The Sets of Sasquatch - Bon Iver and Monotonix » Sound On The Sound

June 8, 2009

The Sets of Sasquatch - Bon Iver and Monotonix

Bon Iver ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Monotonix ::: Photo by Josh Lovseth

Sasquatch 2009 was filled with memorable performances and some truly stellar sets. Despite being only three days long, it’s impressive what a wealth and diversity of acts we managed to catch during our time at Sasquatch, all while largely avoiding the “headliners” of the festival. During the festival, in part thanks to an orthopedic boot, I only made it to the main stage five times, for: Animal Collective, Avett Brothers, The Decemberists, Murder City Devils, and the tail end of the Fleet Foxes. While I missed the acts that got most people through the gates, there’s no doubt in my mind that I caught the highlights of the entire Sasquatch! Music Festival: Bon Iver’s soaring set on Saturday night and Monotonix’s Monday afternoon insanity.

Bon Iver and Monotonix couldn’t be more opposite musically or performance-wise. A Bon Iver set is all about the songs and the nuance of Justin Vernon’s vulnerable vocals and lyrics, while during a Monotonix set you barely hear the songs amidst concerns of survival and avoiding Ami’s hairy, sweaty, Speedo-clad ass from landing on your face. During Bon Iver’s set everybody sang softly along as the bearded folkie sang: earnestly with shut eyes. During Monotonix’s set everybody did their best to keep Ami and the rest of the band upright as they crowd-surfed for what seemed like over half of the set. When early on, the crowd failed and Ami went crashing to the ground (and on top of the the bass drum he’d been standing on) he emerged from the crowd bloodied and with a large gash on his cheek; but completely undeterred at conquering the human wave below him. One set was pure over-the-top punk performance, while the other was staggering singer-songwriter genius.

While they may have nothing in common musically, the thing that Monotonix and Bon Iver did share was their ability to harness the epic moments possible in a festival-style setting like Sasquatch. For Bon Iver, it was a spine-tingling set, and that sense seemed to reverberate through the entire audience when he asked the crowd to act as his chorus during “The Wolves (Act I & II).” The audience, which had been dutifully singing along to every aching word already, happily obliged in a collective sway of song. Even the photo pit sang along. And as cheesy as it all sounds, standing there with the hairs on my neck standing on end, it felt like you were witnessing a moment of collective grace and something larger than yourself.

Monotonix’s set may not have been as profound as Bon Iver, but the band certainly harnessed the chaotic energy of the festival setting. Monotonix feeds on the thrill and fear of unexpected consequences from their performances. Out of the three previous Monotonix sets Sound on the Sound had seen, two had been shut down prematurely thanks to the band’s and crowd’s antics. When the security guard in charge of the Wookie Stage photo pit mentioned that he expected the band might be crazy enough to be shut down, and he did so during the first set of the day Monday, we fully expected Monotonix’s Sasquatch set would face a similar fate. When Ami and the band set their instruments up in front of the barrier and were crowd-surfing before the end of their second song, we were POSITIVE they’d be shut down at any moment and that certainty continued throughout the set. But no. No matter how crazy, bloody, sweaty, and hectic Monotonix’s set became, the security and powers-that-be let them continue. A Monotonix show is all about spectacle, participation, and a crazy communal experience — and they out-spectacled themselves with the audience’s eager help at Sasquatch – you’ve never seen anyone more thrilled to grope the Speedo’d ass of a hairy Israeli man than this year’s Sasquatch! audience.

Ultimately, as diametrically opposed as they may be, for both Monotonix and Bon Iver, we ended up sharing a sense of renewed wonder about these bands, their performance, and their ability to realize the full potential of a festival setting. When we look back at Sasquatch 2009, these will be the bands we recall most fondly and with a sense of wonder.