Pickathon _ Indie Roots Music Festival _ Portland, Oregon

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: The Wilders - L.A.

Pickathon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:20:11 -0700

Another week of winter and also one week closer to the biggest Pickathon announcement to date...

Tuesdays at The Pickathon Pumphouse, The Wilders - L.A.

We've long been fans of The Wilders and this Pickathon Pumphouse Session sums up everything that is great about this band. Ike, Betse, Nate, and Phil are on fire in the little 10x10 out in the woods, and we're lucky everyone made it out of there alive.

From what we have heard, this also could have been the last time any of us at Pickathon could have had the opportunity to see the band live... So soak this session up!

More sessions over at Live Breathing.

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: Vetiver - You May Be Blue

Pickathon — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:24:16 -0700

Yet another glorious Tuesday with new sessions from Live Breathing and the Pickathon Pumphouse.

This time around we find Vetiver with You May Be Blue, from the 2006 release To Find Me Gone (Dichristina Stair Builders).

2012 Pickathon Dates and Location

Pickathon — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:05:42 -0700

In case you missed it and wanted to begin planning your summer...

Here are the official 2012 Pickathon Dates and Location:

August 3-5, 2012 | Pendarvis Farm

Currently we here at the Pickathon HQ are busy with lineup confirmations and other details in preparation of our first big announcement. Until that time comes we STRONGLY encourage anyone and everyone that is interested in this news to make sure they have joined us on Twitter, Facebook, and the Newsletter (E-List). These will be the first places that any of this news will be broadcast.

Did someone just say a surprise batch of (early purchase discount) Weekend Tickets will be released in the coming weeks? ... I think they just did!

Hint - Follow, Like, and Subscribe to make sure you get this news while fresh.

In the meantime, enjoy more Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions from Live Breathing.

Stay tuned!

Pickathon 2010 compilation now available on eMusic and iTunes

Pickathon — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:49:52 -0700

Purchase: eMusic | iTunes | CDBaby

A digital only release of 37 tracks taken from the various stage recordings of Pickathon 2010.

Songs from Bonnie Prince Billy The Cairo Gang, Heartless Bastards, Punch Brothers, Fruit Bats, Hayes Carll, Martha Scanlan, The Cave Singers, Typhoon, Megafaun, Roadside Graves, Richmond Fontaine, Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio, Sam Quinn + Japan Ten, The Dust Busters, Little Wings, Elliott BROOD, Michael Hurley, Breathe Owl Breathe, Chatham County Line, Langhorne Slim, Jill Andrews, Town Mountain, Sean Hayes, Weinland, Foghorn Stringband, Red Stick Ramblers, The Stone River Boys, Anais Mitchell, Black Prairie, Water Tower Bucket Boys, The Black Lillies, Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, Blind Boy Paxton, These United States, Woody Pines, T Model Ford

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: Old Light - Noirion

Pickathon — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:03:58 -0700

One more stop this week at the old Pickathon Pumphouse for another knockout session..

Old Light - Noirion

If you still have a thirst for more sessions that needs quenching, don't hesitate to visit Live Breathing. While you're there, visit the 2010 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions and say hello for us.

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - On This Land, Feathers Keep Falling

Pickathon — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:40:25 -0700

Starting another week with Live Breathing and the Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions.

Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - On This Land, Feathers Keep Falling

Enjoy.

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: Eilen Jewell - Bang Bang Bang

Pickathon — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:36:52 -0700

Next in line... Eilen Jewell and band doing Bang Bang Bang from their 2011 release Queen Of The Minor Key.

See you next week with more Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions coming at us from the one and only Live Breathing.

Welcome to 2012!

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: Sunday Valley - Never Go To Town Again

Pickathon — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:45:01 -0700

Day two of the Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions from Live Breathing!

Sunday Valley - Never Go To Town Again

Two sessions down, thirty-one to go...

Enjoy!

2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions: Damien Jurado - Static To Be Sold

Pickathon — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:54:12 -0700

The first session posted and the last session recorded..

Damien Jurado and his new band of fresh faces take us through Static To Be Sold, recorded by Live Breathing in the Pickathon Pumphouse.

On February 21 Secretly Canadian will be releasing the upcoming Damien Jurado LP, Maraqopa. Another collaboration with musician/producer and Cottage Grove resident, Richard Swift.

The 2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions

Pickathon — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:17 -0700

We're thrilled to have this news and sneak-peek of The 2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions from our good-good friends at Live Breathing. Recorded deep in the woods at Pendarvis Farm with some of our absolute favorite artists, there are hours upon hours of sessions with more than two thirds of the 2011 Pickathon lineup (so you know it's good!).

Check out the 1:19 trailer and see how many of the 33 artists recorded you can identify to help get your imagination going.

Select 2011 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions will begin to be released starting January 3, 2012.

In other news... We're looking forward to kicking off our biggest year yet and cannot wait to begin to share the big news with you. Winter is here and it's time to get things rolling along once again.

Happy Holidays!

How do we want to grow?

Pickathon — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:33:23 -0600

Please help us decide what we should do?

We've heard your feedback loud and clear and can assure that our focus for 2012 is locked in tight. It's a big time of year at the Pickathon HQ, one that sets the tone for the next 10 or so months. Site planning, performer selection and booking...major decisions around every corner.

The post-2011 feedback has given us a great deal to consider and the first item we want to discuss is a big one for us.

What path we should proceed to become financially sustainable as an organization over the long term?

In reading your comments, talking to numerous people, and working through endless brainstorming sessions there seems to be two clear options on how we can move forward:

Long Term Sustainability Option #1
Limit the growth of Pickathon and offset the growth with increased ticket prices. The idea would be to give up ~25% of our original final projected crowd size for an increase in ticket price by ~25%.

How would this affect 2012?

Ticket prices: $160(early bird) - $190(final online ticket price)

Growth: 0-10% vs. 2011 attendance.

Commentary: Limited growth alongside specific venue and camping improvements will allow for more overall comfort on a per-person basis. It also means we are highly likely to sellout for the first time in 2012 before the gates open.

Long Term Sustainability Option #2
Grow the total audience size of Pickathon between 2011 and 2013 by around 33-40% more than 2011.

How would this affect 2012?

Ticket prices: 130(early bird)-145(final online ticket price)

Growth: 20-25% vs. 2011

Commentary: Tickets would be more accessible, and the overall density would increase. To offset the increased attendance we would continue to more dramatically expand venues and camping options.

It is important to note for a point of reference that even if we were to implement Long Term Sustainability Option #2, Pickathon would still be under 4x the density of many other major comparable music festivals.

Either way we go, we will not change our core values.

We still believe that Pickathon can make it to the point of long term sustainability by being dedicated to providing the best music in the most inspiring settings one can imagine, listening to everyone with good ideas, making yearly improvements to all aspects of the site, and being open to new possibilities that may arise.

Let us know your thoughts and please note that we will continue to post more major questions for everyone to weigh in over the upcoming weeks.

We'll see you next August 3-5th!

Lost and Found at Pickathon?

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

Lost? Found? (click, click, click... on the above image to see what was left at the farm!)

We believe Pickathon can occur without ANY lost or stolen items.

Trust builds Community!

There are a few items that we have found since the pictures were taken, including a nice sleeping bag and a duffel bag of clothes.

Ok, best time to recover items? If it is really important, contact us and we'll arrange a time for you to get it. Our weekends are usually booked with private events like weddings, so that is not usually a good time.

Other stuff? Why not come to the Pickathon Work Parties! You can make some level campsites, hang out at the farm and get your lost item!

Reasons for reusable: less waste, less waste, less waste

Pickathon — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 06:49:36 -0600

The good news...
With an approximate 20% increase in attendance, the 2011 Pickathon ended up producing about the same total volume of waste (garbage, recycling and compost) as the 2010 Pickathon. What is even better is that 60% of that waste was not sent to the landfill in 2011 versus only 50% in 2010.

Even better news...
These numbers don't even come close to what types of waste reductions were found when looking at a per person basis.

Here is how the numbers broke down for this year:

* There was a 17% reduction in volume of total waste (recyclables, compost, and garbage) generated per person over 2010 and 38% reduction compared to 2009! I attribute these numbers primarily to the introduction of the durable cups in 2010 followed by the reusable serving plates and utensils this year.

* The volume of garbage going to the landfill dropped by 33% reduction per person over 2010 (49% reduction compared to 2009). Again, the reusable cups, plates and utensils make up a big part of this number. Substantial waste was also diverted from the landfill by helping vendors with recycling/compost equipment and frequent pick-ups.

* No change in the recoverables (recycling and compost) on a per person basis from 2010 but a drop of 27% compared to 2009. We collected 10 cubic yards (cy) of glass (say it ain't so!!), 40 cy of mixed recyclables (plastic, aluminum, and paper), and 10 cy of compost.

Well there we have it, strait from the Pickathon recycling/waste management/reusables head honcho - Jake Hofeld. Thank you Jake for this info and for an amazing team of volunteers.

And of course thank you everyone for playing the part and helping us make this a success.

We'll do it again next year...

The big 2011 Pickathon thank you and year-end review

Pickathon — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:11:08 -0600

Thank you Pickathon patrons, supporters and volunteers.

The Pendarvis Farm is settling down now, returning to the mostly wild landscape in which it will stay until next summer.

Pickathon 2011 was a rousing success with artists, audience, and press weighing in with their own personalized feedback.

Here is a partial sampling of what we’ve heard so far:

Grist, Tiny Mixed Tapes, Melophobe, Oregonian, Willamette Week, and Saving Country Music. Plus loads of kudos being broadcast over Twitter from many of the artists - Ray Wylie Hubbard, Fruit Bats, Black Mountain, Strand Of Oaks, Future Islands, Damien Jurado, and many-many more.

Before we ask for your feedback we wanted to give you our vision for where we plan to go in the future.

Pickathon will always be a festival centered on the most amazing array of bands we can put together. Our musical mix is quite different and broader than many festivals and we appreciate that the music lover in you looks forward to seeing some of your favorite artists while being open to new experiences.

Pickathon would not be Pickathon without all of the other countless elements that make up the incredible experience surrounding the music at Pendarvis Farm. Many of these elements are unique to Pickathon.

As we look to the future on how to keep things special, one word comes to mind:

Sustainability.

Pickathon thinks of sustainability as the balance between many components: environmental impacts, audience comfort, artistic beauty, land stewardship, and fair compensation for a dedicated community who works year round to make Pickathon happen.

The end goal is for Pickathon to become something that will last for at least a generation to come.

The good news is we are getting closer to this goal.

How close?

Our master plan is to take our time and grow over the next two years to reach a peak capacity that will be only around 30% over the 2011 attendance, and then cap it for a long time to come.

We limit the growth each year based on the land and infrastructure improvements we make in the off-season (and there will definitely be some solid new improvements coming in 2012!).

Our vision is to do all of this without overt corporate sponsorship or monetization of basic needs such as water and camping; and allowing for people to make personal choices in as many areas as possible (transportation costs, food options, single use utensils, etc).

So, now it is time for you to tell us how we did and whether we are on the right track for reaching our goals towards long term sustainability.

Feel free to comment on anything you liked, disliked, band suggestions, commentary, stories, and ideas you would like to see in the future and we will do our best to make it all come together for an even better 2012 Pickathon.

Looking forward to next year!

Pickathon Staff

Pickathon tickets are now only available at the gate

Pickathon — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:18:39 -0600

Pickathon Tickets are now only available at the gate and no longer available online.

Pickathon Gate Hours:
Friday: Noon-11pm
Saturday: 9am-11pm
Sunday: 9am-10pm

Pickathon Tickets Prices at the gate:
Weekend Ticket: $155
Weekend Parking: $45
Friday Only Ticket: $85
Friday Parking: $15
Saturday Only Ticket: $90
Saturday Parking: $15
Sunday Only Ticket: $90
Sunday Parking: $15

See you there!

Last call for ticket transfers! 24 hours left for advance tickets!

Pickathon — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:59:09 -0600

Howdy from the great Pickathon site build! The weather is glorious and there's movement all around the farm. Big time fun is right around the corner.

This is final call for any and all ticket transfers. IF you are someone who is transferring, selling, giving, trading, etc ... any tickets, and want to get your tickets shuffled in due time -- YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT -- to get those names swapped and have them tickets show up correctly at the gate.

And just so you know ... We're in the fourth quarter for Advance Tickets with the final hour coming up quick at Noon on Thursday. After Noon on Thursday , what tickets remain will be made available at the gate. Buy tickets today and save the $10.

Meet Before You Eat: Pickathon Primer on Dishes and Utensils

Pickathon — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:56:31 -0600

It is down to a matter of a few short days, just a couple more nights, a few random things left to pack. The nights where bedtime stories become Pickathon stories.. This is it friends - the final countdown.

Welcome to the first glimpse of the 2011 Pickathon Dishware provided by Bamboo Studio (dishes/utensils). Alongside GO Box (reusable to-go containers), and the pure awesomeness that keeps coming from Klean Kanteen (Reflect Bottles, Stainless Steel Pints) - we've got ourselves as close to zero-waste as an event can be.

Let our curious little raccoon give you the eye as you load up from one of our many amazing food vendors.

If eating at any of the food vendors at Pickathon you have only two choices for dishware/utensils:

1. Use the Pickathon Dish/Token System.
OR
2. Bring and wash your own dishes/utensils.

It's really that simple.

*Follow the links for more information!

Pickathon to stream performances in HD video on KEXP all weekend

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

Not able to make it to all of this years Pickathon? Bummed to only be attending for a single day? Live halfway across the world and can't even think about making it to Oregon this weekend? Fret no more friends, we're bringing the festival to you.

We are pleased to announce that 2011 Pickathon will be streaming throughout the weekend in HD video matched with high-quality audio. The stream will be available starting Friday at 4PM and will run continuously through Monday morning. You can watch according to the below schedule at any point during the weekend at either www.kexp.org
or www.pickathon.com

Friday Live Broadcasting
3:30 AgesandAges - Mountain View
4:40 L. C. Ulmer - Fir Meadow
5:15 Fruit Bats - Mountain View
6:15 Bruce Molsky - Fir Meadows
7:00 Ray Wylie Hubbard - Mountain View
8:00 Laura Veirs - Fir Meadows
8:45 Grupo Fantasma - Mountain View

Friday All-Night
Full performances from four stages (Woods Stage, Starlight Stage, Mountain View, and Fir Meadows)

Saturday Live Broadcasting
11:00 Water Tower Bucket Boys - Mountain View
12:00 Buffalo Killers - Fir Meadows
12:45 Pokey Lafarge - Mountain View
1:45 Sonny The Sunsets - Fir Meadows
2:30 The Builders and The Butchers - Mountain View
3:30 Joy Kills Sorrow - Fir Meadows
4:15 Jesse Sykes The Sweet Hereafter - Mountain View
5:15 Future Islands - Fir Meadows
6:00 Califone - Mountain View
7:00 The Wilders - Fir Meadows
7:45 Lee Fields The Expressions - Mountain View
9:00 Elliott Brood - Fir Meadows
9:45 Bill Callahan - Mountain View

Saturday All-Night
Full performances from four stages (Galaxy Barn, Woods Stage, Mountain View, and Fir Meadows)

Sunday Live Broadcasting
10:00 Breathe Owl Breathe - Mountain View
11:00 Michael Hurley - Fir Meadows
11:45 Alela Diane Wild Divine - Mountain View
12:45 Corinne West Kelly Joe Phelps - Fir Meadows
1:30 Wye Oak - Mountain View
2:30 Eilen Jewell - Fir Meadows
3:15 The Sadies - Mountain View
4:15 Cahalen Morrison Eli West - Fir Meadows
5:00 Vetiver - Mountain View
6:00 Thao The Get Down Stay Down - Fir Meadows
6:45 Black Mountain - Mountain View
8:00 Black Lillies - Fir Meadows
8:45 Mavis Staples - Mountain View

Sunday All-Night
Full performances from five stages (Galaxy Barn, Woods Stage, Workshop Barn, Mountain View, and Fir Meadows)

Seriously, this is not your grandpas live stream and we're excited to bring all this hard work to life for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Big thanks and major appreciation go out to a special few in helping pull this thing together - Datavideo, Atomos Ninja, Limelight Video, Beyond the Eye Productions, Stumptown Bliss, and more than 130 skilled professionals.

Tune in and catch Pickathon as it happens, from anywhere in the world (that has internet).

Less than Four days remain for Advance Tickets and just look at the weather!

Pickathon — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:43:43 -0600

Imagine this - within a few short days we'll all be out at the farm living that sweet Pickathon life.

This is to alert the final countdown for Advance Tickets - which will only be available until Thrusday at Noon. After that, it is purely chance that we will have tickets available at the gate.

Possibly we sell out within the next few days, possibly not. It's really hard to say at the moment... so don't wait this one out!

Get Your Tickets Today!

Oh - and how about that Weather? Sunny with low-80's during the day and nighttime lows in the high 50's. Bring your sunblock, sunhats, and sweatshirts!

AND! The new 2011 Schedule links:

Print at home version - 2011 Pickathon Schedule
Full desktop version - 2011 Pickathon LARGE Schedule

Pickathonography Vol. 1

Pickathon — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:10:23 -0600

Let us tell you how sweet this is...

Photographer Tim LaBarge and designer Patrick Barber collaborated to create this keepsake book that captures the essence of Pickathon.

The book is a retrospective of images from LaBarge's archive from the past five years and includes essays and stories from musicians and music writers including Northwest favorites Danny Barnes, Langhorne Slim and Eric D. Johnson (from the Fruit Bats.) "We tried our best to tell the story of Pickathon with these pictures," says LaBarge. "But the writers and the musicians that contributed pieces to the book blew my mind. There's a deep love and respect for this festival that goes beyond just an interest in music. It's about people."

Pickathonography Vol. 1 will be available at the festival merchandise table (August 5, 6, 7 at Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, Ore.), online through Tim's website or you can also just tack one onto your Pickathon Ticket order and pick it up at the Festival (this option only available until Midnight on Wednesday August 3).

If you can't make it to the festival, Tim will be at Music Millennium Wednesday, August 3rd at 7 pm at the signing table - alongside the Fruit Bats, who will be there doing an in store with their new release Tripper, which is out this tuesday August 2nd by Sub Pop.

Wowwee what a week

Alela Diane and Water Tower Bucket Boys added to the 2011 Pickathon Lineup

Pickathon — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:49:33 -0600

Let the headlines be heard..

Pickathon has added two great Portland groups to help complete the 2011 lineup (strange right?) - Alela Diane Wild Divine (who many of us saw just this past month while touring with Fleet Foxes) and Water Tower Bucket Boys.

Now it must be mentioned that these additions have come from the recent cancellations from both Old Sledge and Ted Jones The Tarheel Boys. Summer Bummer!

But it's o.k.! We've made the diving catch and are elated to get things back on track with a once again complete 2011 Schedule.

Grab it here - 2011 Pickathon Schedule

The big build is underway, do you have your tickets yet?

Pickathon — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:37:19 -0600

The annual Pickathon site build is underway and steady rolling...

Do you have your tickets yet?

Get 'em asap if still on the fence. Quantity is getting low and we don't want you missing out!

2011 Weekend and Single Day Tickets

Pickathon Ditches Single Use Dishes

Pickathon — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:59:26 -0600

The above info-graphic says it all...

Eliminating the use of all Single Use Dishes and Utensils at the 2011 Pickathon.

Download the Pickathon Dishes Poster.

There are two choices of how to help make this happen: Buy a token and use the Pickathon dishes (we wash/store) -or- Bring and use your own dishes (you wash/store).

We are super excited to introduce this big plan for 2011 and hope the above info can help answer any questions you may have.

We thought things through and used YOUR feedback in helping us design this first-of-its-kind festival experience.

Say so long to single use!

Behold the 2011 Pickathon Menu

Pickathon — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:08:54 -0600

Simply put... Pickathon offers the best food beverage menu available at any music festival in the U.S.

