popwreckoning

Pardon the horrendous pun there.

Friday was quite the evening, running from…well I guess there were only three venues, two of which were two doors down from each other. But regardless, it was definitely a night to remember.

It began at Backspace, where Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives started the lineup (which also included The Globes, P.S. I Love You and the Thermals). I would have stayed for the whole night at Backspace, but I’ve seen the Globes and the Thermals several times, and had no wish to see P.S. I Love You.

But Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives were perfect. This small venue (which is a cafe before anything else) filled comfortably while there was still some light in the sky. The stage was barely elevated, making the crowd literally face to face with the band, and much more intimate. I wish the set had been longer, because it felt like it was just getting to the really good part when they finished the set. But really, the whole set was the good part – the giant intense gospel-tinged folk rock. Don’t be fooled by the “gospel” and “folk” in that sentence though, Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives are still pretty darn heavy – so much so that you can feel it from your throat to the soles of your feet.

After their set, I looked at my schedule for the address to the next venue – the Someday Lounge. And lo and behold – I stepped out the door, looked to my left, and there it was two doors down from Backspace. I had to walk but maybe 50 feet. Maybe.

This place had a completely different energy – it was darker and more quiet, and a bit smellier. I’d gone there to see the Music Tapes, a.k.a. Julian Koster, of the Elephant 6 Collective (also see Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, the Apples in Stereo). I’d seen the Music Tapes as part of an Elephant 6 Collective show back in March at the Vera Project in Seattle, and he was by far the most memorable and more charismatic of the group (sadly Jeff Mangum didn’t show up to that). So I had to take advantage of the chance to see Julian Koster again.

I’ll just say this – he played a saw with a violin bow. And there was a 7-foot metronome. Enough said.

After the first half of the Music Tapes’ set, I had to skip out to make it across town to the Doug Fir, where I’d be spending the rest of my evening.

It’s not like it’s a long drive, but on Portland roads, if you get turned around or don’t find parking right away, it can take awhile.

I was hoping I’d make it for the last bit of Pickwick’s opening set, but I was too late, sad to say.

However, I did get a nice surprise.

I knew absolutely nothing about the next band to play, Lost Lander. So I used my trusty Google phone to dig up some dirt on this band. It turned out that it was a project of songwriter Matt Sheehy and none other than ex-Menomenaut Brent Knopf. So they had to be good.

I thought at first after reading about Lost Lander that Knopf was merely a producer and he worked on recording the album with Sheehy, but as I was standing up in front of the stage of the Doug Fir with some new friends, I look to my right and there is Brent Knopf. Naturally, I had a little bit of a fangirl moment. You see, I saw Menomena at last year’s Musicfest Northwest, and it was the greatest show of the festival – maybe of the year. When I found out that Knopf was leaving the band in January, I basically cried. So now that I was seeing Knopf again at Musicfest, I was overjoyed, even if it wasn’t with Menomena.

Lost Lander’s set was awesome, and not just because Knopf was in the back corner. It was one of my favorite shows of the whole festival.

After I was thoroughly pleased, AgesandAges took the stage for their exuberant set. Seriously, they were dancing all over the place, and I couldn’t help be dance and sing along, even though I didn’t really know any of their songs. The Portland natives certainly played to their hometown, because the whole crowd was rocking.

I enjoyed their set so much that I didn’t even care so much that they started 25 minutes late. But once they were done I realized that it was after midnight, when Givers were supposed to start at midnight. The time was starting to catch up with me.

But I didn’t care, because Givers was the band I’d been waiting to see all weekend, and the reason I’d stayed at the Doug Fir all night without switching venues. I wasn’t about to leave and come back, risking the venue filling up.

It was 12:40 by the time the Lafayette, Louisiana natives took the stage, and I loved every minute of it until 2 a.m. when guitarist Taylor Guarisco had to literally tell the crowd to shut up because the Doug Fir was kicking us all out.

I thought AgesandAges brought the energy. Pfft, they were good, but nothing compared to Givers. I don’t know where this band gets all their positive and joyful energy. It’s infectious, and with great songs like “Up Up Up” and “In My Eyes,” you can’t go wrong, even at 1 a.m.

Since I’d run into Guarisco at the Sasquatch Festival back in May, he recognized me at Musicfest as well, so we chatted a bit after the show, at 2:30 a.m., because sleep is overrated. It was nice making a reconnection with a band, and when it’s a band that charming, with that much talent, and that close to hitting it big, it made me feel that much better.

Well done guys, well done.

So I’d say Friday was a success, wouldn’t you? I mean, I don’t regret staying up until 3:00 a.m., and that says something.

For more photos from Friday, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157627636436068/

This was perhaps the busiest Thursday night I’d ever experienced. I went to four different venues within Portland and saw six bands.

Let’s get this started, shall we?

I ventured to the Wonder Ballroom, which sits in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, for headliners Brand New. However, I’d completely forgotten that the Joy Formidable was opening for them, but I’m thankful I got there as early as I did, because the Joy Formidable rocked my socks off. I mean seriously. I’d only heard one of their songs before this show, and I was an instant fan. This was the afternoon that I realized that the girl rockers were back. By the end of the festival, I noticed that only three of the bands didn’t have girls playing with them.

Ritzy Bryan is a fierce front woman, even though she stands about 5’3” in heels. Rhydian Dafydd (and that’s a Welsh name, so I guarantee ‘Dafydd’ isn’t pronounced that way) sweat through his shirt by the middle of the set, but then again it was at least 90 degrees in there.

This is a band to watch. I’m sure of it.

To be honest, after the Joy Formidable’s set, Brand New wasn’t all that special for me. It was nice to see a band that I’ve liked (on and off) since I was 13, but after the first three or four songs I was satisfied. I’m not big on too much screaming anymore like I was when I was in junior high, but Brand New put on a show worthy of 90-degree weather, from what I caught.

Thankfully the next venue I went to had air conditioning – the Doug Fir. I can’t tell you how much I love that place. It is comfortable, roomy, the food is good, there is free water, the bathrooms are relatively clean, and that places gets some amazing bands. And as well as a music venue and restaurant upstairs – the Doug Fir is also connected to a hotel, the Jupiter. Oh and did I mention that there is free street parking? Yeah, I love this venue.

On this particular evening, I went to the Doug Fir to see Portland’s own Brainstorm, whom I knew absolutely nothing about other than what the MFNW site said, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It’s an odd mixture – two well-coifed blonde guys, one on guitar and one on drums and both singing – doing catchy surf rock. Think Surfer Blood but switch out Florida for Portland, and that’s what you get with Brainstorm. Also, a few songs into their set, they brought out a female keyboardist. That’s one more on the list of bands with girls in them!

