Unpacking Sasquatch: Hanging Out Backstage

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:42:58 PDT

I did a lot of running around backstage at Sasquatch over the long holiday weekend chatting with musicians about touring all summer, hanging out at music festivals, and more. I've rounded up the final bits of conversations I had with Dead Confederate, Newton Faulkner, and Joshua Morrison.

Dead Confederate
These guys requested I interview them in the V.I.P. lounge keg line. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do for the music. There's more than three of them and the line was a bit chaotic, so I couldn't tell you who said what in the following!

Dead Confederate is a provocative name, are you guys making some kind of statement?

Hardy [one of the band members] used to date a girl named Dead Confederate, she kind of dumped him….every song is a memory of Dead Confederate. Nah, it just makes sense with the way we sound, something kinda dark. Got your attention, kinda dark.

How long have you guys been together?
Three weeks. We were on the cover of the Rolling Stone the first week we had the band.

Where did you guys meet?
Denny's.

Their manager: You guys have to answer some questions serious!

What do you guys dance to? Say, alone in your underwear?
James Brown! Queen! Lionel Richie, "All Night Long" that’s our answer! [started singing "All Night Long"].

To see my interview with Joshua Morrison and Newton Lawrence,

read more. Joshua Morrison I sampled Joshua's music before heading out to Sasquatch and was really interested in chatting with him about his time in Iraq and how that influenced his music. On your CD your vocals are distorted and hushed. Is that hard to recreate live? Playing live is new to me. It’s hard to get that experience. The crowd was good, it was different, I haven't played outside in six or seven years. You're native to the Northwest. Is playing Sasquatch a dream come true? It is cool, you know, to come out and be at the Gorge is kind of surreal for me. My normal day-to-day life is different. Doesn’t have much to do with music. Yeah you're in the army and a musician. Do you find in the army these days a lot of soldiers are looking for creative outlets? Yeah an entire group of people in the army are creative, they play music for sure. It's frustrating for me as a soldier to see them portrayed in the movies, it gives me great joy to see soldiers represented that are interested in all sorts of things - art, poetry. . . they're out there. Newton Faulkner I also sampled UK import Newton Faulkner's music before the festival and had a great time chatting him up as well. You've opened for a lot of great acts. Who's been your favorite? John Butler, James Morrison, Paulo Nutini, G-Love, too. . . loads of Australian acts as well. America seems to be catching up with Europe in regard to festivals being the primary way to see live music in the summer. England really does festivals, there are millions of them as well. Really nice way to spend a weekend, if anything else. Just have to make sure it doesn’t get too expensive. Festivals abroad are my favorite thing in the world. I did one in Australia it was amazingly beautiful. Your single, "Dream Catch Me," is really getting popular in the UK. Did you know you were writing a hit at the time? I wasn't sure. . . If you try to write a hit you'll very rarely actually do it. I think you have to write and be honest. That’s all you really can do. Source

Unpacking Sasquatch: Hanging Out With Rainn Wilson

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:47:12 PDT

While many of you were reveling in BBQs and sunshine over Memorial Day weekend, I ventured north for the 2008 Sasquatch Music Festival and it was so much fun! Soon I'll share with you my general take on the bands I got to watch perform and interview. However, before I could even get to the music my first day on the scene, I noticed an airplane circling round overhead with a banner promoting the film The Rocker and then suddenly I was surrounded by teenagers sporting bandanas with the movie's logo. I knew then: Rainn Wilson was in the house.

In The Rocker (opening August 1), Rainn plays a washed-up drummer who helps some teenagers learn how to live, love, and rock 'n' roll, so it's only natural that he's hitting summer music festivals to promote the film. Plus, he's originally from Seattle so I imagine it's not a total drag for him to hang out with bands native to his hometown.

Rainn was omnipresent throughout the festival and even took to the main stage between acts to entertain the crowd. Backstage I caught up with him and the band Dead Confederate (more on them and their music later). To check out Rainn hamming it up for the camera while these Southern boys grilled him on his favorite color,

read more. For those of you liking the song in this clip as much as I am, it's called "The Rat," and you can take a listen here.