Five Years AND Mother Heroic?! She didn't play those in NYC or at Coachella. I knew I should have gone! :(

arcade fire and bjork rocked the gorge, hands down!

Bjork and Beastie Boys made it worth the while of camping with thousands of drunken idiots. I could not believe how good the Beastie Boys were. The last time I saw them was at lollapalooza '94 and they rocked just has hard. Their instrumental songs are interesting, but the energy is in their rapping.

Bjork is a master performer. She had fantastic musicians and she orchestrated what essentially ended up as a dance party in the most beautiful place I've ever seen live music.

Ghostland Observatory also rocked. I could done without everyone else.

Glad they gave the MC role to Aziz the second night. Sarah was awful and I think Sarah went home sick anyway.

Very curious to hear what others thought of the show in general...

ghostland observatory are cheesy bad

"forced" party makers

where is the interpol review? im dying to know what their new stuff is like...besides the heinrich maneuver

MANU CHAO IS THE WORST BAND EVER. literally, worst. yes they had energy. yes they were technically proficient at their instruments. but every chorus was a mere segue into double-time marked by really nonsensical, actually just lame, lyrics. and yes the crowd was into it but they were also just drunk from their ten-dollar 24-oz beers.

it was also frustrating, because all those drunk manu chao fans wasted all their energy flailing about to his tacky music, and weren't even dancing to arcade fire. rendering the crowd a disappointment. but the band was incredible.

and bjork was stunning. although i had nothing to compare it to.

sasquatch this year was a disappointment compared to last year. this is a fact. but at least the weather was better, and it's true: arcade fire and bjork were worth the drive, the campsite and even the price.

interpol performed after spoon, who performed after a nearly two hour show-stopping wind storm. Banks looked cold and was a bit smarmy (even more than usual, i mean). The new material (as is evidenced by Heinrich) is pretty different feeling from the older material but wasn't without it's charm. I remember some of the new songs seeming more immediately likable than others. After warming up and fixing their out-of-tune guitars on the first two songs (fire the guitar tech!), the 2nd half of the show was incredibly good and I was moved to dance. This was partly due to the great sounding bass n drums and partly due to my need to stay warm in the crazy cold wind that was overtaking the Gorge. It was a good show, though, and I'm definitely looking forward to the new record. oh, ps, Banks played a Fender Jaguar for almost all the new songs instead of his tried n true Les Paul - lending the new stuff a different sound and feel. Interesting.

ah yes - and Tokyo Police Club win the prize for best performance by a band I hadn't seen before. For reals people - this band is probably at the most exited/excitable state that they will ever be in - go see a show now! They posessed the earnest and giddy energy that usually gets away from performers as live shows and bigger crowds become more routine. They also got a crowd boost from all the people that ditched the main stage due to the weather delay. I think the big crowd managed to spur the band to pour it on even harder. Am I right? Who else here saw this show? Anyways - well done, TPC.

in other Sasquatch arithmetic:

The Hold Steady live = awesome (despite the CD seeming a bit stale to me)
Bjork + green lasers + black lights = sweetness
Blackalicious + sunny afternoon + tired me = best festival nap ever
Grizzly Bear + crazy loose songs + outdoor performance somehow equals really tight, perfectly executed live show (how do they do it?)

and finally

St. Vincent (annie clark) = so cute (even though I only caught her last song)

I had a fantastic experience at Squatch! this year, despite the drunken musings of those in the campground ("It's seven in the morning, wake the fuck up! It's fucking Sasquatch!, literally!") Things of note:
-The Blow killed, as they always do. Khaela and I made lots of eye contact, further proof that she's into me.
-The tech shit was bad all day (I only went to the first day), with the loooong delay for the Beastie Boys and the complete shutdown of Ghostland Observatory being prime examples.
-The Slip were surprisingly good.
-The Beastie Boys instrumental set was fabulous despite the three of them being somewhat pedestrian with regards to their knowlege of guitars/drums/bass.
-I went to see the Arcade Fire in Portland the next day, and I didn't regret it. Great professionalism/humor/presences from these guys. I've seen em' five times now, and they keep getting better.

My wife and went to both nights and had purchased the Solid Gold tickets with 2 other couples. Going to this show VIP style was totally worth the $500 per ticket expense. Air conditioned bathrooms, special parking, limited edition gear including a very cool tote-bag that was not for sale, lunch/dinner, reserved seating by the soundboard, etc.

My group and I enjoyed the entire experience. Sure, it is easy to complain that the Beastie Boys took an extra 15 minutes to take the stage and Ghoastland Observatory lost their PA for a few minutes b/c of technical difficulties, but that is being too nitpicky (as people feel compelled to do on this blog).

