Sasquatch! Festival 2013: A recap

I’ve been wanting to go to the Sasquatch! Music Festival for as long as I’ve liked “good” music. It’s one of those events that I grew up hearing such amazing things about, but had never been able to experience myself—until this year! Only about a four-and-a-half hour drive from Vancouver, the Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA—where the fest takes place—is the perfect backdrop for a weekend of music. The view at the main stage is absolutely INSANE, showing off glorious mountains and the Columbia River, and the surrounding campgrounds make for an intensely fun trip.

This year’s festival took place from May 24 to 27 and was a total blast. I’m not the biggest fan of typical reviews, so instead, here are some of my favourite moments from the weekend. (Plus, check out some photos of the scenery and well dressed people!)

• We stopped at Wal-Mart on the way to stock up on food and things, and that was fun because they really do have everything there.
• We pitched our tent in the dark, and as a result it looked pretty strange and almost blew in on the last day. lulz camping!
• I wasn’t the biggest Macklemore and Ryan Lewis fan before Sasquatch, because I’d only really heard their gimmicky (SORRY) singles. But after a long drive (that darn bridge collapse!), we got to the Gorge just in time for their set—after cruising by Vampire Weekend as they played “A-Punk”—and it was surprisingly good. Macklemore, a Seattle native, was so stoked to be playing on a stage he grew up visiting, and the show had a seriously high entertainment value with lots of special guests and props (yes, he biked out in that large fuzzy coat for “Thrift Shop”). Oh, and Ryan Lewis is a very handsome human.
• A few cars down from us at our campsite was this awesome father and his kids. Not only was he super friendly and knowledgable about music, but he was also super prepared: He hung a flag of Cascadia from their tent spot, complete with flashing blue light, so that his kids would always be able to find their way back in the dark. We used it, too, and it actually helped a lot. Thanks, Dad!
• The xx opened with “Try,” my favourite song off of their new album. We watched their stunning set as the sun went down. Amazing.
• Some guy came up to my friends and I and asked if he could get to know us better. We laughed in his face, partly because lol and partly because he was really good looking and we were all a bit smitten.
• We sat shivering and cuddling on a hill to watch Sigur Ros, and it was totally worth braving the wind. There was a full orchestra on stage, making the sound full and expressive. They had amazing lights, too.
• When Sigur Ros finished we had a cuddle huddle while we waited for the rest of the crew. A CUDDLE HUDDLE!
• Earl Sweatshirt wore a sweatshirt. And he was selling sweatshirts with his face on them. He also started things off by yelling, “WHAT’S UP COACHELLAAAAAAAAAAA!” ……
• I met a lively British fella named Phil. He reaaaaaaaaally wanted a mention. Here you go, pal.
• When Mumford and Sons played “Awake My Soul,” a girl sitting behind us on the hill started harmonizing with the band. She was quiet enough that only the people directly around her could hear, but I’m glad I was one of them. Her voice was beautiful, and it was a really sincere moment.
• We discovered delicious fish tacos at a little food truck inside the venue. They got so popular that on the last day they ran out of tortillas. ¡Dios mío!
• The Tallest Man On Earth was adorable; at one point he messed up his lyrics and then apologized for it when the song was over, saying he was overwhelmed by the size of the crowd. What a QT.
• Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros brought out Marcus Mumford for a song, and then Mumford and Sons returned the gesture by bringing out Edward Sharpe for their final song (which was a great cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”). So basically, Edward Sharpe is now a Son and Marcus Mumford is now a Magnetic Zero. And together I shall call them Edward Mumford and the Magnetic Sons.
• Grimes looked amazing in all black, but sadly she was having some mic problems or something, so it was really hard to hear her. Still, love you forever, girl.
• After two amazingly sunny days, Monday was filled with rain—but that didn’t stop crowds coming out in large numbers to see the final day of musicians. I stood alone in the downpour, in an oversized plastic poncho, watching Dirty Projectors. It was such a good show and reminded me why I love them so much.
• Odesza, Toro Y Moi, Shad, and alt-J all played really impressive sets. Alt-J ended with “Taro,” which had the packed crowd dancing with their hands in the air. The rain had just recently stopped but it was still overcast, so the whole thing was kind of whimsical.
• We made friendship bracelets at the Gap tent. They were also taking people’s pairs of jeans and making them into jean shorts!!!!!!
• I had really good song luck, stopping at Empire of The Sun just in time for “We Are The People,” walking by Rusko’s set as he played “Woo Boost,” and heading to Steve Aoki right as “Warp 1.9” was getting going. I also caught Imagine Dragons in time for “Radioactive,” which was cool to see because they had a huge gong on stage that had the lead singer going wild. Plus I heard Dropkick Murphys sing “Shipping Up to Boston,” which was fun because I can basically recite the entire script of The Departed.
• When Imagine Dragons were on, it had stopped raining for a bit, but everyone was still in their rain gear in case it started again. All of a sudden, during one of their songs, hordes of people started sliding down the wet, grassy hill in their ponchos. It was hilarious and looked so fun.
• Shout-outs go to Atlas Geinus, Andrew Bird, Bloc Party, Holy Ghost!, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Twin Shadow, and Azari & III for putting on solid shows. Keep on being you.
• The Postal Service reunion was so, so great. Ben Gibbard said they were “back from the dead.” And that’s all I need to say about that.
• The only major downside was that Azealia Banks cancelled. I was really looking forward to her show because she’s kewl.
• If you ever get the opportunity to attend Sasquatch!, I reaaaally suggest taking it. Is it next year yet?