A few Northwest festivals looked forward to altered formats in 2014, but the Gorge's Sasquatch has already canned its notion of a second three-day festival in July.
Canceling the newly added Fourth of July weekend to stick to its Memorial Day roots, Live Nation President Jeff Trisler released the following statement:
“The Sasquatch! community has spoken. They continue to support the traditional Memorial Day weekend event with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the second weekend was not embraced. We felt it was better to cancel the new event now and give everyone time to make alternative plans for the Fourth of July weekend. Going forward, Sasquatch! Music Festival will be at the Gorge Amphitheatre on the weekend the fans want: Memorial Day weekend only."
In Live Nation's eyes, it's assumed that the community spoke by not buying second weekend tickets. This is somewhat unsurprising considering that when this year's format was announced, the reaction of numerous diehard Sasquatchers was: "That's not a second Sasquatch—that's another festival entirely."
For a festival that sold out in a mere 90 minutes in 2013, there are still tickets available for weekend one. All weekend two tickets will be fully refunded while "those who purchased tickets to both weekends, half of the total purchase price (which was applied to the Fourth of July Weekend) will be refunded," the official release states.
"Some of the acts scheduled to perform on Fourth of July Weekend will be making alternate plans to perform at other venues. Information will be released as available."
It's all but confirmed that many will reroute through Seattle instead, especially seeing as electro pioneers Kraftwerk have already booked a date at the Paramount on July 1 with tickets on sale April 4.
While weekend one will still bring you Outkast reunited, The National, Queens of the Stone Age, M.I.A., Foster The People, Major Lazer, Foals, Haim, Cut Copy and Elbow, plus Portland's Portugal. The Man, Radiation City and Modern Kin alongside Seattle faves like Damien Jurado and La Luz, you'll miss out on the likes of New Order, Neutral Milk Hotel, Frank Ocean, Kraftwerk (in 3D), Spoon, Röyksopp and Robyn, Kurt Vile, Dr. Dog, Broken Bells, Soundgarden, Action Bronson, Local Natives, La Roux, Gold Panda, Deltron 3030, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down and a host of others—including Portlanders Black Prairie, Mimicking Birds and Typhoon. Sorry guys!
But all is not lost! You'll have to catch Lee Fields & The Expressions and your Fourth of July fireworks here in Portland at the Waterfront Blues Fest before you swing by Pickathon in August to catch other scheduled weekend two performers like Mac DeMarco, Foxygen, Courtney Barnett, Mikal Cronin and Stumptown's Ages and Ages.
