Grouplove
When the research of new and unfamiliar artists began several months back in anticipation for this year’s installment of Sasquatch!, Grouplove quickly became a high priority. Unfortunately they were given one of the worst spots of the lineup. The first band on Monday morning has quite often been one of the most anticipated new acts in the last several years, but after three to four days of being in the sun and sleeping on the ground, that last day easily becomes a little too overwhelming. Fortunately for us our campsite had a perfect sightline to the stage and with the vast majority of people barely moving amongst their tents the music was also easy to hear. Eventually we found our way to the stage with enough time to catch the last several songs. One of the most difficult, and yet rewarding decisions of the weekend, though the rest would’ve been much appreciated, the show was worth the effort.
Cloud Cult
Hailing from Minnesota, Cloud Cult is an experimental indie band with an otherworldly connection to primal sentiments. Offering with them an articulation only traveled souls can. Having been effected by some sincerely tragic circumstances, the music is filled with dichotomous balances between loss and acceptance, pain and hope, grief and understanding—all converging in an exploration of self-discovery. There mixture of styles allow for quick transitions that would in almost any other setting become jarring, yet here they’re blended both in song and set perfectly. The emotionally provocative lyrics stemming from lead singer Craig Minowa are entangled with strong string arrangements, adding to the band’s powerful atmosphere. Their rare and sporadic touring schedule over the years has made them a difficult act to catch, making their Sasquatch! appearance that much more meaningful.
Fresh Espresso
Having not seen or hearing anything from Fresh Espresso in nearly two years, it was a great nod that they received the slot they did, closing Sasquatch’s first inception of the “Maine” stage. The last time I saw Fresh Espresso was at Sasquatch! 2010 where a lovely couple decided to get engaged on stage; both the engagement and Fresh Espresso’s performance have stood out in memory. Seeing them again made all those warm and happy memories flood back.
Feist
The last afternoon brought with it a daytime schedule that fit anyone’s needs. Whether you needed the time to rest and recuperate, or you wanted to get those last minute dance sesh’s in. Leslie Feist has always been an amazing performer, bringing with her an contagious energy that transcends sheer fandom, and appeals to anyone within earshot. Enthusiasm proved to be the perfect antidote for the drowsiness my body had begun to feel after the last four days. Feist, for as long as I’ve seen her, has always had a great presence on stage, tapping deep into the inner rock goddess within. She makes ease out of wailing on the guitar, and belting out powerful melodies.
Silversun Pickups
The last few years have proven to be a little quieter from Silversun’s camp. After their breakout albums nearly six years ago, they have had some moderate success on the billboard’s finding more love overseas than domestically. With a later afternoon set, on the last day of Sasquatch! one could assume that the audience would be left a little lacking, but fortunately this was not the case. There were hoards of fans that had come to see some Lazy Eye. After trying desperately over the last several years to make a Silversun Pickups show, I was worried that their progression through the music world, would have left them tired and over early anthems; fortunately this was a suspicion that ultimately can be dismissed.
Tenacious D
Much like The Shins my anticipation for Tenacious D really was only dependent on the fact that I hadn’t seen them before. I’ve never gone out of my way to try and catch one of their shows prior, mainly due to fact that they haven’t really strolled through my neck of the woods, and their performance suggested that I hadn’t made the worst decisions. There most memorable contribution would come during Beck’s encore later in the night.
Spiritualized
After Mogwai had to bow out due to traveling difficulties with their visas, there were some last minute scheduling changes to fill the void. Spiritualized who were slated to play before Mogwai ended up taking over the honor of closing down the Bigfoot stage for the weekend. In order to fill the time gap Spiritualized’s move made, the promoters reached out to Deer Tick to pick up the slack. After playing through their current set earlier in the fest, it left the group in an unusual predicament, having to rely on their catalog of covers. In an event that was a mixture of chaos and levity, Deer Tick assumed just producing noise for a set would be sufficient. Though the spectacle itself left the audience with a story, the set itself left anyone anticipating genuine music a little lost. The last minute scheduling confusion proved to be more than just trying to fill the times. As Spiritualized began to play, they opened up to a crowd that had been steadily demolished by Deer Tick’s performance. Those who had rushed over to see Mogwai were confused and annoyed not to see their favorite Scottish progressive band. Instead Spaceman, lead singer and brainchild of Spiritualized, greeted them, suspended in a blanket of fog. With expectations for this specific set beginning to fade for eager fans, their dashed dreams led them to venture away, this didn’t detour Spaceman. That may be one of the strongest testaments to Spaceman, and by proxy Spiritualized. Even in the face of adversity, confusion, and a crowd that numbered in the dozens, this didn’t stop them. They still worked to craft a set made for the stars.
Beck
Having seen Beck only once nearly six years prior, I didn’t personally know what to expect from this particular performance, especially as he was closing the weekend down. His last performance had left a bad taste in my mouth, as a fan at the time it was certainly a hard reality to comprehend, but everything had felt dry and phoned in. This is a critique that I’ve heard several share throughout the years so I know I’m not the only one in this boat, and honestly I was all to ready to have Spiritualized stand as the closer for the festival. Despite all this I still managed to soldier through, and at the very least I’m not mad I did. Beck was everything I hoped for all those years ago, so it was great to find some sense of resolution. Although had it not been for the true Sasquatch at the end and an appearance from Tenacious D, I don’t know if the same could be said.
As is the case with any festival, there’s always inevitably those acts, that you just couldn’t make it too—whether it’s being caught in the line into the fest, or tied down to an already amazing act, or even trapped inside a Honey Bucket, sometimes the fates conspire against all your plans and one has nothing they can do but chalk it up to the bidding of the Festival Gods. With Sasquatch’s lineup being filled with such an amazing lineup there was inevitably going to be several shows that were missed. Zola Jesus was at the top of the hopeful list, wanting to sway to some M83 approved tunes would have been a blast, but thankfully Active Child help satisfy this desire. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and their constant threat of breaking up always seems to make them a favorable choice when present at festivals, unfortunately going up against Cloud Cult and their rare performances proved to not be enough this round. Pickwick was said to have a great set, kicking off the first full day on the main stage, but noon after the first night, (which was predominantly EDM and dance music,) was a little too much to ask. Of course there were numerous others like Purity Ring, Yellow Ostrich, and Damien Jurado, hopefully next time around.
When it’s all said and done, Sasquatch! 2012 was a success! Sure we ended up having to throw away a good portion of our campsite due to it collapsing in on itself and essentially being torn apart by all the wind, but this wasn’t all due to Sasquatch. In fact it was a repurposed tent that we managed to pick up at another festival after it had been abandoned and left for the trash cleanup. All that we were left this time around was a 1300-mile trip back home, and the all to familiar wistful feeling leaving the gorge. The feeling is quite similar to that of leaving your childhood house, never certain when’s the next time you’ll be able to go back, and longing for nothing else but to run around and enjoy the space. Sadly the real world calls, for there are more shows, and more festivals, but this one will hold a special place on the mantle for quite awhile.