After Brainstorm was Purity Ring, kind of an inexplicable band. When they started playing I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not, but that’s mainly because the lighting was stressing my out trying to get photos. But they were surprisingly polished and unique. Purity Ring consisted of a female vocalist and percussionist and male instrumentalist – and I say instrumentalist because I don’t even know what he was playing. He was beating on a set of pipes that lit up at the end, making different toned with each strike, so I’m not sure what to call it, but I just know it was cool.

I debated staying the entire evening to see Phantogram later that night because the Doug Fir was at capacity, but I had a couple more places I wanted to go.

First was Holocene – a venue I’d never been to – for Twin Sister. I saw this band open for the Morning Benders last year and they were Fantastic with a capital F. I fell in love with their sultry sounds at Neumos, but I was so disappointed with their set at Holocene. I didn’t think my tastes had changed that much in a year, but I just was not feeling their vibe on Thursday. Singer Andrea Estella looked wide-eyed and confused and awkward on stage, and their chillwave melodies were almost too chillwave so the rest of the band was half awake.

So either their set at Musicfest was a fluke or I was on a different wavelength last year. It probably didn’t help my attitude that night that a guy spilled his green minty drink on me. I smelled like toothpaste for the rest of the night.

Since I skipped out on Twin Sister early, I headed over to the Bunk Bar  – another venue I was unfamiliar with – to see one of my hometown heroes Damian Jurado. This guy is one of those Seattle musicians that hovers around open mics and you’ll see him everywhere, and because he is so good you feel a bit starstruck but considering how close the Seattle music scene is, you feel sort of silly acting starstruck. The Bunk Bar is a small bar with absolutely no light, but a friendly vibe and a great view from the outside window. It was especially awesome when several members of Seattle’s Pickwick and Sharon Van Etten walked in. That’s one thing that I really love about Musicfest Northwest – you’ll see one band at a different band’s set, like it’s a completely normal thing. But I guess in a city like Portland, that is a normal thing.

Pardon the pun.

I couldn’t resist.

But seriously though, as the kick-off to this year’s Musicfest Northwest (or MFNW for future reference), The Kills at the Crystal Ballroom were awesome. I caught maybe five minutes of their set at Bumbershoot, but this venue was so much better for them, with the smoke machine and creepy paintings of cherubs on the walls. The only downside was the fact that it may have gotten to be over 100 degrees in there at some point.

For some ungodly reason Portland was in the low 90s all weekend, and you know what that means for music venues – they’re even hotter. But surprisingly, I didn’t see anyone pass out the whole time I was there.

But back to the music, shall we? Eleanor Friedberger, of the Fiery Furnaces, opened for the Kills, with an understated, but stellar performance. It was virtually just herself up on the stage, and she was very well-received by the possibly-dehydrated crowd, and it made for a lovely opening set.

I’m just amazing that she survived that stage wearing all that denim. It was refreshing to see her without her brother Matthew, though her style stayed true to the sound we all know from her – gritty garage blues, but solo Eleanor had a bit more sassy pop to her. I liked it.

After the temperature of the room went up like… at least ten degrees, more smoke machines were turned on and even more people crowded in. Thank god for the free water station at the back of the room.

I will start off by saying – Alison Mosshart is one of the best front…women? I’ve ever seen. No, one of the best frontpeople – because she can stand next to Anthony Kiedis any day. I’m serious. This chick can rock her ass off – and it doesn’t hurt that her hair on this particular occasion was flaming red.

She’s crazy. Crazy awesome that is. She and guitarist Jamie Hince have all the chemistry two people need on stage, but it was so unspoken and understated that you almost forgot that there were two separate people on stage.

The Kills’ live performance was much bluesier than one would expect from the bands’ earlier albums. I guess Mosshart’s time with the Dead Weather rubbed off a bit, because the new songs were much heavier than previous albums, but just as good and just as sexy. And the opening number with “No Wow” was definitely not ‘no wow.’

Oh come on, I couldn’t not do it.

By the end of the evening, I was thoroughly satisfied with the Kills’ live show, even if I was a bit sweaty. Alison Mosshart might be my new favourite person to photograph. The girl does not stop moving!

Believe it or not, I decided to do Bumbershoot and Musicfest Northwest back-to-back for the second year in a row. This year’s lineup is full of amazing Portlanders, spectacular Seattleites, and some fantastic foreigners (pardon the alliteration; I couldn’t help myself).

If you don’t know much about Musicfest Northwest, you aren’t alone. The Willamette Weekly-sponsored festival takes place within the city at all the venues throughout North, South, East, and West Portland. The setup is similar to South by Southwest, but not quite as big. This year’s festival takes place starting today, September 7, to Sunday, September 11.

Here I’ve compiled my complete list of bands you should definitely not miss (or at least try and see).

Wednesday (TODAY):

9:00: Eleanor Friedberger at the Crystal Ballroom. Separated from the Fiery Furnaces, Friedberger’s debut album did not disappoint. Here’s hoping her live show doesn’t either.

10:00: The Kills at the Crystal Ballroom. I barely got to see any of their set at Bumbershoot, so I’ve giving it a second go.

11:00: The Corin Tucker Band at Mississippi Studios. The last time I heard about the Corin Tucker Band was when Eddie Vedder showed up to the Showbox in Seattle and jammed on stage. Heck, who knows? It might happen again.

Thursday:

6:00: The Joy Formidable at the Wonder Ballroom. The last album garnered a huge radio hit with “Whirring,” and I’m waiting anxiously to see if it lives up to the hype live. It is a really catchy song, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself.

7:30: Brand New at the Wonder Ballroom. I’ve been waiting to see this band for so long, and I finally get my wish. It’s an odd venue for them, but I don’t care where I see them.

9:00: Brainstorm at the Doug Fir. One of the few bands I don’t know much about at this year’s festival, I’m intrigued by everything I read about them. From the Musicfest Northwest website: “Crushing riffs, explosive percussion, old world chanting, casio disco, and jaunty tuba lines make Brainstorm one of the most exhilarating and unique bands around.” Heck yes!

10:00: Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Hawthorne Theater. Again, another band I know absolutely nothing about, but I might as well broaden my horizons while I’m in my favourite city. From the Musicfest Northwest website: “like Captain Beefheart, Sly Stone and RZA jamming on a creepy, never released kid’s show.”

11:00: Twin Sister at Holocene. I saw this band open for the Morning Benders last fall and they blew me away. Sexy subtle indie pop will be a good way to spend my Thursday night.

12 AM: EITHER Damian Jurado at Bunk Bar OR Phantogram at the Doug Fir. I can’t decide. After seeing Phantogram this weekend at Bumbershoot I want to see more and more of them, but I also really want to see one of Seattle’s finest – Damian Jurado. Who knows. Whichever venue I’m closest to will probably be the deciding factor.

Friday:

5:00: Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I won’t be able to see this show, since I saw her, oh, two days ago, but I highly recommend her classic blues rock with a twang.

6:00: Marketa Irglova at Pioneer Courthouse Square. One half of the Swell Season, how could you not resist?

