There were more than 80 acts spread out over three days, and I did my best to make it worth it. I saw 31 bands—and I have a few words on all of them.

The Gorge, Quincy, Wash.

Seeing a concert at the Gorge Amphitheater is one of life's most magical experiences. There is a huge lawn, and at the bottom of the lawn is a multi-tiered terrace with grass on each level for seating. Everything is general admission (at least for all of the shows I have attended there), and down in front of the stage is ample room for getting your groove thang shakin'.

And behind the main stage are the tan cliffs of Columbia River Gorge. Far below, the dark blue of the Columbia River is dotted with white wakes of motorboats, and an occasional multicolored sail from a windsurfer or sailboat. At sunset, the orange and red on the horizon is combined with a cool breeze, giving you a break from the daytime desert heat. Throw that in with the right music (The Decemberists and TV on the Radio were my sunset bands for 2009) and you have found paradise.

The eight-year-old Sasquatch Festival has more than one stage. Each year, concert organizers have played around with how large second and third stages are, and how they are laid out. This year, like just about every other concert in the United States, Live Nation took over (from House of Blues) and there were four stages: the Main Stage, a dance/comedy tent, a mid-sized stage (the Wookie Stage), and a smallish stage (the Yeti Stage).

THE ENVIRONMENT

The weather, especially out in the Washington desert (wait...Washington has a desert?!), can be unpredictable and harsh—and dealing with it can be its own saga. Past Sasquatch Festivals have seen delays and inconveniences generated by high winds, heavy rain, crushing heat, unseasonable cold, lightning and hail...though not all at the same time.

Weather.com predicted a rainlessly clear and consistent 60s lows and mid-85s highs for the whole weekend: in other words, perfect weather. It was hot, sure, but manageable with sunscreen, water and a hat. More water and more shade would have been nice (skip to the Venue section for more info on that). Cooler night temps were combated by a Pacific NW specialty: the reverse game of strip poker known as layering.

My favorite "weather" image of the weekend was on Saturday when, during Devotcha, the crowd erupted into spontaneous cheers as the shadows of a single line of clouds provided respite from the sun. These were the only clouds of the weekend, and the only break from the sun that anyone had, outside of nighttime or the Johnny on the Spots.

THE MUSIC

There were more than 80 acts spread out over three days, and I did my best to make it worth it. I saw 31 bands—and I have a few words on all of them. Feel free to skip around to find out if I saw one of your favorites and what I thought. Each section is in ABC order to make it easier to find.

Unexpectedly Awesome

Animal Collective (day 1, late afternoon, Main Stage): What makes this band great? Is it the beats? Well, yeah. They played a lot of songs from their new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, but they also threw in a couple from Feels and Sung Tongs, too. Like the Decemberists (see below), they didn't pause between songs, they just kept going. New songs "Summertime Clothes" and "My Girls" got the biggest reaction, but they had the crowd shimmying throughout the set.

What else makes this band great? Is it is the harmonies? Well, yeah. It is not a straight up harmonizing, but they use effects to create a unique sound. And, like Bon Iver (see below), they know how to use the falsetto.

Another fun thing about Animal Collective is its evolution. Each album is a little different than the previous one. They seem a band that is here to stay. I thought they were quality with the release of their new album, but seeing them live I am truly convinced. They were able to fill the Gorge with their music, but I am really curious what they would be able to do to a smaller venue with more time.

Bon Iver (day 1, night, Wookie Stage): I was only able to catch the second half of this show because it conflicted with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (see below). I suspected that the mellow, understated acoustic music would translate into an intensity that the studio album didn't have. I love it when I'm right.

Justin Vernon (the brains behind the band) can really sing. Unlike Passion Pit (see below under "They could be SO much more"), he uses falsetto effectively, and not all the time. What was surprising was the use of two drummers. This music doesn't really need two drummers. However, it brings something very special to the table, especially when these understated songs crescendo into an intense climax. On "Skinny Love" there were three drummers banging out a sparse marching beat. He was also able to wrangle a sing-along out of the crowd for "Wolves" and it didn't feel forced...and it is not exactly a "sing-along" kind of song either.

The Decemberists (day 1, evening, Main stage): The Decemberists started out their career playing Victorian era stories about pirates, ghosts and lost love. Though their musical aesthetic remained, the stories soon took a turn for the more modern with songs like "16 Military Wives," "At the Bus Mall" and "The Sporting Life" from their album Picaresque. This is the Decemberists I love.

However, their last two albums—The Crane Wife and the newest The Hazards of Love—venture into prog-rock territory, with long jams, big guitars and convoluted stories. The Hazards of Love is a fairytale concept album with different roles sung by guest vocalists. I was not a fan of their new album at first, but their live performance made me rethink that.

For their appearance at Sasquatch, The Decemberists had two female guest singers playing the characters of The Queen and Margaret (don't ask, not important). They were both great singers (from My Brightest Diamond and Lavender Diamond, respectively).

As Animal Collective, the band did not stop between songs, and played the newest album in its entirety. The most cheers came when Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) came onstage to sing...and, wow, could she sing. Also impressive was "The Rake Song," a horrible story about a villain who kills all of his children. This was a surprisingly fantastic set...and in a moment of true rock show legend, something happened in the crowd that was One of the Craziest Things, I Ever Did See (see below for that story).