popwreckoning

Sunday morning of Sasquatch came for me with a hot shower and special birthday blueberry muffin at my campsite, as it was my 21^st birthday. Come to find out that day, it was several people’s birthdays. But I’ll get to that later.

The line getting into the venue moved a lot faster that day, and it was met with a bit more cloud coverage, so less burning sunlight directly overhead at noon when we entered the grounds. As the Bigfoot Solar Stage was almost directly inside the gates, I went into the crowd, not really knowing who was playing. As soon as the band got on stage, I checked my schedule, and it turned out that it was Local Natives. When I got there, it was far too crowded for me to get close to get any decent photographs, but I was close enough to fall in love with their sound. I’d heard “Camera Talk” off their album Gorilla Manor about a month ago, but as I stood through the rest of their hour-long set, there were so many more songs I liked. Gorilla Manor was actually the only album I bought at the festival, and I’m glad that I did. I’ve listened to it several times. The band’s soft harmonies work so well both live and on the record, and I can see why they had such a large crowd, even so early in the day. About halfway through their set came the first coincidence of the day. Prefacing their song “Who Knows Who Cares,” guitarist and vocalist Taylor Rice came up to the mic and said, “I’d like to dedicate this song to my special lady, Bethany,” (or something like that), “It’s her thirtieth birthday today. The golden year, 30 on 30.” And everyone in the crowd said “Happy Birthday Bethany!” in unison. Of all days – that was weird. After that, my sister told me that she was going to try to get Flavor Flav to wish me happy birthday. Sure, like that would happen. Anyway, Local Natives were awesome. I’d have to say that they’re my favorite discovery from Sasquatch.

Then I took the familiar stroll to the main stage for the only time on Sunday to see They Might Be Giants. Of all the acts booked for Sasquatch, They Might Be Giants might be the most random. However being a fan of them myself, I was excited to see them on the lineup. As I expected, TMBG were perhaps the goofiest 50-year-olds I’d ever seen. At one point their broke out The Avatars of They, a duo of sock puppets who have been part of their live show since last year. Much to my delight, TMBG did play the hilarious “The Mesopotamians,” the one and only thing I like about the subject of Mesopotamia. The only buzzkill of their set was the fact that a large portion of their crowd was Kid Cudi fans waiting to get close for Kid Cudi’s set directly after TMBG. But that was poor planning. I felt bad actually, because the Kid Cudi fans were restless and a bit rude to TMBG. At one point during the appearance of The Avatars of They, I heard someone shout “Get off the stage, we wanna see Cudi!” Sure I wanted to see Kid Cudi too, but I wanted to see They Might Be Giants as well.

I regret that former statement, because I would have much rather seen Kid Cudi from afar, rather than being stuck in the insane pit of pain present throughout all of Kid Cudi’s set. The only reason I stayed in the pit was so I could get close to see Tegan and Sara after, and get some good photos. What I do for good photos, sheesh.

Now, I’m not much of a hip-hop fan, but I honestly enjoy Kid Cudi. He’s confident on stage without being too arrogant like some rappers can be. But I will never see him live again. Nothing against Cudi, but I feared for my life and my camera in that pit. It’s like they didn’t know the meaning of personal space. I just had to lock my knees and plant my feet. I didn’t really have to hold up my own weight, but I also couldn’t breath comfortably half the time. But regardless, Kid Cudi was really good. Toward the end of his set, he brought this guy out on stage. “You guys remember when I punched that guy in Vancouver? Here he is! Michael and I are cool now!” And Michael Sharpe, the guy whom Kid Cudi punched at his Vancouver show joined him for a man hug on stage in front of thousands of people.

As soon as Kid Cudi’s set was over, I scurried out of the pit to catch some air before venturing back in for Tegan and Sara’s set. But naturally, their fans wouldn’t be quite as insane. It was a nice cool down from the overwhelming body heat trapped in the mosh pit from before, and Tegan and Sara’s music was a nice cool down as well. As much as I like their music, it was bit lackluster for the venue we were in, but what made their set especially enjoyable was the sharp banter between the two of them. If they weren’t twins, you could still totally tell that they were sisters by how they acted toward each other. That was my time at the main stage that night, as I spent the next 2 hours at the Bigfoot Solar Stage and turned in early for the night to eat birthday cake and make hot dogs over a camp stove.

