MusicFest North West exists in a realm between two of the biggest city-wide festivals of the year. While Austin’s SXSW kicks the summer off with essentially every artist you could ever want to see playing multiple times, New York’s CMJ offers a similar set of shows across its vast city. MusicFest North West, while similar, has the benefit of falling between those two events, cherry-picking the best of both and presenting them similarly all across Portland. It is undoubtedly Portland’s most exciting festival, and for a number of reasons.
1) The line-up: It’s impossible to talk about a line-up that lasts five days, but if Okkervil River doesn’t get you excited for Wednesday, surely Girl Talk, the IHEARTCOMIX showcase, and Explosions in the Sky should get you pumped for Thursday. The line-up only gets better as the days go on, with Friday offering stand-outs like No Kids, Mount Eerie, Rocky Votolato, Mudhoney, Japanther, Bad Brains, and We’re From Japan. Saturday doesn’t slow down either, with bands like Titus Andronicus, John Vanderslice, OM, Erase Eratta, and Beach House. Although the only thing currently scheduled for Sunday is the Glacial Pace Recordings showcase, even that line-up has Portland favorites Modest Mouse supported by Love as Laughter and Mimicking Birds.
2) Local bands: Sure MusicFest North West brings in the best touring talent of any festival this far north, but the festival also offers up the stage to the best of the best local bands Portland has to offer. Bands like Norfolk & Western, The Mint Chicks, Guidance Counselor, Explode Into Colors, Strength, Reporter, Panther, Alan Singley and Grouper offer a condensed look at the amazing talent we harness here in Portland, Oregon.
[Photo by Krissy.]
3) The City: While Austin has become a mecca for music since the inception of SXSW, and New York is well… New York; MusicFest North West is Portland’s only beacon of national attention that doesn’t have to do with political scandal and Brandon Roy. It offers an in depth understanding of both the east and west sides of Burnside, Portland’s most intriguing street, and showcases the best venues littered across it. From Doug fir to the Crystal Ballroom, Burnside, and the streets that surround it, have been a home to me and my friends since before I can remember, and nearly everybody who comes through this city has something to say about it. Beyond even that, there are shows which push people as far as north east Portland to venues like the Wonder Ballroom and Mississippi Studios, and to my south east favorites Holocene and Rotture. The festival truly covers the most relevant areas of Portland and provides a sort of tour of our best venues.
4) The Free Shows: Last year we got Ratatat and Les Savy Fav, the year before that we got Grizzly Bear and Deerhunter. This year all of Portland is welcome to try to get a free pass to see not only Passion Pit and The Helio Sequence, but The Bronx, Fucked Up, and the Arctic Monkeys as well. These are arguably the most crowded events at MusicFest North West, but that only illustrates the strength of the artists who preform, as well as the power of the word ‘Free’. If this is the only thing you take in at this year’s MusicFest North West, you’ll still have plenty to talk about.
Posted By David Hutchinson
