It’s a long way from Toronto, Ontario, to the Doug Fir lounge in Portland, Oregon, but any travel issues the critically-acclaimed Canadian band Austra had to endure didn’t show at their MusicFest NW performance on KEXP. The band, as usual, was composed, in control, and luminous. Throughout their emphatic, energetic yet wavering set, lead singer Katie Stelmanis’ voice fluttered with unearthly poise. And if somehow the music didn’t totally capture your attention, the keyboardist’s suspenders did the job, or the drummer’s white-rimmed glasses, or the bass player’s Rickenbacker (perhaps the most beautiful instrument on the planet!). You can't help but be captivated by Austra. Watch their live performance here:
Do you like dancing in your underwear? Yeah? Do you like dancing in public in your underwear? Well, !!!'s Nic Offer sure does. For their performance at KEXP's broadcast from Doug Fir Lounge during Musicfest NW, the frenetic frontman stripped down to his Some Girls-inspired skivvies before thrusting…
Formed on the campus of the University of Washington, the young men of Beat Connection play dance music infused with a bit of magical realism. With digital production, live guitar and drums, their songs slink, jump and dive. Accompanied on Portland’s MusicFest Northwest stage for a few songs by the…
It was one of the most highly-anticipated sessions of our Musicfest NW broadcast: Scottish electropop group CHVRCHES had been blowing up the music blogs for months, yet their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe hadn't hit stores at the time. From the packed audience of the Doug Fir Lounge t…
