Sasquatch Music Festival---The factor of the Unknown

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver...backstage after the show...best pic of the festival!

Well folks this was the music event of all music events. My dear friend Mike flew in from Milwaukee to come to the festival on Saturday. He and Peterson went to it this past year and informed me of the venue's beauty and the sound that resonates throughout the amphitheatre.

We arrived on a beautiful sunny day in Quincy, about 3 hours from Seattle, and after talking with 5 or so people about where to park they finally put us in the wrong lot. It was the premier camping lot and since we already had VIP tickets to the show it was fitting that we got spoiled to the full effect. After a couple of v-ka redbulls we strutted into the venue with great spirits and a proud WI attitude to have made it this far across the country to see some damn good music.

I was so eager to see what the venue looked like with the Columbia River in the background that I could hardly hold in my anxiousness. We did our best to catch Keyes sleeper pick called Passion Pit but we ended up not catching their show. So we did the next best thing and went to their meet and greet and chatted it up with them for a few minutes and got Keyes a pic with the band. Turns out one of their members Ian has a sister in my same Americorps program, so the world gets smaller everyday.

Next up was VIP seats, PB & J's, and Animal Collective. Animal Collective was supposed to be the show stealer and they did a great job. They are more of an electronica type of music with a really good "outdoor" sound. They played well and was a nice way to get the festival started. Devotchka was up next and for anyone who has seen Little Miss Sunshine they are the band with the majority of that soundtrack. They have a great smooth-feeling Mexican sound to them and whenever an accordion is part of your band you've got something special.

The next three were the showstoppers. The ones where every cent that was spent on your tickets was worth the money, the reason you come across the country to see music, and the shows that you will never forget. First up, The Decemberists. They played their new album basically all the way through and the whole album is a story so it flows well live and in between each song someone carries the melody while the others get to their new instrument. The lead singer carries incredible energy and the two women vocalists have different but fantastic stages presence and not to mention range in their voices. Keyes and I got down to floor level for this show and besides an A-hole that was bumping into Keyes everything was ideal and got a treat that was soon to crescendo into an unforgettable next two shows. Oh there was also two people making sweet sweet love on the top of the hill that got the whole amphitheatre cheering and clapping until the authorities escorted them off...naked.

Bon Iver. In French I believe it means good journey or something like that. Who cares, he is from UW-Eau Claire and he has blown up these past two years and is now an international superstar with WI modesty. These Canadian women informed me how adored he was north of the border and how his indie music is second to none. I only had his one album and I recognized almost all of his songs. His band has such a touching sound and his voice was mesmerizing all 20,000+ people crammed to see him. Keyes and I were about row 7 just to the left and that made the show even more touching. After a "BlueGolds" shout-out he said this next song is for everyone from WI. So Keyes, myself, and maybe 4 other people got our kicks for representing Wisco! Man was that awesome. After the show we casually, not even caring, just walked behind the stage and went in search of the lead man. Found him! Told him we were from WI, he loved it of course, told him that Canadian women love him and he told us that wasn't a good thing, ahaha! So we got one of the sweetest pics ever with him that portrays exuberant joy from all of us.

So we rode the high of meeting him all the way into Kings of Leon, the headliner. After we sprinted/danced our way through the masses to get to our VIP section we arrived to be blown away by the un-matched talent and sound put off by the Kings. We "Danced all night, Danced all night, I sayyyyy!!" Incredible show and the other girl in our section loved them more than us so our VIP area won "best energy" at the show (self-created award). We danced and sang the entire show and these guys have to be one of the best bands in the world right now!

Of course music touches each person in a different way but to be there with my great friend Keyes was a blessing and it was a festival that is incomparable to anything else. I'm now in Trout Lake, WA, which is the whole reason for my travels, to begin my five-month Americorps service that begins in about an hour. I can't wait and I hope I am able to stay in touch with all of you throughout my experience.

Much love,
luke davis

Kings of Leon

The Decemberists

Devotchka

Animal Collective