Uncategorized
Sasquatch! Music Festival
Published
12 years agoon
Posted By
Admin
Story and photos by Nick Diamond, Explorebigsky.com Contributor
QUINCY, Wash. – Every year over Memorial Day weekend Americans flee their respective cities and head for the country: They break out their hiking boots and scamper up rocky, mountain trails; fill their trailer tires so they can launch that ski boat for the first time this year; or reluctantly cram the kids into the hybrid and drive eight hours to spend time with the in-laws.
Whatever your poison, there’s always a back-to-the-wild type calling on those extended weekends, something nostalgic about turning off your cell phone and kicking off summer without waiting for the spectacular 4th of July fireworks.
Being Canadian, my May long weekend (Victoria Day) occurs a week before Memorial Day, and the last few years I’ve made the 500 mile trip south to arguably the beautiful musical venue on earth for Sasquatch! Music Festival. Set high above the Columbia Gorge, just 10 miles northeast of Quincy, Wash., The Gorge Amphitheater’s 20,000-seat, grassy main stage has played host to the likes of Tom Petty, Coldplay, David Bowie, Ben Harper, Foo Fighters and Journey.
So, I loaded up my 1991 Winnebago Itasca RV at my home in Nelson, British Columbia and drove west, passing through Salmon Arm and on down to Vancouver. There, I gathered a few friends and began heading south. From Seattle we traversed the spectacular Cascade Highway east, and after 900 miles, one new set of tires from Big-O in Issaquah, a grocery pit stop at the Tacoma Boys H&L Produce, and four thirsty petrol fill ups, we finally arrived at the Gorge just in time for Saturday night.
Emily Haines, and her high-energy indie rock band, Metric, with their new wave electro synth style kick started an amazing weekend. The Shins and St. Vincent were next, and mega-star Jack White (yes that’s the uber-talented half of the now disbanded White Stripes) rounded out the night.
Surviving on three hours of sleep I trudged, zombie like, away from the festival and back toward the RV, but was summoned into the high energy, glow stick riddled, DJ “Banana Shack.” Hordes of scantily clad youth waved their hands in the air to the epic buildups of DJ Joey Youngman’s (stage name Wolfgang Gartner) adrenaline inducing beats drops. Two sweaty hours later I finally called it quits.
Sunday began slowly, with the hilarious comedy of Todd Barry, continued with Philadelphia based folk-rock band, The War on Drugs, followed by Canadian’s six-piece rock group Hey Rosetta!. As the sun started its descent, we were treated to American indie rock band, The Walkmen, and then worldly sounds of Santa Fe’s Beirut.
As the sun cast long shadows behind the Sasquatch main stage, folk artist Justin Vernon played with his Grammy Award winning indie band Bon Iver. Then it was night, and millions of stars shone above, visible only because we were miles from city lights. I concluded the night dancing until midnight with 5,000 neon-glow-stick-wearing others to the UK-based DJ, FEED ME (with TEETH!) in front of his 25-foot wide grinning set of electronic pearly whites.
Our group had made the tough decision early on to skip Friday’s shows and instead left a little in the tank for Monday’s star studded lineup, which included the only unsigned band to hit the cover of Rolling Stone, The Sheepdogs; the powerful voice of Canadian artist Feist; Los Angeles’s renowned rock group, Silversun Pickups; the ever entertaining and pretentious Jack Black with his band Tenacious D, and world class DJs, Nero, Felix Cartel, and LA Roits. The sway vote in our decision was the fact that closing out this year’s festival was the four time platinum artist BECK, and he didn’t disappoint.
Whatever your music flavor may be Sasquatch can feed your hunger. Pack the car, rally the troops and head west, north, east, or in my case… south. See you all there in 2013.
Born and raised on the north shore of Kootenay Lake, just outside of Nelson, British Columbia, Nick Diamond’s obsession with photography began at age 10. Now 27, his repertoire includes scenics, portraits, weddings and the high paced world of sports photography. nickdiamondphotography.ca
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
Time
(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716