By now, Portland being famed for it’s ‘indie cred’ is old hat – everyone knows about the smart growth initiatives, all the bike lanes, Portlandia, etc. One of the most sterling examples of this is Music Fest NW, when bands play across the city’s many venues, with big name acts and small up-and-comers, Pacific Northwest locals and acts from around the world.
So go (north)West, young man, Tuesday to Sunday, September 3rd to 8th.
| Tuesday, 9/3 |
Wednesday, 9/4 |
Thursday, 9/5 |
Friday 9/6 |
Saturday, 9/7 |
Sunday, 9/8 |
To help you out, here is our map of all the participating venues:
View QRO Magazine MFNW Preview Map in a larger map
QRO Recommendation
Tuesday, September 3rd
Dante’s, 350 West Burnside St.
9:00pm – Summer Cannibals
10:00pm – Black Bananas
11:00pm – Redd Kross
The hard punk of Redd Kross made them a mainstay of the eighties punk scene alongside Circle Jerks (QRO live review) and Black Flag (both of whom shared members with Kross), made it to a major label in the nineties, but went on indefinite hiatus after the death of guitarist Eddie Kurdzeil in 1999. But, after almost a decade off the stage, Redd Kross is back, touring their new Researching the Blues, the first new Redd Kross record in fifteen years. They open up Music Fest NW with Black Bananas (QRO photos) and Summer Cannibals at Dante’s.
Roseland Theater, 8 Northwest 6th Ave.
7:00pm – Gang$ign$
8:00pm – Nacho Picasso
9:00pm – Antwon
10:00pm – Joey Bada$$
Joey Bada$$ (QRO photos at a festival) leads a hip-hop takeover of Roseland Theater on the first night of Music Fest NW.
Wednesday, September 4th
Aladdin Theater, 2017 Southeast Milwaukie Ave.
9:00pm – Hiss Golden Messenger
10:00pm – Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle (QRO photos) is yes, the son of famed alternative country artist Steve Earle (and his middle name, yes, comes from the equally acclaimed Townes Van Zandt), and started off in music in his father’s backing band, The Dukes, but he has more than made his own (three) names in music. Last year’s Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now received widespread praise (as did his 2012 production work on Wanda Jackson’s Unfinished Business), and now he comes to Music Fest NW (QRO photos at a festival).
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 West Burnside St.
9:30pm – Lonnie Holley
10:30pm – Deerhunter
No one was more prolific in 2008 than Deerhunter’s singer/guitarist Bradford Cox (QRO live review), who not only put out the well-received Microcastle (QRO review), but also included a second disc of all-original bonus material, Weird Era Cont. (QRO review) – and oh, yeah, released a solo record (as Atlas Sound – QRO live review), Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (QRO review) that beat ‘em both. And, after a hiatus & Atlas Sound’s Logos (QRO review), 2011 saw Deerhunter (QRO photos) reach even higher thanks to Halcyon Digest (QRO review) – and this year they’ve followed it up with Monomania (QRO review), a more garage-rock record – and show (QRO photos at a festival), including at festivals (QRO photos at a festival). Known for electric shows whether as the Sound (QRO live review) or with Deerhunter (QRO live review), Cox & Deerhunter (QRO photos) have been as prolific with the festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Dante’s, 350 West Burnside St.
10:00pm – The 4onthefloor
11:00pm – Larry and his Flask
12:00am – Murder By Death
Murder by Death (QRO photos) have kept it up well since emerging out of college town Bloomington, Indiana. They’ve got a loyal fan base who will be out in force, while the band mixes between older material and tracks from 2012’s Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon and 2010’s Good Morning, Magpie (QRO review).
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 East Burnside St.
8:00pm – Eyelids
9:00pm – Richmond Fontaine
10:00pm – Fred & Toody Cole (unplugged)
11:00pm – The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project boasts the all-star line-up of Peter Buck (of R.E.M. – QRO album review), Steve Wynn, Scott McCaughey (QRO interview), and Lina Pitmon – an American pastime that’s sure to play well in Portland (which should really have a major league club – it’s the largest American metropolitan area without a team).
Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 Southeast 39th Ave.
