Sasquatch Day 1 / The Gorge Amphitheater (George, WA) / 5.25.12
Published: June 4, 2012
By: Gracie Roberts
Music lovers from far and wide journeyed to The Columbia Gorge for the 2012 Sasquatch! Music Festival. As a follow-up to last year’s festival extension, a fourth day was again added to this year’s schedule. After waiting in a line of cars that stretched for miles (literally), the gates to the Gorge Amphitheater were opened Thursday evening for a night of preparation and rest for what was to come.
Friday, May 25, marked the first day of Sasquatch’s performances. Beginning at 3 p.m., fans wandered into the venue, eager to see what Sasquatch had cooked up for them this time around. In addition to the four stages that the festival offered during past years, a fifth “Maine” stage was added specifically for hip-hop artists that hail from Seattle and its surrounding areas. Between the many stages, sounds of rock, hip-hop, and jazz could be heard from around the different regions of the amphitheater.
The electronic beats kicked off with Little People, who was the first artist to perform in the Banana Shack dance tent. Also known as Laurent Clerc, Little People is a downtempo electronic artist who experiments with hip-hop and trip hop sounds. Founded in 2005 in London, Clerc has only released one album, Mickey Mouse Operation, to his ever-growing multitude of fans. As of late 2010, there has been word about a second album in the works, but a finished product remains unheard.
Little People was a gift to the electro-hungry crowd at Sasquatch. Making his beats by hand onstage, Clerc featured hits from Mickey Mouse Operation in his laid back performance, including “Eitheror” and “Moon.” A reserved artist, Clerc received the crowd’s praise with modesty and grace.
Beats Antique served as the closing act on the Banana Shack’s Friday roster. Originating from Oakland, California, this livetronica group is made up of David Satori, Tommy Cappel, and Zoe Jakes, who bring together old and new inspirations to produce a unique sound influenced by Middle Eastern belly dance music, hip-hop, jazz, and various types of electronic music. In addition to being musically stimulating, Beats Antique provides visual entertainment for their audiences. As a life-long dancer, Zoe Jakes has perfected her belly dancing skills, performing sultry routines that complement the sound that Beats Antique has to offer.
As an influential group that has been active since 2007, Beats Antique gave Sasquatch a brief sampler of their musical taste. With six albums released, the trio has flourished time after time with their musical abilities and unmistakable talent. The crowd at the Banana Shack stood before Beats Antique in awe as they watched an assortment of live instruments being rocked onstage.
Friday’s headliner was none other than Pretty Lights, who is no stranger to the Gorge and all its beauties. Since 2006, Colorado-native Derek Vincent Smith has been producing the musically-integrated sounds that his fans know and love, and they just keep getting better as the years go by. With each new performance, Smith is somehow able to blow the crowd away with his diversified material and peak level of energy.
During his set on the main Sasquatch stage, Pretty Lights opened with megahits “I Know the Truth” and “Hot Like Sauce”. During the entirety of his performance, Smith charmed the crowd with more funky sounds, including the track “Still Night” and a remix of Donna Summers’ “I Feel Love”. Needless to say, the Sasquatch crowd ate up every minute of Smith’s powerful set. Fans occupied every inch of the stage’s pit, even filling up the lawn that extends up the large hill facing the stage.
The first day of the 2012 Sasquatch! Music Festival proved to be a success for everyone involved. Drifting back to the vast campground, fans did their best to prepare for the next day’s abundance of activities.
Click Here for Day 2 Review
Click Here for Day 3 Review
Music lovers from far and wide journeyed to The Columbia Gorge for the 2012 Sasquatch! Music Festival. As a follow-up to last year’s festival extension, a fourth day was again added to this year’s schedule. After waiting in a line of cars that stretched for miles (literally), the gates to the Gorge Amphitheater were opened Thursday evening for a night of preparation and rest for what was to come.
Friday, May 25, marked the first day of Sasquatch’s performances. Beginning at 3 p.m., fans wandered into the venue, eager to see what Sasquatch had cooked up for them this time around. In addition to the four stages that the festival offered during past years, a fifth “Maine” stage was added specifically for hip-hop artists that hail from Seattle and its surrounding areas. Between the many stages, sounds of rock, hip-hop, and jazz could be heard from around the different regions of the amphitheater.
The electronic beats kicked off with Little People, who was the first artist to perform in the Banana Shack dance tent. Also known as Laurent Clerc, Little People is a downtempo electronic artist who experiments with hip-hop and trip hop sounds. Founded in 2005 in London, Clerc has only released one album, Mickey Mouse Operation, to his ever-growing multitude of fans. As of late 2010, there has been word about a second album in the works, but a finished product remains unheard.
Little People was a gift to the electro-hungry crowd at Sasquatch. Making his beats by hand onstage, Clerc featured hits from Mickey Mouse Operation in his laid back performance, including “Eitheror” and “Moon.” A reserved artist, Clerc received the crowd’s praise with modesty and grace.
Beats Antique served as the closing act on the Banana Shack’s Friday roster. Originating from Oakland, California, this livetronica group is made up of David Satori, Tommy Cappel, and Zoe Jakes, who bring together old and new inspirations to produce a unique sound influenced by Middle Eastern belly dance music, hip-hop, jazz, and various types of electronic music. In addition to being musically stimulating, Beats Antique provides visual entertainment for their audiences. As a life-long dancer, Zoe Jakes has perfected her belly dancing skills, performing sultry routines that complement the sound that Beats Antique has to offer.
As an influential group that has been active since 2007, Beats Antique gave Sasquatch a brief sampler of their musical taste. With six albums released, the trio has flourished time after time with their musical abilities and unmistakable talent. The crowd at the Banana Shack stood before Beats Antique in awe as they watched an assortment of live instruments being rocked onstage.
Friday’s headliner was none other than Pretty Lights, who is no stranger to the Gorge and all its beauties. Since 2006, Colorado-native Derek Vincent Smith has been producing the musically-integrated sounds that his fans know and love, and they just keep getting better as the years go by. With each new performance, Smith is somehow able to blow the crowd away with his diversified material and peak level of energy.
During his set on the main Sasquatch stage, Pretty Lights opened with megahits “I Know the Truth” and “Hot Like Sauce”. During the entirety of his performance, Smith charmed the crowd with more funky sounds, including the track “Still Night” and a remix of Donna Summers’ “I Feel Love”. Needless to say, the Sasquatch crowd ate up every minute of Smith’s powerful set. Fans occupied every inch of the stage’s pit, even filling up the lawn that extends up the large hill facing the stage.
The first day of the 2012 Sasquatch! Music Festival proved to be a success for everyone involved. Drifting back to the vast campground, fans did their best to prepare for the next day’s abundance of activities.
Click Here for Day 2 Review
Click Here for Day 3 Review
Tags: DowntempoBreaksDrum and BassDubstepElectroGlitchHip HopHouseLivetronica
