Music Fest NW 2014 Preview

Portland’s Music Fest NW began as the northwestern version of Austin’s South-by-Southwest, with shows littered across the city for a handful of days. But this year it has morphed...
Musicfest NW

Music Fest NW 2014 Preview

Portland’s Music Fest NW began as the northwestern version of Austin’s South-by-Southwest (QRO recap), with shows littered across the city for a handful of days. But this year it has morphed into a big outdoor weekend festival, trading in the likes of Doug Fir Lounge for the actual Douglas firs of Waterfront Park, Saturday & Sunday, August 16th & 17th:

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16th

Moda Stage at Morrison

Girl Talk, 8:30 PM – 9:45 PM

Greg Gillis (Girl Talk – QRO photos at a festival) moved from biomedical tissue engineering to DJ mash-up engineering (QRO photos at a festival), taking samples from across the spectrum and making something very new (QRO photos at a festival). While he started out playing clubs, he’s graduated to ballroom & even the great outdoors (QRO photos outdoors) – but that just means he’s got bigger stages (QRO photos outdoors at a festival) and festivals (QRO photos at a festival) to fill with dancing concertgoers (QRO photos at a festival), like at Music Fest NW 2012 & 2009 (QRO ’09 photos).
Girl Talk
Run the Jewels, 6:25 PM – 7:20 PM

El-P blew up the Brooklyn rap scene with last year’s Cancer 4 Cure (QRO review of release party), and brought about his team-up with Killer Mike (QRO photos at a festival) for 2012’s ‘Into the Wild’ tour. Mike & P have deepened that connection, working together as Run the Jewels (QRO photos at a festival).
Run the Jewels
Man Man, 4:25 PM – 5:20 PM

There might not be a wilder band – live (QRO live review) or on record (QRO album review) – than Philadelphia’s Man Man (QRO live review). The self-described ‘Viking-vaudeville’ collective (QRO photos at a festival) bring a powerful percussion and more, setting up right at the lip of the stage, dressed in tennis whites and war paint, with more instruments than you can throw a stick at (QRO photos at a festival). And things only get crazier outside. (QRO photos outdoors) – especially at a festival (QRO photos at a festival), playing off of 2011’s Life Fantastic (QRO review) and last year’s On Oni Pond (QRO review).
Man Man
Thundercat, 2:25 PM – 3:20 PM

Known for his psychedelic excursions, Thundercat recently worked with the likes of Flying Lotus (QRO live review) on his newest album, Until the Quiet Comes. He has been compared to the likes of Jaco Pastorius for his precise and experimental basslines.
Thundercat
Landlady, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Catch the experimental pop of Landlady (QRO mp3 review), which includes Adam Schatz (QRO interview) of Man Man (see above) and previously of Previous on Lost (QRO live review).

Landlady

Hawthorne Stage

Phantogram, 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM

Saratoga Springs’ dancetronica act Phantogram (QRO photos at a festival) got notice less for their debut full-length Eyelid Movies (QRO review) than their enchanting live show (QRO photos at a festival) – which works outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), when in the evening (QRO photos at a festival). They come back to Music Fest NW (QRO photos at MFNW ‘10) behind their new Voices (QRO review).
Phantogram
Future Islands, 5:25 PM – 6:20 PM

Baltimore’s Future Islands (QRO photos) play a highly acclaimed, darker form of synth-pop (QRO photos at a festival).
Future Islands
Gardens & Villa, 3:25 PM – 4:20 PM

Indie-rockers can be funky, creative, and rock at the same time. Gardens & Villa (QRO photos at a festival) seem to be on a constant quest to prove this (QRO photos at a festival) – including with pipes (QRO photos).
Gardens & Villa
Also:

Shy Girls, 1:35 PM – 2:20 PM QRO photos at a festival
Shy Girls

 