7:30pm – G_Force
8:00pm – Chill Crew
8:45pm – TxE
9:30pm – Sirah
10:15pm – K. Flay
11:00pm – Grieves
A musical aficionado, K. Flay (QRO photos at a festival) seems to know how to do it: producing beats, making rhymes, and playing guitar, piano, and drums. Her inexplicable catchy hooks, and beats are something least expected of a Stanford graduate but has already been deemed the ‘new best thing in hip-hop.’ To promote her mixtapes, K. Flay has been touring all over, but keep watch there is word out for a new mixtape very soon.
Mississippi Studios, 3939 North Mississippi Ave.
9:00pm – Mackintosh Braun
10:00pm – Rush Midnight
11:00pm – Gold Fields
Roseland Theater, 8 Northwest 6th Ave.
9:00pm – XXYYXX
10:00pm – CHVRCHES
Scottish electro-pop outfit CHVRCHES (QRO live review) have gotten very big very fast – but are fronted by the tiny Lauren Mayberry (QRO photos at a festival).
Thursday, September 5th
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 East Burnside St.
10:30am – CHVRCHES
12:30pm – The Baseball Project
02:30pm – !!!
04:30pm – Austra
Thursday through Saturday, great indie radio station KEXP broadcasts free daytime sets from Doug Fir Lounge – a great chance to catch MFNW artists you might otherwise miss due to conflicts in the packed schedule.
Pioneer Courthouse Square
5:30pm – Pacific Air
6:30pm – Youth Lagoon
8:00pm – Young the Giant
Even Boise, Idaho’s got some lo-fi in the form of Trevor Powers, a.k.a. Youth Lagoon (QRO photos), who come to Music Fest NW after touring with The National (QRO photos at a National-curated festival). They open up MFNW’s traditional early evening Pioneer Courthouse Square events with Pacific Air (QRO photos).
These Irvine natives toiled for years as The Jakes, but when they changed their name to Young the Giant (QRO photos at a festival), things finally took off (QRO photos at a festival), with their self-(new) titled album & TV performances, including at MTV’s Video Music Awards. They’ve since been gracing bigger (QRO photos) and bigger (QRO photos) stages & shows (QRO live review), including festivals (QRO photos at a festival) like Music Fest NW.
Aladdin Theater, 2017 Southeast Milwaukie Ave.
9:00pm – Mt. Eerie
10:00pm – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Will Oldham – a.k.a. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (QRO live review) plays Aladdin Theater, 2017 Southeast Milwaukie Ave. on Thursday and Friday.
Branx, 320 Southeast 2nd Ave.
9:00pm – Minden
10:00pm – Royal Canoe
11:00pm – !!!
Sacramento dance-punk act !!! (QRO photos) – pronounced “chk chk chk” – were seriously blowing people away a few years ago (QRO live review) with Myth Takes (QRO review), then seemingly disappeared, only to come back (QRO live review) in 2010 with the somewhat derivative Strange Weather, Isn’t It (QRO review). But this year has seen the now-New York outfit (QRO live review in New York) back in force with the great TH!!!ER (QRO review), and the band still knows how to liven it up live (QRO live review), even at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Bunk Bar, 1028 Southeast Water Ave. #130
10:00pm – Prism Tats
11:00pm – Houndstooth
12:00am – The Love Language
The Love Language (QRO spotlight on) began as a solo project by Stuart McLamb (QRO interview) of songs to win back his ex-girlfriend, but soon evolved into a full-fledged band (QRO photos) and released follow-up Libraries (QRO review) on his local-indie-imprint-made-big, Durham’s Merge Records. And while Libraries channeled fifties country, this year’s Ruby Red (QRO review) steps up to the twenty-first century.
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 West Burnside St.
9:00pm – Fred Armisen
Of course Fred Armisen, the star of Portlandia, is performing at Blunderbuss Music Fest NW – but where’s the show’s actual musician, Carrie Brownstein (or her new band, Wild Flag – QRO live review)? Maybe there will at least be a performance by British punk rocker & Thatcher supporter Ian Rubbish…
Dante’s, 350 West Burnside St.
9:00pm – Broncho
10:00pm – Hausu
11:00pm – Bleached
12:00am – The Men
Out of the riot grrl lawlessness of Mika Miko comes the more harmonious Bleached (QRO photos at a festival).
Harder-hitting pop-rock outfit The Men (QRO photos at a festival) cross boundaries from pop to metal to experimental (QRO photos at a festival).