7:30: Iron and Wine at Pioneer Courthouse Square. If it was any later in the evening, I’d opt out of this one because Iron and Wine is so low-key, but this will be perfect for just around sunset. Purely beautiful.

8:00: Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives at Backspace. This band is amazing. After going through a rough beginning of the year, Drew Grow overcame a rather tragic bus accident to come back swinging. I’m pretty sure one of my next couple Fantastically Local features will be about Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives. Be sure of it.

9:00: EITHER The Globes at Backspace OR Pickwick at the Doug Fir OR the Music Tapes at the Someday Lounge. Again, I can’t decide. I love Julian Koster (i.e. the Music Tapes), and I love the Globes, and I have a newfound love for Pickwick. Seriously, you’re going to make me decide?

10:00: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at the Roseland Theater. I probably won’t be able to make it out to this one because of my busy schedule, but if you like hip-hop (hell and even if you don’t) at least consider checking out Macklemore. He filled the Key Arena to capacity last weekend. That’s saying something.

11:00: Dan Mangan at Mississippi Studios OR Blitzen Trapper at the Crystal Ballroom. In my circle, Dan Mangan is known as Vancouver’s most adorable, but he has all the songwriting chops and charisma to back up his charming smile. And Blitzen Trapper’s new album Destroyer of the Void is so effing fantastic. How am I supposed to decide?

12 AM: GIVERS at the Doug Fir. No matter what I’m not missing this band. I will stand out in line for an hour beforehand if that’s what it takes. After seeing their set at Sasquatch back in May, I can’t get enough of them. And since they’re finally headliners, I can’t wait to see what’s to come of their deep south psychedelic pop.

Saturday:

5:00: Typhoon at Pioneer Courthouse Square. This band built up of an almost unnecessary number of members can really rock out. My first experience with them was at Sasquatch, and I’m excited to see the Portland natives again.

6:00: The Antlers at Pioneer Courthouse Square. This band is amazingly underrated. With an unassuming facade, The Antlers was one of the best bands I’ve seen at the last two festivals I’ve been to.

7:30: Explosions in the Sky at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I’m still not entirely sure how instrumental post-rock is going to go down in the Pioneer Courthouse Square, but EITS albums are some of the most interesting I’ve heard in recent years.

Also, this would be a good point for some Voodoo Doughnuts.

9:00: Kelli Schaefer at Bunk Bar. Kelli Schaefer not only is one of Portland’s newest shining stars, her latest album is truly splendid. She recorded it with label mate (and fellow festival act) Drew Grow, so I’m sure you’ll be anything by disappointed.

10:00: Avi Buffalo at the Crystal Ballroom. Seeing the Long Beach indie-pop band Avi Buffalo is a long time coming for me, and I’m not about to give it up.

11:00: Jared Mees and the Grown Children at Rontoms. Here’s another one of those bands that saying their almost takes longer than it does to fall in love with their music (see Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives). Plus, playing to a hometown crowd will be even sweeter.

12 AM: The Moondoggies at Bunk Bar. The Moondoggies are another band that is completely unassuming at first glance, but once you hear them, you forgot everything you thought to begin with. Their last album Tidelands took the full and beautiful harmonies and added several dynamics for a more well-rounded sound.

Sunday:

4:00-9:00: Bobby Bare Jr, Morning Teleportation, Cass McCombs Band, Band of Horses at Pioneer Courthouse Square. If you’ve got tickets to this, it’s really your only option for the day, so live it up!

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Menomena – Mines

Somehow this album manages to reflect each member’s different approach to crafting a song, yet it completely melts together into this subconscious synergy the Portland trio has mastered over the last ten years. It still included all the multilayer mixing that made Friend and Foe so amazing, but Mines finally brought the electric guitar more into the songwriting rather than an afterthought. With the epic and haunting “Tithe,” hard and fast “TAOS” and heartbreaking “INTIL,” I cannot think of an album that satisfied me more this year.

• Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

Even though Gorilla Manor was released in the U.K. in November 2009, we didn’t get this masterful debut until February here in the U.S., but I didn’t hear it until May at the Sasquatch Festival. I had heard nothing of the band before passing by the huge field filled with people and stopping to listen to 3 songs. It was nearing the end of their set, and Taylor Rice took to the mic to dedicate “Who Knows Who Cares” to his girlfriend, and that beautiful song is what hooked me. Gorilla Manor was the only album I purchased at the festival, and it was the soundtrack to my summer, with not one song I wished to skip.

• We Are Scientists – Barbara

I will admit, when it comes to We Are Scientists, I’m biased. I’m not going to pretend that I’m not, but I honestly think that this album was far underrated by snobs like Pitchfork and utterly ignored by most others (at least in the U.S.) What Keith Murray and Chris Cain did with this album was strip away any limitations that a major label put on them, and with the help of Andy Burrows on drums, wrote a killer pop record. The hard-hitting bass on “I Don’t Bite,” the adorable synth line in “Jack and Ginger,” and the ballads that show that Keith can really hit those high notes, “Pittsburgh” and “Foreign Kicks” help round out my third favourite album of the year. And if you’ve got the chance, and you like Weezer, seek out the U.K. b-side “Pound For Pound.” It’s really good.

Best Show of 2010:

This was a very difficult one, mainly because being with PopWreckoning has multiplied the number of shows I annually attend by…at least tenfold. I could come up with so many reasons why the dozens of shows I saw in 2010 are amazing, but I’m going to sound a bit repetitive right now. Menomena at the Crystal Ballroom for Portland’s Musicfest Northwest was – hands down – the best show of 2010. In fact, that whole week was full of amazing bands. But what Menomena did in their hometown at perhaps my new favourite venue was phenomenal. Danny Seim is the most intense drummer I’ve ever seen, singing on key with so much power while bashing away at his kit. Justin Harris plays a freaking baritone saxophone with so much vigor that you forget it’s a woodwind instrument. And Brent Knopf provides the subtlety and loveliness of the band with his soft lilty vibrato and driving melodies on the piano. I was shoved into this room with hundreds of Portlanders thinking that I’d skip out after a few songs to see the Smashing Pumpkins at a different venue across town. In more ways than one – I was stuck there. Literally leaning against the stage at the Crystal Ballroom, you can feel both the movement in the floor and the vibration of the stage. So in a sense, not only was I hearing and seeing the music, but actually feeling it. It was awesome to hear them open with “The Strongest Man in the World” off I Am the Fun Blame Monster and play through not-quite-as-old songs like the the weird and rough “The Pelican” off Friend and Foe and brand new ones like the moving “Tithe.” Not only did I get to listen to these amazing songs I’d been only hearing on record, but I got to watch these talented artists in their home town. Menomena was so good. Like otherworldly good.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• I follow Eddie Argos on Twitter, and a couple of weeks ago he posted an update saying that Art Brut was working on their new record in a studio in Salem, OR. You know what that means? A new Art Brut album in 2011. I don’t know when and what it’s going to be called, but it could also mean another tour coming to Seattle? Hopefully, because the last time Art Brut came through Seattle it was a 21+ show before I was 21.
• If Noah Lennox would ever set a real date for his newest Panda Bear release instead of teasing us with 7″ releases here and there, I’d be more excited. But I am, nonetheless, super excited for his whole album, having heard most of it live at Musicfest Northwest.