Beer you say? Why yes, flowing through three gardens from Portland's finest - Widmer Brothers Brewing (Mountain View and Galaxy Barn Gardens) and Hopworks Urban Brewery (Woods Stage Beer Garden).

Food you say? Sure thing - Garden State Food Cart, Violetta, Pine State Biscuits, Thai Seasons, C'est Si Bon! Specialty Foodworks, Al Forno Ferruzza, The Grove, Fuego De Lotus, Ali Baba's Tribal Treats, Burgers or Bust Cafe, Get Fried Rice, Zuppa Soups, Toast, Spunky Monkey Coffee, Townshend's Tea Company, Divine Pies, Fifty Licks Ice Cream, and Sol Pops. Possibly even more to add here...

We've paid special attention to help identify the gluten free/veggie/vegan options.

Check out the 2011 Pickathon Menu (11 pages!) and let the meal planning begin!

Download here - 2011 Pickathon Menu

Bon Appétit!

Camping at Pickathon? Check out the new 2011 Site Map!

Pickathon — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:21:38 -0600

So here is what you need to know...

In 2011 there are 20 new acres of camping at Pendarvis Farm opened up along with over one mile of new trails (which or course are light at night with LED's). This effectively doubles the amount of camping onsite over 2010 and should continue to provide a quality camping experience for all.

Download the 2011 Pickathon/Pendarvis Site Map.

Check out the incredibly detailed map and see for yourself. Services for campers have been greatly improved and we're excited to get folks out to the newly opened back 20.

More potties, water and shuttle help with getting your gear out to the site of your choosing.

Don't forget your hiking boots!

Reflect Yourself!

Pickathon — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:47:39 -0600

Hey, hey, hey, hey...

The Klean Kanteen / Pickathon Reflect bottles are here and boy-oh-boy are they beautiful. On the left we have the 'mirror finish' and on the right, that there is the 'brushed finish'. No plastic, no paint - just laser etched stainless steel, silicone, and sustainably harvested bamboo. That's it.

We are super thrilled to be partnering with the Klean Kanteen folks again in being able to make these limited run of 'Pickathon unique' bottles available through this pre-order. Whatever we do not sell in advance will be available at the festival. Tack a bottle or two onto your ticket order and pick it up at the festival. It's that easy.

Buy now, use at the festival, and keep forever.

Let the Pickathon Smoldering Whiz Bang Playlist help start your week

Pickathon — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:59:20 -0600

Holy smokes folks! Another 3+ hours of music from the amazing 2011 Pickathon Lineup.

It's Smoldering Whiz Bang!

The 2011 Pickathon Schedule

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

It is here! The complete 2011 Pickathon Schedule, click away and find out what is says:

2011 Pickathon Schedule

Single Day and Weekend Tickets are still available, but moving wayyy fast.

It is now officially, without a doubt - the homestretch. Awesome!

Single Day Tickets Now Available

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:13:27 -0600

They're here! Single Day Tickets are now available over at the Tickets Page and we'd suggest picking up asap if interested. These will most certainly sell out.

The fully loaded stage schedule will be posted later in the week, for now here is the basic rundown of what to expect each day of your Pickathon weekend:

Friday August 5: Bill Callahan, Grupo Fantasma, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Califone, Laura Veirs, Fruit Bats, Richard Swift, Corinne West Kelly Joe Phelps, The Builders and The Butchers, Dawn Landes, Brownout, Pine Leaf Boys, L.C. Ulmer, Elliott Brood, Bruce Molsky, AgesandAges, Pokey LaFarge, Old Light, Mike + Ruthy, Black Lillies, Ted Jones The Tarheel Boys, Buffalo Killers, Truckstop Darlin', 2011 Pickathon Squaredance with Old Sledge, plus kids shows and activities with Annalisa Tornfelt, Trackers Earth, Circus Cascadia, Portland Waldorf School, Rock N Roll Camp for Girls, plus others!

Saturday August 6: Black Mountain, Bill Callahan, Lee Fields The Expressions, Grupo Fantasma, The Sadies, Vetiver, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Damien Jurado, Califone, The Wilders, Future Islands, Jesse Sykes The Sweet Hereafter, The Builders and The Butchers, Fruit Bats, Michael Hurley, Laura Veirs, Whitey Morgan The 78's, Sonny The Sunsets, Pokey LaFarge, Charlie Parr, Eilen Jewell, L.C. Ulmer, Pine Leaf Boys, Richard Swift, Danny Barnes, Joy Kills Sorrow, Strand of Oaks, Old Sledge, Buffalo Killers, Elliott Brood, Brownout, Cahalen Morrison Eli West, Dawn Landes, Sunday Valley, Mike + Ruthy, Ted Jones The Tarheel Boys, plus kids shows and activities with Cardboard Songsters, Mudeye Puppets, Trackers Earth, Circus Cascadia, Portland Waldorf School, Rock N Roll Camp for Girls, Family Squaredance, plus others!

Sunday August 7: Mavis Staples, Black Mountain, Lee Fields The Expressions, Vetiver, Danny Barnes, Wye Oak, The Sadies, Future Islands, Lightning Dust, Damien Jurado, The Wilders, Breathe Owl Breathe, AgesandAges, Corinne West Kelly Joe Phelps, Sonny The Sunsets, Jesse Sykes The Sweet Hereafter, Richard Swift, Michael Hurley, Eilen Jewell, Whitey Morgan The 78's, Strand of Oaks, Joy Kills Sorrow, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Bruce Molsky, Mike + Ruthy, Sunday Valley, Ted Jones The Tarheel Boys, Old Light, Pokey LaFarge, Truckstop Darlin', Charlie Parr, Black Lillies, plus kids shows and activities with Breathe Owl Breathe, Annalisa Tornfelt, Mudeye Puppets, Trackers Earth, Circus Cascadia, Portland Waldorf School, Rock N Roll Camp for Girls, plus others!

Volunteers Needed For 2011 Pickathon

Pickathon — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:11:12 -0600

Although we've already accepted a vast majority of the needed volunteers for 2011... there is still indeed more that will be needed.

There have been many new positions added in 2011, and we are always on the look out for good folks to help fill out the crews and join our ever-expanding volunteer community that surrounds Pickathon and Pendarvis Farm.

Maybe this could be you or someone you know?

For 2011 Volunteer Info you can and should look - HERE.

For the 2011 Volunteer Application you can and should look - HERE.

Everything you need to know is located on either of those pages.

Plop! KEEP VEEPIN. REET. REET. Plop!

The new Pickathon playlist will give you Daydreams

Pickathon — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:57:33 -0600

Oh Summer - here you are at last.

2011 Stage Schedules are coming soon...

Enjoy the new mix!

America!

Pickathon — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:25:06 -0600

Yes, that's right - America!

Happy 4th.

Frank Fairfield short doc from American Standard Time for our enjoyment

Pickathon — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:21:30 -0600

To put it simply - we're lucky to have Greg Vandy and the folks of American Standard Time and More Dust Than Digital. Their ability to connect with artists and translate the stories to film in short-doc form is simply amazing.

One of many short-docs that they have produced in the past year is this 12 minute Frank Fairfield portrait that shows an intimate look at one of the great minds of our time.

Having completed the film festival circuit (SXSW, SIIF, ect) and just premiered on IFC - we're pleased to show the entire clip right here at the 'ol pickathon.com. After all - the majority of footage was shot out at Pendarvis Farm and it's just thrilling to relive the excitement of his performances that year.

For more from Vandy and American Standard Time, please check out the AST page and look for other 'pickathon friendly' portraits on Alela Diane and Blind Boy Paxton.

Pickathon and MercPerks - ultra limited ticket deals that make you squeal!

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

It is true - we've once again partnered with the Portland Mercury and for an incredibly limited time they're offering the following ticket deals:

Weekend Ticket w/ Parking = $100 (only 25 available)

Saturday Only Ticket w/o Parking = $55 (only 25 available)

Sunday Only Ticket w/o Parking = $45 (only 50 available)

This is a bonkers-of-a-deal that we look to work with Merc each year. Always a limited availability affair and really a lucky draw for those that catch it in time. Also - these are currently the only Single Day Tickets available for 2011 Pickathon...

Limited to one ticket per purchase, so tell your friends.

MercPerks HERE>

Take a spin with the Where Am I playlist

Pickathon — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:33:27 -0600

We're kicking puddles all the way through June here and have got a brand spanking new playlist for you continual listening enjoyment!

Over three hours of music from the 2011 Lineup - Where Am I.

Locate and clink the player on the left side of the page.

Volunteer at Pickathon!

Pickathon — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:41:16 -0600

Howdy!

The Pickathon Volunteer Application is revived and ready for 2011 - http://www.pickathon.com/volunteer

Available positions look to fill quickly!

We have several new openings that you might want to check out and see if a good fit. All the info you need to know is located at the Volunteer Application Page.

NEW IN 2011:

For info on ' 2011 Still Photo Volunteers' - go HERE.

For info on '2011 Film Professional Volunteers' - go HERE.

Sweet!

Final 2011 Pendarvis Farm Work Party this Saturday and Sunday, come on out and work/party with us!

Pickathon — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:51:22 -0600

This is always a busy weekend being wrapped up the Summer Solstice and also Dads Day. But if you're looking for a good time and up for lending a hand, we'd love to see you out at the farm!

It's officially the final Pendarvis Farm Work Party and there's lots planned out for both the work and party as we end another great year of highly productive weekends. Many thanks to everyone who have shown up and made it happen. Awesome-Awesome work.

We've said this before, and of course we'll say it again - Work Party Info lives at Facebook. Check it out.

Or, just send 'ol Elwood[at]pickathon[dot]com an email and we'll get you setup with the who/what/when/where/why/how/what time/what to bring/where to park/etc..

Awesome indeed!

Special thanks going out to Summer - we'll see you in August.

No 2011 schedule just yet, but at least a few highlights while we wait...

Pickathon — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:33:45 -0600

Due to the recent and unfortunate cancellation from Rock Plaza Central (sorry to see you go!), we've had to take a new look at filling this void in the 2011 Pickathon Schedule. Which means, awe dang, we need to wait a bit longer prior to posting this info on the website.

News will come soon for when we'll have this info available.

While we wait, at least a few of our own personal highlights...

The Galaxy Barn - Late nights with Black Mountain, Lee Fields The Expressions, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, The Sadies, Wye Oak, Future Islands, Pine Leaf Boys, Richard Swift, AgesandAges, The Builders and The Butchers, and many-many more.

The Woods Stage - Bill Callahan, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Laura Veirs, Fruit Bats, Jesse Sykes The Sweet Hereafter, Danny Barnes, Grupo Fantasma, The Wilders, and many-many more.

The Starlight Stage - Califone, Pokey LaFarge, Damien Jurado, Vetiver, Lightning Dust, Cahalen Morrison Eli West, plus others.

Workshop Barn - Mavis Staples, The Sadies, Thao, Bruce Molsky, Corinne West Kelly Joe Phelps, L.C. Ulmer, Michael Hurley, plus others.

Mountain View and Fir Meadows Stages - Pretty much everyone on the 2011 Lineup plays either one of these stages during the weekend. The big 2011 Pickathon Squaredance will commence on Friday Night as usual, this year with Old Sledge.

Oh and we may as well say it again... If you have not already purchased your Weekend Tickets, we suggest you do-so-now. It will a shock to some if we sell-out in advance, and we also do not count on having many tickets available at the gate. Plan ahead!

Yee Haw!

New Vetiver video has us wondering why

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

A new video by Vetiver from The Errant Charm - and it brings a dose of cute to the concrete, a voice to the voiceless, animation to the inanimate. One more reason to wait in anticipation for August I guess...

You can now Pre-Order The Errant Charm, which will be released next Tuesday (6/14) on Sub Pop Records.

Breathe Owl Breathe, Cardboard Songsters, Mudeye Puppets, and Circus Cascadia added to 2011 Pickathon Lineup

Pickathon — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:32:28 -0600

This announcement is for all of our big and little kids that attend Pickathon each and every year. Many of you we have watched grow up and for that we feel truly humbled. Each year we try and help build a suitable schedule to help make everyone happy - young and old. We, as parents ourselves, understand the necessity of quality entertainment suitable for all ages.

Every year we want to try new things and this year we're super excited to bring in Breathe Owl Breathe for a special Kids set on the Mountain View stage for the Sunday wake-up. On Saturday we head back out to the Woods Stage to see what's the latest with the Cardboard Songsters and their take on Saturday Morning Cartoons.

Beyond these big stage shows we are planning continual kid-based action throughout the weekend including the likes of Circus Cascadia, Mudeye Puppets, and several others. The schedule will be full and mighty.

Tell your kids. Bring the babysitter.

60 days and counting down, Pickathon tickets going fast...

Pickathon — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:19:44 -0600

First Monday in June!

Dreaming about the big 'ol 2011 Pickathon Squaredance, this year with Virginia old-time studs - Old Sledge.

Yee-Haw!

Say hello to the Tickets page yet? Make it fast! On the double! Don't miss out!

Enjoy the Monday.

New To You: The latest, greatest, and hints of what's to come from the Pickathon HQ.

Pickathon — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:31:09 -0600

Has it really been a week? Did everyone make it out of May in o.k. shape? Does it feel like summer to you in the Northwest this fine second day of June? The big news keeps brewing and we're here today to help prepare you for its arrival.

The big three...

First... The 2011 Pickathon Children's and Family schedule is getting it's final polish and we're looking at being able to share that news on Wednesday June 8. Puppets, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Circus Camp, and a first-ever, special, full-blown kids set by one of our favorite bands on earth. Details. Coming. Soon.

Second... The 2011 Pickathon schedule is 100% sorted and we're currently navigating the schedule-schooner towards June 14 for that news to hit the world-wide-web. Three big days, Six amazing stages, almost 50 bands in all! We promise nothing but the real thing, and oh, do you have your Weekend Tickets yet? Get 'em now before it's too late!

Third... Hey all you returning Pickathon Volunteers! News is coming very-very soon, be ready.

And finally - who else out there is supremely excited for Wye Oak out at the Farm? We are!

Bring on Summer.

Somebody Say Yeah! Pickathonography Vol. 1 is 100% funded and it's all because of you

Pickathon — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:23:07 -0600

Yeah!

That's right, 100% - fully funded. The final days of book production are steadily underway and we're looking forward to sharing the finished piece.

Thanks so much to everyone that helped out.

We're thrilled.

Somebody Say Yeah!

HELP! Only three days remain for securing funds for Pickathonography Vol. 1 through Kickstarter

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

This is homestretch effort to help make sure Pickathonography Vol. 1 meets the funding deadline and makes it to the press. Now or never friends, with a multitude of good reasons to show support by making a pledge, this should be easy for any Pickathon/Pendarvis Farm fan out there. Maybe you just want the book? Easy, $25 pledge and you'll get just one of 2,000 printed. With the layout nearing completion, and having feasted the eyes on what's inside... I attest - A complete work of art. Contributions from the likes of Angus Bogg (Captain Bogg Salty), Dale Watson, Jill Andrews, Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats), Sherry Pendarvis, and many-many more.

For many this book will bring a trip down memory lane, and rightfully so. For us, well, we're just so incredibly proud of the creative care and attention that Tim LaBarge and Patrick Barber have been committed to from start to finish. Very excited to share this with the other 1,999 lucky few who get their very own Vol. 1, which we hope to be the first of many.

Just take a look at the above spread example, and for a larger peek at other page examples take a look here:

Under The Big, Shady Top
Listen Learn

We're three days out and this is the time where you can make your pledge count. Thanks so much in advance.

Enjoy the big weekend ahead, hopefully we'll see you on the other side with a fully funded Pickathonography Vol. 1.

If so, we'll celebrate.

Why Yes, the Northwest IS Helping Keep Old Time Music Alive and Well

Pickathon — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:21:16 -0600

We've seen many great bands spring to life before our very eyes, several of which stem from a single jam session that strikes a nerve with the players involved.

Historically, and as part of the old time and bluegrass communities in the Northwest, it seems that these serendipitous encounters have been vital in helping keep this scene intact. Fast forward into the present, and 2011 brings us the dynamic Seattle duo - Cahalen Morrison Eli West.

The above KEXP video from Greg Vandy's Roadhouse pretty much sums it up: tight harmonies with outstanding guitar and banjo interplay.

Amen.

Monday, Monday, Monday, AgesandAges, Monday, Monday, Monday

Pickathon — Mon, 23 May 2011 11:39:56 -0600

And what better way to spend this first 'post-rapture' Monday than with Portland septet, AgesandAges.

Less than 75 days away, so don't put off buying Tickets until it's too late... As that would be a real bummer, a summer bummer to be exact.

Here's to the best Monday ever!

New Music Tuesday with Live and Breathing and The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions

Pickathon — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:03:45 -0600

It's Tuesday again, another week gone by as we inch closer to that first weekend of August. Ahhhhhhgust.

While you sit and ponder which dish option you prefer for 2011, have a listen to today's featured video from the epic Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions...

Anais Mitchell - When You Fall

This cut, plus others that were posted today on the Live Breathing site as part of their ongoing effort in helping make Tuesday one of the best days of the week.

Enjoy!

Should Pickathon eliminate the use of all single use dishes and utensils?

Pickathon — Tue, 17 May 2011 04:01:27 -0600

Pickathon needs your opinion!

Pickathon is exploring how to become the first large American Music Festival to eliminate single use dishes and utensils used by all of our food vendors. But we need your feedback to help us decide how to move forward.

Here’s What We’re Thinking

When you come to Pickathon in 2011 you would have two options for eating food from any of our local food vendors:

1. Provide your own dishes and utensils to have vendors serve food on which you would be responsible to clean and store yourself.

2. Receive your food on Pickathon dishware (provided by Bambooware) or reusable clamshell containers (provided by GO Box) an unlimited number of times all weekend and we will be responsible to wash and manage everything.

How to use the Pickathon Dishware and Dishwashing Service (Option #2)

1. You start by purchasing a GO Box token for $10 in the vendor area.

2. Give the token to any vendor and you will receive any food item you purchased on either a commemorative dishware or in a GO Box (utensils included with either) which can be used to take back to your campsite.

3. At this point you own the commemorative dishware or GO Box plus utensil and can decide to hold on to it or return it to the dishwashing station where you will receive another token to repeat the cycle an unlimited number of times all weekend.

4. At any point in the weekend when you are finished using the token you can either:

I. Return your token or dishware/utensil for a $5 dollar refund

II. Redeem your token and take home the utensil plus one dishware item of your choice (GO Box or commemorative plate or bowl)

III. Take home your GO Box token and continue to use it as a GO Box subscriber at all participating Food Carts (see www.goboxpdx.com)

Should We Do This?

Please Let Us Know Your Thoughts And Questions.

Second to last Pendarvis Farm Work Party this weekend - May 14 and 15, don't miss out

Pickathon — Tue, 17 May 2011 04:04:09 -0600

We've got the second-to-last 2011 Pickathon/Pendarvis Farm Work Party coming up this weekend (5/14-15), and you're invited!

Details are at the Pickathon Facebook, and of course - if you just want the info without all the facebook, please email Elwood (elwood at pickathon.com)

It's work, it's a party, it's a potluck, it's a hoot.

Join us.

Pickathonography Vol. 1 - Eighteen days to go and halfway there with the goal, make your pledge today and wind up backstage at Pickathon!

Pickathon — Tue, 17 May 2011 04:00:34 -0600

We've posted about this project by photographer Tim LaBarge a couple weeks ago when it was first launched.

Well, here we are again - 22 days later and just over 50% of the goal in hand. Getting closer in helping make this book a reality, but still we are in need of a few more good folks to help take the pledges beyond the goal line.

Today I would like to address the high-and-mighty $500 pledge, which is for 'One Weekend Backstage Pass to 2011 Pickathon'.

What does this mean?

Pretty much everything you want in a weekend: Weekend entry to all shows at Pickathon. Weekend Camping. Backstage access which includes drinks and meals throughout the weekend (WOW!), stainless steel cup, and choice of parking: Weekend Car Parking, Weekend Car Camping, EcoShuttle Pass (for those not driving). Oh, and a copy of the book!

