I went to Project Pabst Music Festival and all I got was...

Mannequin Pussy, Iggy Pop, Wednesday, The Exploding Hearts reunion, following Death Cab For Cutie into the dark, and more

Hi! So I spent the weekend in Portland, Oregon thanks to the fine people of Pabst Blue Ribbon, doing my best approximation of an MTV VJ at Lollapalooza 1995 (my actual lifelong dream job, may it rest in Ridiculousness) at their annual Project Pabst music festival. The interviews will live HERE. I spent my down time doing photo journalism (Manic Panic is definitely still putting up numbers here in the PNW), watching bands, and drinking large, cold Mexican cokes.

The festival had a really great, tightly programmed, locale-honoring line-up. Portland bands like Nasalrod (such a good name) and Dustbunny (shoegazey, vibey, very good!) performed, as well as the semi-recently reformed Exploding Hearts, a band I have long loved and never thought I’d get to the chance to see. The early 2000s power-pop band only had time to put out one (pretty perfect) album, 2003’s Guitar Romantic¹, before they were struck by incredible tragedy: a car accident that killed lead vocalist/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, and drummer Jeremy Gage, leaving only guitarist Terry Six behind. Six reformed the band twenty years later (they are all bartenders!) and this year they’ve been playing shows, including this hometown moment. And you know what? They sounded fucking awesome. There’s a lot more to this story and to say about this band but I’ll save it for the pod.

Karly Hartzman of Wednesday, Missy Dabice of Mannequin Pussy, and Idalis

I got put on to some new artists, like Say She She, NYC disco queens that were giving a little ESG, Gustaf (very cool and very well dressed), and Sam Austins, incredible and borderline indescribable. I also got to see some longtime favorites, like Mannequin Pussy, who I first saw perform in a tiny room in LA 11 years ago and have had the pleasure of watching evolve into one of the most exciting contemporary bands in the world. (You have listened to “Loud Bark” right?). Front woman Missy Dabice has blossomed into a total star - her stage presence is compelling and dangerous and sexy and cool. She wore a red patent leather bra and newsprint capris with a belt and stamped around the stage in little burgundy kitten heels and it all really made me feel excited to be alive.

Mannequin Pussy (not pictured, the Grillo’s Pickles mascot crowdsurfing)

Japanese Breakfast’s set was ethereal - Michelle Zauner performed in a giant clam wearing a gorgeous Róisín Pierce dress she told me got on sale at Dover Street Market. She also told me she has three short weeks off of touring coming up and will be using that time to write her second book, you lazy fucks. (Commentary the author’s own). Gouge Away ripped, I really love them. Then there was Wednesday, who is in my opinion making some of the most interesting and nuanced “indie rock” (if you can reduce it to that term, it’s really more on some fuck genre shit) out there today. Karly Hartzman has this Southern belle gone bad thing going and looked extremely cool in a sweet little red mini dress and smeared blue lipstick. She sings honeyed like an angel and screams ragged like a banshee, perfect juxtaposish. Also I’ve heard the forthcoming album Bleeds and it is incredible. Summer is nice but Wednesday autumn is about to pop off.

Iggy Pop has been taking his creatine (and seemingly his Nutrafol² as well) - he is one of the few artists of that generation I can watch live and truly enjoy without feeling like there’s some elder abuse at play.

I stood with Death Cab For Cutie and Postal Service frontman Ben Gibbard for a brilliant Built To Spill set. Ben knows all the words to every song but I think only I cried; “Carry The Zero” is one of the best songs in recorded music history and if you don’t agree you’re wrong and you can go now (I can’t be your apologist very long!!!). And then Death Cab closed out the festival with a era-varied, musically tight, and newly muscular feeling set - it was the kind of show that makes you suspect that if a new album is coming, it’s probably going to be both really different and really good? (One can hope!) Also Gibbard is one of the only men on earth who can get away with wearing a wristband because he actually uses it, frequently, for its intended purpose. Following you into the dark is cardio.

I ended the night trying to passionately make my case to members of Japanese Breakfast and Death Cab that Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” is a really good song. I failed (tough crowd).³

Here are more photos:

Gustaf brought their own tarot cards AND crystals

best t-shirt of the weekend tbh

a close second

he was telling me actually saw them twice

only using this photo to trojan horse in a pic of my outfit sorry Benjamin

Added songs from these artists to the Fast & Loose playlist. xx

1. much of the album was co-written with New Orleans musician King Louie Bankston

2. Low key I think that might be a lace front babe (no judgment simply an observation!)

3. They’re wrong though