspect of Losing Colour that may also lead to it’s largest issue; the songs are too similar. The band seems to have found a great recipe for songwriting, but forgotten the rest of the cook book. The lone song that seems to stand out is “I Know A Place”. Horns make a defiant return along with some sharp guitar and a driving drum beat to clear the haze and showcase the band’s other talent; up-tempo rock. While each song is wonderfully crafted in it’s own right, 3 or 4 plays later and “I Know A Place” was the only song that I distinctively knew right away.

This is why it is such a loss for fans and music bloggers alike who won’t get a chance to hear this band develop. With such strong potential from Losing Colour and previous EPs, Stricken City was definitely down the right path. With the only explanation for the break-up being “We never stood a chance” , releasing Losing Colour is a fine way to exit, but still far from ideal. Even for the band themselves who have no doubt had their final moment marred by piracy issues.

Despite being an independent band and the digital album costing only a dollar, many blogs and uploaders were hosting illegal links to the album. The band’s now deserted Twitter page is enough to make any true music fan cringe. I could rant on the issue for days, but the bottom line is illegal downloading hurts musicians.

It’s a shame. This wasn’t a band taken at their peak, but a band exploring and reaching new heights. It would have been an exciting sophomore release after Losing Colour, which was already an album that showed great skill mastering a nostalgic dream-like sadness. It’s too bad that it took an event as upsetting as this to display their talent.

If you’d like to hear more visit Stricken City’s website.