The long wait is over. Festival season is rapidly approaching and music lovers from all over the country are preparing to make the journey to see their favorite musical acts at one of the many music festivals this spring and summer. Along with the anticipation of attending a music festival, the release of a festival’s lineup can be an exciting event all on its own. Recently, popular festivals such as Coachella, Bonaroo, Snowball, and Hangout have released their star-studded lineups. Among these festivals was the Northwest’s very own Sasquatch! Music Festival.
Sasquatch, which takes place over Memorial Day weekend at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington, is known for having an eclectic mix of alternative and indie rock, hip hop, and electronic acts that appeal to a vast variety of music lovers. Last year, the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with a stacked lineup including acts such as Foo Fighters, The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, Bassnectar, Skrillex, Ratatat, Flogging Molly, Bright Eyes, and Cold War Kids. While the festival’s headliners were primarily showstoppers from the 90s, the overall lineup had something for everyone. It contained popular and up-and-coming acts from multiple genres scattered throughout the four-day festival. This year was expected to be even better.
Yet when the lineup dropped this month, there was a somewhat mixed response from veterans and prospective first time attendees to the Washington festival. Overall, most people were shocked at the somewhat unexpected and lackluster array of headliners for the 2012 festival.
“None of them are exactly big news right now, or people that I would pay to see at a show by themselves,” UO student Aaron Poplack commented. The headliners this year include alternative rock’s Beck, Jack White (formally of the White Stripes), Grammy award winning indie project Bon Iver, mashup master Girl Talk, hip-hop group The Roots, and electronic sensation Pretty Lights. While the headliners may touch every genre, many people were hoping for a stronger overall hip-hop, electronic, and rock presence that festivals like Coachella and Bonaroo possess this year. Big names at these festivals include The Black Keys, Kaskade, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Frank Ocean, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Coachella especially has made a shift to bring more electronic acts to its festival this year. This will ultimately bring a different fan base in and deter some rock and indie music lovers away, shifting the overall feel of the festival from years past.
While the Northwest festival may be lacking big name electronic and hip-hop acts, many festival goers are excited about the lineup. UO student and festival veteran Eric McCoy believes that, “The promoters… are trying to go in a different direction than many of the other major festivals, and are pushing indie and alternative, rather than…trying to appeal to a larger crowd.”
To some, Sasquatch! Music Festival is sticking to its roots and not going too mainstream in order to keep a laid-back simple atmosphere for its attendees. Many of the acts that make up the lineup are up-and-coming indie and alternative rock bands, such as Deer Tick, The Civil Wars, Blind Pilot, and Pickwick, who may be an awesome discovery for someone who may not have had an opportunity to see them otherwise. It also has introduced the Maine Stage this year, which will feature only local hip-hop artists. This year seems to be more about promoting undiscovered bands rather than promoting the festival itself.
If every festival has its own personality, then its lineup can be its most powerful marketing tool. It can reach a narrow target audience, or a broader pool of music lovers. Yet the lineup does not always make or break the overall festival experience. Whatever the reason behind the lineup it’s featuring this year, Sasquatch’s breath-taking Gorge Amphitheater, lively campgrounds, and carefree attitude provide an unforgettable overall festival experience. Whether you’re old or young, a first-timer or a veteran, into indie rock or hip-hop, festivals are about the people you share them with and celebrating the way that music brings people together.