Sasquatch! Music Festival

Last updated

Sasquatch! Music Festival
Sasquatch! Music Festival 2005.jpeg
Sasquatch! Music Festival 2005
Genre Indie rock, experimental rock, singer-songwriter, electronica, alternative rock, underground hip-hop
DatesMemorial Day weekend
Location(s) The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, Washington, U.S.
Years active2002–2018
FoundersAdam Zacks
Website sasquatchfestival.com

Sasquatch! Music Festival was an annual music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, United States. It took place on Memorial Day weekend, running for three to four days.

Contents

In 2018, it was announced that the festival was canceled indefinitely and would not return in 2019. [1]

About the festival

2008 Logo Sasquatch 2008.jpg
2008 Logo

Sasquatch! typically featured a range of musical genres, with the emphasis being on indie rock bands and singer-songwriters, but also including alternative rock, hip hop, EDM, and comedy acts. As of 2012 the festival featured five stages: Sasquatch! Main Stage, Bigfoot Stage, Banana Shack (a tent that featured primarily comedy acts and electronic music- now known as El Chupacabra), Yeti Stage, and Uranus Stage (the smallest of stages, that generally changed names every year, but was not present from 2017 onward).

Most attendees of the festival camped in designated campsite fields nearby, as the venue is relatively remote and there are no large urban areas nearby.

Sasquatch! was voted as one of the "Top 10 Summer Music Festivals in the US" by ConcertBoom. [2]

History

The Sasquatch! Music Festival was founded in 2002 by Pacific Northwest-based concert promoter Adam Zacks, then at House of Blues. Prior to the inception of the festival, Zacks booked and managed shows at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. After moving to Seattle to be closer to friends and family, Zacks began considering the creation of a music festival in the Pacific Northwest. In an interview with Seattle Weekly in September 2007, Zacks described the birth of Sasquatch!: [3]

Sasquatch was an idea born on a hunch that there was untapped demand for a certain kind of festival that catered to the eclectic tastes of music enthusiasts. It started in 2002, which was shortly after a number of the touring festivals (Lollapalooza, Lilith, Horde) had petered out and the beginning of the wave of regional festivals that started with Coachella and now is a dominant force on the music landscape, with Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, etc.

In 2014, Adam Zacks decided to expand the festival to two weekends due to the high demand for tickets in 2013. [4] On March 21, 2014, the Independence Day Weekend of Sasquatch was cancelled. Jeff Trisler, President of Live Nation, released the following statement upon the announcement: "The Sasquatch! community has spoken. They continue to support the traditional Memorial Day Weekend event with great enthusiasm," Jeff Trisler, president of Live Nation Seattle, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the second weekend was not embraced. We felt it was better to cancel the new event now and give everyone time to make alternative plans for the Fourth of July weekend. Going forward, Sasquatch! Music Festival will be at the Gorge Amphitheatre on the weekend the fans want: Memorial Day Weekend only."

On June 28, 2018, Zacks officially announced that Sasquatch! Music Festival would cease operation indefinitely and would not be returning in 2019. [5]

2018

Lineup

Friday, May 25

Saturday, May 26

Sunday, May 27

2017

Lineup

Friday, May 26

Saturday, May 27

Sunday, May 28

2016

Lineup

Friday, May 27

Saturday, May 28

Sunday, May 29

Monday, May 30

2015

Lineup

Friday, May 22

Saturday, May 23

Sunday, May 24

Monday, May 25

2014

Lineup

Friday, May 23

Saturday, May 24

Sunday, May 25

2013

Nissim at the 2013 Sasquatch! Music Festival. Nissim at Sas.jpg
Nissim at the 2013 Sasquatch! Music Festival.

Lineup

Friday, May 24

Saturday, May 25

Sunday, May 26

Monday, May 27

2012

Lineup

Friday, May 25

Saturday, May 26

Sunday, May 27

Monday, May 28

2011

The lineup for the 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival was announced on February 6, 2011. [6]

Lineup

Friday, May 27

Saturday, May 28

Sunday, May 29

Monday, May 30

2010

The lineup for the 2010 Sasquatch! Music Festival was announced on February 15, 2010. Headliners for the event included My Morning Jacket, Massive Attack, and Ween. The event took place on Memorial Day weekend, May 29–31, 2010. [7]

Lineup

Saturday, May 29

Sunday, May 30

Monday, May 31

The comedy lineup included Rob Riggle, Bobcat Goldthwait, Luke Burbank, Mike Birbiglia, Patton Oswalt and Craig Robinson.

