Below are images from a few of my favorite performances at the 2012 Sasquatch! music festival including Little Dragon, St. Vincent, Pretty Lights, The Walkmen, The Joy Formidable and Shabazz Palaces, but first I wanted to share a few notes that popped into my mind as I looked back on the festival:
THE GOOD:
- A killer lineup ranging from upcoming local indie rock and international headlining acts to full-on rave dance parties and world-class comedians
- Location! Location! Location! That Columbia Gorge is probably THE most spectacular backdrop of any music festival of this size anywhere.
THE BAD:
- THE GARBAGE!! Oh my god, who thought that free individually wrapped beef jerky & Vitamin Water samples in a venue that charges crazy prices for food & drink was a good idea? The overwhelming majority of the ridiculous amount of garbage on the grounds was from those two sources!
THE “SECRET” BONUSES:
- CAVE B WINERY! Walk out the front gates, take a sharp right & go through the (almost hidden) fence gate. Welcome to Cave B Winery. $7 tasting of 10 wines, four of which are outstanding. Gorgeous grounds. A REAL RESTAURANT with real food and a real bar for the same prices as the slop served at the venue.
- Miles of hidden hiking & biking trails. Go to Cave B and grab a map of the trails & get away from the crowds & into the Gorge itself. It’s breathtakingly beautiful down there, but this is NOT for the faint of heart. Those trails are loose gravel and brutally steep and believe those posted warnings – there really are LOTS of rattlesnakes down there.
