It has been dubbed the best festival for Canadians not in Canada – so I’m making it my goal to verify these rumors. Sasquatch! is a four-day shin-dig held at the Gorge Amphitheatre near Quincy, Washington. The scenery itself is stunning and a major draw for festival goers. The main stage is nestled in a natural amphitheatre that sits just above the Columbia River.
This years lineup has something for everyone. Rock god Jack White is one of the headliners, along with Beck, The Roots, Bon Iver, and Pretty Lights.
Here are some photos from the first day.
We got to the festival a day before it started just to get settled. We snagged a great view of the Gorge from our camping spot.
There were some nasty looking clouds but they didn’t open up on us. It is a lot like Saskatchewan weather here – hot and sunny during the day, lots of wind, and chilly at night.
There were a fair share of lineups for everyone endure the first day. They have a strange way of exchanging tickets – instead of trading your ticket for a wristband when you arrive, you had to wait till the ticket exchanges open. This resulted in a four hour wait in line.
First glimpse of the stage made it worth it. This was for Of Monsters and Men from Friday evening.
I spotted this guy along my travels….
Hands down, show of the night goes to Explosions in the Sky. You know it is a mind-blowing show when everyone just stands around the stage in disbelief after the last song ends. They played their ambient build-up rock to the captivated crowd. Luckily for the crowd, Girl Talk was playing on the main stage at the same time, so it was a small intimate performance for those who caught it. The Texas boys are masters of their craft, melting from one song to the next. Unfortunately after seeing them live, their record will never be as good.
Explosions in the Sky
Closing off the night was Pretty Lights. True to their name, the visual show was spectaular. I heard one guy say “I think I am being abducted by aliens”. This show was a testament to the quality of the venue. With not a bad seat in the house, the entire place was on their feet.
Stay tuned for more from the updates and photos from day two.
// Photos by Kim Jay
