Days 2 and 3 of Sasquatch! Music Festival – they’re two different beasts, but as the Festival begins to taper off, they definitely show their individual colors. By Sunday (Day 3), most are feeling the fatigue of doing three days nonstop- from Thursday’s camping adventures to the music of Friday and Saturday. So, thankfully Sunday’s early scheduling was a bit soft, making it able to ease into the day.
First up was The Tallest Man On Earth on the Main Stage – a somewhat bizarre choice for his intimate folk music that has such an intense focus on lyrics and phrasing. Obviously, his Bob Dylan mimicking draws a little wariness, but when you peel that away you find an artist who is so raw, so fully present in his work and words and who is opening himself to a multitude of others in the hope of creating connection, and it’s this sort of folk tradition that characterized early Sasquatch! iterations and connects so intimately with audiences. His songs just build and build and reach out to those willing to listen, and honestly was one of the most transcendent moments of the weekend.
Radical Face was perfectly serviceable, but nothing about their set really stuck out. Instead it was pretty middle-of-the-road indie rock that neither grabbed nor pushed the envelope, and so was a fine mid-afternoon filler set. However, both Shout Out Louds and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros brought intensity and variety to their respective stages, with the former delivering a set of rock evoking the Smashing Pumpkins and slightly caustic emo of the 90s, and Edward Sharpe providing a group of songs squarely between Americana and rock, but both really commanding their stages and giving a nice late afternoon groove.
One of the real surprises of the weekend was Shovels & Rope, a husband and wife duo who hail from Charleston, SC. Seemingly fish out of water (even though Sasquatch! has a nicely rounded group of performers, country definitely suffers), they played for an hour and throughout their entire set absolutely electrified the Yeti Stage. Their set time is usually reserved for filler acts, but they gave such an impassioned performance that the crowd kept growing until the end, where the audience stretched way far back. Lead singer Cary Ann Hearst’s straight-up attitude and affection for the audience was genuine and honest, stripping away any pretense and pretension that might arise from a band that has had such a meteoric rise recently. They gave one of the most authentic and warm sets of the weekend, and truly had the audience in their hand the entire time.
Elvis Costello and the Imposters were one of those throw-back choices for the main stage that most American festivals aim for each year (see Hall & Oates, John Fogerty, etc), but Costello and his small band brought a delightfully straight-forward energy to their set that it was hard not to like them. Sure, some songs really blended together and it felt at points like Costello was trying to keep up with the pace of the show, but when they hit they hit hard, and definitely was a nice counterpoint to the night.
Grimes may have been the real winner for Sunday’s programming, which is surprising given her erratic performance history. Sometimes watching her is incredible- taking a look into the momentary genius of a technology wizard with a strong sense of melody, and then other times she loses that spark completely- falling flat on stage and lacking the poise to bring the audience back in. But, last night she commanded the Bigfoot stage with such intensity and verve that it was difficult not to watch her every move. It was the biggest production she’s ever seen on stage, with a full light show and two back-up dancers, and it’s clear that by shrinking down her on-stage setup to two main stations that she’s able to get out from behind the machines more and interact with the audience. Often Grimes is plagued with off-key singing and idiosyncrasies that get in the way of a good performance, but last night was a masterclass in her ability to engage a crowd, show her magnificence as a musician and demonstrate how far she’s come as a performer. Watching a set like this at a festival is rare, and makes for the best type of night-ending concert. She joins the pantheon now of Robyn and St. Vincent who did similarly affecting shows in the past few years, and now thousands walk away with a fascination for the constantly shifting enigma that is and remains Grimes.
