Sasquatch! 2009: Mos Def, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Mos Def ruled the Wookie stage Saturday evening, rhyming over a variety of beats to an enthusiastic, capacity crowd. We were lucky enough to get on the side of the stage with him, and it was great seeing such a dynamic performer so close up. The audience threw fists in the air, sang along, and had a great time. As cool as it was, I left his performance a little early in order to catch the Yeah Yeah Yeahs performance on the main stage, while Jeff stayed behind.  He’ll possibly chime in later with a more in-depth assesment of the performance.

The YYYs captivated their audience and brought a ferocious energy to a crowd that was tiring as quickly as the sun was setting (the sunset here at The Gorge is amazing). They played every song I wanted to hear, and I was more than satisfied to spend the twilight listening to songs like “Zero” and “Maps.” It was truly a beautiful night, but I have to admit–the early morning, long drive, hot sun, and relentless lineup have taken their toll on me, and I’m certainly ready for a good night’s sleep, and am relatively certain that I’ll konk out pretty quickly as soon as I get back to the hotel tonight. After all, like the rest of this crowd, I’ve gotta get up and do it all again tomorrow! See you then!

–Alan Wiley