2009

The lineup for the 2009 Sasquatch! Music Festival was announced on February 17, 2009. Headliners for the event included Jane's Addiction, Kings of Leon, and Ben Harper & Relentless7. [8] The event took place on Memorial Day weekend, May 23–25, 2009. [7]

Lineup

Saturday, May 23

Sunday, May 24

Monday, May 25

The comedy lineup included Zach Galifianakis, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Todd Barry, H. Jon Benjamin, God's Pottery, People's Republic of Komedy, The Whitest Kids U Know, The Red Wine Boys, and Maria Bamford.

2008

The lineup for the 2008 Sasquatch! Music Festival was announced on February 25, 2008. Headliners for the event included R.E.M., The Cure, and The Flaming Lips. The event took place on Memorial Day weekend, May 24–26, 2008. Hosted by Rainn Wilson.

Lineup

Saturday, May 24

Sunday, May 25

Monday, May 26

Comedy lineup

The 2008 festival features the first ever Sasquatch! comedy tent.

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Christmas on Mars

The Flaming Lips' long-awaited film Christmas on Mars premiered on Sunday, May 25 at the festival.

2007

The 2007 Sasquatch! Music Festival was hosted by Sarah Silverman, Michael Showalter, and Aziz Ansari.

Lineup

Saturday, May 26

Sunday, May 27

M.I.A. was scheduled to perform but cancelled due to visa complications.

2006

The 2006 Sasquatch! Music Festival marked the first time the festival ran for three days. The event began on Friday, May 26 and lasted until Sunday, May 28. The second day was marked by an afternoon hailstorm, which forced Neko Case and her band off stage and threatened to shut down the show entirely. Fortunately, the storm subsided and the festival was able to continue as scheduled, as The Tragically Hip took the stage.

Lineup

Friday, May 26

Saturday, May 27

Sunday, May 28

2005

The 2005 Sasquatch! Music Festival took place on Saturday, May 28.

Lineup

Saturday, May 28

2004

The 2004 Sasquatch! Music Festival took place on Saturday, May 29. The event was hosted by David Cross.

Lineup

Saturday, May 29

2003

Hosted by El Vez.

Lineup

Saturday, May 24

2002

Lineup

Saturday, May 25

Performers that have played more than once


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flaming Lips</span> American rock band

The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Derek Brown, Matt Duckworth Kirksey and Tommy McKenzie (bass). Coyne and Drozd have remained the band's only consistent members since 1991, with Coyne being the only remaining founding member following the departure of bassist and keyboardist Michael Ivins in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Postal Service</span> American indie pop band

The Postal Service was an American indie pop group from Seattle, Washington, consisting of singer Ben Gibbard, producer Jimmy Tamborello, and Jenny Lewis on background vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Coyne</span> American musician (born 1961)

Wayne Michael Coyne is an American musician. He is the founder, lead vocalist, main songwriter, and only constant member of the psychedelic rock band the Flaming Lips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Decemberists</span> American indie rock band

The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums).

Street Scene was a music festival held each summer in San Diego, California, from 1984 to 2009. It was one of largest annual music festivals in the United States, growing to include over 70 musical acts covering various musical genres and styles on multiple stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Sonic Festival</span> Japanese music festival

Summer Sonic, is an annual music festival held on one weekend in August simultaneously in both Chiba and Osaka, Japan. The festival features revolving lineups performing one day in Osaka then performing the next day in Chiba and vice-versa. The lineup often features major international acts in addition to Japanese artists from major and independent record companies.

Under the Radar is an American music magazine that features interviews with accompanying photo-shoots. Each issue includes opinion and commentary of the indie music scene as well as reviews of books, DVDs, and albums. The magazine posts web-exclusive interviews and reviews on its website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Festival</span> Rock festival

The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, was a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and more recently the Virgin Mobile USA brand, were used in full to increase brand association, compared with the UK and Australian festivals, where association is simply implied through the use of the letter V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pemberton Festival</span> 2008 music festival in Canada

The Pemberton Festival was a three-day summer music festival inaugurated in 2008. It was held in Pemberton, British Columbia, a village just north of popular ski resort Whistler. Produced by Live Nation Canada, the festival featured primarily rock and indie rock musicians, with a small proportion of hip hop. Musicians played on one of two stages, picturesquely situated at the foot of Mount Currie and the surrounding mountain range. The site, a 400-acre (1.6 km2) hayfield, was discovered by concert-promoter, Shane Bourbonnais, of Live Nation, just down the street from his home. He emphasized event sustainability and environmentalism as priorities in running the festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japandroids</span> Canadian rock band

Japandroids were a Canadian rock duo from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed in 2006. The band consisted of Brian King and David Prowse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">End of the Road Festival</span> Annual music festival in England