First on the Solar Stage that night was Girls, whose album I fell in love with last year. It’s still weird listening to them because it’s like Elvis Costello reincarnate, and Elvis Costello isn’t even dead. It was a mellow and groovy way to move the evening right along, and like the album, seeing Girls live made me feel nostalgic. I don’t know when I was feeling nostalgic about, but the music just sounds so aged, but not outdated. And the music actually fit quite nicely in the setting sunlight in the middle of a flat field. Peaceful, yet not exactly peaceful. It’s hard to explain, but that’s why I advise you to see them. They were good. You won’t be disappointed.

The last act I’d see Sunday night was the Dirty Projectors, and I truly only saw them because I felt like I needed to understand something about them. I listened to Bitte Orca. Several times. And I just didn’t get why everyone was so gaga over them, so I figured seeing them live would illuminate it for me somehow. I was right. I get it now. I’m not going to try and explain why I get it now, because the Dirty Projectors are one of those bands that you love or you hate, because they’re that weird, but the vocals that this band consistently produces is the most amazing part of their live act. During “Remade Horizon,” I swear Amber Coffman and Haley Dekle did this crazy vocal riffing for over a minute that sounded like nothing I’ve heard in a live show before. Also, with how many singers they have on stage at one time, David Longstreth, Angel Deradoorian, Coffman, and Dekle, there is a strange harmony on stage that is also unlike most bands.

This was where the second coincidence came in. Nearing the end of the show, after “Stillness is the Move,” Coffman told the crowd that it was her father’s 51^st birthday, and she wanted us all to sing happy birthday to him and record it for someone to put on YouTube for him to watch. Another birthday? So we all sang happy birthday to her dad Joel.

That was the end of day two for me. I’ll be right with you for the final recap shortly.

For more photos of Sunday’s festivities, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157624067347657/

Saturday’s coverage: http://popwreckoning.com/2010/06/02/sasquatch-festival-saturday-with-ok-go-the-national-vampire-weekend/

Monday’s coverage: http://popwreckoning.com/2010/06/04/sasquatch-festival-monday-with-the-temper-trap-the-mountain-goats-mgmt/

After seeing Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons last month, I suspect I may well be turning into a folkie. Not that it’d be a bad thing. Furthering my genre-specific education was folk rock siren April Smith and her four-man band the Great Picture Show, who graced the Christmas light-lit Iota stage this past Tuesday night – a decidedly balmy, sticky night in the Nation’s Capital. This sort of weather is typical for June here, and native Washingtonians have learned to live with the heat and humidity of our summers. For Smith and her band however, I felt terrible about it because she kept mentioning the stifling heat. Surely the night before in Atlanta could not have been much better? I was worried how this was going to affect them playing songs from her fan-financed debut album Songs for a Sinking Ship, full of hand claps and finger snaps. I really needn’t have worried.

I decided that her talking about the heat and revealing to us that they had indulged in a large pasta dinner earlier (and saying it was probably a bad idea before a performance) was her way of reaching out to us, like we were friends. Iota has that kind of vibe about it– it’s a small but comfortable, homey place, a place where you can go to see an up and coming band perform and you don’t feel like you have to be someone else. Wearing a sleeveless white blouse with a red skirt and lacy petticoat, the brunette Smith looked more cowgirl than a rocker. This thought was quickly put out of mind as soon as she opened her mouth on their opening number, “Movie Loves a Screen,” Smith engaging the audience with her sweet voice.

Wow, what a voice. The best numbers were those that showcased Smith’s amazing vocal control, range, and delivery, like “Dixie Boy” (a woman’s stern warning to another woman eyeing her man), and those that got the crowd involved, like the hand clap, foot stomp-inducing “Colors.” The end of the show should have been album track “Wow and Flutter,” which if you were wondering did wow me quite a lot, especially thanks to a homage to Led Zeppelin the band injected into the bridge of the song in the form of a folky bit of “Whole Lotta Love,” including some of the rock anthem’s racier lyrics. Not what you expected from a bunch of folkies, huh?

