Concert Preview
'Sasquatch!' stomps into the Gorge with hit-miss lineup

By Patrick MacDonald
Seattle Times music critic

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most e-mailed articles

Other links Search event listings

But the lineup this year, with a few exceptions, looks like a dud.

The headlining band, Thievery Corporation, is so hip, most people have never heard of it. It's a Washington, D.C., duo (Rob Garza, Eric Hilton) that creates lounge music from a variety of sources, including world music, bossa nova and electronica. TC's latest mellow mood music is going to go over big in the desert at 10:30 at night!

But among the nearly two dozen acts on the bill, there are at least four that might be worth trekking to the middle of the state to hear.

The Roots are on a roll right now, thanks to the best single and video of their 10-year recording career, "Don't Say Nothin'." It's a straight-ahead, R&B dance tune with an irresistible groove.

Festival preview "Sasquatch!" Thievery Corporation, the Roots, the Postal Service, the Shins, Built to Spill, Sleater-Kinney, the New Pornographers, Cat Power, Visqueen, Harvey Danger, Aveo and a dozen other acts, with MC David Cross, 11 a.m. tomorrow, Gorge Amphitheatre, George, Grant County; $49.95, 206-628-0888, www.ticketmaster.com or www.hob.com; information, www.hob.com/sasquatch).

The Shins' alternative pop seems poised to emerge from cult status to the mainstream, thanks to the expressive lead singing of James Mercer.

Sleater-Kinney, the Northwest trio now based in Portland, is widely recognized as a great rock band that is woefully underappreciated, even though it has a large, international fan base. S-K is always a kick.

Donavon Frankenreiter's debut album landed in the Billboard Top 200 album chart this week, signaling a new romantic pop star, à la Jack Johnson, who loves surfing as much as he loves girls, girls, girls.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More Entertainment & the Arts headlines...