"This is the most beautiful festival we've ever played," beamed Bully's Alicia Bognanno. "I mean, I've still got sand in my pedalboard from Hangout, which was cool, but nothing like this." Bognanno's sentiment about playing while facing the Columbia River Gorge is one that's often repeated throughout the weekend – and not unjustifiably so – but when she followed such a mellow statement with a screaming anthem about internal struggle, it was skillfully jarring. Bully took the stage right at the peak of the festival's soon-to-be-infamous wind cancellation streak, which drove a large crowd to Bognanno and co.'s stage. The Tennessean quartet took full advantage of the situation, doubling down on how effective it can sound to blast garage-powered personal anthems at full volume to a fervent, restless crowd, Bognanno's ferocious roar cut far past the mosh pit five feet in front of her and through the wind that would define the day for a little while longer.
"It's on, baby!" Those three words signaled the end of the day's nine-hour freeze on main stage acts due to heavy winds, but as the sun set, Alabama Shakes brought back music to the Gorge Amphitheatre for Sasquatch! Music Festival, and to say there was palpable relief both on stage and in the audie…
Shamir began his set in relatively mellow fashion, dragging from a cigarette as he and his backing band began the song “Vegas.” The calm at Sasquatch! Music Festival was brief, as by their second song, the El Chupacabra tent became a full blown dance party. Shamir bares himself completely in his mu…