After a short period of deliberation in a huddle, the band decided to return for an encore. Smith explained that it was going to have to be a cover. “Do you want upbeat…” she started to ask, interrupted by someone shouting out “upbeat!” Well then. Smith and the band proceeded to play a blazing version of Melanie’s “Brand New Key,” a 1970s pop hit that you may be familiar with via a recent cover by American Idol alum Katharine McPhee. Given the choice, I’d take April Smith and the Great Picture Show’s version any day. According to the band’s Facebook page, Smith provides “vocals, rhythm guitar, [and] sass” – she’s got plenty of talent in all three to teach generations of women how music is done right.

April Smith and the Great Picture Show Set List
Movie Loves a Screen
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Terrible Things
Stop Wondering
What’ll I Do
Colors
Can’t Say No
The One That Got Away
Dixie Boy
Wow and Flutter
//
Brand New Key (Melanie cover)

April Smith and the Great Picture Show: website | myspace | Songs for a Sinking Ship review

Even though this album came out a couple weeks ago, and even though it isn’t technically summer yet, I’ve deemed Cowboy Indian Bear‘s debut album Each Other All the Time as one of the most satisfying summer albums you’ll find for this season’s long, hot days and easy, carefree nights.

The melodies are uncomplicated, the percussion is crisp and consistent, and this Lawrence, KS band’s minimalist approach to harmonies and instrumentation is excitable and energetic, a perfect soundtrack for the liveliness and spirit the summer sun provides.

“Heart Be” is one of those spirited tracks, offering a solid, danceable beat that drives its way into “Mathematicians/Colour,” a layered, distinct song with quick, sharp percussion and captivating harmonies. Toward the end of the album, “Conjunction Junction” keeps the fun going with a full, lush sound that flows into “Color Well,” a track that is a very smooth, a cool, refreshing drink to ease the heat of the album’s sunny tracks. The album ends with a haunting finale, “1545 Mass/Each Other All the Time,” a cacophony of layered voices that brings Each Other All the Time to a memorable close.

Each Other All the Time is indie rock but it’s more than that. The songs contain surprises, hints of wonder and vibrancy that can be hard to accomplish with a full-length debut. “Please Be Kind to All Your Ghosts” claims: “We gave our goddamn best and somehow managed to fall flat upon our backs.” But perhaps it was only when they were on their backs that they were able to catch a glimpse of the full summer sky. Certainly, Each Other All the Time feels as expansive and rolling as a lingering skyward gaze, full of sounds that fit the summer, no matter what that summer brings.

Track Listing:

01 Madeline

02 Oh, Madison!

03 Santiago

04 Heart Be

05 Mathematicians/Colour

06 Tribute

07 Saline

08 Bear Vs.

09 Conjunction Junction

10 Color Well

11 Pleaes Be Kind to All Your Ghosts

12 1545 Mass/Each Other All the Time

Taking the three-hour drive to the Columbia River Gorge is a boring trip. You merge a couple times from state route 16, then from I-5 to I-90, over a mountain pass and through the eastern Washington flatlands. But when you reach the Gorge on Memorial Day weekend, it’s like a dome of awesome civilization in the middle of empty Washington wasteland. It was the second year in a row that I traveled to the Sasquatch! Music Festival, but this year I’d be spending all three days at the Gorge, camping about a quarter of the mile from the festival grounds, where one could still hear the music late into the night after tucking one’s self into one’s sleeping bag.

This weekend was nothing less than glorious. The clouds defied the weather forecast, which told us that it would be cloudy and possibly raining all weekend. Only a couple bouts of rain didn’t damper the festival at all. In fact, the rain we did get was refreshing and added to the greatness of the Columbia River Gorge.

I’ll start with Saturday. After waiting in line for over an hour, I finally arrived on the festival grounds, and headed over to the newly renamed Bigfoot Solar Stage. It used to be called the Wookie Stage, but as a preemptive action against any sort of lawsuit from George Lucas, the Sasquatch organizers changed the name. Catching the second half of Mumford and Sons, I could tell that people were already crowding in front of each stage.

Following Mumford and Sons was Portugal. The Man on the same stage. I’m really glad I stayed to watch them, because the crazy psychedelic rock that you find on their record Censored Colors sounds even better live. And with such songs like “Lay Me Back Down,” the relatively large crowd could sing right along with the chorus. It was a good way to start the day. The very long day.

