Sasquatch 2012: Deer Tick, Feist, Fun. & More Best Moments From Day 4

It was the fourth and final day of an exhausting music festival (one that involved a lot of walking up and down hills), and I’m probably not alone in saying that I needed a pick-me-up when I arrived to the Gorge early Monday afternoon. It hit me the second I opened the car door—the reverb-drenched feedback and distortion from Austin, TX, bluesman Gary Clark Jr’s electric guitar. You can feel the thing buzzing, like it's alive. It was.

The actor-turned-songwriter was all dressed up in his country duds (ranch suit, cowboy hat, etc.) to bring Sasquatch its only dose of straight-ahead throwboack country. It sounded great, especially his cover of Patsy Cline’s “The Warward Wind,” about finding love in a rundown border town and trying to settle down (that’s a lot of rhyming right there). Reilly invited up some guests, too, like Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond.

At this point it’s a given: Feist’s set will always be one of, if not the, definitive set of any given festival, no matter who’s playing (and I mean anybody). I’ve seen the Canadian singer-guitarist live in concert five times since the release of her 2011 album, 'Metals,’ but this time was different: instead of performing with a 30-member-plus band, including string and brass sections, the 36-year-old Toronto native played with only a backing five-peice, plus her backing trio of female vocalists, Mountain Man. In a cute summer hat and a mid-riff baring dress, Feist proved that she shines even brighter when the magnified glass is on her alone. And while it was Memorial Day stateside, Feist didn't forget where she came from: "Who's from the east? The west? South?" she asked to various degrees of response. When Feist finally whispers "north?” she does a lil jig and then launches into a hooky opening riff on "My Moon, My Man."

When Mogwai was unable to make it to Sasquatch due to travel difficulties, Deer Tick, who performed on Sunday, stepped in to fill the Swedish band's slot. What'd the Rhode Island band play? Well, a set that seemed custom fit for the musical tastes of yours truly. It couldn't have been more fitting: The played rousing renditions of the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" and the Beatles' "909," then played a mini set of Nirvana covers (playing as "Deervana"), including "On a Plain" and "Scentless Apprentice." Stepping up with a set of polished covers is an unmistakable sign of a truly talented, versatile band.

Sallie Ford is an adorable southern gal who snorts when she laughs, and has the voice of a 1920s flapper hopped up on honey-flavored whiskey. The quartet's country-folk and rockabilly sound was a totally a kick in the pants. "You guy's wanna dance? Me too!" Ford hollered. With her hips twisting and her arms at her sides, palms down and sashaying, she sang a pair of new songs: "Bad Boys," on which Ford adopted a girl-in-love vibe, and “Pairs,” recently written about her recent tour in Europe. The set closed with yet another newbie, this one rumored to be the single of their fall album. "Touch my thigh!!! Honey I'm in heaven!!!" Ford was making herself blush.

The miniscule crowd (really, it was the smallest I'd seen anywhere all weekend) at the Yeti Stage for Cass McCombs’ set was simply a sin—of the 20,00 plus concertgoers (some even with good taste in music!) and you’re telling me only a handful have heard of this singer-songwriter? Too bad. Y'all missed out on “Country Mile,” the ‘70s-tinged gem from Wit's End, the first of his two full-length releases in 2011, plus steady handed versions of folk-rock-punk jams like "Mystery Mail." Delicate and tasteful, the band was mellow but occasionally shimmied into Grateful Dead territory. Don't be ashamed -- everybody's a Dead Head at heart.

I saw England trio Joy Formidable open for Foo Fighters last fall at Madison Square Garden, and they sure made a lot of noise, especially for an opener (classic stage law says no opener is louder than the headlininer). Monday afternoon on the main stage, they topped it again. The guitar work on "Whirring" and "Austere," their two biggest hits, literally sounded like a jet plane doing a fly by. And that's coming from a pixie girl no taller than five feet.

I'm a HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of British space-rock romantics Spiritualzed. But I admit, they're not for everybody. Their music is moody, atmospheric, full of references to drugs and jesus, and sometimes long, meandering and seemingly directionless. Then that one gorgeous melody comes in and opens the dopamine flood gates. Zing! These moments can be hard to appreciate for untrained listener, so I understand why droves of concertgoers were quickly exiting the Bigfoot Stage and fleeing towards the main stage to catch Beck. Good for me, though: I was able to sneak right up front for Spiritualized's killer run through "Hey Jane," the first single from their year-end-list-ready album Sweet Heart Sweet Light.'

Get your fishing poles!

Admit it: the crowd—the biggest all weekend—at the Bigfoot Stage on Monday afternoon wasn’t gathered there to hear fun.’s first album, 'Aim and Ignite.' Nor were they there for Jack Antonoff’s white t-shirt collection or singer Nate Reuss’ good looks (well, maybe a little of those). The people wanted one thing from the New York City-based indie super group of sorts: "We Are Young," their breakout hit that has transcended any genre designation, receiving regular play ON EVERY RADIO STATION IMAGINABLE. All good things are worth waiting for, as they say, and the band held out as long as possible before unveiling their ace. Good exposure plan, guys. It worked. Turns out the band's infectious hooks live elsewhere, too, particularly the gospel-tinged title track of their new album, "Some Nights," and some tunes from their debut, like "Benson and Hedges." When they finally played "We Are Young" the camera phones came out for a few minutes to pop bliss. Then, of course, everyone packed 'em up and headed to see Beck. But at least fans now know fun. have more than one song.