If you look at the simple math, this pledge adds up, I mean...3 meals a day, and coffee, beer or wine whenever you'd like? Sign me up.

The only way to purchase a pass like this is through Pickathonography Vol. 1.

Interested?

New Music Tuesday... A day late and now on Wednesday, at least this week

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

Just a few hours behind the curve with yesterday's Pickathon Pumphouse Session posts from Live Breathing...

Eric D. Johnson - Primitive Man / The Ruminant Band

Both cuts from the Fruit Bats 2009 Sub Pop release The Ruminant Band.

Also - Fruit Bats have finished recording their next release, which a birdie with the initials EDJ tells me will be out into the world just prior to Pickathon...

Other sessions posted yesterday from 2010 Pickathon include the following:

Jill Andrews - My Little Beating Heart
Sallie Ford The Sound Outside - I'm The Luckiest

Enjoy!... and stay tuned for more big news that is just around the corner.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Little Wings - Another Time Another Place

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

Without a doubt, Kyle Field would be the undisputed champion of 2010 with time spent in the Pumphouse. Well o.k., I suppose that belt would have to be shared with Sam Quinn as between the two of them there were more hours logged and recorded than any of us could ever imagine.

This session captured the spontaneous creative habits that Kyle is known for, and eventually finds the band all together for what would end up being the first time this song had ever been played.

Little Wings - Another Time Another Place

If interested in more Little Wings and wanting to stay current, we strongly suggest obtaining a copy of the amazingly powerful Black Grass, which was just recently released this past February. A Top 5 of 2011 for sure...

More of The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions can be found at Live Breathing, browse around and stay awhile if you have the time.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - Take Down The Devil

Pickathon — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:54:56 -0600

Another great video from the Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions with Sallie Ford the Sound Outside - Take Down The Devil.

More new music to come as we break this first Tuesday in May wide open...

New Music Tuesday with Live and Breathing and The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions

Pickathon — Tue, 03 May 2011 11:37:43 -0600

Another week washed away with the showers of Spring, another week of new music from The Pickathon Pumphouse with Live Breathing.

Starting the day with another video from the Cook's in our little pumphouse kitchen:

Megafaun - Worried Mind

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Chatham County Line - Ringing In My Ears

Pickathon — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:02:09 -0600

Oops! We let this one slip by without posting yesterday in all the hustle and bustle about the office...

Chatham County Line - Ringing In My Ears

For all the CCL fans out there it may be interesting to know that just yesterday North Carolina label Yep Roc made the 2008 release IV available on vinyl, for the first time. Pick it up HERE.

See you again in less than a week with another batch of The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Jill Andrews - Silver Stallion

Pickathon — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:32:54 -0600

Our second video from the 'ol Pumphouse with one of our favorites from years past,

Jill Andrews - Silver Stallion

Keep June 7 in mind as that will mark the release of Jill's upcoming LP, The Mirror. This will be her first (full length/studio) recording since her time with the everybodyfields. Has it really been four years since nothing is okay?

All the more reason to celebrate.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Megafaun - Bonnie's Song

Pickathon — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:31:22 -0600

Here is a ridiculously great version of Bonnie's Song from Megafaun.

Find the official version of this song on the bands 2010 Hometapes release, Heretofore.

We love this band.

New Music Tuesday with Live and Breathing and The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions

Pickathon — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:31:15 -0600

It's yet another New Music Tuesday with multiple new videos from Live Breathing and The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions.

To kick things off...

Ryan Boldt of The Deep Dark Woods singing When First Into This Country.

Work party this weekend, and yes, it's going to be sunny and 70

Pickathon — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:18:45 -0600

So the weather agrees (not like that in the above photo) - it's time to get back out to Pendarvis Farm and make the best of these sunshiny days.

Work Party, this weekend - April 23 and 24.

Info and details located at the facebook, check it out. Any questions, or no facebook - email Mr. Elwood, elwood {at} pickathon.com

We've said it all before, and hope folks can make it out and take advantage of the weather. Good times in Happy Valley!

See you there!

Pickathonography could be your ticket for a backstage weekend at Pickathon

Pickathon — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:16:48 -0600

So, what the heck is Pickathonography?

Well, for the next 40 days we're collaborating on a big 'ol Kickstarter project with our good-good friend, and Pickathon photographer, Tim LaBarge. Essentially what Tim is doing is assembling a photo/word book that is combining a mix of beautiful images from the 'Pendarvis Years: 2006-2010' alongside words from writers and musicians. All wrapped up in 96 awesome pages of full color with sewn binding and FSC certified paper. It's going to be a gorgeous, well designed, limited edition print keep sake that YOU will want to have. Rewards for project 'pledges' range from special Pickathon swag to incredibly limited (and WAY to good of a time) Backstage/All-Access Passes to the 2011 Pickathon festival. Check out the entire project at the Pickathonography Vol. 1 Kickstarter Page and make a pledge... we'd love to see this happen as it will definitely be one for the archives.

Watch the above video for more detail and examples of Tim's work (if unfamiliar). Then, head on over to the project page and make that pledge! You won't be sorry you did...

Pickathon Lineup Additions and Weekend Tickets now available

Pickathon — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:03:19 -0600

This is it! Weekend Tickets are back in action! If planning ahead and wanting to join us for the best weekend of the year - today should be your day. They will not be around long as we expect 2011 to be our first ever 'sold-out' festival.

In addition to this great news about tickets, we also have artists being added to the 2011 lineup: Black Mountain, Grupo Fantasma, Wye Oak, Corrine West Kelly Joe Phelps, Jesse Sykes The Sweet Hereafter, Michael Hurley, Lightning Dust, Dawn Landes, L. C. Ulmer, Sunday Valley, and Eilen Jewell. This pretty much does it for 2011 - 46 bands, 6 stages, and three full days of fun in the sun out at the 'World Famous' Pendarvis Farm.

Check out the entire 2011 Pickathon Lineup, pass along to a friend or two, and imagine yourself nestled amongst the Firs and staring out at the mighty Mt. Hood this August... 107 days and counting down!

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Frank Fairfield - Highway Man

Pickathon — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:49:22 -0600

Our last Pumphouse Sessions post for today

Frank Fairfield - Highway Man

Enjoy the break and we'll see you again in 15 minutes!

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Chatham County Line - Honeymoon

Pickathon — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:26:05 -0600

One of our favorites from North Carolina, it is a pleasure to bring this session to life.

Chatham County Line - Honeymoon

One more Pumphouse post to go this morning then we're heading into lineup announcement territory.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Eric D. Johnson - My Unusual Friend

Pickathon — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:35:54 -0600

While we wait out the next hour and a half for the upcoming 2011 lineup additions....

Why not take in a few more cuts from The 2010 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions?

Eric D. Johnson - My Unusual Friend

...classic Fruit Bats!

More to come right here, and lots to be found over at Live Breathing.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside - Dirty on the Radio

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:53:45 -0600

Ending this morning of constant new videos with Portland's own, Mrs. Sallie Ford.

Video #8...

Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside - Dirty on the Radio

A recap of today's videos (with more to come at a later date, and also more to be found at Live Breathing)

From today we have the following artists ready for you to take in: Dr. Dog, Langhorne Slim, Breathe Owl Breathe, Jill Andrews, These United States, Elliott Brood, Woody Pines, and Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside.

Whew! Now back to life as we know it, outside the Pumphouse...

Oh, and see you all very soon with more big news coming on the 2011 Lineup and Tickets - April 19. Be there.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Woody Pines - Root Hog or Die

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:52:01 -0600

Coming down to the final few videos for us today, it's been great so far! All other sessions in the immediate future please migrate towards the Live Breathing site for The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions homebase.

Video #7...

Woody Pines - Root Hog or Die

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, These United States - Susie At The Seashore

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:52:20 -0600

Now bringing out the full version of what was used for the Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions trailer, video #6...

These United States - Susie At The Seashore

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Elliott Brood - Oh, Alberta

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:38:17 -0600

Oh Canada! Oh Alberta! Oh what a day!

Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions video #5...

Elliott Brood - Oh, Alberta
More cuts from the 'Brood can be found here.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Jill Andrews - Sweetest In The Morning

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:19:54 -0600

We just love Jill Andrews, and over the years have seen her on many of the stages at Pickathon. What memories.

Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions video #4...

Jill Andrews - Sweetest In The Morning

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Breathe Owl Breathe - Lake Light

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:04:55 -0600

This might be the best Tuesday ever! Here's video #3...

Breathe Owl Breathe - Lake Light

Other Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions posted so far:

Dr. Dog - Nobody Knows Who You Are

Langhorne Slim - We Love The Animals

Sit tight as we've got plenty more to share.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Langhorne Slim - We Love The Animals

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:51:16 -0600

Here is today's Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions video #2...

Langhorne Slim The Law - We Love The Animals

MORE! from Langhorne Slim The Law can be found here.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, Dr. Dog - Nobody Knows Who You Are

Pickathon — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:36:56 -0600

They're finally here!

Starting off this fine Tuesday with friends Live Breathing, we're thrilled to kick out The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions with video #1:

Dr. Dog - Nobody Knows Who You Are

Unveiling of the 2010 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions starts Tuesday, April 12

Pickathon — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:41:18 -0600

Recorded in a secluded location amongst the wildness that is Pickathon... Alongside recordists Live Breathing, coming up this Tuesday, April 12 - we'll begin to roll out the 2010 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions.

We're thrilled to be sharing these once-in-a-lifetime recorded sessions and look forward to hearing what everyone thinks. Just look at the above collage and you'll see a smattering of the goods, and be sure to check back on Tuesday for the entire bag of goodies.

It will be awesome!

Say goodbye to the early batch of Weekend Tickets as they're now sold-out

Pickathon — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:32:51 -0600

The bad news is....this 2011 batch of $130 weekend tickets is now 100% sold out.

The good news is...coming up on April 19 we'll have the next 2011 lineup announcement alongside the latest batch of weekend tickets that will be made available. We are most certain that they will go quick.

Thanks to everyone who bought early.

Can't wait to share the next bit of lineup news!

Pendarvis Farm Work Parties totally rock, thank you everyone who made it out

Pickathon — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:02:28 -0600

It's wet, it's green, it's sometimes a little muddy.... but all in all, life at Pendarvis Farm is pure magic.

A huge thanks to everyone that has made it out to any of the WP's so far - it's big-time fun with huge payoffs! We appreciate all the involvement and support, most importantly we give huge props to Freckles, Scott, Sherry and Elwood. They live and breathe this dream and do so much in order to keep it all in good working order.

The next scheduled Work Party is the weekend of April 23-24, see you there?

Oh - and let it be known that today is the last opportunity to pick up Weekend Tickets prior to the next lineup announcement scheduled for April 12. At that point we'll make available the next batch of Weekend Tickets, at a slightly higher price. Big news coming soon y'all!

Another fabulous week worth remembering and hello April

Pickathon — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:04:23 -0600

Mostly only a video for today with a little related news with no better artist to gab about than Richard Swift. After all, it is first day of April.

Limitless, it seems with capabilities as a musician/producer, and get this - he lives and works in Oregon, but not in Portland! He has recently given word that recording has began for his next release at his own National Freedom in Cottage Grove. Amazing and Rare.

Mr. Swift first came to our attention by way of Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats - strongly suggesting we have him this year. On top of that, Eric also help organize our final show this winter for Benefest alongside Andy Cabic, Richard Swift, and even a rare Damien Jurado cameo. Many will remember how amazing that night was...

Speaking of Eric D. Johnson, just this week they made the announcement of the Eric D. Johnson curated Huichica Festival for June 4 in Sonoma, California. We'd certainly attend if possible, and urge everyone out there to get tickets for that in advance (on sale April 5). Fruit Bats, J Mascis, Sonny The Sunsets, Richard Swift, Breathe Owl Breathe, These United States + others. Need we say more?

Amazing collaborations are everywhere. Watch for them at Pickathon.

Three new songs from the upcoming Sonny and The Sunsets release, Hit After Hit

Pickathon — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:39:04 -0600

Sonny and The Sunsets bring to life the sounds of California sun and surf with what I predict will go down in history as the summer soundtrack of 2011. Hit After Hit comes out April 12 via Fat Possum - Try it. Buy it. Like it.

Less than 100 weekend tickets remain at the early price, make your move this week

Pickathon — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:55:35 -0600

It's that last beat of the old drum for this round of tickets...we now sit at less than 100 weekend tickets remaining of this batch of early sale - Weekend Admission Tickets.

What does this mean?

Well, it's that time of year for us- just prior to another big lineup announcement (April 12), and full reveal of the final 2011 Pickathon Schedule (May ?). We are now looking at close to 50 bands total to be spread out over six stages and three wonderful full days.

Weekend Tickets are currently $130, starting April 12 - no matter what - these tickets will go to $145. The final few at $130 may last a day, two days, who knows? But we do know that once they're gone, they're gone - well, at least until April 12 when the next batch is made available alongside our final 2011 lineup announcement.

The overall capacity at Pendarvis Farm is limited and we plan on hosting only as many folks as we feel can be comfortably accommodated. There is a lot that goes into that aspect of making it the best weekend ever...

Single Day Tickets will be made available at a later date in May.

Web-Only Merch is also available, yeah! Posters from Furturtle, 2011 t-shirts, and complete sets of our glorious Pickathon Compilation CD's. We'll also have other new and cool stuff to be added over the next few months, so watch out.

Why yes, there IS another work party out at Pendarvis Farm this weekend

Pickathon — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:07:14 -0600

It's true, we have another work weekend coming up out at Pendarvis Farm. Starting Saturday April 2nd and going through Sunday April 3rd. Who knows, possibly there might even be a little sunshine...

We misspoke in last weeks newsletter on dates, so here we are with the correct info, which is best viewed and rsvp'd to if possible - on facebook.

Yahoo.

No news, only a video - The Buffalo Killers, Let It Ride

Pickathon — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:23:27 -0600

The Buffalo Killers showing us a rather farmish version of Let It Ride with this video from the bands 2008 release on Alive Naturalsound Records (purveyors of blues, rock, and grunge).

Just plain awesome.

Think Spring.

Making improvements that matter: A quick guide to becoming 'eco-friendly'

Pickathon — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:58:32 -0600

The idea of being 'green', as they call it, is somewhat daunting to an event that hosts thousands-upon-thousands for a single weekend each year. Human impact is far reaching and goes way beyond being 'carbon neutral' in order to feel good about oneself. For many out there solutions come fairly easy with partnerships and involvement in programs that offset carbon based impacts with one easy swipe.

Not the case for Pickathon as our efforts intimately involve and influence our planning throughout the year, with the overall goal of applying year-to-year improvements. Our focus is on continuing to implement new ideas that help us grow in a sustainable way, add to the comfort and beauty of Pendarvis Farm, and limit the overall human impact.

We've done a lot over the past few years in order to make improvements that we are proud of... Which it needs to be addressed that much of this success is due to a willing crowd that accepts change and encourages us to take that next big step. Eliminating plastic bottles and cups, utilizing solar, providing alternative transportation (bus and bike), local food and drink, consumer composting AND recycling, and of course effective site planning to help develop the farm in the right ways for future years. And really... that's not even coming close to covering all of it.

Well, here comes 2011 and we want to know what's next? There are a few big ideas kicking around right now, and we'd love input on what YOU think could be good to incorporate as we head into our 13th year.

Think about it and please, let us hear it!

Ray Wylie Hubbard tells us how it is on being a Texan

Pickathon — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:31:46 -0600

In search of the perfect end for this week of non-stop SXSW dribble, which if you are one to pay attention to the blogosphere - and not in attendance, man oh man does it get tiring (and really, really repetitive). Yawn...

In light of that and to highlight the real Texas, let's have Ray Wylie Hubbard tell us about his home state and its wild breed.

It's work party time out at the farm again this weekend and you're invited

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:14:52 -0600

Still, there is so much left to do...

This time around we will be continuing on with the chop 'n drop in the 'Back 40' out at the Farm, limbing up the Fir trees and cleaning up the Winter blow-down.

It is an Equinox weekend with a full moon on Friday, so it should be easy to guess that the Farm will be active late into the night. Potluck, BBQ, Swing Dancing, Open Mics, Jams, and much more can be expected (in addition to lots and lots of hard work out in the woods). Oh, and make sure to BYOB if you plan on getting thirsty! Also, anyone who wants to bring firewood (untreated/unpainted), please do as we'd love to burn it.

Work starts Saturday morning (3/19) at 9:45am when everyone meets at the Galaxy Barn prior to heading out into the woods. Please check out all of the gritty details and RSVP on the Facebook Event Page, or - simply send Mr. Elwood a note at elwood @ pickathon.com

Grab your gloves and grab a friend, it's a workin' type of weekend out at Pendarvis Farm again.

See you there!

Weekend tickets moving fast with a big second lineup announcement coming in less than a month

Pickathon — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:52:19 -0600

It's the ides of March and feeling like the right time to remind folks who still need to pick up weekend tickets, to do it soon. Tickets are moving along swiftly and this brings us towards the end of what remains with this limited batch of discount weekend tickets. Once sold-out, we'll have to wait for the next round of weekend tickets to go live, which looks to be around the same time as the next big lineup announcement.

Think about it, and while you do so enjoy a little greatness from Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three.

SXSW is a natural habitat for a band like Califone

Pickathon — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:58:41 -0700

March 11th to me has felt like an overly long day wrapping up a rather short feeling week. With most all music news beginning to gravitate towards SXSW, we figured what the heck, lets give the people something relevant and join the #/@ fanfare.

Califone made their way into the SXSW machine in 2010 as part of both the Film and Music festivals. I'd compare this news to that of someone like Bo Jackson taking on two professional sports at the same time. Some folks just have all the talent... This live version of Better Angels is being played to the video of All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, and the kids seem to just love it. While we wait for Pickathon and experiences that resemble those in the video, it's easy to add All My Friends Are Funeral Singers to the Netflix queue and enjoy for movie night.

Think happy thoughts this weekend.

The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions

Pickathon — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:25:15 -0700

Just like the trailer says: 24 bands, One 10ft x 10ft Pumphouse, and Three outrageously incredible days of music.

We're thrilled to be partnered up with recordists and all around cool dudes Live and Breathing in order to get the Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions up to snuff and out into the world. This is a treasure trove of content that's plenty to be excited about... Why just in the two minute trailer we see: Dr. Dog, Little Wings, Langhorne Slim, Breathe Owl Breathe, These United States, Megafaun, Jill Andrews, Elliott Brood, Sam Quinn, Frank Fairfield, Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio, Black Lillies, Sallie Ford, Woody Pines, The Dust Busters, Anais Mitchell, Seth Bernard, and Chatham County Line. So that's 19 of the 24 recorded - who do you think is missing?

Full sessions will begin to roll out soon(ish) with the first bits of news being released through the Pickathon newsletter and twitter, so stay alert and tell your friends.

Mardi Gras at Pickathon? Of course: Pine Leaf Boys, Biscuits, and Shade

Pickathon — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:47:03 -0700

A day that hints towards no one other than the Pine Leaf Boys. It makes my stomach growl to think about eating the McIsley from Pine State Biscuits and watching these guys out under the shade this summer on the farm. Ah the life...

If also you are thinking that there is the interest in spending a little more time nourishing your music soul while on the internet - we'd urge a visit to American Standard Time and letting Mr. Greg Vandy take you south (yes, he's really that Vandy from KEXP!). AST is a rich and culturally influenced music blog and Mardi Gras is definitely his type of holiday to expand upon.

Enjoy.

News this week: Mavis on Conan, Thao with tUne-yaRds, and the almighty Richard Swift

Pickathon — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:07:00 -0700

It's been another cold and wet week out there for most of us, so why not cap it off with Thao reminding everyone of what's in store for the summer to be. Ah, summer.

Speaking of Thao, news was released this week of her upcoming tUnE-yaRds produced collaboration with Mirah, including a free download, via Pitchfork.