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Taylor Swift. She really needs to get out of my life. I can’t escape Taylor Swift. Sure she’s cute and a better role model than Miley Cyrus. Sure she plays guitar and writes her own songs. But her songs are getting really old and repetitive, and the girl can’t sing live to save her life. I’d honestly rather listen to Justin Bieber.

Best Musical Memory of 2010:

• Travelling down the west coast with several friends to see We Are Scientists on tour this summer was the best time of my life. I called it the “WASTRAVAGANZA,” because I’m a nerd, and we needed something to call it. It started in Portland, where I finally got to meet the band. It was funny, because I’d interviewed Chris over the phone for a PopWreckoning interview, and when I told him that he said, “oh, you’re THAT Abby. Thank you for your personal and professional interest in our band,” then he gave me a hug. Two days later we went to the Seattle show where my friends brought Keith and Chris pastries for the post-show, and we got offered some cocaine by a homeless man on Capitol Hill at 2 a.m. But the absolute best part was a week and a half later when two friends and I drove 13 hours to San Francisco to meet up with four more friends who loved We Are Scientists just as much as we did. Plus, it was the only all-ages show on the west coast that my underage friend could attend, so we had to make the drive. For some reason in Portland and Seattle WAS had neglected to play “It’s A Hit,” which is my favorite song, so it made it that much sweeter when they played it in San Francisco. While at Slim’s, we also had a nice inebriated conversation with their opening act Aaron Pfenning a.k.a Rewards. I’d gotten a lot of the show on tape, so I told him I’d recorded a couple of his songs and it made him smile like a little boy. After buying some crepes from a vendor outside the venue, Keith and Chris invited us all to the bar they were going to called “Butter,” but we politely declined since not all of us could actually go in the bar. But we did stick around to finish our crepes and hang out before we had to go back to our respective hotels or homes. When they stepped out the door, they saw us on the other end of the block, pointed at us all and said, “you guys are CRAZY!” We did appear a bit crazy at that point, but it was worth it, because we got another round of hugs and my friends and I got to see our favorite band together finally.

Probably several people who just read that think I’m absolutely nuts, but I don’t really care.

As the weekend was nearing its close, I started the penultimate day of Musicfest Northwest – Saturday at Pioneer Courthouse Square with Laura Veirs and the Decemberists. Pioneer Courthouse Square was the only outdoor venue at all of the festival, right in the heart of Portland surrounded by high rise buildings. Even though I parked a good 5 blocks away, the music rang down the streets as I made my way to Pioneer.

People had already filled the midtown square as Laura Veirs took the stage with her low-key alt country folk tunes. Playing songs mostly off her new album July Flame, which went back to her folk roots after the less-than-overwhelming Saltbreakers, the soft harmonies were perfect for the sunny late afternoon we were having.

For the last song, Veirs called out “some friends” to come sing with her during “July Flame.” Those friends included several other Portland musicians, Colin Meloy of the Decemberists being one of them. As the song grew, the stage full of musicians sang out “can I call you mine, can I call you mine?” It was such a lovely display of local musician love, that it made me want to move to Portland right then and there.

But that evening wasn’t even close to over.

After a short break, The Decemberists stepped out as the sun was started to set on Portland. I must tell you that Colin Meloy is one of those characters that you feel so close with after seeing play live. No matter how large the audience, he brings everyone in this big musical lovefest. At one point he mentioned, “This is an attractive city. We’ve been to a lot of cities, and I must say that Portland is looking pretty good…relatively.”

But it got better.

After playing through some old favorites like “16 Military Wives” and “The Infanta,” we got the breezy “Summersong” as Meloy said we’re just coming out of the summer, so it made sense.

“So, after a song about summer, let’s talk about infanticide!” Meloy said.  Only at a Decemberists concert would you hear people cheering about killing infants. After the positively morbid “Rake’s Song,” the band started the riffs for “O Valencia” off The Crane Wife, and the entire crowd lit up in excitement and sang out along with the chorus a resonant “O Valencia!” However, right in the middle of the song, Meloy changed keys for just a minute and softly let out with a giggle, “Dracula’s daughter, Dracula’s daughter, Dracula’s daughter got it bad.” For people who got the reference, it was what Meloy referred to as “the worst song [he] ever wrote” on a live solo album he released several years ago. It got some laughs, but for those of us who did get the reference, it was almost like an inside joke that made us look crazy to the people who didn’t get the jokes.

Not only did the Decemberists play the songs we all know and love in their 90-minute set, but they did play a few new ones as well. That means a new album coming up, so that definitely made me excited.

As the sun was set, and the lovely glow of the Nordstrom’s sign shone upon us all, the Decemberists began their final song – “Sons & Daughters.”

“I know you all know what day it is, and I don’t need to hammer that home any more, but since you’re all here and we can do this, I want everyone to sing this. But not only sing it, but to walk away with it ringing in your head.” And on that evening of the 9^th anniversary of 9/11, Meloy instructed the audience to sing together in resounding unison “here all the bombs fade away.” That song – and their set – ended in such a moving way that I teared up a little bit, and I’m not ashamed to admit that.

Aww, I love The Decemberists.

At that point I’d contemplated trying to get to the Wonder Ballroom to see the Smashing Pumpkins, but thankfully a friend of mine had already tried and she let me know before I left that it was way too crowded for anyone to get in with even half an hour to spare until the show started at 10:15. So I took short break at Powell’s Books since it didn’t close until 11 p.m. before walking – literally right down the street from my car – to the Crystal Ballroom for Akron/Family and Menomena. How I managed to park closer to the Crystal than Pioneer Courthouse Square is beyond me, but it certainly made getting around for the rest of the night incredibly convenient.

I arrived to the Crystal mid-set for Akron/Family, and they were completely not what I expected. I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest, but they were so intense and energetic that I didn’t even need to know any of the songs to rock out and dance. With Afron/Family’s crazy mix of electronica and folk music, they really know how to get a room moving. The songs were long and epic and wildly mesmerizing. I regret not getting there earlier to see the whole set, because the 15 minutes I did see were really awesome. So you should see them if you get the chance to.

But I must say with how many fantastic performances I’d seen over the last four days, the greatest one was to come that evening, with Menomena. Up until then I hadn’t been right up against the stage at the Crystal Ballroom at all. That thing vibrates. Every time a heavy bassline kicked in, the water bottle below Brent Knopf’s keyboard visibly shook.