With my first of two steep treks down to the main stage, I was reminded how much I really love this venue. Actually, Damian Kulash of OK Go, the band playing on the main stage next, said it best:

“You know, we play a lot of these festivals, and most of the time the venue sucks and the bands blow, but this place is fucking awesome.” Or something like that. You get the gist.

As much as I love OK Go for their genius music videos, they were surprisingly good live. Fun and energetic, and it was only 3 in the afternoon. It was too bad their crowd was small though, because I’m pretty sure Kulash would have crowd surfed a lot further if he’d had the ability to. Playing through some oldies but goodies, like “Get Over It” from their 2002 debut album, as well as the funky “White Knuckles” off their newest Of The Blue Colour of the Sky, it was a joyful and satisfying set. One thing though – with how breathy and seductive Kulash’s voice is most of the time, you’d never expect him to bust out this gut-draining shriek. But he did. It was cool.

I headed back up to the Yeti Stage, the smallest of the three outdoor stages, to see one of my favorite local bands The Lonely Forest for the third time this year. What can I say? They’re really good. But I could tell that it was still a bit intimidating being at Sasquatch because they were good, but they weren’t as good as at the Seattle clubs. But that is one of the parts of Sasquatch that I really love – we get a lot of locals. Sasquatch doesn’t import nearly as many acts as other festivals do. The Lonely Forest did mention the new record they have coming out this year that they just finished recording with Chris Walla’s new label Trans. Hearing those new songs again was nice.

Back at the main stage, The National was getting ready to take the stage and the floor started to fill up. This was about when the sun started to set, and the smell of marijuana was inescapable, and the threat of sunburn in the part of your hair was no longer a worry. The perfect time of night at the Gorge. The National took the stage a bit late, making everyone in the pit incredibly anxious, but in the end it was worth it. Playing some of their best songs, including the haunting “Afraid of Everyone” off High Violet as well as a plethora of older songs, the crowd was clearly satisfied. Matt Berninger actually ventured out into the pit towards the end of their set holding up his microphone cord as to not get tangled in the jumble of fans. Some would find Berninger’s energy flat, because it is an odd stage presence. At times he seems a bit angry, but I enjoy his intensity. It’s a quiet intensity. I think without the jumbo screens adjacent to the stage, it wouldn’t have been suited for the giant amphitheatre, but this time it worked.

A stark change from The National’s energy, the lovely and adorable and so full of energy Vampire Weekend took the Main Stage at as on-time as they could have been. I was so thankful when they announced the lineup for Sasquatch this year, because when I saw Vampire Weekend back in December it wasn’t for but twenty short minutes. And that’s not nearly enough time to fully enjoy a band. It got a second chance to love Vampire Weekend at Sasquatch. Being shoved in that pit made it even better, because everyone around me was equally as excited. This guy, about 6’3”, standing next to me kept saying, “I’m so happy right now!” And that was the general consensus I gathered from the thousands of people in the amphitheater that night, as well as from the band. Frontman Ezra Koenig made the second declaration of the Gorge’s sheer awesomeness that day, and Koenig has enough energy himself to carry the entire place. It was the perfect way to follow The National, with a giant dance party to songs like “A-Punk,” “Walcott” and ridiculously quick and almost derailing “Cousins.” And it was quite magical to hear thousands of people singing at the top of their lungs “Blake’s got a new face!” during the song “One.”

It was as I hiked up the hill to the campground that I knew that this was going to be a good weekend.

Stay tuned for a recap of Sunday and Monday, which were equally as awesome.

For a full set of photos from Saturday, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157624061143157/

Sunday’s coverage: http://popwreckoning.com/2010/06/03/sasquatch-festival-sunday-with-local-natives-kid-cudi-dirty-projectors/

Monday’s coverage: http://popwreckoning.com/2010/06/04/sasquatch-festival-monday-with-the-temper-trap-the-mountain-goats-mgmt/

Glam rockers A.F.I. are working their way around the country on tour and we’ve got tickets.

PopWreckoning is giving tickets to the A.F.I. show on June 6 at Sokol Auditorium in Omaha, NE. There are three pairs of tickets up for grabs, and the contest will end at 4:30 p.m. CDT, Friday, June 4. Winners’ tickets will be at the door when you arrive at the show. Please also include your full name and email in the comment so that I can get in touch with the winners of the contest.

