On Sasquatch and Paid Dues

Fellow Seattleites have probably heard that the lineup for the 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival was announced a few weeks ago. I’ve attended the festival three years in a row (albeit for only one day in 2009), and did a write-up for last year’s. I have mixed feelings about the lineup this year, as many of my favorites are bands that I saw at the very same festival just a few years before, but there are still a few artists on the lineup that I would love to see. Unfortunately, that will not be a reality this time around. With the increase in ticket prices ($175 last year to almost $300 this year for a full pass), combined with the many other fees involved in making such a trip, I simply cannot afford to go. That means there will be no write-up for the 2011 festival. I know a few people who are going, and I hope they have a lot of fun and will let me know how the festival played out. Meanwhile, I’ll be at home wishing I could see Flying Lotus and Iron & Wine, while being thankful that I don’t have to do deal with the festival’s usually obnoxious attendees.

 

While Sasquatch is a no-go, I will have a write-up of a major festival for you guys. Thanks to some major help from a friend, I will be flying to Los Angeles on April 1 to attend the Paid Dues Festival the next day. I posted a news entry about Paid Dues a few weeks ago, stating my amazement of the lineup. For those of who missed it, Paid Dues is an independent hip-hop festival that will feature such artists as Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli), Immortal Technique, Sage Francis, Slaughterhouse, Murs, Heavy Metal Kings (Vinnie Paz and Ill Bill), P.O.S., Binary Star, Blu & Exile with Fashawn, Grieves, Sab the Artist (founder of Atmosphere’s Rhymesayers label), and plenty of others. I couldn’t be more excited, and I will of course have a full write-up of the festival with photos (assuming I can get my camera in, as the website seems a little vague about camera rules) as soon as I get back home.

I’m still working on a number of different entries that should be up soon, as well as a much needed update for the archives. I know they’ve been much delayed, but I promise that it won’t be much longer. Thanks to all of you for your continuing support.