Having just released their third LP back in July, Mines, Menomena started off their mindblowing – and I’m not being facetious – show with “Tithe,” a thrilling track off the new album. I don’t know what planet the guys of Menomena are from, but they are definitely all on the same otherworldly brain wave, because the music and energy these guys put out is amazing. You have the stark and angry “The Pelican” and the soft and eerie “Evil Bee” off of Friend and Foe, and the heartbreaking “INTIL,” which features mostly Knopf on keyboard and crooning “I never thought I’d lie…sometimes I say too much” over and over again.

Not only are the songs so deeply impactful live, but the musicianship with Menomena is so random that you almost wonder how they came together in the first place. Justin Harris plays bass and baritone sax. In no other band will you get to hear baritone saxophone. And I thought when I heard Friend and Foe for the first time that they used a drum machine. Nope, Danny Seim is just that good.  One thing that I did notice about the new songs was the heavier hand that the guitar took. Menomena even brought in a new member as a lead guitarist to give Mines a rounder sound. And even though the sound has advanced, the band has kept the essence of Menomena, songs that sound completely cohesive and also unique to each member of the band – Knopf’s gentle voice, Harris’ powerful voice, and Seim’s deep and musky voice.

I was so thoroughly impressed that I haven’t really stopped listening to Mines since the show. I was even thinking about skipping out early to see Japandroids at the Doug Fir Lounge that night as well, but after a few of Menomena’s songs I realized I would definitely be staying for the whole thing.

It would have been as long as Friday night was, with six bands at four different venues. But what’s messed up is that I missed one of the bands that I wanted to see.

See? I’m crazy.

The night started again at the Wonder Ballroom with Male Bonding, the English noise pop trio, with their lo-fi, hook-heavy songs. They were an unexpected find for me, but they were quite fun, and a nice lead-in to Surfer Blood, with a similar vibe. One of the tracks off Male Bonding’s critically acclaimed Nothing Hurts was “Year’s Not Long,” which was a fun live track, with bassist Kevin Hendrick sidestep jiving on stage with his floppy bleach-blonde hair swaying to the beat.

From there, the baby-faced Surfer Blood took the stage for a rousing hour of their upbeat brand of surf-punk songs, including a good number of songs off their debut Astro Coast as well as some new, less familiar songs.

“Portland, where you can always get the best haircut,” front man John Paul Pitts exclaimed to the crowd as they jumped into “Fast Jabroni,” which I’m still unsure of it got its name. It was weird being at a show inside a building while it was still daylight outside, but Surfer Blood managed to get the energy up in the crowded room at 5:30 in the afternoon. My favorite track of their set was the catchy “Twin Peaks” with Pitts’ goofy grooving around the stage. Plus, it really made me want to go rent the whole series of DVD. But once Pitts announced, “this next one’s pretty big on college radio,” and started off the riff to the hugely successful “Swim,” the throngs of young people surrounding me responded appropriately and sang along loudly – “swim, to reach the end!”

I’ll admit that this was the third time I’d seen Surfer Blood that week. The first time was at a Bumbershoot after party in Seattle the weekend before, then actually at Bumbershoot the next day, and this was my favorite performance of the week.

I was completely aware of any sort of stage antics of what was to come with Black Lips coming up, and my expectations were met when I felt spit fall on my head. Bassist Jared Swilley had indeed let out an inaugural spit on the crowd through his golden grill. Yes, I just said grill. I’ll admit that I was expecting more in terms of on-stage antics, but the music spoke for itself, making for an uproarious room. A few people standing behind me actually mentioned how tame it was during Surfer Blood, and people better get crazy during Black Lips, “because this is a punk show!” People certainly did, thrashing around in the mosh pit while Black Lips played the heavy hitters like the “Bad Kids,” which people overwhelmingly requested.

At one point, Cole Alexander said something about wanting some alcohol at 8 p.m. Apparently they start early, but as soon as Alexander made the hypothetical request, some guy in the front row broke out a flask and offered it to the band. Naturally, they gladly accepted. And may I remind you – this was at around 8 p.m.

Shortly after, I managed to make my way to my second venue of the night – Mississippi Studios for a reasonably calmer show. It was Seattle’s own People Eating People – what’s come out of the demise of Nouela Johnston’s old band Mon Frere. I could describe People Eating People as dark, sassy piano pop, and it carried incredibly well in the musician-built Mississippi Studios. Sadly enough, there wasn’t nearly a large enough crowd for how talented Nouela is. And apparently they almost didn’t make it to Portland, as Johnston explained.

“There was a drill at McChord [Air Force Base]…I think it was McChord. It took us four hours to get here!” To clarify – there’s always traffic on I-5 around McChord and Fort Lewis Air Force Bases, not matter what time of day, but when there’s a drill it’s impossible to get through the corridor.

But the scarcely populated room still got to enjoy the undeniably catchy pop songs like the fiery “I Hate All My Friends,” the almost waltzy “On And On,” and my favorite, “Darling.” Not that many had the chance to enjoy People Eating People, which is understandable because Mississippi Studios was by far one of the most out-of-the-way venues on the list of the MFNW venues. But I strongly suggest you seek out their music, because it’s really good.

From there I had to rush to the Hawthorne Theater to catch Morning Teleportation. Well, I rushed to get to Fred Meyer so I could park in their parking lot when walk to the Hawthorne, but anyway. With the band being local, I should have expected it to be as how and crowded as it was, but I had to be pretty shifty with my maneuvering to front area of the stage. These guys’ wacko brand of psychedelic jam band is sometimes other-worldly like the frantic horns and hand claps-driven “Snow frog vs Motor Cobra,” which is a trip to listen to, but even more a trip to see live with a room of adoring local fans. There were at least six people on stage playing various instruments, which could have equaled some muddled cluster of sounds, but it worked in the sweaty Hawthorne Theater at 10 p.m. Isaac Brock recently produced their debut album on his Glacial Pace Recordings, and I really hope the label’s moniker doesn’t attest to the rate at which the album comes out.

I mean, Morning Teleportation employs a Theremin in their music. A THEREMIN. Who does that? Well Morning Teleportation does, as well as a talk box and a whole slew of brass instruments. And with Brock backing them, this band is going to do big things.

I was going to go to the Doug Fir for the Tallest Man on Earth at midnight next, but even getting there 45 minutes early, the line spread all through the parking lot. The Doug Fir is small. And the guy at the door was letting one person in at a time as one person left at a time because it was so packed. So I bagged the Tallest Man on Earth and went to venue into the Friday night downtown nightlife along Burnside for the Builders and the Butchers at Berbati’s Pan. Needless to say, finding parking on a Friday night was horrendous, but I eventually found some in time to get into the tiny bar/venue ten minutes before the band was scheduled to start at 1 a.m. Settling behind an obvious drunk man that brought his own tambourine, I enjoyed the Builders and the Butchers heavy energetic folk rock all the way until 2:30 a.m. This had been their fourth year n a row playing Musicfest Northwest, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

“If you all stick around with us until 2:30, we’ll make out with all of you!” Lead singer Ryan Sollee shouted to the audience, which was met with a resounding “woooo!”

