Draped lights dimly lit the paths weaving through the city of music-binging forest dwellers. Tents, hammocks, and hung linens decorated the green forest, squeezed into every habitable square yard between the sloped pines and ferns. It was an awe-inspiring sight for this first-time
Pickathon attendee, and would serve as a welcomed cool-haven amid the uncharacteristic Portland heat that would linger most of the weekend.
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| captured by Brud Giles |
This year marked the 17th anniversary of Pickathon, a 4-day music festival hosted on the
Pendarvis Farm at the outskirts of Portland. True to the quirkiness and ideals of Portland, Pickathon exhibits a dedication to local food and drink as well as reduced footprint at a level unique within the music festival scene. Fare options included food from such local favorites as
Bollywood,
Pine State Biscuits, and
Podnah’s Pit Barbeque and coffee from
Stumptown Coffee Roasters. The drink menu offered a strong lineup from local breweries, cider houses, wineries and distilleries. It was hard to go wrong in an area that loves hops, whether it was
Fort George’s Overdub IPA or
Deschutes’ Pinedrops IPA. With cider’s growing popularity, there were great options from
Reverend Nat’s and a refreshing pear offering by
Anthem Cider. The cocktail menu consisted of dangerously delicious collaborations between local distilleries
Dogwood and
New Deal combined with mixers from
Starvation Alley.
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| captured by Heather Binns |
Furthermore, the commitment to sustainability at Pickathon is enough to make any Portlander proud. Between their bold elimination of disposable products, exhaustive list of alternative transportation options, and solar panels to offset the energy expenditure at the event, they bend over backward to ensure the environmental impact is minimal.
But nothing could make the event more Portland than the stamp of approval from Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, stars of popular TV show
Portlandia. Early event goers will be looking for themselves on an upcoming episode
, as filming took place on the Pendarvis farm Thursday evening, with guest appearance by the Flaming Lips.
The sips and bites, however, are of course just accompaniment to the real heart of the event: its music. Rather than household names and overplayed headliners, Pickathon offers a tasty buffet of novel, innovative artists of impressive variety. Luckily, second helpings are offered as each band plays two sets at the varying venues. The main course is largely rock and folk infused with a lineup ranging from the upbeat folk-bluegrass roots of
Brothers Comatose to punk band
Cloud Nothings. There are plenty of complementary side dishes in the form of jazz solos from tenor saxophonist
Kamasi Washington, hip-hop flare from
Shabaaz Palaces, and retro soul in the guise of 25 year-old crooner
Leon Bridges. While the lineup has something for a wide variety of musical tastes, it certainly helps to have an appreciation for country given Pickathon’s, at times, county fair feel, thanks in part to the haystack seating at some venues and mass square dancing events.
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| captured by Autumn Andel |
The weekend was packed full of memorable performances. The heat on the Pendarvis farm made the barn venues excellent filters, retaining only the most enduring fans. Saturday evening the barn was bursting with hoots and hollers for
Langhorne Slim’s authentic gruff set.
Ty Segall kept the energy high with shredding guitar inciting mosh pits and crowd surfing, followed by a monstrous set from Canadian avant post-punk band,
Viet Cong.
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| captured by Nehemiah Silwoski |
Brothers Comatose was a personal favorite that electrified the crowd with their fast paced string picking on the main stage following a wild late-night set in the barn. Southern rock band
Hiss Golden Messengers played a tight set on the main stage Friday night and again in the woods on Sunday afternoon.
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| image by Tim LaBarge |
The woods stage was popular among the artists who graced it, frequently receiving the comment of “the coolest venue ever played”. Not difficult to imagine, given its cozy location tucked away among the cool trees and green ferns and humble framework of branches surrounding the performers. Perfectly complimented by performances such as the dreamy, smooth serenades of Brazilian born singer-songwriter
Rodrigo Amarante, the stage exudes a feeling of enchantment, as if sharing the experience with a hidden audience of elves and fairies. In contrast,
JD McPherson had the woods absolutely shaking in dance with his retro-rock on Sunday afternoon. But no band was as well suited for the mystical venue as the UK band
Wolf People with their ominous sounding melodies and lyrics to match the wilderness vibe.
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| captured by Sara Vandepas |
While this microshiner walked away with a generous list of new artists to add to her summer playlist, to wholly realize the beauty of Pickathon one must look beyond its wonderfully understated lineup of genuine artists. What distinguishes Pickathon is the ability of its organizers to produce an event of this caliber without casting aside the values currently gaining momentum in a generation re-evaluating its priorities. The festival is a testament to the uncompromised quality achieved by supporting local establishments as well as the seemingly lofty but attainable standard of sustainability. To truly appreciate Pickathon is to acknowledge the subtle thread of value they expertly weave into an exhilarating musical event.
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| captured by Brud Giles |
This article courtesy of Hayley McCoy, an optometrist and samaritan enjoying the life of a microshiner in Bend, Oregon.