As for Saturday:
Electrlane showed promise, Ghostland were fun as always, Grizzly Bear keep getting better and the Beastie Boys set was a gift to the fans. They played mostly from Check your Head and Ill Communication and have never sounded better. When everyone left the Wookie stage after their set, the BBoys unexpectedly reappeared for an encore causing thousands of fans to run back to the stage...very exciting. Aziz was unfortunately booed while he MC'd the Wookie Stage (maybe his material was too risky for the Northwestern crowd). Arcade Fire, as always were terrific and Bjork completely brought the house down playing a better set than she did at RCMH. Those lazers are amazing.

As for Sunday:
Mix Master Mike starting things for us with a fun set of breaks. Then I caught Minus the Bear, who were OK, and Polyphonic Spree, who were fun until they were abrupty forced to end their set b/c the wind was too intense. A long delay ensued, but having VIP access made the wait bearable b/c we were able to chill in a catered tent. When the main stage started up again, Spoon played a quick set comprising mostly of new tunes and tracks from Gimme Fiction. Then, Interpol. How can a band sound so amazing live and still have no stage presence? They are truly a paradox. Only 3 new songs were played, but they sounded promising. The Beastie Boys finished a great night (after the wind finally died down), and played another excellent set.

What an amazing concert experience. Everyone should check out the Gorge sometime.

ahhh!! thank you for the interpol review! glad to hear their new stuff wont disappoint :)

Aziz wasn't too risky--all he talked about was MTV and his upcoming show on MTV..it just wasn't funny.

Beastie Boys rocked!!! I've never experienced so much craziness and availabilty of mind altering enhancers :-) The Black Angels were killer. Smoosh was interesting n Dandy Warhols were cool too. Damn the wind but mother nature is what she is...people were friendly and the sights were something unbelievable.

Beastie Boys rocked!!! I've never experienced so much craziness and availabilty of mind altering enhancers :-) The Black Angels were killer. Smoosh was interesting n Dandy Warhols were cool too. Damn the wind but mother nature is what she is...people were friendly and the sights were something unbelievable.

earl greyhound was incredible, but the sound was too loud. the mix sucked.

Interpol might have been an act to look forward to ... back in 2003. But in 2007, it's the Year of Arcade Fire. Everyone who came after their Saturday night set (even Bjork to an extent; there's only so much energy one woman can muster) just didn't have much charisma. Interpol just sounded muddy; no stage presence; just hammering at their guitars like robots. Spoon were crisp and got the crowd moving...all for about 15 minutes, then their set ended. The Polyphonic Spree ... let's just say that they were a much-hyped band for being a large group of cult-like latter-day saints, but let's face it: Does anybody REALLY like their music? A quick scan around the crowd during their first 3 songs (and only 3 songs) showed that nobody had a clue what this group was supposed to sound like. Plus they didn't wear their white robes...which would have been excellent during the windy day.

Another critique inre: The Gorge. It's a ***ing gorge...and it GETS DAMN WINDY there. It's what it's known for. And it really wasn't THAT windy, tho the lighting rigs were swaying about. To shut down the mainstage for 3 hours was wholly unnecessary. And to have Aziz come onstage and get everyone to chant "Fuck the wind" was putting the blame on the wrong culprit.

the fuck the wind and cold chant was still really funny

the arcade fire put on the best show i've ever seen in my life...and i've been to a lof of them

the fuck the wind and cold chant was still really funny

the arcade fire put on the best show i've ever seen in my life...and i've been to a lof of them

the fuck the wind and cold chant was still really funny

the arcade fire put on the best show i've ever seen in my life...and i've been to a lof of them

This was my fifth year at squatch

im a washingtonian at heart and kinda knew what to expect although there were suprises

I might have been trippin balls on saturday but every single band i saw put on a great performance

loney, dear - hadnt even heard them before but im in love now, great voice on that guy

ozomatli - got the mainstage rockin like it should

hold steady - made me twitter with dork inspired pure rock ambition

neko case- seen her a million times and she was solid, atleast it didnt hail...!

ghostland observatory - i danced my ass off
the power cut out and kinda killed my vibe but they came back and redeemed themselves nicely

grizzly bear- i felt the knife - nuff said

aquaduct - kinda loud but always fun

manu chao- screw anybody who badmouths such a passionate performance, those guys have such chemistry together and they never stopped playing it was profound and inspiring, me gusta manu

arcade fire- was a religous experience, that organ and everything awwwwww...
i actually cried during wake up... no lie

bjork - was on the ball, her voice reverberated throughout the gorge, i really liked the guys who were running the beats the tripped me out

man do i have to do sunday tooo

it wasnt as good but still fun
i love interpol but they really didnt put on that good of a show, i wasnt feeling it
pauls vocals were way to soft

balackalicious was tight

beasties rocked the house

i caught the last bit of spearhead and it was awesome good way to end the show

i would have liked to see more of the spree but life goes on

i dont know if thats the best squatch ive ever been to but its up there

cant wait till next year
GORGE FOR LIFE, best place on the face of the earth to enjoy live music

PEACE

So, here we go:
Saturday - we got in the venue (after waiting at security for over an hour, and still managing to bring in tons of booze and party favors) just as Ozomatli was starting. I always love an Ozo show and this was no exception. Loved hearing newer stuff and danced my ass off.