Each member of this band has so many talents that you don’t realize when any one of them switches instruments. At one point Brandon Hafer and Ray Rude had both sat at a drum kit and tag teamed this awesome drum sequence during the epic “Golden and Green.” However, my favorite was during “Vampire Lake,” where Sollee cleverly preempted it.

“This next song is about vampires. And we realize that vampires have gotten really trendy lately, but these are more like True Blood vampires rather than Twilight vampires, if you get the reference.”

I got the reference.

And after that, myself and the large number of inebriated people filling Berbati’s Pan sang along to songs about Barcelona, the Devil, and of course vampires until 2:30 a.m.

Phew.

Thursday of Musicfest Northwest started at a different ballroom – the Wonder Ballroom. Thankfully it’s in a residential area of Portland, so pay parking lots be damned!

I had planned on just seeing Ra Ra Riot at the Wonder Ballroom, but I arrived early to catch a bit of Phantogram, with their formula of electronic drum machine beats and soft vocals. The duo of keyboardist Sarah Barthel and guitarist Josh Carter was quite good, playing through some darn catchy songs – including the sexy “When I’m Small” and infectious “Mouthful of Diamonds,” which was recently featured in a New York Lottery commercial (and I can’t help but think it’s been used somewhere else, because lord knows we don’t have commercials for the New York lotto over here).

Next up came Ra Ra Riot with their lovely upbeat baroque pop. I can’t say enough how much fun this band is – you have the guitar-driven hit “Ghost Under Rocks” off their first LP The Rhumb Line, all the way to the strings-heavy “Boy” off their new album The Orchard (both of which make you want to sing and dance adorably).

Seriously, everything about this band is adorable – and not in a bad way. Lead singer Wes Miles wispy pop vocals mixed with cello and violin, not to mention the overwhelming friendly synergy on stage. You can’t help but feel the love. A few select favorites from their set included “Too Dramatic” and “Foolish,” both of which Miles singing back and forth with cellist Alexandra Lawn, and “St Peter’s Day Festival.”

Their positive energy was surely contagious, as when they had finished their set, the crowd overwhelmingly started chanting for an encore. I can only guess what the people living in the neighborhood would have thought. After a couple of minutes, the troupe walked back out on stage, Miles now sporting a pair of glasses, and guitarist Milo Bonacci jumped right into the opening riff to “A Manner to Act” off their self-titled debut EP, a quick and almost punk track (except with the addition of strings, so you still know it’s obviously Ra Ra Riot).

I made my way out of the Wonder Ballroom, I went back to Burnside for day number two at the Crystal Ballroom for some punk rock – Ted Leo and The Pharmacists and The Thermals. After circling the block for a good ten minutes looking for parking, I eventually got to the Crystal, with the show already in progress. I wasn’t about to venture into the mosh pit right away, because a.) I needed to get some decent photos and b.) I’d be afraid my camera would get damaged while getting thrashed around by the excited fans.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists were a perfect way to get the energy up for the rest of the night. The band played all through their catalogue, from the last ten years, and it certainly made the crowd happy – which ranged from my age (21) to my parents’ age (50-ish). That’s when you know you’re in a cool city – when people can go to rock shows with their parents. One of the highlights was the almost folk-sounding “Sons of Cain” off their new LP The Brutalist Bricks.

If I thought people were excited for Ted Leo, then they went ape crazy for the Thermals. I mean, they’re local, so it makes sense.

Hutch Harris, Kathy Foster, and Westin Glass took the stage to a loving and enthusiastic crowd, coming off the release of their fifth LP, Personal Life, co-produced with Chris Walla.

“This is a bit of an album release party, so let’s get crazy!” Harris exclaimed.

And that’s exactly what we did. Kicking off the 20+ song set with “Here’s Your Future,” the band played through old favorites like “It’s Trivia” off More Parts Per Million and “Now We Can See” off their last album. Even though The Thermals obviously had some bigger hits with the locals, it was nice to see how receptive the crowd was with the new songs off Personal Life. It always bothers me when a band gets the cold shoulder if they play a bunch of new songs that people aren’t as familiar with, but I guess that’s just a sentiment to Portland’s overall unified nature.

Just after 11 p.m., the Thermals ended their main set with “A Pillar of Salt,” another high-octane song to get people ready for the positively glorious encore. A couple minutes past, and then one by one Foster, Glass and Harris took the stage once again, and started playing a familiar riff.

But it wasn’t familiar as a Thermals song.

No, it was Weezer’s “My Name Is Jonas.” Needless to say, the guy standing next to me went absolutely nuts.

Being the completely crazy person that I am, I took the 150-mile drive to Portland two days after Bumbershoot ended for the tenth annual Musicfest Northwest. I still hadn’t caught up with the 10 or so hours of missed sleep and I was yet to lose some more. But hey, I’m young. I can still do that sort of thing.

Why did I decide to drive down on Wednesday? Panda Bear was playing at the Crystal Ballroom that night. That’s why.

It had been just over a year since I saw Animal Collective live for the first time, and I was in need of some of their genius. Apparently a lot of other people felt the exact same way, because that place with its bouncy walking-on-a-cloud floor filled up fast.

With the Crystal Ballroom already smelling of cannabis and man sweat, Noah Lennox, a.k.a. Panda Bear took the stage at just after 10 p.m. With nothing but a Fender Stratocaster, his big table of electronic gadgets, and a screen projecting trippy visuals throughout his set, Panda Bear was mesmerizing. I say mesmerizing because he’s not what you could call “entertaining” in the usual sense of the word. Hundreds of people swayed in unison to his heavy psychedelic beats, causing the floor to almost vibrate from the collective movement.

Panda Bear played several new songs off his upcoming album Tomboy, which currently doesn’t have an actual release date, but he says “near the end of 2010.” Well it’s nearing the end of 2010, and we still don’t know when we’ll get to hear the whole record. That fact also made this gig even sweeter, because we did get to hear these new rhythmic journeys into Lennox’s mind, as well as some of the sample-heavy (but absolutely fantastic) Person Pitch.

It’s daunting to think about a follow-up to such a great album as Person Pitch, but Lennox took Tomboy as a chance for a departure from the sampling, and to focus more on heavy rhythm and guitar. And in a live situation, that certainly makes for a more interesting show, as Lennox’s performance was more organic than if he has been strictly pressing buttons the whole time.

Plus, the use of more traditional instrumentation paired with the sometimes psychotically captivating song crafting of Animal Collective helped differentiate Lennox’s solo stuff from the band.

