Sasquatch 2015, Day 2: Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker has earned himself a bit of a reputation 'round these parts for his wild music and even wilder on stage antics. Born in Tampa, Booker now lives in New Orleans, though his band is based in Nashville. His rootsy, southern-steeped sound erupts intro overdriven garage and even punk rock at times. But his demeanor on the main stage of Sasquatch today was decidedly mellower than his last Seattle area show. "Last time I was here [in Seattle], the show ended in a riot and I was banned from the club. But we're taking it easy today," Booker said. And indeed, the set wasn't all made up of the signature blues punk he is best known for. One song stripped it down to just Booker on vocals, lit cigarette jauntily draped between his fingers, while his drummer pulled double duty playing mandolin and the bassist switched to fiddle. Booker's smoky voice can drop down to a mellow, soulful whisper, then suddenly erupt into a raw scream.   He seemed at ease on the massive stage, relaxed and enjoying himself, and even leaving a song hanging for a long moment while he strolled over to take a pull from his bottle of beer before dropping back into a riotous chorus. While Booker claimed to be taking it easier today, his guitar was not, as he built a wall of crunchy sounds that at one point went deep into Jimi Hendrix feedback territory. The crowd, now starting to fill in the bowl in earnest, wasn't taking it easy either, whipping themselves int0 a dance frenzy that seemed on the verge of wanting to mosh. Booker ripped through a tight set of garage blues and rock, and left the crowd wanting more.