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 East Burnside St.
9:00pm – Kris Orlowski
10:00pm – John Vanderslice
11:00pm – Bob Mould
Alt-singer/songwriter John Vanderslice (QRO photos at Music Fest NW ’09) moved to San Fran to set up his acclaimed recording studio, Studio Tiny Telephone (Death Cab For Cutie, Okkervil River, Spoon, Division Day), and is a natural for the singer/songwriter night at Doug Fir Lounge.
Few at Music Fest NW (QRO photos at a festival) have been doing it as long as Bob Mould (QRO live review). From the seminal Hüsker Dü (QRO spotlight on) in the eighties through the nineties’ successful Sugar (QRO deluxe edition review) to his solo work and today’s Bob Mould Band (QRO live review), Mould has been crafting great record after great record, most recently with 2008’s District Line (QRO review), the following year’s Life and Times (QRO review), and last year’s Silver Age (QRO review). Last year he toured playing Sugar’s amazing Copper Blue (QRO live review) for its twentieth anniversary, but comes to Music Fest NW (QRO photos a festival) with his whole impressive discography in tow (QRO live review) on a festival circuit tour (QRO photos at a recent festival).
Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 Southeast 39th Ave.
9:00pm – Royal Thunder
10:00pm – Baroness
2012 was the best year and the worst year for Savannah’s Baroness (QRO live review). The metal group put themselves at the forefront of today’s metal renaissance with the highly acclaimed Yellow & Green (QRO review) – only for tragedy to strike in the form of a terrible bus accident in England. No lives were lost, but drummer Allen Blickle and bassist Matt Maggioni had to quit the band due to their injuries. Thankfully, replacements have been found and Baroness are back on the road (QRO photos).
Holocene, 1001 Southeast Morrison St.
9:00pm – Bruxa
10:00pm – Portia
11:00pm – Magic Fades
12:00am – Tobacco
Black Moth Super Rainbow (QRO live review) main man Tobacco plays solo at the Music Fest NW.
Mississippi Studios, 3939 North Mississippi Ave.
9:00pm – HOTT MT
10:00pm – Sun Angle
11:00pm – Hands
12:00am – Ra Ra Riot
Oh, how they’ve grown (QRO spotlight on)! In the less than six years since their self-titled EP (QRO review) and the death of singer/drummer John Pike, the Nor’easter collective Ra Ra Riot (QRO photos) has not only rebounded but exploded (QRO photos at a festival), embracing life even more on 2008’s excellent The Rhumb Line (QRO review) than early single “Dying Is Fine” (QRO video) could have predicted. Ra Ra Riot’s live show (QRO live review) sees everyone but the new drummer running around on stage like kids on candy (especially singer Wesley Miles – QRO interview – but also guitarist Milo Bonacci – QRO interview – and bassist Mathieu Santos – QRO interview), but they’re also relative road ‘veterans’ (QRO photos at a festival), from near-immediately after Pike’s death (QRO live review) to outdoor festivals (QRO photos outdoors at a festival) to in-stores (QRO photos) – even at an Apple Store (QRO photos) – to industry showcases (QRO photos at an industry showcase) to bigger & bigger rock clubs (QRO photos) to bigger & bigger outdoor venues (QRO live review outdoors) to opera houses (QRO live review) to fashion launch parties (QRO live review) – and even the occasional basement show (QRO photos). They’re also building in songbook, from early numbers like “Each Year” (QRO video) and “Can You Tell?” (QRO video) to Rhumb single “Ghost Under Rocks” (QRO video) and the Pike-penned “St. Peter’s Day Festival” (QRO video) to “Too Dramatic”, from 2010’s follow-up The Orchard (QRO review), and now “Dance With Me” (QRO video) & “I Shut Off” (QRO video) from this year’s new, more dancetronica, Beta Love (QRO review).
Before Beta Love the band did see the departure of cellist Alexandra Lawn (QRO interview) – so what will happen to the usual tight pack of males (QRO photos at a festival) in front of everyone’s indie-rock crush (QRO photos in 2013)?
The Old Church, 1422 Southwest 11th Ave.
8:30pm – Like a Villain
9:30pm – Typhoon
Portland’s own Typhoon (QRO live review) play The Old Church on Thursday and Friday of Music Fest NW.
Roseland Theater, 8 Northwest 6th Ave.