Panda Bear started off the show with “Drone,” a song that literally shook the crowd into attention, as if we weren’t attentive enough already. The loud and often startling back and forth tones paired with Panda Bear’s – for the lack of a better term – droning voice flooded the room with sound and vibration. In the Crystal Ballroom, you don’t just hear the music; you actually feel it. From there he transitioned right into “Tomboy,” the first single off the upcoming album, which was further enriched from the recorded version to include Lennox’s random shrieks of  Lennox also had a beautiful drawn-out version of “Daily Routine” that built so much anticipation that I could see the people around me mouthing the words to the song even before he sang them. “Slow Motion” was one of the stand out new tracks, with its addicting bass line, one that you’d almost hear in a modern hip-hop song.

After the just-under-an-hour set Panda Bear quietly exited the stage, almost as if he was completely unaware of the awesome show he’d just put on. And the throngs of people slowly filed out of the doorway and down the two flights of stairs outside. That was by far the only way to start off another 5 nights of great music all throughout Portland.

This was going to be a long weekend.

We all love a good Columbia River backdrop or acres and acres of open field at our music festivals, but what makes MusicFest Northwest different than most festivals is that it takes places within the city – at all the Portland venues you know and love. It’s not just a celebration of music but also a celebration of Portland in general.

In just under two weeks’ time, Portland’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning alt-weekly newspaper Willamette Week will be hosting its 10th annual MusicFest Northwest, which has grown to be the third-largest indoor music festival in the country.

At no other festival else can you park for free in suburbia, take a light rail downtown, then pick up an orange Tang doughnut (yes, I said Tang), and walk a block down at 1 a.m. to catch The Builders and the Butchers at Berbati’s Pan.

Voodoo Doughnuts and Berbati’s Pan are very conveniently placed literally 125 away from each other. Just a tip.

Because of this indoor, inner city set-up, you won’t have to empty your bank account for festival food, or use smelly port-a-potties. But I’d never expect anything different coming from Portland, with the casual, low-key vibe that I love about it so much.

Here’s what I’m planning on doing, but trust me – with the MAX light rail running at full capacity over the 5-day festival, you’ll have the opportunity to see so much more, whether it be a 21+ show, or an all-ages (AA) show.

Wednesday, September 8^th:

Act: Panda Bear
Time: 10 p.m.
Location: Comcast and opbmusic stage at the Crystal Ballroom

Ever since seeing Animal Collective play live over a year ago, I’ve been holding out for another chance to see any of the guys in a live capacity. To coincide with the release of his highly awaited album Tomboy, Noah “Panda Bear” Lennox will be gracing Portland with his mesmerizing presence on the first night of the festival at the Crystal Ballroom (which has floors with a bit of bounce in them). AA

Thursday, September 9^th:

Act: Ra Ra Riot
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Nike Sportswear Stage at the Wonder Ballroom

In the past, Ra Ra Riot has opened for such amazing acts as Editors, Art Brut, and Tokyo Police Club, but now as part of their headlining tour for their new album The Orchard, Ra Ra Riot will be taking the stage at the Wonder Ballroom. I’m intrigued to see their unique brand of baroque pop live. Plus if you have time afterward, circle the block to get some pizza at Sparky’s or if you feel more adventurous, Ethiopian at Queen of Sheba.  AA

Act: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Time: 9 p.m.
Location: Comcast and KNRK Stage at the Crystal Ballroom

For something with a bit more attitude, you can head back over to the bouncy floors of the Crystal Ballroom for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. You’re sure to have a good time with these old school punks, and you’ll still have enough energy to go for the rest of the night afterwards. Heck, walk a few blocks down Burnside and you can still browse around Powell’s Books until 11 p.m. AA

Act: The Thermals
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Location: Comcast and KNRK Stage at the Crystal Ballroom
Local darlings The Thermals will have literally released their fifth album two days before when it comes time for their show at the Crystal Ballroom. They’ve been working with Chris Walla again on Personal Life, so I’m anxious to hear what these pioneers of Portland rock of the ‘00s have put together with Mr. Walla. AA

Act: Major Lazer
Time: 11 p.m.
Location: The Roseland Theater

For the most part, I probably won’t be heading to the Roseland too much just because there are so many great bands playing everyone, and it’s already hard to choose. But I’m going to make it a priority to see Major Lazer’s reggae/hip-hop hybrid. You’ll be sure that you won’t see any other act like them at the festival, and as far as I know, there won’t be another chance to see them in the northwest for a while. AA

Act: Justin Townes Earles
Times: 11:55 p.m.
Location: Jack Daniels and opbmusic stage at Berbati’s Pan

Four blocks away, you’ll find yourself back at Berbati’s Pan (and maybe after another round of Voodoo Doughnuts) for the considerably less hyphy Justin Townes Earle. It’ll be the nice way to end the night after burning all your energy at the last show. Maybe you could get a drink and relax to Earle’s mandolin-laden country folk. Earle’s blend of deep-south vintage country is so far from today’s mainstream country that you almost expect someone to be playing a water jug and a washboard.  21+

Friday, September 10^th:

Act: Surfer Blood
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Nike Sportswear Stage at the Wonder Ballroom

As the start of a ridiculously full two-month tour, Surfer Blood will get to bring their beachy indie rock to the Wonder Ballroom. A friend of mine put their song “Swim” on a mix tape for me earlier this year, and ever since I saw Pitchfork give the song spot number 37 on the lost of the 100 Best Songs of 2009, I’ve been wanting to see them play live. Now you have that chance too.  AA

Act: Black Lips
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Nike Sportswear Stage at the Wonder Ballroom

When going through the list of bands playing at this year’s festival, I immediately put Black Lips on my “list to see,” because of their extensive history, guitarist Cole Alexander’s work with Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, as well as what I’ve heard of their chaotic stage antics (including nudity, fireworks, band members kissing, and vomiting). AA

Act: Sara Jackson-Holman
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Ash St. Saloon

Mixing classically-influenced piano, soft and longing strings, and winsome vocals, Portland native Sara Jackson-Holman falls into the ever-growing “melancholy piano songstress” genre, but her smoky voice and strange bent harmonies make her worth seeing. Within a couple blocks of the saloon you could also hit up Esan Thai or Kells Irish Pub for dinner if you like. 21+

Act: People Eating People
Time: 9 p.m.
Location: Mississippi Studios

After the disbanding of her band Mon Frere in 2007, Seattle native Nouela Johnston decided to record some of her own stuff under the moniker People Eating People. Her powerful piano pop will be perfect for one of my favorite venues ever – Mississippi Studios, which was built for musicians, by musicians. It’s located in a residential neighborhood and you can literally park in front of someone’s house. The floor is small, but the wraparound balcony provides just as good a view. 21+

Act: Morning Teleportation
Time: 10 p.m.
Location: Hawthorne Theater

I saw Morning Teleportation in June, and they had the most inexplicably enjoyable set that it’s impossible to explain. Psychedelic, rootsy jam-band, electro-indie rock is one way I could describe it. If you’re still confused, I recommend that you make time to go see them at the Hawthorne Theater. Lead vocalist Tiger uses a Talk Box. That’s worth it enough just to see that. AA

