Pickathon 2012

  • August 6, 2012

The Bowerbirds

North Carolina folk band Bowerbirds – Phil Moore (vocals, guitar) and Beth Tacular’s (vocals, accordian) – played a relaxed and melodic set of acoustic folk from across their discography Friday at The Woods Stage. They looked and felt right at home on the forested stage, even comparing it to their NC backyard where they wrote their third album, “The Clearing.”

Neko Case

The headliner of Pickathon was Neko Case, who played Saturday at The Woods Stage, and despite the late start, her performance lived up to its promise. Known for her strong vocals style that over the years has crossed genres – from Country noir and expansive country rock, to Southern tinged hymns and power-pop gems, Case is now hearing up for her upcoming record. Case, who has seen many venues charming and otherwise, including the stunning vistas of The Gorge, expressed enchantment at the Woods Stage setting, and her fans loved it as well.

The Cave Singers

Seattle blues-folk outfit The Cave Singers played Friday in The Galaxy Barn. Known for their homespun charm the guys (two of whom are former members of Pretty Girls Make Graves) made the technical delays a distant memory as they performed a number of songs off their 2007 debut, “Invitation Songs.” Between the frank banter about camping onsite and the dance-along songs, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the set.

Dr. Dog

Pickathon gathers the best pickers from near and far, and making their third annual appearance Saturday at the Mountain View Stage was the Philadelphia band Dr. Dog. Each year Dr. Dog has amazed and impressed festival goers, captivating with their infectious energy, amped-up and fuzzed-out guitars along with some ferocious drums. As in the past, they shared vocals and played with heart, working through much off their latest album “Be the Void.” The audience shared their appreciation by calling for multiple encores.

Laura Gibson

Laura Gibson

Early Friday evening local songstress Laura Gibson and her band set-up in the Workshop Barn, where they played to a packed crowd. Gibson’s songs are filled with narratives about life and nature, and this was perfectly suited for the intimate and instructive setting. Laura and gang of multi-instrumentalists mixed it up each time, swapping her trusty nylon string guitar along with other strings, keys and percussion. Gibson wrapped-up with a lovely a cappella, inviting participants to sing-along.

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis

Multi-instrumentalist sibling trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis brought their game Saturday Fir Meadows Stage. The North Londoners hail from a musical family – father Graeme Durham and their mother Ingrid Weiss (The Raincoats) – and as on their 2011 release “Smoking in Heaven” they were joined onstage by celebrated Jamaican horn players Eddie “Tan-Tan” Thornton and Rico Rodriguez. In homage to the sounds of America’s yesteryear, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis played the gamut – rockabilly, r&b, country, retro Jamaican ska, and even traditional Hawaiian folk.

Lost Bayou Ramblers Featuring Gordon Gano

With a festival like Pickathon, there are a few moments that standout among all the rest – those had to be there times that make your experience truly rich and memorable. Saturday in the Galaxy Barn when Gordon Gano joined the Lost Bayou Ramblers onstange was one of those moments. The Louisiana group holds their own with their traditional Cajun and fusion, yet the roof was raised when Gano – founder, guitarist and lead vocalist for post-punk band Violent Femmes – started in: “Day after day / I will walk / and I will play…” Together they played some VF classics, including “Blister in the Sun”, which the audience couldn’t help but join in.

Phosphorescent

Matthew Houck (a.k.a. Phosphorescent) performed Sunday in The Galaxy Barn with a small backing bamd, playing his characteristically downbeat and stirringly atmospheric based southern tinged indie rock. With great music, instrumental jams, cool vibes, and an appreciative crowd, this made for a tight show.

Reverend K.M. Williams

Reverend K.M. Williams

One of the few blues acts this year to grace Pickathon was Reverend K.M. Williams, who played Saturday blues in the Galaxy Barn. Attendees from a couple of years ago will recall the incredible stylings of T-Model Ford, and the Texas Country Blues Preacher converted the masses with his blend of blues, spirituals and boogie. True to sermon form, The Reverend was uplifting and instructive, educating the crowd about a homemade instrument he was using called the diddley bow – and yes, that is one of the rumored origins of Ellas Otha Bates’ stage name.

Shovels and Rope

Sunday saw the talented husband and wife duo Cary Ann Hearst (solo singer/songwriter best known her single “Hells Bells” which appeared on HBO’s “True Blood”) and Michael Trent (vocals, guitar – The Films). The pair recently released their sophomore effort together, and proved in-person that they can really amp-up the energy and fire in their mix of folk, rock blues, and country. This band was a must-see, and they truly delivered.

Langhorne Slim

Folk troubadour Langhorne Slim and his band The Law returned to Pickathon and played one of the best shows of the weekend. The charismatic singer played a rousing set of raw roots rock, energizing the packed crowd and making fans left and right. He even waded onto the floor of The Galaxy Barn with guitar in full effect. The guys are on a national tour and it was great to see them continue to evolve and dominate.

Sonny and the Sunsets

Taking the Woods Stage Friday was the sunglass wearing playwright/songsmith/troubadour Sonny Smith accompanied by The Sunsets (featuring members of Thee Oh Sees, The Fresh & Onlys, Citay). While recently journeying into the world of vintage country, the band jumped across different records, showing off their command of 50’s, 60’s and 70’s pop, soul and folk as well. Sonny is an unusual guy, but a great entertainer, and he led the enjoyable set with emotion, sass, and style.

Southeast Engine

Saturday in The Galaxy Barn saw Athens, Ohio band Southeast Engine, who recently released the four-song EP, “Canaanville” – an appendix to their full length, “Canary.” On tour along the West Coast in support of their records, the guys have honed their in-concert banter, introducing songs with personal reflections and tying in references to the heat (in the 100s) and the Olympics. They specialize in traditional instrumentation like fingerpicked guitar, fiddle, piano and banjo and rock-informed arrangements, garnering appreciation for their fine craftsmanship from the small but intimate crowd.

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees

One of the top shows of Pickathon was Friday in The Galaxy Barn, when San Francisco band Thee Oh Sees took to the stage. The room was packed, the antics of lead John Dwyer entertaining, and the energy high as they played furious and fun garage, punk, surf-rock, and rockabilly. It is hard to choose a highlight, as the show was consistently off the hook, but some notables were the first three tracks from “Carrion Crawler / The Dream”: “Carrion Crawler”, “Contraption/Soul Desert” and “Robber Barons”

War On Drugs

Philadelphia is representing this year, with The War On Drugs making a couple of appearances on Sunday. Returning to the Portland area – they played in town earlier this spring with Sharon van Etten – the band lead by Adam Granduciel performed traditional rock, incorporating pieces from their recent “Slave Ambient” including jangly guitars, ambient synth, and soaring psychedelics. The audience, while mellow, clearly enjoyed the afternoon rock.

Typhoon

Another local Portland band, Typhoon, has made repeat appearances at Pickathon the past few years, wowing crowds with their live shows and jamming with other bands backstage. The indie orchestral rock collective of around 10 members debuted many numbers off of their upcoming album which was recorded earlier this summer at the Pendarvis Farm barn.

White Denim

Going into Pickathon I was a curious to see how more hard rocking acts like White Denim would fit into this festival noted for stringbands, pickers, and neo-hippies. Regardless of how seamless the integration of different genres was or wasn’t, a great band is a great band and White Denim did not disappoint. Their album “D” was in the Top 10 of Record Dept Music Reviews for 2011, and their live show Friday at the Fir Meadows Stage was amazing. With driving guitars they showcased a variety of rock styles, from psych to punk, from classic to garage to 70’s southern rock, proving to the crowd that their time has come.