Project Pabst 2015 Preview

Pabst Blue Ribbon, the beer of hipsters (and Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet), throws a second year of its music festival, Project Pabst, in Portland (the hipster-est of cities), Saturday & Sunday, July 18th & 19th:

SATURDAY, JULY 18th

Main Stage Blondie, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM One of the most veteran acts out there is the one-and-only Blondie (QRO live review outdoors). Deborah Harry and Chris Stein helped found American New Wave in the seventies and early eighties, before Harry went solo. But in 1997 the group (QRO live review) reunited to great success (QRO photos at a festival – including induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame) and new albums, most recently last year’s Ghosts of Download.

TV On the Radio, 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM One of the bands that put Brooklyn not only on the indie-map, but also at the top of it, is the borough’s TV On the Radio (QRO live review outdoors in Brooklyn). 2004’s debut Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes introduced their complex-yet-accessible indie-tech-punk-rock, 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain proved it was no fluke, and 2008’s Dear Science (QRO review) saw the band launched into the top tier of alternative music (QRO live review). The group took something of a break after that, as members such as Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, and Kyp Malone did various side/solo projects, but returned in 2013 (QRO photos at a festival) with Nine Types of Light (QRO review). Nine Types was a return in quality as well as success for the band (QRO photos at a festival), though they unfortunately lost bassist Gerard Smith to cancer in 2011, but have kept on magnificently (QRO photos outdoors in New York), including at festivals (QRO photos at a festival) and with last year’s Seeds (QRO review).

Against Me!, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Northern Florida’s given the world a lot of punk, some of it good, some of it not so much, but on the more positive side is Against Me! (QRO photos). Fronted by Tom Gabel (QRO interview), Against Me! (QRO photos) successfully made the jump to major label without losing their edge on 2010’s White Crosses (QRO review). They did make major news in 2012 when Gabel announced that he was transgender, and undergoing the process of transition to becoming a woman, Laura Jane Grace. Yet the group (QRO spotlight on – which also left the majors and started their own label for that year’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues – QRO review) has continued to rock (QRO photos), and come to Project Pabst (QRO photos at a festival).

Also: Priory, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM – QRO photos at a festival

Second Stage Run the Jewels, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM El-P blew up the Brooklyn rap scene with 2013’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 (QRO photos at a festival), working together as Run the Jewels (QRO photos at a festival) for two critically acclaimed records, most recently last year’s Run the Jewels 2, with word of 3 already in the works.

Thee Oh Sees, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Hailing from The O.C. (the name was original ‘Orange County Sound’, then ‘OCS’, then – well, you get the idea…), John Dwyer formed Thee Oh Sees (QRO photos at a festival) to put out his experimental, instrumental home recordings, but over seven records has morphed into a full band and a wild live show (QRO photos at a festival). Thee Oh Sees come to Project Pabst (QRO photos at a festival) behind the new Mutilator Defeated At Last.

Also: The Velvet Teen, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – QRO photos Hustle & Drone, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

SUNDAY, JULY 19th

Main Stage Weezer, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM For a long time, the new output from Weezer (QRO photos at a festival) like 2010’s Hurley (QRO review) and Death To False Metal (QRO review) or the previous year’s Raditude (QRO review) wasn’t up to their nineties classics (and 2008’s red album-covered self-titled – QRO review – couldn’t hold a candle to the blue- and green-covered earlier Weezers – *QRO blue Weezer* live review** – or Pinkerton – QRO deluxe edition review), but they still played those nineties classics like “My Name Is Jonas” (QRO video), “Say It Ain’t So” (QRO video), “Buddy Holly” (QRO video), “No One Else” (QRO video), “Surf Wax America” (QRO video), “Falling For You” (QRO video), and “Dope Nose” (QRO video), which can even lift later pieces like “Islands In the Sun” (QRO video) and “Beverly Hills” (QRO video). And their live show (QRO live review) – especially outdoors (QRO live review outdoors) headlining a festival (QRO photos headlining a festival) – has stayed great (QRO photos headlining a festival). Last year came Everything Will Be Alright In the End (QRO review), their best record in years & years (*QRO Everything* live review*) – plus dude, Hurley* (QRO photo).

Passion Pit, 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM Blowing up very fast was Cambridge, Mass’ own Passion Pit (QRO photos). Single “Sleepyhead” (QRO video) found its way to MTV nominations, while debut Manners (QRO review) found its way onto the charts – and high expectations were filled with 2012’s follow-up, Gossamer (QRO review), and single “Take a Walk” (QRO review). Catch the big-name indietronica stars (QRO photos outdoors) as they return to the road (QRO photos at a festival), ‘cause they’ve moved up to the big-time (QRO photos) like Madison Square Garden (QRO live review) and headlining festivals (QRO photos headlining a festival), and aren’t playing small places – or even medium-sized (QRO photos) anymore (QRO live review). Oh, and don’t worry about the electronic playing outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), as they more than know how to do it outside (QRO live review outdoors). They come to Project Pabst (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s release of the highly awaited Kindred (QRO review).

Alvvays, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM New U.K. indie hit Alvvays (QRO live review in the U.K.) comes to America (QRO photos at a festival) to play at Project Pabst (QRO photos outdoors). Also: Wild Ones, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Second Stage Buzzcocks, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM A seminal member of the ‘Spirit of ‘77’ punk explosion, the Buzzcocks managed to achieve popular success as well, with music that fused pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy (QRO live review). The seventies flamed out and so did the Buzzcocks, but once the eighties were in the rearview mirror, the group reunited (QRO photos at a festival) – and they’ve finally outlived successful U.K. comedy panel game, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, which was just canceled – with most recent record The Way out last year.

The Both, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Acclaimed for their own solo careers, singer/songwriters Ted Leo (QRO photos at a festival) and Aimee Mann (QRO photos) have teamed up as The Both.

Also: Terry & Louie, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Wampire, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM – QRO album review