End of the Road Festival is an annual music festival in England which focuses on independent rock and folk music. It is hosted at the Larmer Tree Gardens, on the border of north Dorset and Wiltshire, and usually takes place over the last weekend of August or the first full weekend in September. The first festival took place in 2006, and after selling out for the first time in 2008, it has sold out in advance every year since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forecastle Festival</span>

The Forecastle Festival is a three-day music, art, and activism festival held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was founded in 2002 as a small gathering of local musicians in Tyler Park, and steadily grew into a national attraction that now includes major touring acts and an economic impact of over $20 million per year. Forecastle was selected as one of Rolling Stone's "Coolest Festivals" and has an annual attendance of over 75,000 fans at Louisville Waterfront Park. It attracts attendees from nearly all 50 states, 2000 cities, and a dozen international countries. Past headliners include the Black Keys, Jack White, Jack Harlow, Beck, Outkast, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Alabama Shakes, the Flaming Lips, the Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Cage the Elephant and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Press Summer Fest</span> Music festival held in Houston, Texas

The Free Press Summer Festival was an annual two-day music festival held in Houston, Texas at Buffalo Bayou's Eleanor Tinsley Park.

Rock the Garden was an annual summer music festival organized by the Walker Art Center and Minnesota Public Radio held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that ran from 1998 - 2022. Launched by the Walker in 1998, the event was cosponsored by 89.3 The Current and Minnesota Public Radio after 2008, becoming more of an indie rock festival. Since its founding, Rock the Garden has highlighted national artists such as Wilco, Sonic Youth, David Byrne, MGMT, De La Soul, My Morning Jacket, Spoon, Bon Iver, and The Decemberists, and featured a diverse range of local bands like Low, Doomtree, Fog, Iffy, Cloud Cult, Howler, and Trampled By Turtles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangout Music Festival</span> Music festival

The Hangout Music Festival is an annual three-day music festival held on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The main stages are the Hangout Stage and the Surf Stage, as well as the Boom Boom Tent and more. The festival generally takes place on the third weekend in May. It is the first major music festival held on the beach in the city.

The Nelsonville Music Festival is an annual four-day music festival located at Snow Fork near Nelsonville, Ohio. The event in Southeastern Ohio takes place in July and features a variety of musical genres and includes local, regional, national and international artists. The weekend celebration includes local food and artisans as well as a campground for both primitive and RV camping. The festival also provides activities for children and strives to be environmentally friendly.

Firefly Music Festival was a music festival produced by AEG Presents that was first held on July 20–22, 2012, in Dover, Delaware. Firefly takes place in The Woodlands of Dover Motor Speedway, a 105-acre (42 ha) festival ground, over the span of three days. Many nationally known musical acts have performed at the festival, with over 100 performances held over the course of the festival in 2016. The festival producers had worked together to establish the event at the current venue with the hopes of having "an open-air festival on the East Coast with plenty of outdoor camping". In past years, the festival has included up to seven stages: The Porch Stage, The Lawn Stage, The Backyard Stage, the Treehouse, The Coffee House, The Pavilion and The Firefly Stage. In 2019, the festival had six main stages, two sponsor stages, and one stage in each camping hub. Firefly offers three different pass options; general admission, VIP, and Super VIP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Earl</span> American singer-songwriter

Shelby Earl is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Earl's first solo album, Burn the Boats, was produced by John Roderick and released on Local 638 Records. In 2011 NPR's Ann Powers named Earl her "new favorite songwriter" and Amazon.com dubbed her album the "#1 Outstanding 2011 Album You Might Have Missed".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantogram (band)</span> American electronic rock duo

Phantogram is an American music duo from Greenwich, New York, formed in 2007 and consisting of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter.

Music of the Pacific Northwest encompasses many musical styles from prehistory to the modern Pacific Northwest.

References

  1. Legaspi, Althea (June 29, 2018). "Sasquatch! Music Festival Will Not Return in 2019". Rolling Stone .
  2. Ryan. "Top 10 Summer Music Festivals in the US". ConcertBoom. ConcertBoom. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  3. Pecknold, Aja. "Adam Zacks: Mother of Sasquatch!". Seattle Weekly . Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  4. Young & Roffman, Alex & Michael (February 6, 2014). "Sasquatch!: The First Two Weekend Festival". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  5. Singer, Matthew. "Sasquatch Music Festival Is Ceasing Operation". Willamette Week. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. 1 2 "Sasquatch!". www.sasquatchfestival.com.
  8. Sasquatch! 2009 lineup UpVenue.com

Press

47°6′5.16″N119°59′44.87″W / 47.1014333°N 119.9957972°W / 47.1014333; -119.9957972