A few other bits we picked up the past couple weeks....

Mavis Staples played on Conan and also gave an amazing interview on Morning Becomes Electric at KCRW.

Damien Jurado finished some fast work in the studio for his upcoming release with Richard Swift, and also kicked off a massive three month tour - starting today in Portland.

Fruit Bats also gave word that they were in the studio, again with Mr. Swift, preparing their next release.

Pokey LaFarge announced his signing and upcoming 7" release with the Jack White driven Third Man Records.

Sonny The Sunsets gave news of their upcoming Fat Possum release, Hit After Hit, including a download of I Wanna Do It - also via Pitchfork.

And that about sums it up... Lots to do this weekend, lets make the most of it.

Camping at Pickathon: A Pendarvis Farm primer.

Pickathon — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:11:08 -0700

With the first big Work Party of 2011 under our belts, we'd like to take this opportunity to realign ourselves with life out at the farm. A beautiful 80 acres of Oregon woods, Pendarvis plays host to some of the most amazing tent camping and trail hiking (day or night) that the Northwest has to offer.

Currently both Car Camping (camping near your car) and RV Parking are sold-out. This should not deter in any way, as there still are ample Weekend Parking and tent camping spaces available throughout Pendarvis Farm. Since many of the sites are a haul from your car, we've worked hard the past few years in order to help make things easier. Gear shuttles are a big part of this solution - their job is to help folks cart gear into the woods, once they have located a site where they intend on setting up camp. Beyond that we have several seasoned pro's and Pickathon volunteers to help find specific sites that could be needed (for families, disabilities, groups, etc..)

The camping is great, the trails are great... and you have no reason not to want to make this experience your own.

Check out the 2010 Pendarvis Farm Site Map for and easy reference of what to expect for first timers at Pickathon.

Open season for touring musicians, we start March with Damien Jurado

Pickathon — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:16:20 -0700

So it's March... let the touring and record release seasons begin!

First up we'd like to pull your attention over to Washington's own Damien Jurado, who is hitting the road starting this Friday at The Doug Fir in Portland with Viva Voce on March 4. At the Crocodile in Seattle on the 5th, Tower Theater in Bend on the 7th, Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on the 9th, and on down the road making stops all over the world through late May.

One of our favorite records from 2010 was the Jurado penned Saint Bartlett. Recorded with and produced by Richard Swift, at Swift's quaint Cottage Grove, Ore. studio - National Freedom. Lucky for us, the two of them have just finished recording this past month what is now being called LP10. One would expect this could see a 2011 release date. We'll see on that now won't we?

Wow, you've hung in there this far... how about a little extra credit from the Jurado/Swift combo, have you heard Other People's Songs? Listen to it in it's entirety for free at their tumblr. Man oh man, expect amazing things this August from these two.

2011 Pickathon Work Party #1 this weekend at Pendarvis Farm

Pickathon — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:25:50 -0700

So as we kick off a new year it's that time again here at Pickathon HQ to begin spending a little more time out at the Farm. Things are happening and we've got the first Pendarvis Farm Work Party starting tomorrow - Saturday February 26 and going through Sunday February 27.

It's easy to get the scoop by finding this info on facebook, and for anyone not on facebook - just send Elwood a note and he'll get you setup (elwood @ pickathon.com). The work parties are a hoot and are what help make the farm a comfortable place for all while at Pickathon. Trails are cleaned, camping is improved, and most importantly, good times are had by all. See you this weekend!

The magic that was Benefest

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:42:19 -0700

Well we can't be sure that you'll see Richard Swift, Andy Cabic and Eric D. Johnson standing shoulder-to-shoulder at Pickathon like we saw them Saturday night at The Woods. But we can say that they'll be there. This weeks announcement of the 2011 lineup will get your head spinning. That's a lot of music, and there are a few more to come.

For those folks who came out last Saturday night, the final night of Benefest, that was something special seeing those three artists do solo sets and then finish it off with some amazing collaborating. Thank you everyone for supporting the arts at Buckman and Portland Public Schools. Benefest was a huge success this year and we owe a massive thanks to all the artists, venues, volunteers, and every single person who made it out to any of the shows. Thank you!

Yes, even more Pickathon news from around the web

Pickathon — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:16:29 -0700

There were a few of our other close friends that I neglected to mention earlier...

American Standard Time reminds us of what's in store and what helps make Pickathon great (Vandy!), Saving Country Music supports our idea of music sustainability, Dave Allen shares his point of view and vast Pickathon experience, and Melophobe asks to save the date plus offering great photo highlights from 2010. Stereopathic finds their solace in Bill Callahan, Richard Swift and more, Muzzle of Bees likes the sound of Califone and Strand of Oaks, and last but not least, dual-continent blogging buddies When You Awake want you to consider making Pickathon the one and only for your summer in 2011. So there ya go, read up and show your friends. Oh, and tickets are a good idea too.

Pickathon news from around the web

Pickathon — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:36:49 -0700

With this weeks announcement we've certainly had our hands full... Between record ticket sales and the general excitement of the lineup, there is enough mojo lying around to jump start a small city.

It is an honor for us to host two 2011 Grammy recipients - the legendary Mavis Staples, as well as latin/funk supergroup Brownout (who's alter-ego Grupo Fantasma took home the 'Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album'). Mavis of course was awarded 'Best Americana Album' for her Jeff Tweedy produced gem, You Are Not Alone. Congrats to both groups... can't say we didn't see it coming.

Praises for the 2011 Pickathon lineup have come in from all corners of the web...

Consequence of Sound goes in depth with what makes Pickathon so special, KEXP emphasizes our importance to the Northwest, HearYa suggests Pickathon as an alternate to Lollapalooza (same weekend), Seattle Weekly concludes Mavis Staples as an interesting pick, and Sound on the Sound gives a nod as early contender for local festival line-up of the year. Brooklyn Vegan points out the inclusion of funk-soul crooner Lee Fields, Portland Mercury's End Hits goes on about our charm and 'campfire sing-a-long' feel, and Willamette Week takes an in depth look at what to expect in 2011. No Depression gives props on our taste making lineups and unique festival setting, Oregonian gives insight on what makes the festival tick, and finally, Paste dishes out the info while also giving a refresher on their 2010 recap provided by Chris Funk (Decemberists, Black Prairie). Whew!

O.K., that's it for now. Thanks again for the enthusiasm.

The 2011 Pickathon lineup has finally arrived, check it out and get your Tickets today

Pickathon — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:33:52 -0700

Well, don't just sit there... Snoop around the new site and watch/listen to all the 2011 artists.

This might just be the best year yet? Let us know what you think!

With love,

Your 2011 Pickathon

Tickets are available at the door for tonight's show at The Woods

Pickathon — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 19:12:42 -0700

A quick note to let everyone know that there are tickets available at The Woods for tonight's show. Come out for a great night of unforgettable music while helping us wrap up Benefest in style.

Doors at 8, music starts at 9.

Benefest Finale tomorrow night with a HUGE night of collaboration and special guests at The Woods...

Pickathon — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:17:25 -0700

As we reflect on the past few weeks of shows for Benefest we can't help but let the excitement overwhelm us. From the fest opener with Corin Tucker Band + Old Light + Zoo Animal to Flickathon to last week's country dance with Caleb Klauder Country Band + Truckstop Darlin'... we're floored by your support and look forward to a bright and ambitious future for Benefest.

Well, this weekend will supply no shortage of amazement as we prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime (literally) bill at The Woods. A unique conglomerate of songwriters from some of our favorite bands... Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats), Andy Cabic (Vetiver), Richard Swift (Producer of Damien Jurado and Myanbirds records)...and wait, there's more? Yes! Hot damn there is more, special guests from each of the above mentioned bands + Damien Jurado (making an appearance, but not performing his own set as he tweeted earlier yesterday).

This provides for the following: 3 solo sets, and a covers set finale with the full 8 piece band (as tweeted by Richard Swift). They've all been hunkered down at Swift's studio in Cottage Grove for close to a week now, so who knows what's going to happen?

Tickets for this show are now super limited as this show looks to sell out in advance - pick 'em up right here and eliminate any worry of getting turned away at the door.

Stream the show live for $10 if unable to make it out. Certainly a 'don't miss' event that will be talked about for weeks.

Oh yeah, and not to say that this weekend is a '2011 lineup preview'.. But possibly a good time for anyone interested in being able to glean info on this much anticipated soon-to-come announcement.

Benefest week #3 in review with a quick look inside the Pickathon experience...

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:22:51 -0700

For those seeking a mid-winter Pickathon experience, Friday night at The Spare Room came pretty darn close to watching a couple of late-night sets in the Galaxy Barn. Truckstop Darlin' kicked the night off with some heartfelt and gritty alt-country. Then the dancing heated up when Caleb Klauder and his band took us on a trip to where it all started with some real country and swing tunes.

There's a pretty good chance Saturday night's final Benefest show at The Woods will take you right back to, you guessed it, the Woods Stage at Pickathon. Expect beautiful, intimate performances from Pickathon veterans Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats) and Andy Cabic (Vetiver) along with Richard Swift.

This show is already close to 3/4 sold-out, so we suggest picking up TICKETS this week if wanting to guarantee entry.

Come on out and support the arts at Buckman Elementary and Portland Schools Foundation.

Week #3 of Benefest excitement kicks off this Friday with Caleb Klauder Country Band + Truckstop Darlin' at The Spare Room...

Pickathon — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:50:23 -0700

It's 'Country Dance Night' at The Spare Room this Friday with Caleb Klauder Country Band alongside Truckstop Darlin'. Doors are at 8, Truckstop Darlin' starts the night at 9. Tickets for this show will remain available at the Benefest Tickets page until Friday at 5pm. After that all remaining tickets will be at the door...

This looks to be a packed house with lots of room for dancing, so bring a partner!

First round of 2011 Pickathon tickets now 100% sold out! Stay tuned for lineup news and next batch of tickets to be announced shortly...

Pickathon — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:19:08 -0700

Way to go everybody!... The first batch of 'Site Unseen, Lineup Unknown' 2011 Pickathon tickets are officially sold out! Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming support, amazing to think that this round of tickets vanished more than three times faster than in 2010. Although this early batch of Weekend Tickets has disappeared, there are still limited numbers remaining of Weekend Car Camping and Early Thursday Entry, so get these if interested while still available as they will be the next to go.

If wanting to be the first to know about the 2011 lineup and when the next round of tickets will be made available please join the Pickathon Newsletter. Or, simply follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

It's that easy. We'll be back shortly with more 2011 news, so stay tuned...

Oh yeah, and don't miss Caleb Klauder Country Band + Truckstop Darlin' this weekend at The Spare Room. Big dance show as part of Benefest. See you there!

The 2009 Pickathon compilation is now available on iTunes

Pickathon — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:30:15 -0700

Relive the year of the bull! Take on all 34 tracks in one sitting if you dare.... Here it is folks, the 2009 Pickathon compilation now available at iTunes.

The 2009 Pickathon compilation features: Dr. Dog, John Doe, The Sadies, Blitzen Trapper, Breathe Owl Breathe, Justin Townes Earle, Big Sandy His Fly Rite Boys, The Freight Hoppers, Samantha Crain The Midnight Shivers, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Alela Diane, Dale Watson, Vetiver, Joe Pug, Hillstomp, Larry Gill, Frank Fairfield, Hillstomp, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, The Wiyos, Laura Gibson, The Deep Dark Woods, Hackensaw Boys, Paleface, Pancake Breakfast, Foghorn Stringband, C.W. Stoneking, Jackstraw, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Sam Quinn + Japan Ten, Dehlia Low, Horse Feathers, Town Mountain, Seth Bernard and May Erlewine.

Go ahead and pick it up here:

Pickathon Indie Roots Music Festival - 2009 Pickathon

Night #2 of Flickathon starts at 5pm with an all ages extravaganza at the Mission!

Pickathon — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:37:42 -0700

Wow! Outstanding first night of Flickathon with the crowd cheering wildly.

The video and audio truly turned out amazing with strong emotional music intensity rarely captured in concert footage.

It's safe to say that you should drop any unrelated plans and come join the fun as you will not be sorry.

Your last chance is tonight at the Mission Theater (5pm-all ages and 8pm-21+). Tickets are still available at the door!

Listen to the Pickathon Special on KBOO today from Noon-2:00pm!

Pickathon — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 09:34:20 -0700

Take a ride on the Pickathon Special as part of the KBOO Winter 2011 Membership Drive. Today from Noon to 2:00pm - Zale, Justin, and Rachel will be bringing us a wide mix of music from the Pickathon vault in helping KBOO raise the much needed funds that keep the station alive.

Featuring a mix of 2010 highlights from today's screenings of Flickathon(which is at the Mission Theater at 5pm and 8pm), and also a 10 year rundown of the best in roots, old time, bluegrass, blues, and a few other surprises...

Listen locally at 90.7, or from anywhere else in the world by following the KBOO Stream.

Better yet, give them a call and show some support: 503 231 8187

Very limited batch of 'Site Unseen, Lineup Unknown' 2011 Pickathon tickets currently available...

Pickathon — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:48:49 -0700

There is a tiny-fraction of the elusive 'Site Unseen, Lineup Unknown' 2011 Pickathon Tickets that remain available right here at the old .com. This is a new record for sales at Pickathon as these tickets have only recently been made available to the Pickathon Newsletter list, which was sent earlier this week. All we can say is wow! Oh and yes, RV Parking is indeed already sold out...

Last chance to pick them up before the final few in this batch get scooped up over the next day or so. 2011 lineup announcements and additional ticket info will go live in a couple weeks, we can't wait.

Until then...we'll see everyone this weekend at Flickathon!

Flickathon starts tomorrow night.. 8pm at Mission Theater.

Pickathon — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:30:04 -0700

At long last Flickathon is here! Starting tomorrow night at the glorious Mission Theater we bring the first of three 2010 Pickathon video collages.

Tickets are available here on the Benefest site until 3pm Friday (tomorrow), and also throughout the weekend they will be available at Mission Theater. You should be just fine walking up and picking up tickets at the door, just like going to a movie.

Up next we are already beginning to prepare and look forward to the big Buckman Auction Weekend with Caleb Klauder Country Band + Truckstop Darlin' at The Spare Room next Friday (2/4) and then the annual Buckman Auction on Saturday (2/5). This is a big weekend as the auction proceeds are critical to the funding efforts that keep the arts based education at Buckman in tact. We are thrilled to be apart of it.

Now go ahead and enjoy the above Frank Fairfield version of Cumberland Gap from 2010. His Woods Stage set was an unbelievable experience and if you come on Saturday you'll be reminded of why.

Coming up! Benefest heads into week #2 for Flickathon at Mission Theater.

Pickathon — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:35:57 -0700

Thanks to everyone who made it out this past weekend for the Benefest kickoff show at Mississippi Studios. It was just plain awesome and we truly appreciate everyone that helped make it happen.

We're thrilled to carry this momentum into week #2 as the final preparations for Flickathon are underway. It will be a great time to catch up and relive that sweet-summer-life that Pickathon brings each year. Plus, we've got some rather amazing giveaways planned up that will definitely give way to plenty of excitement for the lucky chosen few... (must be present to win)

Flickathon shows this weekend at Mission Theater will be on Friday(1/28) at 8pm, Saturday(1/29) at 5pm and 8pm. Kids are welcome on Saturday at 5pm, with the other two shows being 21+. Tickets for all three are HERE.

Benefest starts this weekend with The Corin Tucker Band, watch a new Breathe Owl Breathe video from the upcoming Flickathon.

Pickathon — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:56:58 -0700

Due to new advances in cell phone technology advance tickets for The Corin Tucker Band + Old Light + Zoo Animal show are extended until around 5PM on Saturday. Any that remain will be released to the Mississippi Studios Box Office. Doors are at 7, Zoo Animal is on at 8.

Want more info on what Benefest is all about? Read through the press from this week:
Benefest offers the option of benefit concerts in the comfort of your own home by Ryan White in the Oregonian
Pick Flicks by Tony Roberts in the Portland Tribune.

And while we wait for tomorrow.. enjoy the above gem courtesy of Breathe Owl Breathe from The Woods Stage at 2010 Pickathon, be thinking about Flickathon which is next weekend at the Mission Theater.

See you this weekend!

Benefest to Live Broadcast as part of benefit for Buckman Arts Elementary.

Pickathon — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:23:12 -0700

Live Broadcast is an exciting new idea for Pickathon that we're pleased to present as part of this years inaugural launch for Benefest. For all Benefest shows we will partner with Portland company Stumptown Bliss in order to provide a high quality user experience with each shows Live Broadcast.

How this works is you will purchase a streaming pass through Benefest or Stumptown Bliss with instructions to follow in order to help get you setup. This will be all three shows, broadcast right to your home for a cool $30 contribution. If for some reason you decide next week you'd like to try it out as you heard so many great things from this weekends show with The Corin Tucker Band, Old Light, and Zoo Animal, then for the last two shows you'll pay $20. And finally, for the final show of Benefest with Eric D. Johnson, Andy Cabic and Richard Swift it will be $10. That's it, $10 a show and you've not only tried something completely new, but at the same time helped make a massive contribution towards a worthy casuse.

Our goal for the Benefest Live Broadcast is to provide a unique and convenient way for anyone to contribute to the efforts of Benefest for Buckman Arts Elementary, while at the same time being able to enjoy a unique, high quality experience delivered right to your own home. We are excited to evolve this idea for Pickathon and at the current moment are optimistic of what might be possible.

Benefest starts this weekend and we hope to see you at Mississippi Studios (Advance Tickets), or here on the internet for first ever Pickathon Live Broadcast.

The above Heartless Bastards video from 2010 Pickathon gives both an example of quality for Live Broadcast and also a taste of what's in store for next weekends (1/28-29) Flickathon at Mission Theater. Enjoy!

BIG 2011 Pickathon news coming this week, join the newsletter to find out what...

Pickathon — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:55:06 -0700

Join the Pickathon Newsletter!

Big news awaits, just days away... Those on the newsletter will most certainly be the first to know.

We just love this time of year...

Zoo Animal added, Doors pushed to 7, Benefest Kickoff is THIS weekend.

Pickathon — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:35:11 -0700

It's four days away and we're beginning to feel the excitement and anticipation of this weekend's Benefest kickoff show. Important to know is that doors have been moved one hour earlier to 7pm with the newly added Zoo Animal starting things off at 8pm, followed by Old Light, and finally The Corin Tucker Band to cap the evening.

Remember that Benefest is 100% benefit for Buckman Arts Elementary and Portland Schools Foundation. We have learned over these past couple months that efforts like this do help and with your support a larger, more collective difference can be made. It is unfortunate and a harsh truth that this additional funding is the responsibility of the parents in order to provide their children with the best form of early education possible. One that acknowledges Art and Music as being important and needed just like Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. In a perfect world it would be great if our Federal, State, and Local Governments would see this importance and make the necessary changes to improve this dire situation. Until that day comes...

Tickets for this show are still available, but please do not wait this one out as they look to sell-out in advance.

Auto harp, three part harmonies, and the promising yet dirty future of Old Light.

Pickathon — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:09:19 -0700

One of the more pleasant surprises that came our way in 2010 was the debut release of Portland band Old Light, The Dirty Future. A truly great record from start to finish from a genuinely great group of folks. Full of three-part harmonies, auto-harp, and lots of grungy, grimy guitar.

We're thrilled to have them as part of Benefest and look forward to what the future holds as they begin to make plans for a followup release, possibly in 2011.

Enjoy the above take of Disappear and make sure to consider seeing them with The Corin Tucker Band at Mississippi Studios next Friday (1/22). Tickets are HERE. They're going, going...

Two weeks and counting, Benefest prepares for lift off...

Pickathon — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:55:04 -0700

It's two weeks to the day until the official kickoff of this years Benefest, so why not take three minutes for today's video by The Corin Tucker Band to help cap off another cold and wet week here in January. Riley, from 2010's Kill Rock Stars release 1,000 Years gives the world an updated taste of the signature sound that has continued to develop from the Riot Grrrl days of yon.