Neko Case - boring as hell, singing was off key several times. Decent voice but nothing to get your panties in a bunch for.

Ghostland Observatory - Rad! Very retro, obviously don't take themselves too seriously. Loved the fuzzed out beats and the singer's got great stage presense.

Grizzly Bear - Need a new name, if you call your band Grizzly Bear you should fuckin' rawk. They did not.

Beasties - Great show, even though the sound sucked (actually the only set that sounded good all weekend was Bjork, imo, the sound techs at this fest are incompetent) Billed as an instrumental set, but wasn't, which was fine but I was a little disappointed, I wanted to hear funky shit like the In Sounds from Way Out all night. The encore was dope though, enough people left that boogie space up front was abundant.

Arcade Fire - Most hyped band on the planet. No soul, crap singing, two violins and not one violin solo? what is that about? Sound was so muddled I couldn't pick out any single instrument. Too bad we had to sit through this tirade of noise to get to the reason we came...

Bjork - I've been listening to Bjork for many years and this was my first show. I was hoping for more than she could possibly give, but she gave it all and then some. I've never seen a singer who sounds just as good live as in the studio. The stage show was sweet, and I loved being able to see the electronic wizards do their stuff. The horns were great and I loved the new arrangements of older songs. Bjork was just as adorable as always, dancing around and smiling ever so seductively. She really seemed to enjoy herself. This set was worth the trip from Eugene.

Sunday:
Tried to get in for Blackalicious, but again with lines and security it didn't happen.

Bad Brains - Loved the reggae, hated the punk. Sat down and got our drink on.

Polyphonic Spree - One of the other main draws for us, so it was a bummer to have their set cut short. Sasquatch's website had warned us of wind 2 days before we left Oregon. We were prepared, why weren't they?

Smoosh - Well, they're like 13 and sound like it, cool to see kids play, but it would've been cooler to see kids rock out. Novelty act at best.

Spoon - Only saw a couple songs, since they made the announcement that Spearhead was going to play at 9:00, they were okay, but really not much there.

Dandy Warhols - Pop rock, not too exciting, the most fun thing about their set was the impromptu jump rope blanket in the crowd.

Spearhead - Well, we wandered over to the Wookie stage and waited, and waited, and waited, missing interpol in the process. Finally left the stage before they even started so we could get a spot for the Beasties. Disappointing.

Beasties - Ummm, why do I want to see the same show 2 nights in a row? They played a few songs that they didn't on Sat. but mostly it was the same set. Fun, dancable, high energy and the crowd was diggin' it, but I was a little let down. I thought the Beasties were gonna do an instrumental set Sat. and something completely different on Sun. I was wrong.

Polyphonic Spree late night - This was unexpected and awesome. The spree are great in a smaller setting and put a huge smile on my face. A little tired after the long day, but a great way to end the weekend.

That's it for the music, here's the rest:

Sarah Silverman - WTF? I didn't see her at all, my girlfriend saw her for about 2 minutes and said she seemed hammered. Uh, if you're hosting a show, shouldn't you be on the stage? And especially during the wind induced break. It would've been nice to have some entertainment other that trying to kick a hacky sack on a hill in the wind.

$10 Coors Light - Ridiculous, is there some sort of shortage of shitty beer in Washington that I don't know about? That's the only valid reason I could see for beer being so expensive.

$4-6 water - see above. The Gorge needs to treat their PAYING CUSTOMERS with some respect.

No re-entry - Again, some respect is needed. We paid $120 to camp, let us go back and change, nap, eat, drink. 3 hours with no music on the mainstage and we couldn't even go back to our camp to wait it out. This is the only festival with camping that I've ever been to that doesn't allow you to go back to your temporary home during the day.

Communication - On the Gorge's website it states that vehicles won't be allowed to leave the campgrounds and come back. But, that's what our neighbors did both days. If we'd have known that we could leave and go swimming, we definitely would have taken advantage of it. Also, I went to get a $100 camping pass from ticketbastard like it said to do on the website and they weren't selling them anymore. Update the website with information like this. No Ice at the campgrounds was also stupid and the lady running the store even said she has asked for an ice trailer and the Gorge won't give her one. Are they trying to get us to buy more food? Every employee I talked to throughout the weekend said they were going to quit, and hate the way the place is run. Livenation needs to get its shit together.

All in all we had a fun time, but won't be going back to the Gorge until they start treating us with the respect that nearly all other festivals do. Bjork was the shit and the Beasties were fun. Wish we could've seen Blackalicious, the Slip, Helio Sequence, Interpol, Manu Chao, Spearhead, Mirah and Sarah Silverman. Seems like we paid a lot and didn't get too much in return. Oh well, in the end we got to see Bjork and that made the whole trip worthwhile.

keep groovin'
Domino Holster