9:00pm – Lost Lander
10:00pm – On an On
11:00pm – The Joy Formidable
Welsh powerhouse The Joy Formidable (QRO spotlight on) has already taken Europe (QRO photos at a European festival), Canada (QRO photos at a festival in Canada), Australia and even The States (QRO photos) by storm with expertly played opening slots alongside Passion Pit (QRO live review), Temper Trap (QRO live review) and Editors (QRO album review). The impressive trio (QRO live review) got a killer live show (QRO live review) to go with 2010’s killer The Big Roar (QRO review), and now they’ve got follow-up Wolf’s Law (QRO review) – so be ready for a jolly good time (QRO photos at a festival)! Be sure to catch killer frontwoman Ritzy Bryan as she rocks Music Fest NW (QRO photos at a festival) with bassist Rhydian Dafydd (QRO interview) and exuberant drummer Matt Thomas (QRO live review).
Star Theater, 13 Northwest 6th Ave.
9:00pm – Vice Device
10:00pm – DIANA
11:00pm – Austra
2011 was a breakout year for Katie Stelmanis (QRO photos at a festival), the force behind Austra (QRO live review). The Canadian act put out debut Feel It Break (QRO review), which was short-listed for her country’s prestigious Polaris music prize, and their airier electronica (QRO photos) has won fans with songs like “The Villain” (QRO video), “Beat and the Pulse” (QRO video), and “The Choke” (QRO video). She comes to Music Fest NW behind this year’s follow-up, Olympia.
Wonder Ballroom, 128 Northeast Russell St.
10:30pm – RL Grime
12:00am – Diplo
Born in Mississippi of all places, Thomas Wesley Pentz – Diplo (QRO photos) – has become a true ‘citizen of the world’, discovering & spreading everyone from Americans Amanda Blank (QRO photos) and Santigold (QRO photos) to Sri Lanka’s M.I.A. (QRO photos) and Brazil’s ‘baile funk’.
Friday, September 6th
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 East Burnside St.
10:30am – The Shivas
12:30pm – Washed Out
02:30pm – TBA
04:30pm – The Love Language
Pioneer Courthouse Square
6:00pm – HAERTS
7:00pm – Dan Deacon
8:30pm – Animal Collective
Opening up the second day at Pioneer Courthouse Square is HAERTS (QRO photos at a festival), whose name is in all caps to avoid spellcheck…
One of the many acts bringing the wild, DIY element to Music Fest NW is Dan Deacon (QRO photos). The Baltimore native (QRO photos outdoors) is a man of many talents, including throwing his own DIY festivals & tours, like 2009’s ‘Round Robin’ tour (QRO live review) with No Age (QRO live review) & Deerhunter (see above). But he’s still best known as an electronic musician, most recently with last year’s America (QRO review) and 2009’s Bromst (QRO review), which get wild live (QRO live review), whether with his fifteen-piece backing band (QRO live review) or Deacon standing & playing from in the crowd (QRO photos, outdoors at a festival), like at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Amongst the main highly praised experimental acts at Music Fest NW, none is more highly praised or as experimental as Animal Collective (QRO photos at a festival). 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion (QRO review) got the kind of praise that makes one sick of a band (though it was certainly an improvement on their prior release, Strawberry Jam), though last year’s Centipede Hz was called a bit of a repeat by some (QRO review). By this time, the electronics-and-more collective is commonplace, but this Baltimore outfit still rule the roost (QRO live review). Like a lot of electronica, however, they do struggle live outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), but should do better at night (QRO photos at a festival in the evening).
Aladdin Theater, 2017 Southeast Milwaukie Ave.
9:00pm – Mt. Eerie
10:00pm – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Will Oldham – a.k.a. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (QRO live review) plays Aladdin Theater on Thursday and Friday.
Backspace, 115 Northwest 5th Ave.
9:00pm – Youth Bitch
10:00pm – Mean Jeans
11:00pm – FIDLAR
Back in the long-lost eighties, punk outfits like Black Flag would prompt conflict with Commissioner Chief Daryl Gates’ pre-Rodney King LAPD – but everyone’s mellower these days, right? Not if FIDLAR (QRO photos) have anything to say about it.
Branx, 320 Southeast 2nd Ave.
