Spareparts Does Sasquatch 2012 – Day One
As originally published on TheRooster.ca
There is one thing more striking than the rest of Sasquatch and that’s the view of the beautiful scenery behind the festival’s main stage. It’s absolutely breathtaking, and quickly pushes away all the stress and nervous anticipation that you experienced leading up to your first full view of the Gorge amphitheater in Washington state. A few first day logistical issues aside, day one of four was a high-energy, spirited success.
OF MONSTERS AND MEN
This was one of my most highly anticipated shows of the festival. This band was ideal for an early slot on the first day – they’re relatively new to North America and still figuring themselves out a bit on stage. But their indie pop melodies remind me of Mumford & Sons but with less of a feeling of the grey British rain. I worked my way down into the standing area of the main stage while the band sang, “lalalala,” bubbles floated through the crowd and two Fraggles ran in front of me, hand in hand. “Little Talks” was a highlight, but the band kept everyone entertained throughout.
SANTIGOLD
Not a huuuuge Santigold fan but the show was fun and had everyone dancing. This performance allowed me a good opportunity to sit on the hill of the amphitheater and take in the view. I also realized how good everything sounds and that sometimes what you really need is to rest your feet instead of pushing your way through a tight crowd up front.
GIRL TALK
Another fun set, with a bunch of people dancing on stage. It was entertaining but forgettable, the fireworks at the start of the show were maybe trying to compensate for a lack of an overly exciting show. Still, you can’t complain too much if you’re singing and dancing as you leave halfway through to catch another act.
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
If you’re not into this band you need to get into them – now. I had a note in my phone that read “new goal: convert gf to an Explosions fan” and I hope ghat says something about just how much their music gets to me. I know I did some intense soul searching during their powerful and emotionally charged instrumental performance. They deserved a warmer setting for their show, but they gave it their shivering all.
PRETTY LIGHTS
If you like to dance, rave, wave your arms around like you just don’t care, etc, then this was your time to shine in the Gorge Friday night. It wasn’t much more than a big dance party, but the tunes were original and entertaining enough to satisfy pretty much everyone in attendance. I sat on the hill and did some hardcore seat-dancing, but had I been closer (and warmer) I likely would’ve popped off like a damn fool.
I am pretty happy with how day one went, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some clearer skies tonight – the thought of seeing Jack White perform underneath the stars makes me giddy with anticipation. If you’re at Sasquatch and reading this, or if you’re thinking of going next year, I’ve got some tips for you (I’ve learned these lessons the hard way);
-Bring a backpack with a jacket it in. It gets chilly out at night and you’ll appreciate any available warmth you can get your hands on.
-Go to the event info session inside the grounds and take a picture of the large schedule banners. There aren’t any handouts (at least none that I’ve seen) so you’ll want to make sure you have a copy of the day’s proceedings handy.
-Don’t complain about the lack of any physical schedules. The festival is kept as green as possible so embrace it and move forward. And also you’ll get mouthed off by random hippies if they hear you say anything negative about it…
-Keep an open eye for the actual Sasquatch roaming the area – I always knew he was out there!
-Maybe take some time to focus on the beauty of the venue before partying too hard. Don’t give the $11 king cans too much support at the concessions either.
-Buyer beware: some of the merch is for past years of the festival.
-Find a shower or some way to clean yourself; we’ve come a long way in the hygiene department since the first Woodstock days so let’s remind everyone around us of that fact.
