Project Pabst Portland 2016 Preview

“Pabst Blue Ribbon!” Those words from Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet proclaimed it the greatest beer, and it certainly has expanded in recent years, to the point of being the drink of choice for your stereotypical hipster. Rather than fight it, PBR has embraced the hip, throwing four festivals, first Denver in May, later Atlanta & Philadelphia in October (1st & 8th, respectively), but the biggest is in the hippest city in America, Portland(ia), Saturday & Sunday, August 27th & 28th at Waterfront Park:

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27th

Duran Duran, 8:20 PM – 9:50 PM If you listened to music in the eighties, you know Duran Duran (QRO live review). Leading the “Second British Invasion” of that decade, with copious amount of help from MTV (back when it played music), as the group pioneered music videos as their own professional genre (including “Girls On Film”…). Their electronic dance music far predated today’s scene, for so long that it’s come back, and so have Duran Duran (QRO live review), who are “Hungry Like the Wolf” as they come to headline Project Pabst behind last year’s Paper Gods.

Ice Cube, 7:00 PM – 8:10 PM Ice Cube is one of the most significant figures in rap. He was one of the core members of the seminal N.W.A., whose life story just came to the silver screen in Straight Outta Compton. While Cube has done much more since then, including a solo career and many acting gigs, he comes to Project Pabst working on his next album, Everythangs Corrupt.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, 5:55 PM – 6:55 PM Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff (QRO photos at a festival) brings sad indie-folks sounds with his band, The Nightsweats (QRO photos at a festival).

STRFKR, 4:55 PM – 5:50 PM Once and sometimes still known as ‘Starfucker’ (QRO photos) – and also as PYRAMID – having ‘fuck’ in your name isn’t the career handicap it used to be, as the Portland-based electronic band STRFKR (QRO photos) have been making dance music that’s also great to listen to (QRO photos at a festival).

A$AP Ferg, 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM From out of the acclaimed hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, A$AP Ferg (QRO photos) has made his own name, most recently with this year’s sophomore solo record, Always Strive and Prosper.

Andrew W.K., 3:05 PM – 3:55 PM No artist in this millennium has done as many different things, worked with as many different people, while staying true to who he is, than Andrew W.K. (QRO photos). He started as a party-rock impresario with 2001’s I Get Wet and “Party Hard”, but has since built a wide list of accomplishments, from founding his own NYC venue, Santos Party House (QRO venue review), to doing self-help & motivational speaking, his own MTV series (and guest-appearing on Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force), playing with a classical string quartet (QRO photos), hosting the World Snowboarding Championship in Oslo in 2012 (QRO kick-off review), founding the ‘Party Party’, and even bringing I Get Wet back for its tenth anniversary (*QRO live review of I Get Wet* show). The hard-partying, hard-working man comes to Project Pabst (QRO photos at a festival) on his latest tour (QRO live review**).

Also: Lizzo, 2:20 PM – 3:00 PM The Coathangers, 1:35 PM – 2:15 PM – QRO photos at a festival Kyle Craft, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28th

Tame Impala, 8:20 PM – 9:50 PM From Perth (QRO photos at a home) in Western Australia (QRO photos at a hometown festival), comes the psychedelic rock of Tame Impala (QRO live review), touring off of 2011’s Innerspeaker (QRO review), 2012’s Lonerism, and last year’s Currents, whose critical acclaim has won them fans across the world (QRO photos at a festival), and a spot headlining Project Pabst (QRO photos at a festival).

Ween, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo form Ween (QRO live review), which had been one of the more enduring and out there acts out there, with a wide-ranging fan base more typical of jam bands. They had a jam band-like longevity – twenty-eight years until Freeman had to call it quits in 2012. But you push th’ little Ween without making them come up, as they’ve reunited this year for a handful of shows, including Project Pabst (QRO photos at a festival).

Drive Like Jehu, 5:55 PM – 6:55 PM San Diego post-hardcore act Drive Like Jehu established a cult following, but broke up too soon, so thankfully they reunited in 2014.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 4:55 PM – 5:50 PM From Portland (QRO photos in Portland), but also New Zealand, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (QRO live review) impressed a lot of ears with their self-titled debut (QRO review) and last year’s Multi Love, both of which managed to be avant while also still rockin’ (QRO photos at a festival).

Parquet Courts, 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM Bringing grunge back has been the active Parquet Courts (QRO photos at a festival), who come to Project Pabst off of this year’s Human Performance.

Sheer Mag, 3:05 PM – 3:55 PM Philadelphia’s Sheer Mag (QRO photos at a festival) bring their sheer love of seventies classic rock to Project Pabst.

Hop Along, 2:20 PM – 3:00 PM From the folk-rock side of the City of Brotherly Love is Hop Along (QRO photos at a festival).

Diarrhea Planet, 1:35 PM – 2:15 PM Bringing the rock ‘n’ roll to Project Pabst is the awfully-named but great-sounding Diarrhea Planet (QRO mp3 review), off of this year’s Turn To Gold.

Also: Tenement, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

NIGHT SHOWS

Thursday, August 25th
Digable Planets, Camp Lo @ Crystal Ballroom
Todd Barry, Bryan Cook, Joann Schinderle @ Dante’s

Friday, August 26th
Vince Staples, Mean Jeans @ Dr. Marten’s
Y La Bamba, Orquestra Pacifico, Tropical, Haley Heynderickx @ Revolution Hall
Busdriver, Deantoni Parks @ Mississippi Studios
Real Estate @ Crystal Ballroom
Candace, Talkative, Adventure Gallery, Pony Village @ Kellys Olympian
Pinkish Black, Hot Victory, Motrik, Demon Familiar @ Ash St. Saloon
Berahmand, Goldfoot, The Adio Sequence @ Doug Fir

Saturday, August 27th
Guided By Voices, Summer Cannibals @ Crystal Ballroom
David Bazan, Michael Nau @ Mississippi Studios
And And And, Souvenir Driver, Rilla, Grand Lake Islands @ Kellys Olympian
Bell Witch, Muscle and Marrow, Zirakzigil, John Haughm @ Ash St. Saloon
Hillstomp, Underwhelming Favorites, Pretty Gritty @ Doug Fir
Terry & Louie, Guantanamo Baywatch, Wampire, Patsy’s Rats @ Dante’s