Tickets for all Benefest shows are currently available, and consider this warning... these shows WILL sell out in advance.

See you there.

Back in Time: A Flickathon Primer

Pickathon — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:25:35 -0700

We're two days until the turn of 2011 with today starting a 30 day countdown until we kick off this years Flickathon. We figured a good time to tease this version of the Gillian Welch and David Rawlings penned Wayside (Back In Time) performed by the Punch Brothers on the Woods Stage at 2010 Pickathon. There's a treasure trove of great footage and we'll continue to highlight some of our personal favorites over the next few weeks.

YOU can relive some of the most memorable 2010 Pickathon moments for two days only at The Mission Theater :

Friday January 28 | Main Stages: Mix of performances by artists from the Mountain View and Fir Meadows Stages at 2010 Pickathon. 21+ | 8:00pm | $10

Saturday January 29 | Woods Stage: Mix of performances by artists from the Woods Stage at the 2010 Pickathon. All Ages | 5:00pm | $10 / $5 (12 and under)

Saturday January 29 | Mashup: Mix of performances by artists from the Mountain View, Fir Meadows, and Woods Stages at 2010 Pickathon. 21+ | 8:00pm | $10

Advance Tickets for Flickathon are available: Pickathon Ticketing or Cascade Tickets

Oh yeah, and Happy New Year!

Langhorne Slim, New Years Eve, Mission Theater, and the first ever Flickathon.

Pickathon — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:40:44 -0700

Langhorne Slim will be ringing in the New Year at Mission Theater in Portland this year and everyone here at Pickathon wants to make sure you're aware of this. Having seen Langhorne Slim and the Law live on a consistent basis and having had him bring (and burn) it down time after time at Pickathon, it's easy to guess that this could be a life altering experience. There are numerous tales of Langhorne lore from Pickathons of the past that we can pull from to help us imagine... Way too may amens in the Galaxy Barn, way too much blood on the banjo at the Woods Stage, way too many people up on stage dancing... Langhorne brings us all to a frenzy and that's just want many of us will need to help shake loose what still might be clinging on from 2010. Tickets and show info is all at the McMenamins website. Come celebrate as we start the countdown for 2011 Pickathon!

In other related news... The above video of Cinderella is part of an amazing cache of video footage that Pickathon will be featuring at a one time showing during this years Flickathon at the Mission Theater on January 28 and 29. These special one-off screenings will feature a mix of footage from the Mountain View, Fir Meadows, and Woods Stages. Seriously, it's amazing stuff and 100% of the profits from Flickathon (as part of Benefest) goes to Buckman Elementary and Portland Schools Foundation.

Pickathon Benefest

Pickathon — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:16:58 -0700

Benefest is a benefit festival to support arts education at Buckman Elementary and the Portland Schools Foundation.

We're thrilled to get started on this great new event and encourage everyone to poke around the site (www.benefest.com) and find out how your support can help us out.

The Corin Tucker Band, Eric D. Johnson, Andy Cabic, Richard Swift, Caleb Klauder Country Band, Old Light, and Truckstop Darlin' make for a great lineup. In addition to these shows we'll have the first ever Flickathon at Mission Theater, which will be three unique screenings of select video highlights from 2010 Pickathon. Did we also mention that there will be Live Streaming available? It's true!

Tickets are now available and will guarantee to sell-out in advance. All of this info and more awaits you at www.benefest.com.

Pickathon Weekend Auctioned For Charity

Pickathon — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:58:04 -0700

One day remains for the annual Portland Mercury Online Charity Auction. Amongst the wide range of items up for auction sits the very first crack at tickets for 2011 Pickathon!
On the auction block we have a package of 2 - Weekend Tickets with Early Entry for Thursday, Weekend Parking and Camping, 2 - 2011 Pickathon Prints from Furturtle, and 2 - Stainless Steel Cups. A complete weekend!

All proceeds from this annual auction go to benefit the Raphael House.

Don't let this one slip by as it will go to someone no matter what! Auction ends at noon on December 11.

You Who!

Pickathon — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 09:47:01 -0700

It's a holiday kind of week here at Pickathon as we settle in and anticipate the feast to be for yet another glorious Thanksgiving. Boy, we sure are thankful!

Coming up this weekend we'd like for you to know about what's in store for the next installment of You Who, which happens to be Portland's very own monthly children's variety rock show held at McMenamins Kennedy School Theater.

This Sunday, November 28 they'll be joined by Pickathon alumni Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Langhorne Slim, and Caroline Oakley - who will lead a Square Dance. As if that wasn't enough, there will be puppets, skits, stories, giant barn owls, DJ's, Crafts, AND Sneakin' Out as the House Band. Wow, this sound's like a mini-Pickathon!

Doors at Noon, Show starts at 1pm, tickets and more info at www.youwhoportland.com.

See you there!

2011 Pickathon Work Party #1 This Weekend!

Pickathon — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:20:40 -0600

Coming up this weekend - November 6-7!

It's Work Party time again and for the first Fall Party in Pickathon history we'll be focusing on transplanting and bramble eradication.

Fun times out at Pendarvis Farm and we'd love to have everyone that is interested come out and lend a helping hand. Of course, there is more than just work at a Work Party and much of the fun is getting to know new friends and the fine folks that help make Pendarvis Farm tick.

By far the easiest way to get all the info is by heading towards the Pickathon Facebook and give the event invite a once over. RSVP with Mr. Elwood, or ask us questions in the comments if that's easier for you.

Hope to see you out at the farm this weekend!

Langhorne Slim 2010 Pickathon Portrait by Lance Bangs

Pickathon — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:00:27 -0600

Three and a half minutes of Super 8 amazement from 2010 by Lance Bangs.

Do enjoy.

2011 Dates.

Pickathon — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:06:34 -0600

...and we hope to see you there.

August 5,6,7 2011

13th Annual Pickathon at Pendarvis Farm.

There is serious activity in the kitchen here at the Pickathon HQ. Lots to unfold over the next few months, lineup announcements, tickets, and much more to come around as fall passes and winter settles in.

We'll do our best to keep you in the loop.

Why do we Reuse, Compost, and Recycle at Pickathon?

Pickathon — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:08:14 -0600

Well, it's an easy answer after this years clear winner with the debut of reusable stainless steel cups, processing of consumer composts, and the elimination of single-use plastic water bottles.

We figured our overall impact on the landfill with a per person calculation. A legitimate comparison was needed so we decided that using 2009 as the control for this experiment would be accurate enough given the new efforts in 2010 (stainless steel cups, compost, no plastic bottles).

*On a per person basis, with 50% growth of attendees from 2009-2010, the amount of TOTAL WASTE (including recyclable, compostable, and non-recoverable items) dropped by 22%.

*The amount of GARBAGE (non-recyclable/compostable) generated per person dropped by 16%.

*The amount of RECYCLING/COMPOST generated per person dropped by 27%.

The stainless steel cups turned out to be the biggest reducer of overall waste with the elimination of plastic water bottles coming in a close second. Composting will lead to future changes as we continue to refine the process in order to encourage understanding and promote its ease. Essentially we inspire to a virtually waste-free Pickathon for many years to come, with 2010 proving that we are well on our way.

There were several folks involved in helping make this dream a reality, so we'd like to thank them all: Jake Hofeld and the 2010 Pickathon Recycling Crew, The Brew Crew, 2010 Vendors, Klean Kanteen, New Seasons Market, Clackamas County Office of Sustainability, Hoodview Disposal Recycling, and of course YOU. Thanks folks, we made it a clear winner and brought a lot of worthy attention to a really big idea that we cannot wait to improve for the future.

Stay tuned!... 2011 Pickathon date announcement is just around the corner.

The Lost and Found Post

Pickathon — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:40:13 -0600

Simply press on the pause if needing more time to look, its 181 photos total so we had to make it somewhat fast...

We seem to all have been there at some point, either misplaced or lost. Whether it be a Birkenstock clog or a Klean Kanteen 12 oz. insulated thermos, at Pendarvis Farm they'd like for you to know that the chances are if it was lost, then found, that they've likely got it.

Soundtrack by the amazing Foghorn Stringband.

Best. Memories. Ever.

Pickathon — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:13:35 -0600

It's been 10 days since leaving the farm and the memories are still swirling. From one photo to the next we are consistently reminded of how amazing things were.

Photographer Tim LaBarge has put together another great highlight reel for us to take a trip down memory lane with. For the most part this batch summing up what was experienced by the majority of us, of course not even close to covering it all...but at least enough to get the stories flowing.

For today's conversation we would like to hear about the music:

1. Who was a highlight for you in 2010 (band, stage, day)?

2. Who should return in 2011?

Here's the slideshow, 102 fun-filled memories from 2010 Pickathon. (click, click, click...to view them all)

Decompression

Pickathon — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:36:41 -0600

It's Wednesday, three days after Pickathon and heads are still in a fuzz from what has been referred to as the best Pickathon ever. For us there is much to process in order to pull together an accurate impression on what to do next. We feel a success all around with room for improvement, which is generally our impression after each Pickathon. The bar was raised and we (you + us) lived up to the expectation.

For today we would just love to hear the stories and have anyone that is interested share memories of this years Pickathon (in the comments below).

Don't bother weighing things down with suggestions or feedback this time around - we'll have that post coming up very soon. Also, the Ultimate Lost and Found post is being prepared with the 2010 version ready to go before the end of the week.

Thanks to everyone once again, your involvement means more to us than words can express. Thank you.

Onward to Lucky #13.....

Pickathon 2010 Photos From Oregon Public Broadcasting

Pickathon — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:17:01 -0600

Last Day for Advance Tickets, Pickathon is Here!

Pickathon — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:17:59 -0600

Here it is - the final and LAST call for Advance Weekend and Single Day Tickets. As it stands now, Tickets and Parking Passes will be available at the gate. Cash or check only if wanting to go that route. Order before midnight tonight and save the bucks while guaranteeing your admission. If still interested in Early Thursday Admission you can come tonight while gates are open (4-8pm) and purchase at that time.

Down to the hours for the rest of setup and it's really looking to be an amazing few days ahead.

Things are happening, and the people are talking...

Best weekend ever? We'll just see about that.

The 2010 Pickathon Users Guide

Pickathon — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:18:20 -0600

This is it, the final stab at info in order to help make the most of your Pickathon weekend. The definitive users guide, the answers to your questions, help where it matters most.

We've combed through and compiled everything imaginable, and away we go...

*2010 Pickathon Schedule

*2010 Pickathon Map

*2010 Pickathon Vendor Menu

*Pendarvis Farm is located at 16581 SE Hagen Rd. Happy Valley, Ore. 97086

*Gate Info and Times for admission can be found - HERE

*There is ample free drinking water available on site, so please plan ahead and bring your water bottles - or, purchase a Pickathon Klean Kanteen at the Merch Booth. There will be NO plastic or bottled water available at this years Pickathon.

*Make sure to bring shoes or boots in addition to your flip-flops. This is a farm with many hidden obstacles, and just to make sure you are covered it is wise to plan on bringing both. Pants, Sweatshirts, Rain Parkas, etc... are all encouraged to be included in your packing list, just in case.

*Camping Gear Shuttles are available to help folks who need to take their gear to campsites that they find in advance. The big thing to know in advance is that Camping Gear Shuttles are not helping you find your campsite. Camping Gear Shuttles are simply doing laps and helping deliver gear once sites have been located.

*There are two 21+ Beer Gardens located on site serving a variety of Widmer beers. In addition to beer we will also have Pickathon/Pendarvis Farm labeled wine that will find it's way out to the public for the first time ever - Gris, Noir, Red Table and White Table. Also new in 2010 is the elimination of all plastic cups and bottles at Pickathon, this changes things a great deal in our Beer Gardens and for the full rundown of info on that we suggest this helpful post - Saying goodbye to plastic cups and bottles.

*The Galaxy Barn turns into a 21+ venue starting at 9pm each night.

*No outside alcohol is allowed at Pendarvis Farm at this years Pickathon.

*Weather for the weekend looks to be mild overall. Not too hot, not too cool. Plan for both warm and cool weather as night temps dip into the low 60's.

*ATM's are on site and located at both the Galaxy Barn and also at the Merch Booth. In addition to ATM's we will be able to process Credit Card orders at the Merch Booth (new in 2010).

*No fires and no charcoal. Fire danger is a reality. Camping stoves are allowed with close supervision, so please be mindful.

*Ultimate Lost and Found is located at the Merch Booth. Lost something? Found something? Head to the Merch Booth and they will help you out.

*Showers are available through the Oasis Healing Center which will have Eight custom built shower stalls and the amazing Airstream converted Sauna. Visit Oasis early on Friday so you can get the drift early in the weekend. Possibly the best $5 you ever spend...

*Family Camping is available and marked on the 2010 Pickathon Map. Please be mindful of where you camp as this is a mixed bag and everyone has the right to a safe, comfortable, good time.

*Peacock Radio will broadcast the Mountain View and Fir Meadow stages on the 90.1 FM dial. Bring your portable radios if planning on spending time at camp but not wanting to miss the music.

Okay, so what did we miss?

Question your answers below....

Reusable, Recyclable, Compostable

Pickathon — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:39:05 -0600

Three simple words that will help bring the landfill load to a minimum, as well as helping keep unnecessary plastics out of harms way.

Reusable: We encourage everyone to bring all they can in the way of cups, mugs, plates, bowls, forks, knifes, and spoons for use throughout the weekend. There will be rinse/wash stations available and free Drinking Water is located throughout Pendarvis Farm, so please also to remember to bring your water bottles. Vendors will be supremely happy to serve you on your own plate, bowl or cup and many will offer incentive for those that make the effort. In the Pickathon Beer Gardens we will be using 16oz. Pickathon Stainless Steel Cups that are purchased once, then used throughout the weekend. More details about the cups is posted here - Saying goodbye to plastic cups and bottles

Recyclable: A primary goal of ours this year was to limit the overall use of plastics. From eliminating the plastic beer cups and bottles, to organizing vendors to use compostable and paper products. If by some way you still need to recycle something, we'll be able to process #1-6 with ease. Aluminum too. Please leave the glass at home.

Compostable: Pickathon will be the first event in Clackamas County to have full composting ability with the generous help of New Seasons Market, who will be packing out and processing all compost generated. There will be volunteers available to help out and we look forward to seeing the significant shift from landfill to compost with the amount of waste that is produced throughout the weekend.

We would like to settle into this mindset leading into this years Pickathon and encourage folks to share their ideas below. Thanks again for taking part.

Lets make it happen!

We're really two days out until the weekend begins?

One last playlist for the road

Pickathon — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:01:45 -0600

Welcome to Tuesday! It's down to just a couple days and wow does it feel great to be heading into the weekend. It's the reunion that we have all been waiting for, and for everyone who's returning... Welcome Back! We know there are several newbies out there as well, and thanks to you too.

There's a lot of info out there on the website that will help make your weekend that much better. Tomorrow we'll put out the big "2010 Pickathon Users Guide" which will be the definitive how-to and what-to-bring list for maximum ease and enjoyment once at Pickathon.

Advance Tickets and Parking will remain available online until Thursday at midnight, after that they will only be available at the gate - with availability subject to capacity. Make the choice today or tomorrow and guarantee you'll be there with a little bit of savings.

Two days remain, and then the early fun begins.

Who's coming?

Coffee is important at Pickathon

Pickathon — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:07:14 -0600

An age old story, lines for coffee at 8:00 in the morning with headaches on the horizon and frustration building... Well folks, we're happy to report that this should be a thing of the past with what we have in store for the caffeine need that consumes most all of us as part of our daily routine.

Spunkey Monkey Coffee is up for the challenge and bringing in the new/old technology with key utilization of propane for big batches fast. The lines should move fast with 10x more coffee being produced at any given moment and organic drip coffee ($1 a fill up to 16oz. if you bring your own cup) and specialty drinks available starting at 6:00am.

Coffee issues at Pickathon no more.

Oh, and enjoy this second installment of the 2009 Pickathon CD preview, Breathe Owl Breathe doing Drop and Roll... it'll be a good one so make sure to check it out at this years Merch Booth.

The All Night Mix to start the final week before Pickathon

Pickathon — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:37:52 -0600

It is time to get excited folks! It's late Sunday night and Pickathon starts THIS next Friday. We're up late, and here's what's being listened to while we bring it home.

It's the All Night Mix and we're getting increasingly more excited with each day that passes. This years Pickathon is this week, no more waiting, start the packing and get ready for the best it's ever been.

Advance Tickets will only be available until Thursday (8/5) at Midnight. After that we'll look to have what Tickets that remain available (not a guarantee) at the Gate - Weekend Tickets $155, Friday Only $80, Saturday Only $85, Sunday Only $85. Pick them up before Thursday night and save the loot.

Final. Week. To Wait.

Bikes and BikeRacker

Pickathon — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:24:53 -0600

As part of the effort to lessen the footprint at this years Pickathon we are pleased to say that BikeRacker, Portland's innovative and proper bike parking solution, will be providing ample organized and secure parking for bikes that choose to take the trip out to Pendarvis Farm.

This is a big step forward for us as we've always encouraged bike participation and for the first time able to adequately provide a simple and secure solution.

Biking and Shuttles are the future for Pickathon transportation options and we encourage you (and your friends) to take part in either mode in helping out with the bigger picture. It's up to all of us to make the difference and we'll continue to work on ways to help make these options easier to consider.

Plan a bike trip with a group of friends and make sure to tell the BikeRacker folks that you're happy to see them.

Also worth a huge kudos and a definite worthy read is the Blogspot - Biking From San Francisco To Pickathon, who are essentially doing what the title says, and along the way sharing the stories of the road. Check these guys out and maybe even look to connect with riders Michael and Andrew Mirelman to welcome them to the farm in style.

5 days and counting.... and we'll see you very, very soon.

The Pickathon In House at OPBMusic.org

Pickathon — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:33:06 -0600

As listeners, we can tell you that Jeremy Peterson and Dave Christensen at Opbmusic.org 'get' the Pickathon drift. They are hard at work, day and night, sorting through piles of disks in order to provide the weekend fiesta we like to call In House. A taste-making playlist that we have found ourselves connected to in many ways as the station has grown over the past few years.

One of the many thrills of In House and Opbmusic.org is the library of In Studio sessions that they have amassed.

Go ahead and give a listen to who they've had in the past that are part of this years Pickathon:

Session 140 - Breathe Owl Breathe
Session 146 - Typhoon
Session 53 - Sean Hayes
Session 52 - the everybodufields
Session 116 - Richmond Fontaine
Session 120 - Langhorne Slim
Session 92 - Weinland
Session 129 - Sallie Ford The Sound Outside

Listen to them all and make sure to give In House a try every Saturday and Sunday from 8-11pm.

Counting down the days... Advance Tickets ending next Thursday

Pickathon — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:36:30 -0600

We are down to the final week of preparation and can hardly believe it's almost been a full year. Everything that's been talked about over the past 11 months comes down to a very big week for many of us out here at Pendarvis Farm.

Today is the ONE WEEK warning and we want to ring the bells of opportunity and get folks alerted to the fact that Advance Weekend and Single Day Tickets will only be available until Thursday (8/5) at midnight. Advance Tickets will not only save you loot ($15 more at the gate), but also guarantee admission and parking if needed. We are unsure of what will be available at the gate so for anyone on the fence it is suggested to make the decision now and join the fun.

This is the last week to think about it...

Advance Weekend Tickets and Parking are HERE.

Oh, and did you check out the 10 Day Forecast yet? Sunny and 80 for anyone not wanting to follow the link...PERFECT Oregon summertime temps if you ask me.

7 days and counting down.

Saying goodbye to plastic cups and bottles

Pickathon — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:31:21 -0600

Well friends, we did it. We're throwing our hands up in the air and waving goodbye to the 25,000+ plastic cups that once found themselves at home in our glorious beer gardens. Plastic no more.

