Ed. Note: It's Memorial Day weekend. It's Sasquatch. It's good times. And Red Williamson is there. The Weekly Volcano sent Olympian Red Williamson of newspinphoto.com to Sasquatch! Festival 2013. As you can see below, it was a wise choice on our part. Once again, his photos are awesome. Williamson brought his wife, Rachel, and friend, Matt Guile, along. Rachel files the report below on Day Two action from The Gorge.
We rolled out of our tents and into Day Two of the Sasquatch! Festival. After gaining our bearings, we made out way toward the media tent. Weaving our way through humanity it became apparent people were letting their guards down around camp - everyone seemed a little dirtier, more hungover and more comfortable embracing this raw, real gathering at The Gorge. It is truly special to watch humans sharing a collective experience, in a place where you are free to be who you want to be, express yourself however you choose and immerse yourself in the glorious music around you.
>>> Headress Girl, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>>> Lights in Chupacabra DJ Tent, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>>> Safety Man 2.0, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
Bear Mountain kicked off our Saturday performances with a captivating set that flipped on the joy switch and drew in the crowd. Their chilling vocals and electronic dance music was both powerful and vulnerable. The momentum didn't fade on the Honda Bigfoot stage, with Robert DeLong up next, who used a keyboard, full drum set, a laptop, game controllers and other odds and ends to expertly modify electronic dance beats with rock 'n' roll. DeLong's self-assured, emotive performance nicely complimented the uniqueness of his sound. The Yeti stage was also rocking Saturday afternoon, with Rose Windows' folk-infused rock and power harmonies, followed by Suuns whose strategic surge of rock 'n' roll beats made for a killer set.
>>> Bear Mountain, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>>> Robert Delong, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>>> Rose Windows, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>>> Porcelain Raft, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
Around 3:30, Team Newspin took the opportunity to interview a lineup of talented Sasquatch performers, including Shelton Harris, ODESZA, Robert DeLong, Caveman and Bear Mountain. Each artist seemed to agree that they were having the time of their lives at The Gorge. It was nice for us to take a little break from the live shows to hang with these cool musicians and hear about their experiences. Check back soon to find our interviews with performers from Sasquatch 2013.
Some other performance highlights from our day came from hip-hop artist Ra Scion, the rich harmonies of Akron/Family, Holy Ghost!'s high-energy, crowd-pleasing show, the ambient soundscape of Porcelain Raft, Divine Fits' five-star indie rock and the gritty, grunge rock of Tame Impala. Surfer Blood made a great impression on us with the way they serenaded the crowd with indie pop summer songs.
>>> Surfer Blood, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>> Surfer Blood crowd, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>> xx crowd, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>> xx fan, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
>> Empire of the Sun, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
Saturday night's headliners also did not disappoint. The xx gave a performance that reflected the restraint and intense build of their music; the deep bass shook the hearts of the crowd and left us feeling magical. Sigur Rós' dreamy, ethereal sound was highlighted by a brilliant light show that washed over the audience. Finally, Empire of the Sun ended the night and blew us away with an over-the-top, extravagant production.
>>> Spaceman, photo credit: Red Williamson/Newspin Photo
Two days down, and two more days left to go at The Gorge. Stay tuned for more photos and stories from our fun-tastic weekend.
LINK: Many more photos from Sasquatch! Festival 2013, Day Two
LINK: Words and photos from Sasquatch! Festival 2013 Day One