In case you haven't heard, last night marked the arrival of the lineup for one of the northwest's biggest festivals, Sasquatch! Music Festival 2015. It’s 4 days of live music at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington over Memorial Day Weekend. There’s been a buzz around campus talking about whether the lineup is worthy of the ticket purchase, and although we do not have a definitive answer, we can definitely break down what we know for you.
First off, the superstars. Kendrick Lamar, Of Monsters and Men, Lana Del Rey, and even Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant are among the most well-known (but certainly not the only big ones!). There have been rumors of a Lana Del Rey appearance in previous years, with past tour schedules flirting with Sasquatch! dates, but that dream never came to fruition until now. This will be the first we see of Plant at Sasquatch!, and it's likely to be a big draw to the festival if only for his debut. The taste makers at Sasquatch! did a great job this year not booking too many artists they've showcased in the past, with The Decemberists and Modest Mouse to be the only major repeat performers.
Many of this year's Sasquatch! artists were featured on KWVA throughout 2014 and some are making their 2015 debut. The majority of this year's lineup is relevant to college radio, presenting artists including Modest Mouse, St. Vincent, The Decemberists, Tame Impala, James Blake, Flume, Perfume Genius... the list goes on and on.
A few of the underrepresented artists may be the key to attending Sasquatch! this spring. The roster is stacked with talented performers like Courtney Barnett, Temples, King Tuff, Ex Hex, and more. Look forward to seeing Alvvays, hailing from Brooklyn, NYC, as well as Hip hop titans Run the Jewels, who will surely throw down a set to remember. Their 2014 release Run the Jewels 2 really rocked the KWVA Top 30 last year, enjoying the charts for a few months.
If you can't make the whole weekend up at the Gorge, luckily for you, many artists book shows around Oregon and Washington before and after the Sasquatch! weekend. Over the next few months, KWVA will keep a keen eye out for any festival artists coming to Eugene and let you know about them over the blog. Like we said before, it's ultimately up to you whether you attend the festival or not. But bottom line is, Sasquatch! 2015 has a pretty solid lineup no matter how you look at it.