Pickathon has always been run with thoughtful attention to energy generation and consumption, minimizing waste, and a leave-no-trace mentality. This year we have taken a huge step and committed to eliminating all plastic beverage containers, making Pickathon the first music festival in the country to go plastic (bottle and cup) free.

Bottled water in single-use plastic containers will not be sold, or available at the event. In addition, the compostable corn-based cups that were used in the beer gardens in the past will be replaced with reusable stainless steel cups designed and manufactured by Klean Kanteen. Free water will be available in multiple locations and you are encouraged to bring your own bottle or take advantage of the beautiful Pickathon Klean Kanteens that will be available at the merchandise booth.

Here's the scoop on how the cups will work:

16 oz. Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel cups will be the only vessel allowed for use in the Pickathon Beer Gardens. These cups will be purchased for $5 and can be reused throughout the weekend, Widmer beers are on tap and will be $4 a piece for a 16 oz. pour. Cups must enter and exit the Beer Gardens empty. It's that simple.

There will be ample cup rinsing stations to help keep cups clean and within the beer gardens there will be cup racks for folks that want to mark their cups and utilize the honor system for convenient storage. At the Klean Kanteen booth there will be free 'collars' that can slip onto the cup and with the use of a 'd-ring' can be hooked or hung on just about anything.

This is a test for Pickathon and we need everyone on board to help make it happen. If we cannot make it work, who can?

So check it out above, that's the real deal up there... plus our amazing (out of focus) Brew Crew.

2010 Pickathon Site Map

Pickathon — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:32:25 -0600

New Trails! New Camping! New Honey Bucket locations in the Woods! All the amenities are in tow and we've thought of most everything (we think) that should help make your life that much easier.

Print this puppy out and bring it to the festival.

2010 Pickathon Site Map

The 2010 Pickathon Vendor Menu

Pickathon — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:12:51 -0600

It's time to plan your meals and see what's in store for the edibles out at Pendarvis Farm this year at Pickathon. A glorious mix of local and regional foodies that will make your mouth water. We've got it all covered and here's what's in store.

Check out the FULL 2010 PICKATHON VENDOR MENU

We'll easily break this down by two main categories:
Who's returing?
Who's new?

Returning: Al Forno Ferruzza, Gaining Ground Farm, The Grove, Thai Noon, Fifty Licks Handmade Ice Cream, Zuppa Soups, Toast, and Sol Pops.

New: Pine State Biscuits, Spunky Monkey Coffee, Violetta, The Whole Bowl, Ali Baba's Tribal Treats, and the Kruger Farm Corn Roaster.

Quick! Take a good look at what's available as we are beyond excited and want to help with the planning of your meals while at Pickathon. Veggie, Vegan, and Gluten Free options are noted when available alongside vendor hours listed when open. Don't worry... there's also an amazing array of meat selections too.

One step further, we are pushing for folks to do all they can to limit waste on the individual basis. A simple way to help with this is to bring your own plates, bowls, cups, and utensils whenever possible. We will have available rinsing, washing and food composting stations to help folks that are interested in the effort of bringing their own and reusing as much as possible. This is a huge help in many ways...

Keep up with the blog as we've got a lot of info starting to overflow and look to make it the best one yet.

See you in 10 days!

Last Chance For Pre-Sale Merch

Pickathon — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:57:25 -0600

It's the final countdown with 10 days to go until the gates open and the fun begins. For today we have a big announcement for anyone wanting to take advantage of the exclusive pre-sale only merchandise that is currently available over at the Tickets Page.

Furturtle designed and limited to a super small batch for a lucky few we have T-Shirts and Posters that speak Pickathon 2010. These designs are only available online and will be cut-off after tomorrow night. Purchase now and pick them up at the Festival.

There are shirts for the entire family and a simply amazing poster with an alternate version of this years Owl design. This is the final chance to take advantage and we don't want you to miss out.

Take a look!

Hayes Carll replaces Billy Joe Shaver

Pickathon — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:39:31 -0600

Big news came our way late last week with the call that the legendary Billy Joe Shaver needed to cancel his 2010 Pickathon performances. Anyone that has followed the Shaver story this past year knows the man has had his hands full. First the trial in Waco, TX, then heart surgery just three weeks ago, and now another set back with severely torn ligaments that will now take him off the road for several months. This left us scratching our heads in confusion and wondering what's next?

With luck, we were able to get Hayes Carll, fellow Texan and songwriter to help fill this void. In a last minute pinch we couldn't be happier with the outcome as Hayes has been an artist that has had our interest for a few years.

We welcome Hayes and his full band to this years lineup and look forward to catching up with him in just two short weeks.

The bells are ringing here in the ticketing office with the final countdown for Advance Tickets in full swing. Get them now while still available. Weather looks to be great and the farm is already taking on the big transformation.

We'll keep you posted...

The 2009 Pickathon CD is here

Pickathon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:19:09 -0600

We've waited and waited and finally we get the chance to show what we've been working on for the past few months... The 2009 Pickathon will feature 34 tracks from last years festival and highlights the best of the bunch. New for this years disk (the 10th in the Pickathon series) is that we were able to pull tracks from all the stages - Mountain View, Fir Meadows, Starlight, Woods, and Galaxy Barn. A fully comprehensive mix of all there is to love out at Pendarvis Farm.

For today we give you a sneak-peek of what Dr. Dog brought to the mix with their song The Way The Lazy Do . Epic. The 2009 Pickathon Hi-Fi CD and DVD will be available for the first time at this years festival and we encourage folks to check it out and grab a copy or two - great for gifts!

Less than three weeks away now, tickets are going fast and we want you all to make it. Don't wait until it's too late, Advance Tickets are available and waiting.

Soon we'll all be out at Pendarvis Farm...

Three weeks to wait, don't wait until the gate

Pickathon — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:16:06 -0600

First of all we need to say that it's officially coming down to just a few more weeks to wait until the gates open and we all get to live the Pickathon life again. So far ticket sales have been a huge surprise and we want to make sure that folks know the days are counting down and it is not advised to count on availability at the gate. You can pick up Single Day or Weekend Tickets right here and leave those worries behind. It's time! The fields are being mowed, the Barns are being cleaned, the plan is being set into motion... Eleven months of planning comes down to a single weekend and we can hardly wait.

For folks that have been out to Pendarvis Farm and are familiar with the grounds, you may recognize a thing or two from this amazing new video from Black Prairie, Red Rocking Chair from their debut Sugar Hill release Feast of the Hunters' Moon (Get this record!). Showing much of what the Farm has to offer in a somewhat creepy way, Black Prairie has captured the essence of what life on the farm could be like. Watch out for these Black Prairie folks, especially when Jon Neufeld carries an axe.

Tickets. Are. Here.

Widmer brings the beer

Pickathon — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:04:29 -0600

The Pickathon beer gardens are a popular retreat for those that are of legal age. Cold beers on a hot summer day with some of the best music around makes it one of the better places to be when a break is needed. Get a brew, sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy both locations with access to either the Mt. View and Fir Meadows Stages or The Galaxy Barn.

In 2010 local craft brewer Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. will be keeping the taps flowing with a multitude of different microbrews ranging from their well-known Widmer Hefeweizen to their delicious Drifter Pale Ale. Founded in 1984 by two ordinary brothers with an uncompromising passion for beer, Widmer Brothers Brewing currently produces a variety of European- and American-style beers.

Widmer Hefeweizen, Drifter Pale Ale, Drop Top Amber Ale, Broken Halo IPA, and Okto (Oktoberfest/Munich Style Ale) will all be found at this years Pickathon.

Pickathon Daily and Family Schedules

Pickathon — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:45:36 -0600

There's more going on than ever before, with several surprises packed into each day of the weekend. Six stages, 44 artists, three big days with lots to do during the breaks in between. No matter where you end up throughout the weekend, we're pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

Just click on the below link and check out the printable version of the 2010 Pickathon Daily and Family Schedules.

Print your own version of the schedule at home and bring it with you when you arrive out at the farm.

30 days and counting down...

Enjoy!

Download the 2010 Pickathon Schedule HERE

The Galaxy Barn goes Solar

Pickathon — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:07:01 -0600

Given the upcoming week of high temps and full sun we felt a nice time to introduce to the world a new face out at the farm, the recently installed solar arrays for The Galaxy Barn. Completed just last week, these new friends of ours and making good use of the clear blue skies and (now) abundant sunshine. A fluid-interconnected system that allows energy to be put back into the grid will allow The Galaxy Barn and much of the Vendor Village at the 2010 Pickathon to run completely off solar power.

We are supremely excited about this permanent fixture that will power future life out there at the farm for many years to come.

Come on out and watch the meter run backwards!

ecoShuttle your way out to Pickathon

Pickathon — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:41:21 -0600

One of the many ways to help limit the overall impact of Pickathon is for folks to consider their options once it comes to getting out to Pendarvis Farm. Automobiles, although a relative necessity, are a big part of the pollution problem. We understand this and want to do all that is possible to help make things easier when considering an alternative.

Essentially what we are going after is the future of a car-free Pickathon, and with great confidence we'd like to challenge folks in helping make this goal a reality. With the help of like-minded cohorts ecoShuttle, we have once again organized the quick and easy Pickathon bio-fueled shuttle. New in 2010 we are pleased to report that the Tri-Met Max Green Line now goes all the way out to the Clackamas Town Center, which is an easy 5 miles from Pendarvis Farm. This is huge! You can now take public mass transit from Portland to Clackamas, then hop on the Pickathon ecoShuttle to take you out to the farm and back. Shuttles will operate all weekend starting Thursday August 5 thru Monday August 9. Come and go as you please with a weekend ride card costing only $5 if purchased in advance. If wanting to take this further, and for folks from far away places we suggest looking into the Amtrak when coming to Portland, then taking the Max to Clackamas, then finishing things up with the happy and healthy Pickathon ecoShuttle. Tickets for this years Pickathon ecoShuttle can be found at the ecoShuttle website. Schedules for both the Max and the ecoShuttle can be found at the Pickathon Info page.

It's up to us to make this work, and we appreciate the support and encouragement you great folks have shown this idea over the past few years. We'll get there, and thanks to 2010 Pickathon ecoShuttle, so will you. Only 37 more days to go...

Last Day To Save Big On Advance Weekend Tickets

Pickathon — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:17:54 -0600

The end of June is here and today is the last chance for picking up Weekend Tickets at the current price of $130. Early tomorrow morning we will see the change in price for Weekend Tickets to $140. This is still an unbeatable value of roughly $46.50 a day for 3 Full Days, 6 Stages, and 44 Bands. Kids 12 and under are always free when coming with the family, and Pendarvis Farm provides some of the best that Oregon has to offer with ample camping and hiking amongst the big trees of the Great Northwest.

The 2010 Pickathon at Pendarvis Farm is only 20 minutes from Downtown Portland and we are proud to say that we have arranged several viable Transportation options that will help you both save money and limit the use of excessive resources while taking part in the fun. All together it's truly a marvelous thing!

Pickathon has continually improved the overall quality of experience with many changes that have taken hold over the past 12 years. This is it folks, the best that Oregon has to offer and we are supremely excited to introduce many new ideas that will help make 2010 our most special year yet. Rest assured, you can count on us...

Stay tuned for many more updates as we hit the homestretch with August 6-8 being right around the corner.

Advance Weekend Ticket change in price right around the corner

Pickathon — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:32:39 -0600

With the sun finally hitting us here in Portland we can now say that Summer is officially here. The fever is in the air and here at Pickathon things are beginning to move fast enough to make it all blur.

One super important note for folks is that we have only a few Advance Weekend Tickets at the price of $130 remaining, once sold out they will then be at the $140 price - which is the last price-bump prior to the gate price of $155.

If you want to make the savings matter, get tickets this week as that price change will occur no later than next Tuesday (6/29), quite possibly earlier depending on the frenzy...

For Single Day Tickets we are also nearing the end of our allotted amount that will be available for advance purchase. Given the overall demand and capacity concern we have chosen to make these available on a limited basis, but not to worry if you miss the boat as all remaining Single Day Tickets will be available at the gate if not completely sold-out.

We'd love to see you there...

Sam Quinn could be the Mayor of Pickathon

Pickathon — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:07:57 -0600

Seeming like in one way or another Sam Quinn has topped many of our lists over the past few years at Pickathon. He is in some ways a permanent fixture once it comes to the festival... Performing at 2006 and 2008 Pickathon with the everybodyfields, who knows what he did in 2007?, and then returning again in 2009 with his then completely new outfit, the japan ten. Now that I think about it, at some point in 2009 I am almost certain he ended up on a volunteer crew during setup? It's hard to recall, but if you look hard enough in the memory bank I am sure short shorts and big beard will come to the surface at least once or twice.

So it's now 2010 and Sam returns, and this time with a new record The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships (May 2010 release with Ramseur Records). The band with him in 2010 we are still unsure about, but we do know that Tom Pryor, Jamie Cook, Josh Oliver, and yes... Jill Andrews will all be around. Who knows what we'll get?

Anyone out there have a good Sam Quinn experience that needs telling? Share it below. Happy post-fathers day, Happy Summer, and Happy 45 day countdown.

Weekend Ticket price change coming soon

Pickathon — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:50:07 -0600

It is coming down to that time again where we will soon be seeing a change in the price of the Advance Weekend Ticket. Currently the three-day ticket with camping is available for $130 ($43 a day!), and will go to $140 when the change occurs. This will then be the final price for Weekend Tickets prior to the gate. If wanting the savings and guaranteed admission it is suggested you get it together asap. We do not expect to see this quantity last long and expect to make the shift in price no later than the last week of June.

On a side note, we will also soon have a daily schedule posted on the site for this years festival. This we feel will help folks looking at the Single Day Ticket option, which currently is only available for a limited time in advance. In 2010 Single Day Tickets will primarily be sold at the gate if capacity allows. Get them now if thinking that is the way to go. If not, you'll be forced to chance it at the gate as it's a sad, lonely ride back to Portland if we do indeed end up being sold-out.

Volunteers

Pickathon — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:35:49 -0600

The day has come where we open up the 2010 Volunteer Application to all non-returning, and hopeful Pickathon volunteers.

Year after year we depend on many outstanding and enthusiastic volunteers that fill a wide range of tasks that help make it all happen. Mostly these positions are filled in advance with returning volunteers, but each year we are able to open up a small window for new applicants. There are currently a very small handful of positions available amongst the volunteer crews for 2010, we do not expect these positions to remain available very much longer.

New in 2010 we are looking at adding motivated and inspired volunteers to the 2010 Pickathon Film Crew. Experienced and interested operators, producers, and directors are encouraged to contact us for more info on what this would entail.

Here's the application link:

2010 Pickathon Volunteer Application

The Woods Stage and Workshop Barn Schedules

Pickathon — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:45:07 -0600

Last day of schedule announcements and we've saved something special to end the week with. The Woods Stage has grown a lot over the past years, this Solar Powered mecca deep in the woods offers everything and more for folks who just want to sit, listen, and relax in the forest. Do not miss these special performances on this special stage. The Workshop Barn on the other hand, has not changed that much at all, still an all-acoustic intimate venue which gives us an up-close look at what makes these artists tick. Enjoy them both!

The Woods Stage

Friday August 6
3:00-4:00pm Foghorn Stringband
4:30-5:30pm Michael Hurley
6:00-7:00pm Punch Brothers
7:30-8:30pm The Cave Singers

Saturday August 7
10:30-11:30am Cardboard Songsters: Saturday Morning Cartoons
12:00-1:00pm Little Wings
1:30-2:30pm Martha Scanlan
3:00-4:00pm Megafaun
4:30-5:30pm Langhorne Slim
6:00-7:00pm Frank Fairfield
7:30-8:30pm Bonnie Prince Billy The Cairo Gang

Sunday August 8
12:00-1:00pm Breathe Owl Breathe
1:30-2:30pm Black Lillies
3:00-4:00pm Blind Boy Paxton
4:30-5:30pm Seth Bernard May Erlewine
6:00-7:00pm Sean Hayes
7:30-8:30pm Woody Pines

The Workshop Barn

Friday August 6
3:30-4:30pm Billy Joe Shaver
5:00-6:00pm Sam Quinn Jill Andrews
6:30-7:30pm Black Prairie

Saturday August 7
11:00-12:00pm Seth Bernard May Erlewine
12:30-1:30pm Red Stick Ramblers
2:00-3:00pm The Banjo by Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats)
3:30-4:30pm Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio
5:00-6:00pm Punch Brothers feat. Chris Thile

Sunday August 8
11:00-12:00pm Elliott Brood
12:30-1:30pm Water Tower Bucket Boys
2:00-3:00pm These United States
3:30-4:30pm Stone River Boys
5:00-6:00pm Michael Hurley
6:30-7:30pm Blind Boy Paxton Frank Fairfield

That does it this time around...

Last schedule for posting will be for the Kids!, which we anticipate will be available very soon. Keep a look out! Until next time...

The Galaxy Barn and Starlight Stage Schedules

Pickathon — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:06:57 -0600

Day two of our 2010 Schedule announcements, this time around we are pleased to bring you The Galaxy Barn and The Starlight Stage. Hard to say which could be our favorite, as they both end up offering incredible late-night options coupled with amazing sound and venue setting. The Galaxy Barn will again offer a Beer Garden and The Starlight Stage will be at the center of our Vendor Village. Here we go...

The Galaxy Barn

Friday August 6
4:00-5:00pm Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio
5:30-6:30pm Water Tower Bucket Boys
7:00-8:00pm Fruit Bats
8:30-9:30pm Town Mountain
10:00-11:00pm Megafaun
11:30-12:30am Red Stick Ramblers
1:00-2:15am Langhorne Slim

Saturday August 7
11:30-12:30pm T-Model Ford
1:00-2:00pm Sallie Ford The Sound Outside
2:30-3:30pm Weinland
4:00-5:00pm Black Lillies
5:30-6:30pm Typhoon
7:00-8:00pm These United States
8:30-9:30pm Frazey Ford
10:00-11:00pm The Deep Dark Woods
11:30-12:30am Cave Singers
1:00-2:15am Dr. Dog

Sunday August 8
11:30-12:30pm Michael Hurley
1:00-2:00pm Richmond Fontaine
2:30-3:30pm The Dust Busters
4:00-5:00pm Sam Quinn
5:30-6:30pm Roadside Graves
7:00-8:00pm Anais Mitchell
8:30-9:30pm Stone River Boys
10:00-11:00pm Elliott Brood
11:30-12:30am Chatham County Line
1:00-2:15am Heartless Bastards

The Starlight Stage

Friday August 6
11:30pm-12:30am Cotton Jones
1:00-2:00am Black Prairie

Saturday August 7
11:00-12:00am The Dust Busters
12:30-1:30am Jill Andrews
Sunday August 8
10:00-11:00pm Frazey Ford
11:30-12:30am Little Wings
1:00-2:00am Black Lillies

There you have it, all the late-night fun one could ever imagine.

Coming up tomorrow we finish things up with The Woods Stage (amazing this year!) and The Workshop Barn.

Mt. View and Fir Meadows Stage Schedules plus Individual Day Tickets

Pickathon — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:03:54 -0600

Out under the sails of Pickathon lies the dueling stages in what we consider the main venue at Pendarvis Farm. Amongst the mighty doug fir trees with views of Mt. Hood, The Mt. View (MV) and Fir Meadows (FM) Stages sit side-by-side underneath 80,000 yards of shade and tension fabric which in itself is one of the marvels of Pickathon. Non-stop music for three days between the stages could very easily fill all of your time throughout the weekend, if you let it.

