As I've been saying quite a bit lately, I really believe that Pickathon is Oregon's premiere outdoor music festival. The wooded setting, the eclectic yet focused lineup, the schedule that has most acts playing multiple times, saving you the festival stress when two bands are playing at once -- that makes for a great festival.
We're sending staffer Sara Roth over the mountains to cover Pickathon beginning tomorrow night, so make sure you check out our next print issue and also come back here for video from the event.
If you're going, here are some acts you must see. And if you're not going, you probably should be. Think it over.
Dr. Dog: This Philly band is listed high up on the bill for this festival and they should be. While the band's earlier records featured a throwback, Beach Boys-esque poppiness, Dr. Dog showed they could rock with this year's Shame, Shame. I caught their set at the Sasquatch Festival in may and was surprised by how huge their live sound can be, at least in comparison to their sometimes subdued recordings.
Bonnie "Prince Billy" and the Cairo Gang: Yeah, he's the headliner, so, of course, you need to see his set. And if you're wondering what this wild-ass songwriter - real name: Will Oldham - up to lately, you need to look no farther than his latest record, The Wonder Show of the World. Here's our review of that disc.
Langhorne Slim: This New York troubadour and his band have a rampaging Americana sound that's flavored with punk and contemporary rock. His live show is hard not to like and his wide-ranging voice should sound most excellent as it bounces among the forest.
Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside: If you're an Oregonian who doesn't know who this intentionally geeky-looking throwback songwriter is, you haven't been paying attention. With a sound that's more '60s soul than it is modern, Ford sings with a delightful Ella Fitzgerald-like growl.
