Pickathon will return to Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, Oregon (just outside Portland) for its 21st year on August 2nd-4th, 2019.
On Tuesday, the three-day event announced the additions of Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band and The Richard Swift Hex Band, which will feature an all-star list of collaborators backed by a dream band led by Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, Dr. Dog’s Eric Slick, and members of Pure Bathing Culture, in addition to many special guests. Pickathon will also see performances by newly added artists Makaya McCraven, Ibibio Sound Machine, Dan Mangan, Altin Gün, Viagra Boys, Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno, Ora Cogan, Reptaliens, Karma Rivera, The Tender Things, plus a square dance!
The 2019 Pickathon lineup includes Nathaniel Rateliff (one set with The Night Sweats, one set without), Khruangbin, Mandolin Orange, Tyler Childers, Lucius, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Fruit Bats, and Mountain Man. Also joining the lineup are “Americana outsiders Caamp, Lambchop, and H.C. McEntire, doom metal band YOB, North African desert blues artist Mdou Moctar, new supergroup Bonny Light Horseman, Northwest indie royalty Damien Jurado, Laura Veirs, and Courtney Marie Andrews, returning favorite Julia Jacklin, psych-soul outfit The Marías, Polaris prize winner Lido Pimienta, Congolese experimentalists Jupiter & Okwess, and word-of-mouth newer artists like Sudan Archives, Miya Folick, B Boys, The Beths, and Black Belt Eagle Scout, among many others.”
Pickathon has become known for its taste-making, curation, and delivery. As the press release details,
Pickathon is a riot for the eyes, a festival that takes a holistic view to the music. Each stage is visually spectacular, from the woven branches that make a towering shell of the Woods stage to award-worthy architecture of the Treeline stage, using renewable resources in a different array each year. The Mt. Hood Stage, the mainstage of Pickathon, was ringed with living gardens in 2018, and the festival makes use of rustic, picturesque existing buildings like the late-night-raging Galaxy Barn, or the interview-focused Lucky Barn. Each artist’s sets are curated specifically to each stage and the timing of the festival meticulously planned, all to inspire the artists to new heights and historic performances.
“Our secret,” explains festival founder Zale Schoenborn, “is that we continue to double down on choices that only make sense when your primary focus is to make the best experience possible, even when it sometimes conflicts with maximizing profits. We made a conscious choice some years back to limit our attendance to favor the comfort of our attendees over finding new ways to maximize how many people we can jam into Pendarvis Farm. Entering our 21st year, Pickathon remains inspired to innovate new ways to create the best festival experience.”
For more information on Pickathon and festival tickets, head to the event website here.
