Pro tip: If you don’t feel like forking over $10 for a hot dog, pack a PB&J, because it literally costs less than $0.33 per sandwich. You’re welcome.
Sasquatch! is still hot, both temperature- and lineup-wise.
Here’s a quick recap of Day 2. Pics to come.
BENJAMIN BOOKER: Benjamin Booker threw hands down one of the best shows of Sasquatch so far. The persona that he gave off perfectly matched his music and this festival. His songs were fast-paced, sad, but also so confident in their own way. He stopped in the middle of songs to smoke cigarettes and drink beer. With his soul vibe these stops made the show even better. This show was beautifully sad, powerfully heart-wrenching and added soul to this festival powered by indie pop music.
DILATED PEOPLES: Representing Rhymesayers, Dilated Peoples, gave hip hop fans a taste of old school rap, new school beats, and some of the best DJ’ing I have ever seen in my whole life. The set was fun, fratty, and dancy, but showed so much skill that I was content, even being an exclusive old school hip hop asshole.
LESLIE JONES: Stumbled upon this act in the Eternal Quest for Shade™ (and by Shade™ I mean Shade of the Shadows/Coolin’ Down/Found Under Trees sort, not the Nicki Minaj/Azalea Banks/I-G-G-WHY sort of shade. But all shade is acceptable in its own right. Moving on.) at the El Chupacabra stage. I wasn’t expecting to hit any comedy shows this weekend, but I’m really glad I did. Her casually brutal humour struck me at my core and my ribs ached from laughing by the end of her set. Maybe the fact that I identified so much with your “crazy lady” spiel isn’t really a good sign, but it was ridiculously good. Spot on. Awesome to know that you too were once a radio DJ at Chapman! Rock on, gurl! Kick ass on Ghostbusters!
SYLVAN ESSO: Was all of Seattle University here? Yes, and for good reason. This band with its indie electronica sound and sort of awkward stage presence made a perfect set for anyone who loves to dance. The band was wonderful live, with powerful lyrics, live beats, and dance moves that made us all feel jealous. This band is perfectly Seattle, and perfectly beautiful.
VOX MOD: Vox Mod provides an interesting set – mostly hidden behind a giant LED_lit desk, he started out wearing some LED lit glasses, before tearing them off in the heat of the moment. A local Seattle native, Vox Mod is a sort of spacey-science nerd who’d fit in perfectly at the honors physics club. However, his intricately layered tunes put me under some sort of a spell, though his stage presence was a little lacking.
PERFUME GENIUS: Another act I didn’t expect to fall in love with, but I totally did, without warning, and way, way, too deep. A local Seattle act, Perfume Genius fuses chamber pop with some serious lo-fi influences to create an experience that could only be familiar beyond Planet Earth. With an achingly raw and emotional performance that spoke to the audience on different dimensions, Perfume Genius is by far one of the best live performers I have seen so far. I think my heart swelled up so much it exploded inside my chest. But I’m totally okay with that.
#SASHIONBITCH SHOUTOUT: OH MY GOD, I LOVE YOUR SHOES. DAMN!!!!!!!!!!! 10/10!!!!!!!
KING TUFF: This dude is hilarious. The whole band is hilarious. They clearly don’t take themselves too seriously, but have some seriously amazing talent. They sound like they could be a five piece band, but are only a very bearded, very sarcastic three piece. The show was energetic, exciting, and professional. This band is PERFECT!!!!
GLASS ANIMALS: The performance was exactly what I pictured when I saw Glass Animals had been added to the Squatch lineup. Though full of energy and good vibes (and awesomely nerdy/awkward dance moves) Glass Animals ultimately did not surprise me. I was hoping to see something that surprised me, but everything was predictable and dancey. For music snobs like us, Glass Animals was pretty boring.
FATHER JOHN MISTY: This dude is fucking sexy. Father John Misty dances and sings in such an intimate way that anyone watching must be excited. He sounds VERY close to his recorded songs, when singing live, and simultaneously evokes a wonderfully powerful yet slightly feminine vibe. He played most of his new album and I was not disappointed in the least.
KIESZA: I knew Kiesza was going to deliver a spectacular performance at El Chupacabra, but I was still blown away. Blown away because the performance confirmed that Kiesza is #goals. Kiesza has some serious TALENT, as well – I had no idea that someone could sing and dance that well, at the same time, and STILL look fuckin’ amazing. Her vocals were so on point and then she would start dancing… clearly she’s got the breath control down, because goddamn, she can really dance! Kiesza delivered a fun, high-energy set that got everyone up on their feet and moving tot he music. Probably one of my favourite acts I’ve seen, definitely up there with Perfume Genius in terms of performance value. Everyone had a great time; hope you did too, Kiesza! Keep it real.
#SASHIONBITCH SHOUTOUT: Everything about Kiesza is amazing. But that sequin top and red pants are EVERYTHING. Love love love.
MODEST MOUSE: Like last night falling asleep through the power that is Sleater-Kinney, I dozed in and out of Modest Mouse. They started with their HUGE single “Float On” which is awesome because often bands skip their radio hit. They continued to play a ton of new songs and they played in a very Modest Mouse, almost hip hop esque fashion.
ODESZA: Odesza shot up in popularity practically overnight. Playing to a completely packed house at the El Chup stage, Odesza was able to transform 1000+ young frat/wannabe frat people into a total riot. It was awesome. But also awful, at the same time. Honestly in my opinion, Odesza is great, but they’re really just a glorified DJ duo. At least by playing the drums they showed some sort of live musical artistry that can’t be replicated in a nightclub.
Bella Pham | Slowly Figuring Out That Rainier Cannot Be A Substitute For Water | KXSU Social Media Director