Friday August 6
3:30-4:30pm Weinland (MV)
4:30-5:15pm Martha Scanlan (FM)
5:15-6:15pm Megafaun (MV)
6:15-7:00pm Sallie Ford The Sound Outside (FM)
7:00-8:00pm Billy Joe Shaver (MV)
8:00-8:45pm Breathe Owl Breathe (FM)
8:45-10:00pm Dr. Dog
10:15-11:30pm 2010 Squaredance with Foghorn Stringband

Saturday August 7
11:00-12:00pm Town Mountain (MV)
12:00-12:45pm Elliott Brood (FM)
12:45-1:45pm Stone River Boys (MV)
1:45-2:30pm Richmond Fontaine (FM)
2:30-3:30pm Chatham County Line (MV)
3:30-4:15pm Frazey Ford (FM)
4:15-5:15pm Cotton Jones (MV)
5:15-6:00pm Roadside Graves (FM)
6:00-7:00pm Fruit Bats (MV)
7:00-7:45pm Black Prairie (FM)
7:45-8:45pm Punch Brothers (MV)
8:45-9:45pm Red Stick Ramblers (FM)
9:45-11:00pm Heartless Bastards (MV)

Sunday August 8
10:00-11:00am Captain Bogg Salty (MV)
11:00-11:45am Frank Fairfield (FM)
11:45-12:45pm Typhoon (MV)
12:45-1:30pm Woody Pines (FM)
1:30-2:30pm Cave Singers (MV)
2:30-3:15pm Anais Mitchell (FM)
3:15-4:15pm Sean Hayes (MV)
4:15-5:00pm T-Model Ford (FM)
5:00-6:00pm The Deep Dark Woods (MV)
6:00-6:45pm Jill Andrews (FM)
6:45-7:45pm Langhorne Slim (MV)
8:00-8:45pm These United States (FM)
8:45-10:00pm Bonnie Prince Billy The Cairo Gang (MV)

In addition to this schedule news we now have a limited batch of advance Individual Day Tickets that are available. Primarily the vast majority of our tickets are sold as Weekend Tickets, and at the same time we also understand that for some it is not possible to make the entire weekend. For this we have decided to allow limited advance sales for individual days and if Pickathon does not sell out in advance then Individual Day Tickets will also be available at the gate.

Keep an eye out for the rest of the stage schedules to be announced this week: The Galaxy Barn and Starlight Stage tomorrow, and The Woods Stage and Workshop Barn on Friday.

Eat healthy, reduce waste, and save money at this years Pickathon

Pickathon — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:16:16 -0600

We were so encouraged on the feedback and dialogue around the open forum brainstorming to eliminate as much plastic at Pickathon as possible that we thought we would pose another key thought for folks to provide feedback on.

This year we are working hard to reduce trash overall and we think one of the best ways for us to do this is to find ways for people to be able to eat as many of their meals from the onsite food vendors as possible.

The only givens for each of our food vendors is that

1) We insist that each one has interesting, healthy, locally sourced and organic ingredients when possible.

2) There is little to no overlap between vendors.

3) We will compost as much of the food waste as possible in the food vendors area.

Beyond this we have some specific questions that will help us gauge how far we can go to reach our eat healthy, reduce waste, and save money goals.

1) Should we create a menu listing all the vendors food and prices that you can download and look at before the festival to help your planning?

2) What range of meals prices do you think are reasonable for inspired, healthy, organic, and locally sourced food?

3) What other issues would we need to address for you to consider to buy most of your food onsite?

4) Any specific food requests?

Your feedback is how we make things better and we could not be more excited about pairing the best food vendors with the best music in one glorious weekend in August.

Five more makes forty four

Pickathon — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:41:27 -0600

Here's the final five which makes a whopping forty-four in 2010. Sean Hayes, Anais Mitchell, Sam Quinn, Typhoon, and finally, The Dust Busters join our little party at the farm.

The stage schedules are now complete and awaiting their big debut on June 9. In celebration of the schedule Pickathon will make available a limited batch of Single Day Tickets (8/6, 8/7, 8/8), which this year are super short in numbers due to the popularity of the Weekend Ticket.

Two months and counting down the days...

The Centaur is coming

Pickathon — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:41:04 -0600

...and he's discovered four other artists that needed adding to the 2010 Linuep, which we will be able to tell you about tomorrow.

Yes I know, more artists added to the lineup? It's crazy over here....

Full 2010 Pickathon Schedule will be posted on June 9.

Workshops at Pickathon

Pickathon — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:16:33 -0600

Having long been fans of the more intimate performances that take place at Pickathon each year, we felt the need to really make the most of this years Workshops.

In general any performance without being amplified is pretty much a workshop at Pickathon. The crowd gets close and asks questions, artists are free to talk and tell stories as they'd like, and in the end we seem to always end up with several of the most dynamic and amazing performances that take place out at Pendarvis Farm.

In 2010 we wanted to raise that bar and really highlight what a treat this is to see these performers in such a way. How do we decide? Well, primarily we first go through artists that actually have interest in taking part, then we look to cover our bases with variety.

Without dragging on too much longer, here's what we've come up with so far:

Songwriting Workshops with: Billy Joe Shaver, Michael Hurley, Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, Jill Andrews (+ a yet to be announced special guest, hmm?).

Instrumental Workshops with: Eric Johnson (banjo), Black Prairie, Chatham County Line, Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile, Red Stick Ramblers, Blind Boy Paxton and Frank Fairfield, and Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio.

That's a start for now with others to be added this week as we put the final touches on the complete 2010 Schedule.

*Speaking of workshops, the above video is classic Martha Scanlan from 2006, our first year at Pendarvis Farm - which was also our last year as a two-day festival. Martha and the Stuart Brothers have been consistent figures in our Workshop Barn over the past few years. Oh the memories...

Pickathon and Kids

Pickathon — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:46:41 -0600

We love kids, and we love the parents those kids bring with them.

One of the many amazing and unique aspects of Pickathon is having the general ability to always find something happening during the day suited for the entire family. Yoga, Music Together, Circus Cascadia, Squardances, workshops, and of course the annual Captain Bogg Salty Sunday morning show. It's all happening throughout the day starting as early as 7am...

One of our 2010 highlights will be the one-and-only Cardboard Songsters doing a special rendition of Saturday Morning Cartoons on the Woods Stage at 10:30am. This will be fun for everyone.

Full Schedule coming soon.

If you have ideas for what you would like to see at Pickathon for kids and families, let us know.

Only 73 more days...

Should Pickathon Go Plastic Free?

Pickathon — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:38:17 -0600

In 2010 we estimate the average beer drinker over 3 days of Pickathon festivities will go through roughly 7-10 plastic cups which means we are on target to consume around 20-30 thousand plastic cups in just the beer gardens alone!

We are not happy with this thought and so we have been brainstorming how we could eliminate all plastic cups as well as minimizing plastic use overall.

We would love to hear your feedback on two basic ideas that will lead us towards these plastic free goals:

Idea #1
Instead of buying a beer and recycling your plastic cup every time, would you be willing to help us reach this goal by buying a sweet, 16oz. stainless steel cup with the Pickathon logo on it that you’d be able to reuse the whole weekend? You’d pay a little more for only your first beer, (roughly $8-9 for the cup + beer), and at that time you’d receive your reusable stainless steel cup (every beer after the first would then only cost $4). You would also be responsible for keeping track of your cup and rinsing it out during the festival. We’ll do everything we can to make that easy for you, by providing some local storage in the beer gardens, making available some sort of inexpensive carrier for the cup, and providing potable water for rinsing. The payoff is twofold. Pickathon would be the first large outdoor music festival to completely eliminate all beer garden plastic cups and you get to keep your very own Pickathon stainless steel cup, forever.

Idea #2
What do you think of Pickathon eliminating the use of plastic bottled water throughout all of the festival? Instead of selling bottled water, we’d encourage everyone to bring their own water bottles. For those people who forget we would have paper cups as well as the ability to purchase a high quality stainless steel Klean Kanteen that you’d be able to fill up at numerous water stations on the festival grounds. Plenty of water would be available, it just won’t be in plastic bottles!

Distant Cousins from North Carolina

Pickathon — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:48:17 -0600

Off the heels of yet another exciting week at the 'ol Pickathon HQ, today offering a sneak peek at the upcoming summer release of Pickathon favorites, Chatham County Line. Making their third trip out to the farm since 2007 these folks are like distant cousins and we welcome them once again with open arms.

Coming up in July we will see the release of the 5th full-length since the bands inception in their home state of North Carolina. Releasing with Yep Roc! Records, we are excited to give a glimpse of what Wildwood has to offer.

Enjoy.

Discount Tickets Are Ending Sunday

Pickathon — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:22:51 -0600

If you waited to the last minute then your time has finally come to jump on the Discount Weekend Tickets bandwagon as they will end Sunday.

If you needed a bit more motivation for what's in store for you then first check out this awesome video of Bonnie Prince Billy and the Cairo Gang performing in a basement from last April, and then picture yourself at the Woods Stage viewing the same thing with own eyes.

Life is good.

Riddle of the Day: Discount Tickets Will End Sunday if not Friday

Pickathon — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:47:52 -0600

Based on the angst of many worried emails trying to predict exactly when Discount Weekend Tickets will go away, we have decided to make things simpler for the chronic worriers by declaring Sunday night as the definitive cutoff date.

This does not mean you can simply wait until Sunday as we still only have limited amounts of the Discount Weekend Tickets left and if the torrid pace of this week holds up they could be gone as early as tonight.

We hope everyone enjoys their upcoming weekend (It's sunny in Portland!). Our contribution to kicking things off is to share a nice little video from These United States performing Honor Amongst Thieves.

Last Chance For Discount Weekend Tickets

Pickathon — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:44:15 -0600

We've been hinting for weeks and this time it's for real, Discount Weekend Tickets are one step away from being gone, done, and out the door. Quantity and availability have already been extended and here we are, earlier than ever before, preparing to say so long... This is definitely it, the final countdown for our friends - Discount Weekend Tickets.

Advance Weekend Tickets will make their way to the web at any moment, available for $130 each, buy today and save the extra $15 ($35 if you wait until the gate). 2010 will be the most ambitious and inspiring Pickathon to date with over 40 artists (yes, a couple more bands will be added to the mix), making the best of a combined 150 hours of music, workshops, and kids activities over the course of three FULL days on SIX different stages. Pickathon is hands down the #1 weekend of the year and we encourage everyone to make the trip out to the Farm - Families, Friends, Distant Relatives... Join the crowd who agrees and find out what everyone else has been talking about.

Several announcements are on the way including info on Volunteers, Day Tickets, and the 2010 Sustainability efforts that we are currently putting together. There will be many changes this year and we cannot wait to tell you all about it. (Think: Solar Arrays on the Galaxy Barn, Plastic Free Pickathon, Bio-Fuel Shuttles...) Get the news direct via the daily blog, facebook, or even twitter if you prefer the abbreviated version.

Let the excitement begin.

Discount Weekend Tickets will be sold out this week

Pickathon — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:01:21 -0600

Today's the day for letting folks know that this is definitely it for the current batch of Discount Weekend Tickets. We initially extended the date due to demand but now see that the quantity available is very close to being completely bought up.

What does this mean? Well, if on the ball this week and knowing Pickathon is in your plans for this summer - you can purchase tickets today and rest easy knowing that some bucks were saved, and you guaranteed yourself the best weekend of the year.

We do not know if Pickathon will completely sell-out in advance, as it's never happened that way in the past. However, what we do know is that tickets are moving faster than ever and this year will most certainly be the biggest to date.

Also, a note on camping at Pickathon:

Camping is free and is only available with the purchase of a Weekend Ticket. This is tent camping in the woods which means you will park in the weekend parking lot (with your Weekend Parking Pass, if driving) and walk/hike/pack the short distance into the wonderful Pendarvis woods to set up camp. Camping is not reserved in advance so the earlier you arrive the better the odds of a great spot.

Car Camping (Camping with/next to your Car) and RV Parking are both sold out, sorry...

So there you go, get your Discount Weekend Tickets this week before the next price bump. Bring the family, meet up with friends, and enjoy Oregon's #1 weekend of the year.

Sallie is the best

Pickathon — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:11:08 -0600

We knew there was something special about Sallie Ford The Sound Outside when we first discovered the group a year or so ago while looking into ideas for the 2010 lineup. Was it the glasses and the smile? Maybe the throwback sound and style? Hmm... I guess all these things helped make the decision an easy one.

Leaping forward into May of 2010 and what do we find out this week from our friends over at Willamette Week? Portland's Best New Band in 2010, that's what.

Congrats Sallie!

Heartless Bastards and volunteering at Pickathon

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

It's May already, and we can hardly believe that this means Pickathon is officially less than 100 days away (92 days to be exact). A lot will happen from this point forward and we're thrilled to have you along for the ride.

This week has its fair share of to-do's...

Starting tomorrow night (5/6) at Berbati's Pan we welcome back Heartless Bastards for another night of heavy, heavy guitars and the amazing voice of Erika Wennerstrom.

Saturday (5/8) we look to have the last Work Party out at Pendarvis Farm for a while. With so much whacking, hacking, chopping, dropping, and clearing to do it's great that so many have helped so far. There is still more to do and if interested please contact Mr. Elwood, he'll line you up - elwood @ pickathon.com

Sunday (5/9) is of course Mothers Day. Show the love, hug your mom, give grandma a high five. They've done so much for you...

And finally, a note for prospective volunteers.

If you volunteered at the 2009 Pickathon, don't worry as you'll be the first to know when the application process is opened up. We expect this to happen within the next couple weeks. Once returning volunteers have had their turn we'll open the application process to folks on the Pickathon email list. And finally, if still needed, we'll be posting on the website around June 1st.

Single Day Tickets

Pickathon — Tue, 04 May 2010 10:42:59 -0600

Since so many folks are asking, we wanted to give the update on what's happening with Single Day Tickets, so here it goes...

Single Day Tickets will not be available until mid-to-late June.

Until that time comes...

Due to overwhelming popularity we have decided to extend the current Discount Weekend Ticket rate up to May 17. Starting May 18 Weekend Tickets will be priced at $130 a piece. But! If this limited quantity goes faster than expected the Discount Weekend Tickets could sell out before the 17th, so take advantage soon if wanting to guarantee the savings...

The Full 2010 Schedule will be posted on June 7.

*For tomorrow: Answers for our second most popular question of the day: What's happening with Volunteers?*

Blind Boy Paxton as the Hoodoo Man

Pickathon — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:30:03 -0600

Given the mystery that surrounds Mr. Jeron Blind Boy Paxton, we figured a good time to shed light on the mans versatility once it comes to performing live. Guitar, banjo, fiddle, and as the above video shows us - piano too.

Here we have piano rag 'Hoodoo Man' from a 2009 recording session in London with Kitty and Lewis Durham of the famed London group Kitty Daisy Lewis.

Enjoy.

Full 2010 lineup is here...

Pickathon — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:17:57 -0600

It's another average Tuesday in April and what better time to give the good word with who else is joining us for another fantastic year at Pendarvis Farm for Pickathon 2010:
Dr. Dog, Punch Brothers, Fruit Bats, Blind Boy Paxton, Little Wings, and Cardboard Songsters wrap things up and help us make the schedule complete. There are many factors to weigh as we do the annual cross-word puzzle we like to call a schedule... Mountain View Stage? Fir Meadow Stage? Woods Stage? Galaxy Barn? Starlight Stage? Workshop Barn? Friday? Saturday? Sunday? Late-Nights? Early-Mornings? Kids?...

With a Pickathon record of 40 artists confirmed for 2010 we promise things to be the best they've ever been. Many newcomers, several returning favorites, and the great company of all of you help make Pickathon the best weekend of the year.

Discount Weekend Tickets and Parking are now limited in quantity and look to be sold out soon. With the overall limited number of tickets that are available we strongly encourage folks to take advantage of the savings when possible and purchase in advance. The amazingly great Discount Weekend Tickets are a full $35 cheaper than the price you will pay at the gate if available. Why wait?

Pendarvis Farm work party this weekend

Pickathon — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:14:52 -0600

As many of our friends who have come out to Pickathon and enjoyed the camping and hiking know, there are constant changes and improvements that take place out at Pendarvis Farm. Slow and steady there has been a common goal with helping the land rehabilitate itself and accommodate the many guests it sees that one time a year during Pickathon.

Primarily this effort has been at the hand of the 'Pendarvis Farm Work Party' that has been continually organized on a near twice a month basis. There is an amazing crew that makes this happen and we always welcome anyone else who would like to be involved.

Here's what you do if thinking the Work Party is for you:

If on facebook, find the event: Pickathon Work Party #5!!! (Sat. 4/24 Sun. 4/25)

If not on facebook, email Elwood the old fashioned way and get the scoop:
elwood AT pickthon . com

Oh yes, and happy earth day.

Let that be a lesson

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 -0700

It was supposed to be a perfect spring evening. Tacos and a beer down the street from Mississippi Studios, a visit with friends and then head into the show. There was excitement in the air.
But as we approached the venue, we heard the dreaded words: Sold Out. Some of the people in our little group hadn't picked up tickets before the show and were now stuck. Out of luck. Bummed out.

Soon-to-be-at Pickathon bands Breathe Owl Breathe and Megafaun, along with past Pickathoners Pancake Breakfast, played to a full house on Saturday.
It was a great night of music.

We learned a couple of things that night.

- Both Breathe Owl Breathe and Megafaun have albums coming out soon and they're going to be awesome.
- Megafaun guitar player Brad Cook is a Lakers fan - but isn't afraid to rip his Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jersey off on stage and slip into a hand-crafted shirt reading: "'Huge' Portland Trail Blazers Fan."
- There's some incredible talent coming to the festival this year.

And most importantly, next time there's a line up like that, don't wait to buy those tickets.

Discount Weekend Tickets Limited, Lineup Additions Announced 4/27

Pickathon — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:50:24 -0600

Looking ahead a week from today we have our next big lineup announcement set for April 27. This will round out the 2010 lineup with daily schedules to follow shortly thereafter. A serious puzzle with 40 artists spread out over three days and six stages. Next week we'll have six artists being added to the mix and we'll give you a week to see if you can figure it out. Could it be possible for someone out there to get all six correct? By all accounts Pickathon is a once in a lifetime experience and we look forward to sharing the news.

Discount Weekend Tickets and Parking are becoming limited in quantity and look to be sold out in the near future. With limited quantities of tickets that are available for the 2010 Pickathon we strongly encourage folks to take advantage of the savings when possible and purchase in advance. The amazingly great Discount Weekend Tickets are a full $35 cheaper than the price you will pay at the gate.

Why wait?

Another note for vendors

Pickathon — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:38:26 -0600

Thanks to everyone so far who have applied to vend at 2010 Pickathon. Once again we expect to see several of our returning favorites from years past as well as new additions to help round things out. We have decided to continue to accept applications until May 4th. If you are interested in applying:

2010 Food Vendor Application

2010 Craft Vendor Application

Or, possibly you have a suggestion and wouldn't mind leaving a comment below?

Vending opportunities at Pickathon are selective and limited in numbers with all confirmed vendors being notified by May 15, 2010.

New Video from Breathe Owl Breathe

Pickathon — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:43:43 -0600

Working towards the upcoming Summer 2010 release of Magic Central, Breathe Owl Breathe give us the video single for the song Own Stunts. Filmed in Northern Michigan and edited by Weston Currie in Portland, Ore. With the video they've also migrated to a new website which features three new songs from the upcoming Magic Central: Own Stunts, Dogwalkers of the New Age, and Swimming.

Coming up we have a hat trick of a show on Saturday down on Mississippi with Pancake Breakfast, Breathe Owl Breathe, and Megafaun. All three bands should have something new in their sets this time around as they all have recently been in the studio working on upcoming 2010 releases.

We're excited, the bands are excited, and today is the day to get tickets if planning on the fun.

See you there.

This is the real Billy Joe Shaver

Pickathon — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:21:25 -0600

Last week we watched another chapter in life come to a close for songwriting legend Billy Joe Shaver. With no shortage of experiences that have made him the man he is today, at 70 still writing, recording, and performing live.

Just reading his bio and a quick wikipedia search will fill you in on everything from his early days in Texas through the 40's, 50's, and 60's prior to releasing his first LP in 1973, to working with Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, to Grammy nominations, and so on... No doubt a living legend, most notably as one of the prominent voices during the Outlaw Country days in the early-to-mid 1970's.

In addition to that part of his life, Billy Joe Shaver has amassed experiences that very few could think of. Ups and downs in every way imaginable through several decades of just living his way of living, then writing about it to help the rest of us understand.

