Sasquatch! Music Festival 2013: Day 2

The second day of Sasquatch! took things down to a laid-back level. In opposition to the rock-out acts of Friday, Saturday gave listeners a chance to relax.

Montreal band Suuns started the day off with a slow vibe, perfect for those still wiping sleep from their eyes. Eerie vocals and heavy bass made for a perfect middle of the day heat wave set.

Australian band Atlas Genius, who have gotten hype from their catchy hit “Trojans” were just a little too boppy for this Owl’s liking. Their tried and true hooks were too typical and felt reminiscent of bands from my high school days.

Atlas Genius

Next up was Indians whose building guitar riffs and smooth vocals were a nice break from the poppy intensity of Atlas Genius.

Indians

Akron/Family is one of those festival bands that may convince everyone in their audience to listen to their music afterward. Warm vocals and a mixture of electronics and good old indie folk rock make for a beautiful sunny afternoon show. They describe themselves as action/fantasy, which is the perfect slogan for their versatile music, both soothing and uplifting at the same time.

Next came Holy Ghost! a band who has found a good balance between pop and electronics. A highlight of the set was their performance of “Do It Again,” their high energy felt authentic.

Holy Ghost!

And finally, Divine Fits gave us the rock band we were looking for. This is indie rock power group (Britt Daniel, Dan Boeckner). Their set was extremely strong and was set perfectly in a pre-sunset slot. Favorites such as “My Love is Real” and “Baby Gets Worse” stood out, as well as a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Lost.”

The xx undoubtedly put on the best show of the day. Their bass heavy songs were perfect for their sunset time slot. Highlights came with “Heart Skipped A Beat” and “Islands.” The duo fulfilled the hope of every music lover and sounded even better live. Didn’t think it was possible for them to sound any more amazing? It is. Romey Madley Croft’s soft voice sounded even smoother at the Gorge.

The xx

Possibly the biggest act booked for the weekend was Sigur Ros, the Iceland band known for putting on life-changing shows. They surely defended that title at the Gorge. Their sweeping sound and amazing lighting was the definition of ambient. The entire pit moved together in a sway.

Sigur Ros

At the end of day two, attendees shuffled back to the camp, filled with the deep bass and ethereal vocals of a Sasquatch! Saturday.

Best Performance of the day: The xx
Surprise of the day: Akron/Family
Disappointment of the day: Atlas Genius

Check out all the amazing photos HERE.