The success – or at least importance – of Austin’s South-by-Southwest and New York’s CMJ festivals (QRO Festival Guide) have given rise to more industry-type fests in venues across a musical city, but the leader of these second-generation events is quickly becoming Music Fest NW, in Portland, Oregon. For five days in one of America’s ‘most livable cities’, downtown Portland hosts a wide range of acts. Though MFNW naturally is heavy on music from the Pacific Northwest, lots of bands are going to the (north)west, young man.
| Wednesday, 9/16 | Thursday, 9/17 | Friday, 9/18 | Saturday, 9/19 | Sunday, 9/20 |
Whether you’re a native of Portland or a visitor, you’re gonna need to know not just who to see, but where everything is. Here’s a schedule of all official events, as well as a handy map of participating venues:
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Wednesday, September 16th
Berbati’s Pan
10 SW 3rd Ave. 503-248-4579
Wristband/$15.00
Pearl Vodka Stage SPIN MFNW 2009 PARTY
8:00 PM – Fences (album review)
9:00 PM – Portland Cello Project
10:00 PM – Damien Jurado
11:00 PM – Will Sheff of Okkervil River (live review, album review, album review, photos, video, video, video, video)
Spin Magazine throws an opening party a day early (or you could look at it as the only thing going on Wednesday…) with three Portland locals & Austin’s own Will Sheff, of Okkervil River.
Thursday, September 17th
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside St. 503-231-9663
free
Live KEXP studio sessions
10:30 AM – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (live review, album review, photos, photos, video)
12:30 PM – Cymbals Eat Guitars (photos, photos)
2:30 PM – We Were Promised Jetpacks (album reviewQRO Review)
4:30 PM – The Twilight Sad (live review, album review, album review, photos, photos)
Seattle’s KEXP, in addition to holding a stage at Doug Fir Lounge in evening for Music Fest NW, will have free, open to the public, no sign-up necessary live in studio performances on Wednesday & Thursday, during the day at Doug Fir.
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. 503-226-0430
Wristband/$8.00
8:00 PM – Mbilly
9:00 PM – Hey Marseilles
10:00 PM – The Black Whales
11:00 PM – Derby
12:00 AM – The Dimes
Berbati’s Pan
10 SW 3rd Ave. 503-248-4579
Wristband/$15.00
Pearl Vodka Stage
9:00 PM – Ah Holly Fam’ly
10:00 PM – Tu Fawning
11:00 PM – Norfolk & Western
12:00 AM – The Dirty Three
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St. 503-225-0047
Wristband/$20.00
94/7FM/Comcast Stage
9:00 PM – Eluvium
10:00 PM – Explosions In the Sky (photos, photos)
One of the founders of the post-rock genre, Explosions In the Sky are enjoying a tenth anniversary tour.
Dante’s
1 SW 3rd Ave. 503-226-6630
Wristband/$15.00
Heineken Stage
9:30 PM – Archeology
10:30 PM – We Were Promised Jetpacks (album reviewQRO Review)
11:30 PM – The Twilight Sad (live review, album review, album review, photos, photos)
12:30 AM – Frightened Rabbit (live review, album review, photos, photos, photos, photos)
Check out some Scotland’s best on their North American tour, courtesy of FatCat Records.
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside St. 503-231-9663
Wristband/$12.00
Scion/KEXP Stage
9:00 PM – The Mint Chicks
10:00 PM – Cymbals Eat Guitars (photos, photos)
11:00 PM – The Depreciation Guild
12:00 AM – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (live review, album review, photos, photos, video)
Seattle’s KEXP brings Portland three of New York’s up-and-comers, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Depreciation Guild, and Cymbals Eat Guitars, on the first night of it’s stage.
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison 503-239-7639
Wristband/$10.00
Incase Stage
9:00 PM – Local Natives
10:00 PM – The Entrance Band (album review, photos)
11:00 PM – Amazing Baby (live review, album review, photos, photos, photos)
12:00 AM – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
There’s been heavy hype around all of these bands, not least of which because of some hard-working PR companies. Do they live up to it? Find out…
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave. 503-224-2038
Wristband/$20.00
Verizon Wireless Stage
9:00 PM – Guidance Counselor
10:00 PM – Brother Reade
11:00 PM – Girl Talk (photos)
Expect things to get nuts, right from the moment Girl Talk takes the stage – ’cause the crowd’ll be taking the stage too, at that same moment…
Rotture
315 SE 3rd Ave. 503-234-5683
Wristband-only
IHEARTCOMIX TOUR
9:00 PM – Rude Dudes
10:00 PM – Serious Business
11:00 PM – Totally Michael
12:00 AM – NinjaSonik (photos, photos, photos)
Hipsters’ favorite hip-hop act, NinjaSonik, come to the northwest.