Most recently we have his trial for the 2007 shooting of Billy Coker outside of Papa's Joe's near Waco, Texas. What was most fascinating to me this past week was watching the entire trial unfold via twitter through Texas court reporter @stevenkreytak. Literally a play by play as the days unfolded within the courtroom. Leading us to the eventual news late Friday afternoon that Billy Joe Shaver was found to be not guilty of aggravated assault. The weight was lifted and he was now a free man. The full rundown with highlights can be seen here.

Well... that's country music.

Coming Up: Megafaun and Breathe Owl Breathe at Mississippi Studios on 4/17

Pickathon — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:21:36 -0600

As the story goes...

Out of town bands return to Portland together for the first time, creating a wild frenzy topped off with an amazing sold-out show. Well, that's the prediction at least...

Here we are just one week away from what could end up being one of the best $10 shows you will ever attend in your music rich life.

What we would like to do is treat this as a kick-off party for 2010 Pickathon, and you're invited! Tickets should be purchased in advance if wanting to make it inside. Those that do make it out will be pleasantly surprised with several chances to win some pretty sweet Pickathon prizes while at the show. Think about it... Weekend Tickets, CD's, T-Shirts, and Posters.

Come out and help bring this years Record Store Day to a close with Pickathon, Mississippi Studios, Megafaun, Breathe Owl Breathe, and Pancake Breakfast.

April 17 - 8:00pm doors - Mississippi Studios

Oh, and how about this New Megafaun track that was posted just yesterday?

Tell your friends!

(enjoy the video, too)

Give the new Sunday Morning Mix a listen

Pickathon — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:31:31 -0600

Here's a new lineup mix that can help you during these rainy days as of late. This is the Sunday Morning Mix and it's certainly one for lazy days and good company during a typical Northwest Spring drizzle. Pickathon friend and photographer Tim LaBarge put time to good use when coming up with the majority of the tracks, and we couldn't be happier with what he's brought to the table this time around.

Currently here at the Pickathon HQ we are waiting out the next few weeks, preparing our next big announcement. Once April 27 hits we will have more news for you about the 2010 lineup and all 6 stage schedules. With this there will be a few solid additions to the 2010 lineup with plenty of surprises with who's playing where and when. The possibilities are close to limitless once it comes to the schedule...

Any guesses?

Enjoy the mix!

New video from Roadside Graves

Pickathon — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:01:21 -0600

Here's a new(ish) video from New Jersey band Roadside Graves off their recently released EP You Won't Be Happy With Me, out now on Autumn Tone Records.

We'll let the next seven minutes of video tell the rest of this story.

Here's to April...

Black Prairie on NPR First Listen

Pickathon — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:24:05 -0600

A sort of Portland, Ore. based acoustic melting pot, the band Black Prairie has come a long way in the past six months. Playing their first shows at 2010 Noise Pop!, garnishing attention at this years SXSW, signing to Sugar Hill, and now finally - for those that are still unsure what this band is up to, we get a first listen of their upcoming release Feast of the Hunters' Moon from our friends at NPR.

Drawing comparisons to what has mostly been described as "60% Decemberists" is a limited view I feel as the sound brings more to mind bands like The Crooked Jades instead of the aforementioned namesake. Nonetheless the record is full of dark corners and ethnic conglomeration and in short is a perfect fit with the Pickathon mix.

Catch the band this week as they tour in support (including tomorrow night at The Woods in Portland), and pick up a copy of Feast of the Hunters' Moon on April 6 when released.

Listen to it HERE.

Making 20 for Bonnie Prince Billy, we welcome The Wonder Show of the World

Pickathon — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:21:04 -0600

This week marks the 20th release in 17 years from songwriter Will Oldham, this time around as Bonnie "Prince" Billy The Cairo Gang (Emmett Kelly and Shahzad Ismaily round out the 'Gang').

Although reviews are still hard to find at this point in the U.S. it appears that U.K. trendsetters like MOJO and The Guardian were able to pick up on the albums obvious yet key characteristics: Sparse yet complete approach, beautiful harmonies, and a slightly 'less tortured' outlook once it comes to talking about love. Certainly one of the most listenable albums of his vast catalog, with some even saying it's his best since 2006 release, The Letting Go. All I can suggest is for you to get a copy of The Wonder Show of the World, and make the opinion for yourself. Being a huge admirer it's really hard to find something wrong with these songs... Other than I suppose still waiting for the vinyl to arrive from Drag City (and in the meantime picking up the download).

For lack of a more recent video, and not wanting to use this one... here is the classic version of Horses from Greatest Palace Music

Enjoy the weekend.

Info for Vendors

Pickathon. — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:05:29 -0600

Hey Vendor Friends!

Continuing our quest in bringing out the best of the Northwest, Pickathon is officially open for vendor submissions from now until April 15.

The 2010 Pickathon Food and Merchant Village will feature a wide range of our favorite Food, Drink, and Craft from around the area. Fine eats, tasty drinks, and cool things to take home with you.

Interested in applying?

Download applications here:
2010 Food Vendor Application

2010 Craft Vendor Application

Vending opportunities at the 2010 Pickathon are selective and limited in numbers with all confirmed vendors being notified by May 15, 2010.

Portraits of Pickathon

Tim LaBarge — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:07:50 -0600

It was the end of a sweaty day. In fact, according to the 'time stamp' on some of these images, it was the beginning of another warm day. Pickathon 2009. What a blast...as in blast furnace. But we survived. And the later it got, the wackier things got. About midnight, my friend Tom Boyd and I set up shop in a horse stall next to the Galaxy Barn and made a few portraits of late night revelers who were holding out for the Blitzen Trapper set to begin. And if you waited long enough for band member Marty to be drawn back to the light, you know there was some serious heat in that barn.

We hope to see you all again this year. Odds are real good it won't be any warmer than last year.

Car Camping is Sold Out.

Pickathon — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:55:05 -0600

Sorry friends, but there are now no more Car Camping passes available for the 2010 Pickathon. It was a fun ride...

There is still a small number of Discount Weekend Tickets that will only be available for a limited time. These tickets get you in and allow you to camp. That's 6 stages, 37 bands and three full days of Pickathon amazement.

Oh dang, only 10 Car Camping passes remain

Pickathon — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:30:22 -0600

That's right, only 10 Car Camping Parking Passes remain. If still thinking about that option it is advised that you get to it as these puppies will not last long.

For folks that are not familiar with the parking and camping options at Pendarvis Farm, here is a little crash course to help.

All Weekend Tickets for 2010 Pickathon come with camping on-site. This camping is rustic wooded camping amongst the majestic doug firs. Parking for this type of camping is regular 'ol Weekend Parking (if driving).

Car Camping is for folks that want to camp right next to their car. This is the only designated area at Pendarvis Farm where tents and cars are mixed.

For more information on camping and services provided on-site we suggest you take a look at info section.

Bored with Portland? Head to the Palouse for Birds on a Wire Festival, March 26-27.

Pickathon — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:23:58 -0700

Justin Townes Earle, Joe Pug, Damien Jurado, Horse Feathers, Laura Gibson, The Maldives, Rocky Votolato, and 20 or so other bands and artists that we slap with our Pickathon stamp of approval.

Here's a bit more about the lt;a href=quot;http://birdsonawirefest.com/quot;gt;Birds on a Wire Festivallt;/agt;, in their own words:

oelig;The Birds on a Wire Festival is part of lt;a href=quot;http://stereopathicmusic.com/quot;gt;Stereopathic Music'slt;/agt; ongoing labor of love to bring great bands to the Palouse. As it happens, a lot of the artists that've come through in the pastquot;artists like Horse Feathers, Laura Gibson, Sera Cahoone (among many others)quot;happen to hail from the Pacific Northwest. As we've worked at this, we've come to a deeper appreciation for the truly great indie folk scene thriving in Portland and Seattle and thereabouts. We're humbly pleased to be a part of that, not least because that kind of musicquot;that slightly off-kilter, adventurous take on folk and country and other roots musicquot;really resonates with us. This music is part of what pleases us to call the Northwest home.

Two day lt;a href=quot;http://birdsonawirefest.com/#buyticketsquot;gt;ticketslt;/agt; are $35, and if you can get 10 friends together there is a group-rate available for $25 apiece in bundles of 10.

So take a trip up the Columbia, see some great music, and get an idea of what else the Northwest has to offer. You'll be glad you did.

Foghorn Stringband and the annual Friday night freakout

Pickathon — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:43:53 -0700

Once again putting the hoot in hootenanny, Foghorn Stringband joins us for the mighty Friday night Square dance at this years Pickathon. This has got to be one of the largest and most wild dances out there and it's been a pleasure to watch it grow. To think this is really where Pickathon started back in 1999 out at Hornings Hideout.

If you haven't danced in the past we strongly encourage folks to try it at least once. I mean really, what's to lose?

For the most part the video for today is all about Sammy Lind, who after all these years has continued on with being a steady point of inspiration for the old-time community throughout the Northwest. And as you will gather from the next four minutes - these folks just love this guy.

Breathe Owl Breathe announce upcoming release, playing in Portland next weekend

Pickathon — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:23:34 -0700

The good folks of Breathe Owl Breathe come from a land with many scars and bruises, we call this the state of Michigan. Being a relatively new and unknown name for most of us out west in 2009, it was quickly learned what has kept them alive and well over the past 6 years as a band. Fast forward to 2010 and we now find ourselves eagerly awaiting their most adventurous release to date, Magic Central

With the recent announcement of this release, and from the looks of the below album teaser (filmed by Portland, Ore. resident Weston Currie), it appears that we can expect something that is both truly unique and inspiring.

For Portland, Ore. we are lucky enough to have the band returning for the first time since last summer, and it's all happening next week. First they will be on the March 12 Live Wire! 6th Anniversary show at the Aladdin Theater. Then, for those that are smart enough to get tickets in advance (sell out?), they will be at The Woods on March 13.

We'll be there, will you?

T-Model Ford, like an apple hangin' on a tree

Pickathon — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:13:42 -0700

T-Model Ford should need no introduction or explanation. This man is a living legend, and at 90 is still performing and recording. Starting 2010 off with a January release of The Ladies Man on Alive Naturalsound Records. Giving us a hard shot of what T-Model Ford is all about, The Laies Man is worth keeping in mind when it's November and you think back about your favorite records of the year.

Joining T-Model at this years Pickathon will be Seattle blues trio GravelRoad. They seem to be the only folks that can keep up.

Until then, here is a taste of the 'ol tube - T-Model Ford with GravelRoad, Ask Her For Water.

RV Parking sold out, Car Camping getting close

Pickathon — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:32:49 -0700

Not quite an emergency, but a definite sign of what's to come.. RV Parking passes are now 100% sold out. Car Camping passes are getting very close to being in the same boat so we felt it necessary to let folks know that if currently contemplating, it might be best to take action. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Discount Weekend Ticket quantities are now slimmer than ever and we anticipate the month of March to finish them off.

Don't miss out, and stay tuned for more big announcements with the 2010 Lineup.

Last week at the Doug Fir

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:56:26 -0700

One of the more entertaining things in life is having a beer with a bunch of Canadians and talking about Olympic hockey. There's serious passion with that subject.

An even better thing is watching a full squad of Canadians make beautiful music. Emotion and energy are wrapped up into amazing little five minute packages.

If you missed The Deep Dark Woods delivering those packages last Wednesday night at the Doug Fir, never fear...you'll have three more chances during Pickathon.

As for Olympic hockey, Sunday was a pretty darn good game. I'm already hoping for a rematch in 2014.

Jill Andrews brings it back to Pickathon

Pickathon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:59:06 -0700

We have long admired the voice and songwriting of Tennessee native Jill Andrews. Going all the way back to 2006 when we first hosted the everybodyfields.

She has since stepped out on her own, released an EP, got married, had a baby, and now looks to both release a full length this Summer, and return to Portland for the first time since 2008. It will most definitely be a good year for Jill and her new band...

Work Parties Work

Pickathon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:59:24 -0700

Well, it was another amazing weekend out at the farm for the first Pendarvis Farm Work Party of 2010. The weekend was chock full of great weather, substantial progress, and incredible people.

We really just wanted to send out a huge thanks to the crew that made it out..., and want to continue to encourage folks to be involved with this aspect of what makes Pickathon and Pendarvis Farm so special. If interested in future Work Parties please take a look at the Pickathon Facebook. From there you will be connected and notified with all the future happenings.

Coming up we know that there will be two WP's in March, during the weekends of March 13-14 and 27-28. As always, it promises to be loads of fun.

The Deep Dark Woods at the Doug Fir

Pickathon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:33:49 -0700

Don't say we didn't to tell you... The boys from Saskatoon have arrived in good health, and tonight they set up shop at the Doug Fir.

This is a band that kicked all types of ass last year in the Galaxy Barn, and those that remember will recall a sweaty, tight, full tilt set. It was a surprise for many, and it's predicted to be a similar reaction tonight.

This is a cheap date for $7, so why miss out?

See you there.

Frank Fairfield

Pickathon — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:23:19 -0700

Frank Fairfield made a favorable impression last year out at Pendarvis Farm. Mostly an unsuspecting fellow with a remarkable ability to transform not only himself, but also anyone within earshot that will sit and listen. Welcome new friends, you are now in another time. And if you allow, Mr. Fairfield will keep you there as long as he possibly can. Whether it be banjo, guitar, or fiddle, he has us all convinced.

Here are a couple banjo tunes recorded with Greg Vandy during his Roadhouse show in Seattle at the KEXP studios.

Elliott Brood

Pickathon — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:23:28 -0700

Wrapping up this weeks love affair with Canada we bring it to a close with Elliott Brood.

Some will remember that the Brood was on the 2009 Pickathon Lineup, but later had to cancel the date due to a serious lung injury. Not one to hold grudges we truly do appreciate the band wanting to try it again, and are just glad the road to recovery was a quick one.

To help start the weekend here is a live take of The Valley Town, which is off the bands 2008 standout release Mountain Meadows. Enjoy.

The Deep Dark Woods

Pickathon — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:35:51 -0700

A couple quick minutes today for Saskatoon's finest, The Deep Dark Woods.

For everyone in Portland and Seattle we have the great opportunity to see it live, making this the first time the band has returned to the Northwest since 2009 Pickathon. Next week they will be at The Doug Fir in Portland on Wednesday 2/24, and at Conor Byrne Pub in Seattle on Thursday 2/25.

Do not miss the opportunity to see this band live.

Frazey Ford

Pickathon — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:29:37 -0700

2010 is certain to bring us many great new releases, but not many will be as distinct and flavorful as what we will hear from Frazey Ford.

To help remind us of what life was like back in 2007, here is Scattered Leaves off The Be Good Tanyas last recording to date Hello Love.

Frazey, you have been missed.

Canada

Pickathon — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:09:03 -0700

Dear Canada,

We know that you have lots to offer (here and here), and over the years have come to appreciate many of your favorite sons and daughters. But taking a good look around these days we notice a budding scene that continues to pour over our shared border. So we ask, what's next?

For 2010 we will host new favorites and fellow Canadians; Frazey Ford, The Deep Dark Woods, and Elliott Brood. It will be a good year indeed.

Keep it up Canada, we're counting on you.

Sincerely,

2010 Pickathon

Want to listen to the lineup?

Pickathon — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:23:35 -0700

Another day for the birds as we move towards a weekend full of rainy days and Winter Olympic chatter.. To help with the potential extra time indoors we encourage you to give the first 2010 Lineup mix a try.

As we move along over the next few months, there will be several different mixes that feature the 2010 Lineup, this one just happens to be the first. Enjoy.

Kicking things off for 2010 Pickathon

Pickathon — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:21:21 -0700

With announcing our 2010 lineup this week, we are also kicking off the resurgence of the Pickathon blog. Also added in 2010 is a newly developed appreciation for twitter and facebook. Supposing a long time coming as these social super highways really do make life easier... Well, at least in some type of way.

For today we simply would like to state how pleased we are in knowing that 2010 brings us such good company. And we should all look forward to the months ahead.

I Am Goodbye from the 2009 Bonnie Prince Billy release, Beware.

2010 lineup at first glance

Pickathon — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:23:43 -0700

Pickathon is pleased to introduce the first big lineup installment for 2010, with other notable additions to follow over the next few months.

Bonnie Prince Billy The Cairo Gang (Sat, Sun), Heartless Bastards (Fri, Sat), Billy Joe Shaver (Fri), Langhorne Slim (Sat, Sun), Frazey Ford (Sat, Sun), The Cave Singers (Fri, Sat), T-Model Ford (Sat, Sun), Black Prairie (Fri, Sat), These United States (Sat, Sun), Megafaun (Fri, Sat), Richmond Fontaine (Fri, Sat), Michael Hurley (Fri, Sat), Roadside Graves (Sat, Sun), Elliott Brood (Sat, Sun), Stone River Boys (Sat, Sun), Red Stick Ramblers (Fri, Sat), Chatham County Line (Sat, Sun), Cotton Jones (Sat, Sun), Breathe Owl Breathe (Sat, Sun), The Deep Dark Woods (Sat, Sun), Black Lillies (Sat, Sun), Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio (Sat, Sun), Foghorn Stringband (Fri), Captain Bogg Salty (Sun), Martha Scanlan (Fri, Sat), Seth Bernard and May Erlewine (Fri, Sat), Jill Andrews (Sat, Sun), Weinland (Fri, Sat), Sallie Ford (Fri, Sat), Frank Fairfield (Sat, Sun), Water Tower Bucket Boys (Sat, Sun), Town Mountain (Fri, Sat), Woody Pines (Sun).

Known for its forested setting with multiple stages, camping, and hiking trails, Pendarvis Farm provides the perfect retreat. With Pickathon offering the unique opportunity of getting to know artists with multiple sets over multiple days. Together providing a weekend experience unlike anything else that can be found today.
Discount Weekend Tickets are available now and only for a limited time. Don't miss out!

Pre-Sale Tickets end February 8

Pickathon — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:23:17 -0700

As we sit here awaiting for what our buddy Phil will think about the remaining months(?) of winter, one cannot help but feel that summer is right around the corner... Pre-Sale Ticket sales have been ultra encouraging and as we look ahead it has been decided to extend the break in price through to next Monday February 8. That's twice what we originally expected!

Starting Tuesday February 9 we begin 2010 lineup announcements and are really, really looking forward to sharing that news. Weekend tickets starting at that time will be $115.

Go ahead, make Pickathon THE weekend of your year, and make sure to take advantage of these early prices as we are certain that this years Pickathon will undoubtedly be the best one yet.

See you in a week!

Pre-Sale Tickets close to sold out

Pickathon — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:23:51 -0700

Howdy Pickathon Folks!

A quick reminder to all those considering pre-sale 2010 Tickets for this years Pickathon...

Pre-sale 2010 Tickets are now very close to being sold-out, and once gone will next be available at the weekend rate of $115. Car Camping and RV Parking are also both 50% gone.

New this year we are launching the 2010 website in two phases...

Just last week through the Pickathon mailing list we launched the new 2010 stripped down website featuring a limited number of pre-sale 2010 Tickets* as well as an exclusive series of 2010 Pickathon merchandise that won't be available at the festival (designed by the legendary Furturtle Show Prints).

Starting Early February we will begin to roll out the complete 2010 website. This is when we start Lineup announcements and begin the continuous blog of music, info, and videos related to the amazing musicians you have come to expect from Pickathon. You will also start to see regular news to keep you informed on special shows, contests, giveaways, as well as upcoming work parties at Pendarvis Farm.
If you are a busy person still wanting to stay connected then we suggest keeping up to date with all things Pickathon by subscribing to our RSS Pickathon blog feed and signup with our mailing list.
Please make sure to tell your friends and family about the Pre-Sale Tickets* and Exclusive Web-Only Pickathon Merchandise as they will go quickly.
*Availability is limited and we expect to sell out of the run of special early tickets. The next batch of Weekend Tickets is priced at $115 starting early February.*

Here we go again!
2010 Pickathon