Hanging with Sasquatch

I can almost feel the sunburn, smell the grass, and am crawling out of my skin to get on the road, which means Memorial Day weekend is imminent, as is Sasquatch, a three-day music festival at The Gorge.

The amphitheater located along the Columbia river in southern Washington has a 20,000 person capacity and is host to a wicked lineup of bands this year, including the gritty southern rock band Kings of Leon headlining the festival Saturday evening. On Sunday the original lineup of Jane’s Addiction, featuring Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Eric Avery performing together for the first time in nearly 17 years. On tour with Nine Inch Nails, the band and their touring partners are recreating their final Lollapalooza tour, circa 1991 (NIN performs directly before Jane’s on Sunday).

Performances by the Yeah Yeah Yeas, TV on the Radio, The Decemberists, Silversun Pickups, Girl Talk, Airborne Toxic Event, Mos Def, Animal Collective, among others, will take place during the three-day festival.

The popularity of this music festival has been unprecedented, perhaps because of the consistently excellent lineup or the gorgeous scenery, so unfortunately, tickets are sold out for both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for Monday are still available, featuring Ben Harper and the Relentless 7.

I’m hitting the road with some friends in the morning and plan to drive straight through. Check back this weekend to see updates and photos from the shows.