The Sasquatch! 2018 lineup is loaded with talent.
Since 2002, Sasquatch! Music Festival in Washington State has curated a culture that’s unlike any other festival in the world. Sasquatch always serves as not only a kickoff to Summer, but is also the best event to come around the area all year long, period. These are the ten artists we’re most looking forward to seeing at The Gorge this Memorial Day weekend.
1. Anderson .Paak
We’ve had our eyes on Anderson .Paak since his 2014 project, Venice, through to his 2016 album Malibu, and we’re especially up on his side project, NxWorries. Since linking with Dr. Dre, .Paak has had a rocket taped to his back, and with a highly anticipated album coming out sometime this year, Anderson .Paak is ready to take off. Live shows from Anderson .Paak and his band The Free Nationals have gotten rave reviews and come late May, Sasquatch will be blessed with Breezy Lovejoy’s presence.
2. Tyler, The Creator
“Flower Boy” Tyler The Creator has to be one of this years most anticipated acts. Tyler played Sasquatch in 2014, and was seen hanging around backstage when co-Odd Future alumni The Internet played the fest in 2016. Tyler’s evolution from Bastard to Flower Boy should speak to a lot of the Sasquatch demographic, and anything short of a special show in 2018 would be a disappointment.
3. Noname
Since dropping one of the best underground projects of 2016 in Telefone, Noname has remained quiet while playing tons of live shows, making a NPR Little Desk Concert appearance, and evading our desires to see her in our area… until now. Like Bishop Nehru in 2015, Raury in 2016, and Boogie in 2017, Sasquatch has once again recruited one of the most perfect fits possible for their lineup with Noname.
4. Vince Staples
Having seen hundreds of live shows, it’s an honor that Vince Staples will be the first artist I’ve seen on three different occasions. We saw Vince open with Danny Brown on the Rocky & Tyler tour post Summertime 06, and he would play Sasquatch in 2016 before releasing Prima Donna, where the set itself saw Vince channeling his inner prima-donna on stage in what was a killer sunset show. Now touring with Tyler The Creator, Vince Staples looks to take an even more primetime slot at this years festival, and is sure to tear the house down with the live experience of his latest experimental album, Big Fish Theory.
5. David Byrne
Front-man of the 70’s and 80’s band Talking Heads, David Byrne makes for this years
“legacy act”. Byrne also has an expansive solo career, penning musical new wave and art-pop bangers, including a collaborative album with St. Vincent. David Byrne will certainly play Talking Heads classics like “Psycho Killer” and “Once In A Lifetime”, making this show the most once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of the whole festival.
6. Bon Iver
Bon Iver headlined Sasquatch in 2012, and makes his return in 2018 for what is shaping up to be one of the most widely anticipated shows of the festival. Bon Iver’s experimental indie aesthetic is a perfect fit for Sasquatch and his show is guaranteed to be a special and awe-inspiring occasion.
7. NAO
NAO is a British electro-r&b artist who has been steadily picking up eyes since her 2016 debut album, For All We Know. Behind takeoff songs “Bad Blood” and “Fool to Love”, NAO has more than enough energy to look forward to. NAO’s soulful grooves and sweet vocals no doubt will make for a great show.
8. Curtis Harding
Curtis Harding is easily one of our favorite new discoveries to come with this years Sasquatch lineup. With a youthful soul reminiscent of the late great Charles Bradley who played the fest before passing just last year, Curtis Harding has a sound that touches the heart and is more than likely to transfer into an incredible live show.
9. Pond
Pond is often associated with Tame Impala, due to the bands sharing band members and because both bands play psych-rock and come from Australia. Pond’s version of psychadelia hits a little differently, but if it’s anything like Tame Impala’s 2015 set, the Pond set in 2018 has a shot at being a transformative show.
10. Lizzo
Lizzo is an alternative rapper, who, born in Houston and raised in Detroit, dropped a few projects and got signed under an imprint of Atlantic Records. Her latest project, Coconut Oil, is very promising and Lizzo remains one of the more heavily slept on rappers in the game. Lizzo is a joy and her set is bound to be a lot of fun.
Having gone to Sasquatch! every year since 2015, we’ve been lucky to witness some of the best live shows in our lives. Kendrick Lamar and Robert Plant in 2015. M83 and The Clash in 2016. LCD Soundsystem and Chance The Rapper in 2017. With a stacked lineup of excellent acts, Sasquatch! 2018 looks to continue adding to their list of unforgettable moments.
See the entire lineup and find out more about Sasquatch! 2018 at their site below