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St. 503-284-8686
Wristband/Free pass at Jackpot Records on day of show
Nike Sportswear Presents
5:30 PM – Dr. Dog (live review, album review, photos, photos, photos)
7:00 PM – The Helio Sequence (album review, photos, photos, video)
Portland’s own two-man operation, The Helio Sequence, was supposed to be preceded by a solo show from Mr. Shins (QRO live review), James Mercer – instead, now it’s Dr. Dog. Major drop-off…
Friday, September 18th
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside St. 503-231-9663
free
Live KEXP studio sessions
10:30 AM – Local Natives
12:30 PM – Arctic Monkeys (album review, album review)
2:30 PM – The Builders & The Butchers
4:30 PM – Sunny Day Real Estate
Sorry, folks, but Arctic Monkeys’ session is closed – no audience. But you were interested in Sunny Day Real Estate, anyway…
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. 503-226-0430
Wristband/$6.00
In Music We Trust Present
8:00 PM – Rob Wynia (of Floater)
9:00 PM – The Dry County Cooks
10:00 PM – Michael Dean Damron & Thee Loyal Bastards
11:00 PM – The New York Rifles
12:00 AM – The Lonely H
1:00 AM – Two Cow Garage
Backspace
115 NW 5th Ave. 503-248-2900
Wristband/$10.00
8:00 PM – No Kids
9:00 PM – Tara Jane O’Neil
10:00 PM – Karl Blau
11:00 PM – Mount Eerie
Berbati’s Pan
10 SW 3rd Ave. 503-248-4579
Wristband/$15.00
Pearl Vodka Stage Barsuk Records Showcase
8:00 PM – Blunt Mechanic
9:00 PM – Say Hi (spotlight, interview, live review, album review, album review, photos, photos, photos)
10:00 PM – Rocky Votolato
11:00 PM – Viva Voce
12:00 AM – The Long Winters (photosQRO Review)
Some nice northwesterners are at Berbati’s Pan thanks to Barsuk Records.
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St. 503-225-0047
Wristband/$20.00
94/7FM/Comcast Stage
8:45 PM – The Jealous Sound
10:00 PM – Sunny Day Real Estate
One of the most anticipated acts at Music Fest NW has to be the reunion of Sunny Day Real Estate.
Dante’s
1 SW 3rd Ave. 503-226-6630
Wristband/$15.00
Heineken Stage
9:30 PM – Rapids
10:30 PM – The Soft Pack (photos)
11:30 PM – The Zeros
12:30 AM – Mudhoney
Grunge returns to the Pacific Northwest, thanks to Mudhoney. But avoid the overrated Soft Pack (formerly The Muslims, and that’s about the most interesting thing about them…).
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside St. 503-231-9663
Wristband/$12.00
Scion/KEXP Stage
9:00 PM – Scout Niblett
10:00 PM – Pack AD
11:00 PM – Nurses
12:00 AM – Pink Mountaintops
East End
203 SE Grand Ave.
Wristband/$6.00
9:00 PM – Logan Lynn
10:00 PM – The Punk Group
11:00 PM – Royal Bangs
12:00 AM – Tigercity (photos, photos, video)
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE 39th Ave. 503-233-7100
Wristband/$15.00
8:00 PM – Living Proof
9:00 PM – Animal Farm
10:00 PM – Common Market
11:00 PM – Swollen Members
Far to the east is Hawthorne Theatre – with no acts you’ve heard of…
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison 503-239-7639
Wristband/$12.00
Incase Stage
9:00 PM – Yourself and The Air
10:00 PM – The Prids
11:00 PM – Explode Into Colors
12:00 AM – Chairlift (photos)
Jimmy Mak’s
300 NW 10th Ave. 503-295-6542
Wristband/$10.00
9:00 PM – M64 (Ragen Fykes & Ohmega Watts)
10:00 PM – Ben Darwish Trio
11:00 PM – James Pants (DJ Set)
12:00 AM – Mayer Hawthorne
Shouldn’t Mayer Hawthorne be playing at Hawthorne Theater (see above)?
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. 503-753-4473
Wristband/$12.00
SPECTRE Showcase
9:00 PM – Dirty Mittens
10:00 PM – Weinland
11:00 PM – Port O’Brien
12:00 AM – Deer Tick (photosQRO Review)
Mississippi Studios is a little too far north from the action.
