The 2016 Sasquatch! Music Festival is in the books and while mother nature did her best to slow things down, the shows went on. While this Sasquatch was loaded with local talent, for me, it still became a year of discovery.
Andra Day was the real gem of day one. Looking for a new voice to fall in love with? Remember this name: Andra Day. From the first song she had everyone hooked. While her own songs were where she shined brightest the crowd is sure to remember her covers of Bob Marley and Kendrick Lamar. If that wasn’t enough she led the crowd in a cover of “I would die for you” by Prince. Then, you know, just for fun she through some Queen in there too. Grab her Grammy nominated album “Cheers To The Fall.”
On day two Seattle hiphop trio Brothers From Another dominated an early main stage crowd with matching jackets, synchronized dance moves with back-to-back-to-back party anthems that should be the soundtrack to every sunny day. The set left no doubt that BFA are still the Seattle Kings of Summer, neither did DJ Beeba’s super fresh floral print pants. Just check the photos.
Later that same night Marian Hill and Seattle’s Beat Connection blew minds in the dance tent. The little bit I was able to catch of Marian Hill was fantastic and Beat Connection proved that “one more song” doesn’t apply to them. “We’ve got time for one more” then “Ok, just time for one more” then they went on to play an extended version of “The Palace Garden, 4am” and everyone danced.
Day three came and so did the winds. Wicked, high-speed winds that shut down the main stage most of the day moving local acts Tacocat and Allen Stone to later sets in the dance tent and causing Leon Bridges to play an incredibly intimate acoustic set on the main stage lawn.
Day three was also when when Everett band Fauna Shade took the stage, high winds and all. It was early in the day and when they first got going the crowd was modest, but with every single song the crowd grew larger and larger until there were several hundred people in attendance.
Seeing the way the Sasquatch audience responded to the Everett natives was the best part of the weekend. They mixed songs from their debut release “Baton Rouge” with tracks off the new “Floral Hall EP” and the crowd went crazy. Of course it could have just been lead singer Scotty Smith’s robe. Hard to tell.
The Fauna Shade momentum is real and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. This is likely to be just one of many major festivals we see them play in the years to come.
On the fourth and final day of Sasquatch you always see the crowds dwindle a bit. People have to be back at work the next day and start the long trip home leaving the die hards to enjoy shorter beer lines and headliners like Florence and The Machine and Sufjan Stevens.
Sufjan wins the best/most costume change award for sure. The guy came out in feathered wings then was suddenly wearing a giant chrome headpiece and then a costume made of balloons. It was weird, high energy and also weird. But after a wild and animated set Sufjan closed it out with his hit “Chicago” and thousands sang every word right along with him. It was perfect.
Now it’s time to rest up and wonder: Who will we all get to see at Sasquatch! next year?
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