Act: Okkervil River
Time: 11 p.m.
Location: Comcast and KNRK Stage at the Crystal Ballroom

I’m not sure whether or not Roky Erickson will be gracing the stage with Okkervil River in this instance, since they just released True Love Cast Out All Evil with Erickson, but either way, the critically acclaimed Austin band is surely not one to miss. AA

Act: The Tallest Man On Earth
Time: 11:55 p.m.
Location: Toyota Antics and KEXP stage at the Doug Fir

Performing at the most comfortable venue I’ve ever been to, The Tallest Man On Earth will be bringing his bluesy brand of acoustic folk to the Doug Fir. When I first heard Kristian Matsson’s music, I didn’t realize that he was Swedish for awhile, until I eventually got how clever Matsson’s moniker is (people of Scandinavia are predominantly over 6 feet tall). 21+

Saturday, September 11^th:

Act: The Builders and the Butchers
Time: 1 a.m. (yes I just said 1 a.m.)
Location: Jack Daniels and opbmusic stage at Berbati’s Pan

Seeing the instruments that the Builders and the Butchers play, you wouldn’t expect to essentially rock out at one of their shows, but they defy all stereotypes and bring massive amounts of energy to their acoustic guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Seeing that the Builders and the Butchers are from Portland, I’m expecting this particular show to be crazy awesome. Having seen then 2 short months ago, I can back up that claim. 21+

Act: Laura Veirs
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Levi’s Pioneer Stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Laura Veirs will be the first of a few shows that you should absolutely check out on the main stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The neo-folk songstress returned to her roots with July Flame this year, her 6^th studio album, putting out hauntingly beautiful songs full of odd instrumentation and Veirs understated vocals. AA

Act: The Decemberists
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Levi’s Pioneer Stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square

I’ll just be sticking around at Pioneer Courthouse Square for The Decemberists after Laura Veirs, because it will surely be one of the best shows of the weekend. Even when they aren’t playing for hometown crowd, The Decemberists are awesome live, but in this instance I can only imagine. The last time I saw them, it was on the Hazards of Love tour, so this time we’ll get to hear songs from all throughout their catalogue. AA

Act: The Globes
Time: 9 p.m.
Location: Backspace

Playing at one of best coffee houses in Portland, Seattle’s own The Globes will be bringing their experimential ambient indie rock to the tiny venue. I saw them play a show in Seattle back in November with Telekinesis and The Lonely Forest, and with how much they downplay the energy, The Globes put on a great show. Think My Bloody Valentine with harder riffs and a rainy-day ready wall of sound. AA

Act: The Head and the Heart
Time: 9 p.m.
Location: Jack Daniels and opbmusic stage at Berbati’s Pan

Bluesy folk with soft harmonies and bubbly beats permeate through Seattle’s own The Head and the Heart’s music, and it should be quite delightful to see them in Berbati’s Pan’s small room. Plus if you haven’t had dinner yet, you can get yourself some Greek cuisine while you’re there. 21+

Act: The Smashing Pumpkins
Time: 10:15 p.m.
Location: MusicFest Northwest and KUFO stage at The Wonder Ballroom

I honestly had no idea that the Smashing Pumpkins were playing until about five days ago, and I’m surprised that they’re playing The Wonder Ballroom, because it’s not that big. So if you want to get in at all, I suggest getting there relatively early, even if you have a wristband, because this will undoubtedly be one of the most attended shows of the festival. I can’t remember the last time they toured, so I’m pumped. AA

Act: Suckers
Time: 11 p.m.
Location: Jack Daniels and opbmusic stage at Berbati’s Pan

What’s funny is that right after playing up against each other at separate venues at MusicFest Northwest, Suckers will be going on a month-long national tour with Menomena. Employing Talking Heads-esque multi-layered vocals with the passion of former tourmates Local Natives, Suckers will definitely fill the small room with fervor. 21+

Act: Menomena
Time: 11 p.m.
Location: Comcast and KNRK Stage at the Crystal Ballroom

I have to be honest, I haven’t listened to Menomena’s new record yet, but Friend And Foe was one of my favorite records of 2007, and it’ll be interesting to see how the band’s eerie experimental indie rock will play out to their hometown crowd. Also, the band members always shuffle around who sings and who plays certain instruments, so that always makes for a more intriguing show. AA

Act: Champagne Champagne
Time: 11 p.m.
Location: Jimmy Mak’s

Seattle hip-hop favorites Champagne Champagne mixes traditional hip-hop with peppier electro-pop, and I love it. Again, I’ll reiterate my normal dislike for hip-hop, but when locals sing and rap about Molly Ringwald, I’m sold. But again, I’ll have a hard time deciding which show to hit up at 11 p.m. 21+

Act: The Dodos
Time: 11:55 p.m.
Location: Jack Daniels and opbmusic stage at Berbati’s Pan

Even though The Dodos are probably best known for having two of their songs in two separate television commercials, their albums are rich with offbeat instrumentation like toy piano and pulsating drums. And you can’t deny that if a band has their songs on television, the songs are undeniably catchy. 21+

Act: Japandroids
Time: 11:55 p.m.
Location: Toyota Antics and KEXP stage at the Doug Fir

Having two guys on stage, you wouldn’t expect them to create the sound that Japandroids manage, but the raw and fuzzy guitars will be a great way to end out the penultimate night of the festival. And while you’re there, definitely check out the restaurant upstairs. Also there’s free parking around the corner, so that’s another plus. 21+

Sunday, September 12^th:

Act: The Walkmen
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Levi’s Pioneer Stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square

It seems like it’s been way longer than 2 years since The Walkmen put out new music, but this performance will be two days before their new album Lisbon is released, so I’m happy. One of only a select few shows on the last day of the festival, The Walkmen’s drowsy surf rock should carry well through the outdoor amphitheater. AA

Act: The National
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Levi’s Pioneer Stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square

After having seen The National play at the Columbia River Gorge back in May, I was anxious to see them again. Although I think The National is one of those bands that you may or may not like live. Lead singer Matt Berninger has an oddly intense stage presence, but the energy might turn some people off. If you haven’t seen them play live though, I strongly recommend giving them a shot, because they sound fantastic live. AA

However long this preview is, it’s still just a taste of what’s coming to the tenth annual MusicFest Northwest. I mean, I’m going to try to see all these bands, but who knows how full the venues will get or how quick the public transportation will run that weekend? To see the full lineup or purchase tickets, go to http://www.musicfestnw.com. General admission wristbands are still available for purchase that will guarantee entry to all club shows and all shows at Pioneer Square (however you must choose to see either The Decemberists or The National with this ticket). All show wristbands are also still available, which guarantees you entry to all shows, no exceptions. If you don’t wish to purchase a wristband, you can buy tickets at the individual venues the night of the show.