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave. 503-224-2038
Wristband/$20.00
Verizon Wireless Stage
8:00 PM – Black Eyes & Neckties
9:00 PM – P.O.S.
10:00 PM – Monotonix (live review, photos, photos)
11:00 PM – Bad Brains (photos)
Watch yourself as the punks (and band) goes wild during Bad Brains & Monotonix…
Rotture
315 SE 3rd Ave. 503-234-5683
Wristband/$8.00
Supernature Showcase
7:00 PM – DJ E*Rock
8:00 PM – Jeffrey Jerusalem
9:00 PM – Atole
10:00 PM – Truckasauras
11:00 PM – Strength
12:00 AM – Copy
Satyricon
125 NW Sixth Ave. 503-227-0999
Wristband/$10.00
8:00 PM – Southern Belle
9:00 PM – Lake
10:00 PM – Reporter
11:00 PM – Typhoon
12:00 AM – Japanther (photos, photos)
Slabtown
1033 NW 16th Ave. 503-223-0099
Wristband/$6.00
8:00 PM – My Life in Black and White
9:00 PM – System and Station
10:00 PM – Southerly (interview, album review)
11:00 PM – Sharpening Markers
12:00 AM – We’re From Japan
Someday Lounge
125 NW 5th Ave. 503-248-1030
Wristband/$8.00
OPB Music Stage Local Cut Showcase
8:00 PM – Tanning
9:00 PM – Inside Voices
10:00 PM – Jared Mees and The Grown Children
11:00 PM – BOAT
12:00 AM – The Shaky Hands (album review, album review, photos, photos)
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St. 503-284-8686
Wristband/Free pass at Jackpot Records on day of show
Nike Sportswear Presents
5:30 PM – The Like
7:00 PM – Arctic Monkeys (album review, album review)
The first band ever to make it big because of MySpace (remember MySpace?) returns: Arctic Monkeys (remember the Arctic Monkeys?).
Saturday, September 19th
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. 503-226-0430
Wristband/$10.00
8:00 PM – Diesto
9:00 PM – Nether Regions
10:00 PM – Rabbits
11:00 PM – Saviours
12:00 AM – Red Fang
Backspace
115 NW 5th Ave. 503-248-2900
Wristband/$10.00
7:00 PM – World’s Greatest Ghosts
8:00 PM – Drug Rug (live review, live review, live review, album review, photos, video)
9:00 PM – The So So Glos (photos)
10:00 PM – Panther
11:00 PM – Titus Andronicus (photos, photos, photos, photos)
Berbati’s Pan
10 SW 3rd Ave. 503-248-4579
Wristband/$15.00
Pearl Vodka Stage
8:00 PM – The Brunettes (photos, video)
9:00 PM – Avi Buffalo
10:00 PM – The Morning Benders (live review, photos, photos, photos, video, video)
11:00 PM – John Vanderslice
12:00 AM – Beach House (album review, photos, photos, photos)
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St. 503-225-0047
Wristband/$15.00
94/7FM/Comcast Stage Bigshot Touring Showcase
8:00 PM – Austin Lucas
9:00 PM – Richard Swift
10:00 PM – Langhorne Slim (live review, album review, photos, photos, video, video, video)
11:00 PM – The Builders & The Butchers
12:00 AM – Blind Pilot
Alt-country has a natural place at Music Fest NW, in such acts as Langhorne Slim and The Builders & The Butchers.
Dante’s
1 SW 3rd Ave. 503-226-6630
Wristband/$15.00
Heineken Stage
9:00 PM – Hill Country Revue
10:00 PM – The Moondoggies
11:00 PM – Bobby Bare Jr.
12:00 AM – Black Francis (album review, album review, album review, photos)
The one-and-only Black Francis, formerly of The Pixies (and formerly Frank Black), plays a solo show before The Pixies reunite (again) for their Doolittle tour.
