Pickathon is every bit as magical as everyone described, if not more so. We were honored to spend a few days on the Pendarvis Farm just outside of Portland for the 21st annual edition of Pickathon. Armed with our point and shoot and some disposable cameras, we soaked up as much of the color and community of this one-of-a-kind festival as possible.
While normally we stray away away from the hectic atmosphere of music festivals, we cannot stress enough the inviting sense of care put into every aspect of this festival that made us feel right at home. Using every bit of the farm property, Pickathon is able to create unique ways to showcase the musical artists, promote local eateries and artisans, and establish settings for community bonding and awareness. It’s a wonderful world where attendees staff, artists, and organizers meld into one group that is striving for the same organically transcendent experience.
Many attendees have come year after year and there are also plenty of new comers like ourselves. They range from older couples who wouldn’t miss a year to young families to very young people to the man at almost every set wearing a Lizzo t-shirt that everyone couldn’t help but notice all weekend long. Everyone is there to help, to enjoy, and to immerse themselves.
One great thing about the festival is its commitment to sustainability, especially its elimination of single use plastics. Attendees are able to purchase a $6 reusable metal cup for their drinks all weekend long and a $10 token to use and reuse the event plates and wooden utensils for each meal. Fresh drinking water is available for free around nearly every corner with never too long of a wait. Guests and the festival both seem committed to keeping the grounds free of trash and needless debris. And, there is even a solar-powered phone charging station.
All weekend long, they have yoga, guided meditation, children-specific programing, art exhibitions, and more outside of the sets of music. Our favorite activity was the opening night’s famous square dance. And, it was always comforting to see the residing horses outside the Galaxy Barn.
Of course, there was an overwhelming amount of great music. Even traveling from stage to stage as fast as our legs could carry us, we still only saw a fraction of what was on offer. Luckily, the stages are never too far apart and most artists play two sets on two different days of the festival which allowed us to see a lot of the artists we were hoping to.
Heading to the opening Thursday night, we were able to catch a beautifully haunting, atmospheric set from Ora Cogan followed by a square dance and the truly unforgettable intergalactic chill pop of Reptaliens. Mountain Man rounded out the evening on the appropriately named Starlight Stage with a subtle, soft set that included a cover of Fiona Apple’s “Hot Knife” and a few songs from two of their solo projects who have just released new albums: Molly Sarlé and Daughter of Swords. At one point, Amelia Meath said she always thinks about Fiona Apple eating peanut butter and apples before singing “Hot Knife” and, as if on command, apples and peanut butter made their way to the stage from audience members.
Saturday morning began with a shuffle to the very front of the Galaxy Barn (which only fits less than 300 people) for just the right view of Helena Deland‘s delicate but intentional pop. We got our needed energy jolt for the day next from New Zealand’s The Beths. You’d have never been able to tell they were at the end of a 5-week tour and the cheers never got any less emphatic no matter how many times they said “We’re The Beths from New Zealand.” As sultry as we’d always hoped they would be live, The Marías captivated an afternoon crowd at the Mt. Hood stage with arguably the smoothest set we saw at Pickathon. Carving our way back into the packed Galaxy Barn, we were blessed to catch the self-assured mix of beats, violin, and glossy vocals from the always impressive Sudan Archives.
Continuing on with our busy Saturday, it seemed that the crowd back at the Woods stage may not have known much of Miya Folick‘s music before she started but boy was everyone fully hooked by the end. We hadn’t seen Miya since CMJ in 2015 (which was one of her very first shows) and her artistry and songwriting, much like her Pickathon performances, truly soars. While we’d heard whispers of the intensity of the prior day’s Viagra Boys set, we still couldn’t have been prepared for the addictive chaos. The singer’s mic was stolen by an anxiously moshing crowd as soon as the vocals came in on the first song but was quickly and politely returned. A Viagra Boys’ set is a site to behold as they have just as much fun playing through their peculiar songs as the crowd does flailing to them. For the most jarring transition of the festival, we then caught a few songs of Lucius where the sweet baby next to us even clapped along in time. Julia Jacklin can break hearts with her powerful ballads and often-lonesome indie rock anywhere but her set on the Treeline stage seemed just right. It included a duet with Courtney Marie Andrews and some tambourine from former tour-mate Black Belt Eagle Scout. It seemed like the most fitting end to a wonderful Saturday would only be the ever-cool Khruangbin back on the Woods Stage and they did not disappoint. In their stylish stage outfits, the trio formed an impenetrable groove that seemed to spread through the whole glowing crowd.
Back for a toasty one on Sunday, we made it in time for a confident set from a band we’ve wanted to see for a long time: Canada’s Nap Eyes. Next, all-time Swell Tone favorite Sam Evian charmed as always with some of the biggest energy and certainly the most saxophone we’ve ever seen from one of his sets out on the Woods Stage. Having not had enough of the party that is a Miya Folick set, we headed back to the Galaxy Barn for another sweaty and wonderful set from her. The Woods Stage was really the perfect setting to hear Lucius belt out the song that makes almost anyone cry: “Two of Us On the Run.” Portland’s own Black Belt Eagle Scout ripped through some guitar on the Treeline Stage and highlighted the importance of including native people in a festival as inclusive as Pickathon. After watching her set on the big Mt. Hood Stage, it’s clear that Courtney Marie Andrews has the same soul and songwriting capabilities of all the old country greats. Her songs were powerful, to the point, and just the right amount of worn in. Pacific Northwest favorite Damien Jurado likely would be an odd fit for other festivals but his poetic ballads were the perfect ending to our Pickathon as they were sung sweetly between sardonic commentary to a seated and attentive audience at the Woods stage.
If you can’t already tell, we had the best time at Pickathon. Flip through the film snaps above and listen through the playlist of our favorite song from each set we saw below to get a full picture of the festival. We can’t wait to go back next year and encourage you to join us if you can!
