Week in Review

I just got back to Portland last night after more than a week working and visiting in the Bay Area. So here’s a quick wrap of my last few days.

The Treasure Island Music Festival

In it’s third year, the treasure island festival finally sold out. Ticket wise that is. The festival, a past time for me and Annie since its inception in 2007, was packed for both days, meaning more crowds and more craziness. Saturday the 17th was an electronic filled day of dance and DJs galore. I only got to see a limited amount of that day, but it was an earful. MGMT headlined the day, which also featured acts ranging from Passion Pit to Girl Talk to Murs. It was eclectic and exciting to say the least.

Day two, the 18th, was really more my style, with indie rock as far as the eye could see. The day was much chillier, and the music reflected that was Beirut, Grizzly Bear, and The Flaming Lips all gave us some stellar sets. Yo La Tengo was my personal highlight, a group that I have loved and praised for over a decade now, but have never seen live. They did not disappoint, playing an all time favorite (“Stockholm Syndrome”) as well as some great stuff off their latest record Popular Songs. Here’s some more pictures I did not take but which can be found on the treasure island website

the flaming lips

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Grizzly Bear ... I'm actually in this picture. Can you spot me?

After this weekend of fun and excitement, it was time for work. To make money, I set up and help run live events like this past week’s Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. This is the second or third time I did this show, and usually it’s a mixture of hugely powerful CEOs and the bums who want to sell their next big idea. Sometimes there is a special celebrity cameo. Last year it was Former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore.

This year?

Fuck.

So it was that I exchanged a head nod and eyebrow raise with Carson Daly backstage at Web 2.0 this year. Just a couple of dudes, saying what up.

Fucking Carson Daly man. What a glamorous life I lead.

So I was doing that for the week solid. Long days, lots of fun. It’s my job. When I wasn’t working I was getting reacquainted with terrible TV shows. I can tell you for a fact that TV is killing our minds, and they’re not even trying to be subtle about it anymore. I literally watched a CBS sitcom with a punchline that went: “I’ll have to Facebook him!” (huge unexplainable laughter coming from studio audience)

Sigh.

After so much depressing TV and work, it was high time I drove back up to Portland. Lo and behold, the night I get back there’s a great show happening at the Aladdin Theater. Ironically, or coincidentally at least, the band in question is from San Francisco. Hey, I was just there!

It’s the Dodos, with New Zealand’s Ruby Suns opening.

The Dodos is a recently upgraded duo to trio outfit that can be best described as punk folk, or stompin’ acoustic, or tribal country. I’m not sure. I can tell you that the drums from Logan Kroeber are hard and pounding as singer Meric Long’s guitar is furiously picked and strummed while Keaton Snyder’s giant xylophone/vibraphone monstosity is ding donging along and the whole thing is just so good. It’s head nodding, foot tapping rocking out pure white heat, and made for an amazing return to PDX.

Today I had a health exam complete with paper suits and blood letting, but you don’t want to hear about that now do you? Next week I’m off to Vegas, celebrating Ben and Nicole’s wedding on Halloween. Sweet God, I am looking forward to that. Until then…