Philadelphia rockers The War On Drugs have been touring tirelessly on the wide success of their third album, 2014's Lost In The Dream. KEXP listeners voted it as their top album of the year, and with good reason. Singer and songwriter Adam Granduciel wrote the songs during a post-tour period of isolation and depression. But it's hard to imagine him feeling low and alone any more. The main stage pit was full of fans eager to hear these grandly swelling ballads, and the gorge's massive hill side was packed as well. Granduciel was resplendent in his typical denim Canadian tuxedo, his long curly hair blowing in the warm breeze. He projected ease on stage, syncopating some lyrics and changing up solos from studio versions. Songs like the hit "Red Eyes" built to massive proportions on the giant stage and speaker array, waves of sound washing out over the crowd and bouncing into the grand gorge below. The sound was a bit classic rock, a bit indie, and while mellow at times songs tended to build to a satisfyingly full release. Granduciel's guitar work has only gotten more confident throughout this tour, and his solos brought a heightened excitement to tonight's set. The only problem with a great band like The War On Drugs getting so (deservedly) popular is that it heighten's their demand as a live act. Hopefully they will be able take the time they need to be off the road and working on new material soon.
Friends of the station Of Monsters And Men have come a long way since KEXP filmed them playing in a living room in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2010. In fact, they've come a long way even since the station filmed them playing on a bluff at Sasquatch in 2012. KEXP was one of the earliest to discover this b…
Staten Island's The Budos Band tore through a tight set of instrumental funk and soul tinged with a heavy, ominous dose of retro stoner metal. Their set on the Sasquatch main stage drew heavily on their latest album Burnt Offering. This fourth release is a marked departure for the eight-piece band,…