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside St. 503-231-9663
Wristband/$15.00
Scion/KEXP Stage
9:00 PM – Lords of Falconry
10:00 PM – Lichens
11:00 PM – Grouper
12:00 AM – Om
East End
203 SE Grand Ave.
Wristband/$6.00
Tender Loving Empire Showcase
8:00 PM – Yeah Great Fine
9:00 PM – Blue Horns
10:00 PM – Gratitillium
11:00 PM – Church
12:00 AM – Finn Riggins
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE 39th Ave. 503-233-7100
Wristband/$12.00
7:00 PM – Defect Defect
8:00 PM – The Arrivals
9:00 PM – Riverboat Gamblers
10:00 PM – Dillinger Four (live review, photos, photos)
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison 503-239-7639
Wristband/$12.00
Incase Stage
9:00 PM – Linger & Quiet
10:30 PM – Beyonda
12:00 AM – JD Twitch (of Optimo)
Jimmy Mak’s
300 NW 10th Ave. 503-295-6542
Wristband/$10.00
8:30 PM – Chaucer Barnes
9:30 PM – Barry Hampton & The Triple Grip
10:30 PM – Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
People still name their bands, ‘XX’s Jazz Odyssey’?…
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. 503-753-4473
Wristband/$12.00
8:00 PM – All Smiles (album review, album review)
9:00 PM – The Lonely Forest
10:00 PM – Point Juncture, WA
11:00 PM – Cotton Jones (photos)
12:00 AM – Loch Lomond
Rontoms
600 East Burnside 503-236-4536
Wristband/$10.00
Bladen County Records Showcase
2:30 PM – Montaghue Post
3:00 PM – Monarques
3:30 PM – Radiant Silvergun
4:00 PM – Ages
4:30 PM – The Skinnyz
5:00 PM – Oh Captain My Captain
5:30 PM – Ezra Carey
6:00 PM – Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
6:30 PM – Sean Flinn
7:00 PM – J Nicholas Allard
7:30 PM – Y La Bamba (photos)
8:00 PM – The Glib
9:00 PM – Anders Parker
10:00 PM – Moneybrother
11:00 PM – The Light Pines
12:00 AM – The Love Language
Whole lotta music going on at Rontoms, thanks to Bladen Count Records.
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave. 503-224-2038
Wristband/$18.00
Verizon Wireless Stage
8:00 PM – Pretty and Nice
8:45 PM – Youth Group
9:40 PM – Portugal. The Man (album review)
10:45 PM – The Get Up Kids (photos)
Rotture
315 SE 3rd Ave. 503-234-5683
Wristband/$10.00
9:00 PM – forsorcerers
10:00 PM – Lovers
11:00 PM – Erase Errata (photos)
12:00 AM – Team Dresch
Avoid the boring Erase Errata…
Satyricon
125 NW Sixth Ave. 503-227-0999
Wristband/$10.00
8:00 PM – Dr. Loomis
9:00 PM – Crom
10:00 PM – Despise You
11:00 PM – Trash Talk
Slabtown
1033 NW 16th Ave. 503-223-0099
Wristband/$6.00
Jealous Butcher Showcase
8:00 PM – Jeff London
9:00 PM – Arch Cape
10:00 PM – The Valiant Arms
11:00 PM – The Robinsons (Kevin and Anita)
12:00 AM – Carcrashlander
Someday Lounge
125 NW 5th Ave. 503-248-1030
Wristband/$6.00
OPB Music Stage Local Cut Showcase
8:00 PM – Breakfast Mountain
9:00 PM – Paper/Upper/Cuts
10:00 PM – Luck-One
11:00 PM – IAMe
12:00 AM – Josh Martinez
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St. 503-284-8686
Wristband/Free pass at Jackpot Records on day of show
Nike Sportswear Presents
4:00 PM – Mariachi El Bronx
5:30 PM – The Bronx (photos, photos)
7:00 PM – Fucked Up (photos, photos)
The wild punk rock of Fucked Up (labeled “F**ked Up” in all official documents…) is preceded by not only the wild punk rock of The Bronx, but before that comes the Spanish side of the borough, their alter-ego Mariachi El Bronx.
The Woods
6637 Milwaukee Ave.
free
KEXP/Caffe Vita Soundstage Unplugged at The Woods
3:00 PM – Langhorne Slim (live review, album review, photos, photos, video, video, video)
4:00 PM – The Lonely Forest
5:00 PM – secret special guest
6:00 PM – John Vanderslice
7:00 PM – The Black Whales
8:00 PM – Port O’Brien
Because KEXP just isn’t doing enough at Music Fest NW, they’ve teamed up with Caffe Vita for an unplugged soundstage at the brand new venue, The Woods.
Sunday, September 20th
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St. 503-225-0047
Wristband/$22.00
94/7FM/Comcast Stage Glacial Pace Recordings Showcase
7:00 PM – Morning Teleportation
8:00 PM – Mimicking Birds
9:00 PM – Love As Laughter
10:00 PM – Modest Mouse (album review, photos)
Already sold out, limited number of wristbands accepted at the door – yep, Pacific Northwest’s own Modest Mouse are this year’s headliner.
For festival website, go here: www.musicfestnw.com