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17th

Moda Stage at Morrison

Spoon, 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM

As The Tick would shout, “Spoon!!!” Austin’s Spoon (QRO live review outdoors) has been turning heads in the indie-sphere for a while with their trademark indie-rock, but with 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (QRO review) & 2010’s Transference (QRO review), the group (QRO photos at a festival) has launched into the stratosphere, including headlining at New York’s own ultra-upscale Radio City Music Hall (QRO live review). A festival veteran (QRO photos at a festival), including headlining fests (QRO photos headlining a festival), they come to Music Fest NW (QRO photos at a festival this summer), now behind this fall’s release of They Want My Soul. Three cheers for “The Underdog” (QRO video)!
Spoon
tUnE-yArDs, 6:25 PM – 7:20 PM

Oakland’s Merrill Garbus (QRO photos) got notice in the likes of Brooklyn (QRO photos) & Britain (QRO live review in London) as tUnE-yArDs (QRO photos outdoors), and then more and more fans behind her debut w h o k i l l (QRO review). She comes to Music Fest NW after this spring’s release of follow-up Nikki Nack (QRO review).
tUnE-yArDs
The Antlers, 4:25 PM – 5:20 PM

One of the next wave of Brooklyn acts is The Antlers (QRO photos), who first blew people away (QRO live review) with epic concept album Hospice, then opened for the likes of Ra Ra Riot (QRO live review, opening for Ra Ra Riot), Editors (QRO album reviewQRO photos, opening for Editors) and The National (QRO spotlight onQRO photos, opening for The National). But now they’ve graduated to headlining their own big gigs (QRO live review, outdoors & headlining), and came out in 2011 with follow-up Burst Apart (QRO review) and this year with Familiars.
The Antlers
Also:

EMA, 2:25 PM – 3:20 PM

The Districts, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PMQRO photos at a festival

The Districts

Hawthorne Stage

HAIM, 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM

Sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, along with drummer Dash Hutton (QRO photos at a festival), only started putting out music last year, but have already been turning heads (QRO photos), thanks to great single “Don’t Save Me” – and come to Music Fest NW (QRO photos earlier in 2014) after last year’s debut full-length, Days Are Gone (QRO review).
HAIM
Fucked Up, 5:25 PM – 6:20 PM

While Holy Fuck (QRO live review) lost the Polaris Music Prize in 2008, that kind of a name didn’t stop Fucked Up from winning it the following year with Chemistry of Common Life (though it almost derailed the Pool Parties across the river at Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn – QRO photos), and the band followed that up with singles collection Couple Tracks (QRO review) and 2011’s concept rock opus, David Comes to Life. Whether their hardcore music lives up to praise rarely given to hardcore is still up for debate, but what isn’t is how nuts the crowd goes (QRO photos at a festival) for this act out of Toronto (QRO photos outdoors), with singer/frontman Damian Abraham bringing it (QRO live review), shirtless and crazy (QRO photos at a festival). They come to Music Fest NW after the release of their latest, Glass Boys.
Fucked Up
Also:

Wild Ones, 3:25 PM – 4:20 PM

Modern Kin, 1:35 PM – 2:20 PM
Modern Kin

 

Night Shows & After Parties
SuperchunkFriday, August 15th
Killer Mike, with Ural Thomas & The Pain @ Dr. Martens Parking Lot, 5:00 PM doors
Flatbush Zombies, with Porter Ray and Ricky & Mark @ Star Theater, 9:00 PM doors, 10:00 PM show
Bobby Bare Jr., with Matt Brown @ Bunk Bar, 9:00 PM doors, 10:00 PM show

Saturday, August 16th
Com Truise, with Hustle & Drone and Aan @ Star Theater, 9:00 PM doors, 10:00 PM show
Future Islands and special guests @ Doug Fir, 9:30 PM doors, 10:30 PM show
The Life and Times, with The Districts, Last Giant, and Holiday Friends @ Bunk Bar, 8:00 doors, 8:30 PM show

Sunday, August 17th
Superchunk, with Blank Range and Radiation City @ Star Theater, 9:00 PM doors, 10:00 PM show
El-P, with Tope @ Doug Fir, 9:30 PM doors, 10:30 PM show
Tacocat, with Tijuana Panthers @ Bunk Bar, 9:00 PM doors, 10:00 PM show

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://musicfestnw.com/

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