Winning is easy, simply complete the following steps:

1. Comment in this article with the answer to this question: For what do the letters A.F.I. originally stand? PopWreckoning staff will read your answers and choose from the correct ones the day of show.

2. Repost this article on either your facebook, twitter, myspace, blog, website or other social media tool. Spread the wealth, then send us the link (by posting it in your comment).

Then, best (and easiest) of all, show up at the venue and enjoy the show, compliments of PopWreckoning. Good luck!

Acoustic singer Tyler Brown Williams performs live at the All Together Now Showcase at SXSW 2010. The pop rock musician also took the time to answer a few questions. Check it out in the video below:

The All Together Now Showcase was made possible with help from ATN Management, Invisible Children, Big Picture Media, PopWreckoning.com, Fox Clothing, Pop Chips, www.borrowlenses.com, www.philipgrey.com, Jacob Mengelkoch, Bayou Lounge, Kelsey Eckberg, Jennifer DaRe and MTV.

It was the only showcase at SXSW where bands could be sure their music would be heard by MTV.

You can learn more about the showcase and other bands featured at www.atnshowcase.com. We’ll also be featuring more bands’ interviews and performances in an ongoing feature at www.PopWreckoning.com.

Were you there? We’d love to hear your memories…

Indie rock musician Wil Seabrook performs live at the All Together Now Showcase at SXSW 2010. The singer also took the time to answer a few questions. Check it out in the video below:

The All Together Now Showcase was made possible with help from ATN Management, Invisible Children, Big Picture Media, PopWreckoning.com, Fox Clothing, Pop Chips, www.borrowlenses.com, www.philipgrey.com, Jacob Mengelkoch, Bayou Lounge, Kelsey Eckberg, Jennifer DaRe and MTV.

It was the only showcase at SXSW where bands could be sure their music would be heard by MTV.

You can learn more about the showcase and other bands featured at www.atnshowcase.com. We’ll also be featuring more bands’ interviews and performances in an ongoing feature at www.PopWreckoning.com.

Were you there? We’d love to hear your memories…

Folk act Thurlow performs live at the All Together Now Showcase at SXSW 2010. The group also took the time to answer a few questions. Check it out in the video below:

The All Together Now Showcase was made possible with help from ATN Management, Invisible Children, Big Picture Media, PopWreckoning.com, Fox Clothing, Pop Chips, www.borrowlenses.com, www.philipgrey.com, Jacob Mengelkoch, Bayou Lounge, Kelsey Eckberg, Jennifer DaRe and MTV.

It was the only showcase at SXSW where bands could be sure their music would be heard by MTV.

You can learn more about the showcase and other bands featured at www.atnshowcase.com. We’ll also be featuring more bands’ interviews and performances in an ongoing feature at www.PopWreckoning.com.

Were you there? We’d love to hear your memories…

Kansas City rock trio Thieves performs live at the All Together Now Showcase at SXSW 2010. The group also took the time to answer a few questions. Check it out in the video below:

The All Together Now Showcase was made possible with help from ATN Management, Invisible Children, Big Picture Media, PopWreckoning.com, Fox Clothing, Pop Chips, www.borrowlenses.com, www.philipgrey.com, Jacob Mengelkoch, Bayou Lounge, Kelsey Eckberg, Jennifer DaRe and MTV.

It was the only showcase at SXSW where bands could be sure their music would be heard by MTV.

You can learn more about the showcase and other bands featured at www.atnshowcase.com. We’ll also be featuring more bands’ interviews and performances in an ongoing feature at www.PopWreckoning.com.

Were you there? We’d love to hear your memories…

California grunge act The Sexual Frustration perform live at the All Together Now Showcase at SXSW 2010. The group also took the time to answer a few questions. Check it out in the video below:

The All Together Now Showcase was made possible with help from ATN Management, Invisible Children, Big Picture Media, PopWreckoning.com, Fox Clothing, Pop Chips, www.borrowlenses.com, www.philipgrey.com, Jacob Mengelkoch, Bayou Lounge, Kelsey Eckberg, Jennifer DaRe and MTV.

It was the only showcase at SXSW where bands could be sure their music would be heard by MTV.

You can learn more about the showcase and other bands featured at www.atnshowcase.com. We’ll also be featuring more bands’ interviews and performances in an ongoing feature at www.PopWreckoning.com.

Were you there? We’d love to hear your memories…