From a Seattle seed, Sasquatch! blossoms into one of nation’s top music festivals

A small city has sprung up at the Gorge this weekend as the Sasquatch! music festival kicks off the annual summer concert season.

What began as a bit of a lark for a veteran Seattle music promoter has become one of the biggest events in the west, and a harbinger of a major shift in the music business.

With over 130 acts spanning five stages and about 30,000 music lovers, it’s a given Sasquatch is a big deal, locally and nationally

But it wasn’t that way when Seattle Theater Group music programmer Adam Zacks came up with the idea.

“We had a hunch that there was a desire for a destination festival in the Pacific Northwest similar to the European style rock-concert festivals that were happening and were just beginning to happen in the United States,” Zachs said as we chatted in his office atop the historic Paramount Theater, flanked by posters and memorabilia from past Sasquatch Festivals (and watched closely by his goldendoodle Ringo.)

It was clear from the beginning his hunch was dead on. The one day affair in 2002 featuring just a handful of bands and headlined by Jack Johnson and the String Cheese incident was a smash hit.

“It was quite by surprise because it was really just we had a name we thought was cool and sort of a loose concept and let’s see if it works, and of course a beautiful location, and it did work. It sold out that first year

Since then its grown into a four-day catering affair considered among the top festivals in the country.

This year’s lineup of eclectic acts features everything from hip hop star Kendrick Lamar to Northwest standouts like Modest Mouse, The Decemberists and the newly reformed Sleater Kinney

Festivals like Sasquatch have become a dominant force in the music industry. Forbes estimates the top five festivals in the US generate over 183 million dollars in ticket sales alone. Topping the list are Coachella in the Southern California desert and Austin City Limits.

“I think it’s a communal spirit that happens at these festivals. There just aren’t a whole lot of opportunities for people to have that anymore,” Zacks said. “There’s also the value proposition of getting to see a whole bunch of bands at one time.”

That’s particularly important for an industry that has grown far more fragmented, with fewer mega-acts that can pack a stadium.

But Zacks is a master of integrating big named superstars with up-and-coming acts to create a unique experience. He’s particularly excited about landing rock legend Robert Plant, an idol of his since growing up on a steady staple of Led Zeppelin.

“At least two thirds of his set recently has been Led Zeppelin songs and he’s got this killer band of musicians from all over the world so there’s going to be Led Zeppelin songs sung by Robert Plant at Sasquatch this year and I have to keep reminding myself that’s going to be happening and that’s pretty exciting,” he said.

And he’ll make sure he doesn’t fall asleep and miss the set. Zacks admits that’s exactly what happened a few years ago when he had DeadMau5 headlining the festival. He was wiped after working non-stop for weeks, and sat down in a bean bag chair for what he thought would be a quick cat nap before the highly anticipated performance. Unfortunately, he never saw it.

“By the time I woke up and opened the door to my trailer I look out and not only is the site empty, it’s completely clean,” he laughed. “I definitely recognized in that moment, by myself in this huge venue, I saw the humor in it.”

The Sasquatch! music festival runs through Monday night at the Gorge.