9:00pm – The We Shared Milk
10:00pm – Wooden Indian Burial Ground
11:00pm – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
From right in 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), which managed to be avant while also still rockin’ (QRO photos at Music Fest NW ’12).
Bunk Bar, 1028 Southeast Water Ave. #130
10:00pm – The Lonesome Billies
11:00pm – Hurray For The Riff Raff
12:00am – Frank Fairfield
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 West Burnside St.
8:30pm – Naomi Punk
9:30pm – Titus Andronicus
10:30pm – Superchunk
Straight outta Jersey comes Garden State pridesters (QRO live review in New Jersey) Titus Andronicus (QRO photos at a festival), who were hitting all fifty hard (QRO photos out-of-state) even before (QRO photos at a festival) the release of their Civil War-inspired The Monitor (QRO review) – though last year’s Local Business (QRO review) was a big of a retread. But they’re not afraid of playing on the West Coast.
At this point, Superchunk (QRO live review) are better known for what they did when not playing – founding the little indie label-made-big Merge Records, home to artists such as The Arcade Fire (QRO live review), Spoon (QRO live review) and She & Him (QRO live review). But the North Carolina natives started Merge for their work as influential nineties alt-punk act Superchunk (QRO photos at Merge showcase), and have come back as good as ever, both on the road (QRO live review), including festivals (QRO photos at a festival), and with 2010’s Majesty Shredding (QRO review) & “Learned To Surf” (QRO video), not to mention oldies-and-goodies like “Slack Motherfucker” (QRO video), evoking the time when indie-rock could be fun & skilled, not either/or (QRO photos at a festival). The band comes to Music Fest NW behind their new I Hate Music (QRO review).
Dante’s, 350 West Burnside St.
9:00pm – La Luz
10:00pm – Old Light
11:00pm – Mike Donovan
12:00am – Ty Segall
California’s Ty Segall (QRO photos at a festival) has evolved from his ‘kick in the pants’ early work to a more effortless boot to the fanny these days (QRO photos), where he’s been quite prolific, including Slaughterhouse (QRO review) with his band & Twins solo.
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 East Burnside St.
9:00pm – Bear Mountain
10:00pm – Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas
11:00pm – Crushed Out
12:00am – Cody ChesnuTT
Electro band Bear Mountain (QRO live review) come to Music Fest NW behind their debut EP XO, after a tour with Bloc Party (QRO album review).
Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 Southeast 39th Ave.
8:30pm – Hostage Calm
9:30pm – Into It. Over It
10:30pm – Saves The Day
Saves the Day (QRO photos) is one of the bands that basically founded and invented the emo sound, and frontman Chris Conley (QRO solo photos) has kept it going, with their latest, self-titled release out right after Music Fest NW (though QRO’s editor thinks they were better with long-time guitarist/kid he grew up with Dave Soloway…).
Holocene, 1001 Southeast Morrison St.
9:15pm – Braxton Palmer
10:15pm – The Great Mundane
11:15pm – Natasha Kmeto
12:30am – Prefuse 73
Producer and electronic artist Guillermo Scott Herren has worked under many aliases, but his best-known one is Prefuse 73 (QRO album review).
Mississippi Studios, 3939 North Mississippi Ave.
9:00pm – Larry g(EE)
10:00pm – Shy Girls
11:00pm – Le1f
12:00am – Washed Out
Slowly percolating up has been the new ‘chillwave’ movement, whose sound is about as defined as that term, but one of those artists is Ernest Greene (QRO interview) who moved his work out of the bedroom (where he recorded Life of Leisure EP – QRO review) and onto the live stage (QRO live review) as Washed Out (QRO spotlight on), as well as recruiting a full band (QRO photos at a festival) for 2011’s Within and Without (QRO review) and the upcoming new Paracosm.
The Old Church, 1422 Southwest 11th Ave.
8:30pm – Neal Morgan
9:30pm – Typhoon
Portland’s own Typhoon (QRO live review) play The Old Church on Thursday and Friday of Music Fest NW.
Roseland Theater, 8 Northwest 6th Ave.
9:00pm – Gate
10:00pm – Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Post-rock is littered with seminal acts, but none, none is more important and acclaimed as Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The Montreal ensemble have done everything from curate numerous All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals around the world (QRO photo at an ATP) to working with Grant Hart (QRO interview) on Hot Wax (Music Fest NW
