sasquatch music festival
saturday, may 29, 2004 • the gorge amphitheater, george wa • review by janice • illustrations and photos by mike
click on the drawings for a bigger version


review: Because we're loyal KEXP 90.3 FM supporters, and because we're so insanely lucky, the radio station gave us free tickets to this all-day music festival and special V.I.P. status! Whoo-hoo!!! See? Support commercial-free radio!!! ;)

First off, The Gorge is about a two-hour drive out into Eastern Washington, taking us on a picture-esque trek across our new state.

  

  

Well, it's a good thing the scenery was so lovely to look at, 'cause someone crazily decided that Memorial Day weekend would be the perfect time to do road construction on this two-lane highway, creating traffic that lasted for miles and miles! Ugh!!! We cringed as minutes ticked into hours, knowing that The Fruit Bats were playing right now, and that we were missing the exclusive A.C. Newman (he of The New Pornographers) live studio session.

But then the traffic began to move, and we crossed the bridge, careened around the mountain, sped down a country road past a winery, and then finally arrived at The Gorge. This place is just so so pretty! It's an amphitheater, and behind the stage, a rather large river runs. You can see it on their website. We'd love to show you pictures of our own, but those darned security guards told us to take the camera back to the car and leave it there!!! :O They wouldn't even let me take my knitting needles in! I can take them on an airplane, but not a day-long festival? But what am I supposed to do when Sleater-Kinney are playing?!?!!? (Sorry. Not a fan.)

ben lee: We finally got past security and made a beeline for the second stage where Austrailia's Ben Lee was playing. Sadly, we probably missed more than half his set, but we settled down on the grass for the few songs we could.

Ben still looks like a kid. He was wearing these horrible trendy-ass jeans that his ex-girlfriend Claire Danes probably bought for him. He was sitting on what looked like an overturned metal garbage gan, wearing a long red shawl that kept whipping around in the wind, and swinging his dangling feet as he played acoustic guitar. Yes, it was weird.

But he seemed like he was really having a good time, which was charming. He told the audience about how much he loved The Long Winters and then to prove it, covered one of their songs. (I'm embarassed to admit, I can't remember which one...) He also told us about how he was just in L.A., and they were playing the latest Modest Mouse in all the clubs, and then he proceeded to play an acoustic version of "Float On".

Of his own songs, he played "Pop Queen", one I didn't recognize, and one titled "That's the Way I Like It", that he says will be on his upcoming new CD. He did have two friends with him who he called up on stage to play bass and drums on one song...maybe they played more earlier in the set?

And then he was done! We had a few moments to lay back in the grass and soak up some sunshine, and then the garbage can was cleared from the stage...and the rest of his band, too. [*rimshot!*] Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all night!