Five Standout Acts at Pickathon 2022: Margo Cilker, Thee Sacred Souls, S.G. Goodman and More (FESTIVAL REVIEW)

Photo credit: Liz Devine

The annual taste-making festival Pickathon made a grand return August 4-7 for the first time since 2019, and though the location of Pendarvis Farm just outside of Portland, Oregon remains the same, attendees were greeted a fully reformatted layout. This is due to the rapid development that has been happening all around the farm over the last few years, with cookiecutter homes being built right up to the fence line. This surely created logistical challenges for the organizers – and created a parking debacle on Friday afternoon when they underestimated the size of their main parking lot – but ultimately they made lemonade out of the situation. Instead of the gorgeous shade structure that formed the main stage area in past years, the festival team utilized more of the wooded areas with smaller stages intermingled in the trees. For the most part, this new layout worked well and led to creativity in the stages and spaces. It also provided shade, which was in demand as temperatures rose throughout the weekend. Attendees were also treated once again to what is perhaps the best offering of food and beer at any festival, with an array of Portland restaurants and breweries to savor in between sets.

As for the music, this year’s Pickathon featured what appeared to be a scaled back lineup with a smaller roster of bigger names (headliners), more under-the-radar acts, and more DJs to fill in the gaps in the schedule. This may have been due to a smaller talent budget and just the overall mess that is the post-pandemic music industry. Nonetheless, even with the hefty ticket fee (around $400 for a weekend pass), the nearly sold-out crowd seemed once again willing to embrace Pickathon’s ethos of discovery as they trusted in the curation to guide them towards new music. There was something for everyone, with Americana, jazz, psych-rock, punk, soul and everything in between.

Out of everything to take in at Pickathon, these are five sets that stood out:

Photo by Jason Redmond/@fotojay

Margo Cilker at Paddock Stage

Margo Cilker is ready to be a star. This was proven by the spellbinding set this Oregon-based artist delivered under a picturesque sunset on Friday. Cilker’s 2021 debut album Pohorylle (REVIEW) was one of Glide’s best of the year, and she leaned heavily on it throughout her set. Songs like “Tehachpi,” “That River,” “Barbed Wire,” and “Kevin Johnson” captured her ability to tell lyrical tales of the American west in a way that feels road-wary and natural. Her band added impressive depth to her vocals and lyrics, injecting songs with more twang, flourishing guitar solos, and striking harmonies. Cilker was all smiles as she shared her timeless brand of Americana with a crowd that took on the vibe of an intimate backyard performance. She even treated them to a handful of new songs, including “If I Knew,” “Lowland,” and “Baker,” all of which only added to the excitement of what we can expect from Cilker in the coming year as she gears up to release a sophomore album. Between her onstage charisma, general radiance, and the power of her songs, Cilker was one of the few acts of the weekend that carried on Pickathon’s tradition of showcasing artists just before they make it big. By the time she closed her set with the melancholy country tune “Wine in the World,” she had the audience singing along to every word.  

Photo by Bill Purcell

S.G. Goodman at the Galaxy Barn

“If my record was a used car it would be a ‘94 Toyota Camry,” said Kentucky artist S.G. Goodman describing her new album Teeth Marks. While Goodman may have been comparing herself to a used car salesman who has to push products, her new album is actually one of the best releases so far this year. In between telling tales about being from Kentucky, taking psychedelics, and disliking festivals because of the portapotties, Goodman and her band showcased some of the finest song craftsmanship of the weekend. Much of the set was made up songs from the new album, though songs like “Space and Time” also stood out as remarkably poignant. It was the title track of the album that displayed Goodman’s penchant for tapping into the Southern gothic literary tradition, though she would contrast the darkness with the upbeat rocker “All My Love Is Coming Back To Me.” She would close with the album’s final track, “Keeper of the Time,” a lofty and impactful slice of Americana poetry that set a high bar for the rest of the day. 

Photo by Liz Devine

Thee Sacred Souls at Cherry Hill Stage

San Diego’s Thee Sacred Souls have yet to release an album but it was clear from their set on Saturday evening that they already have a buzz. The band is set to release their self-titled debut via the prestigious Dap-tone Records later this month, so naturally they focused on it for much of their set. It was hard to ignore the sweet and silky falsetto of frontman Josh Lane, who prowled the stage with effortless cool as the channeled the likes of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield. Musically, the band brought a classic R&B and soul sound, laying down subtle grooves to enhance the vocals. Though Lane certainly grabbed the spotlight, his presence was boosted by his background singers and tight, in-the-pocket band.

Photo by Rob Kerr

GZA with the Phunky Nomads at the Paddock Stage

Backed by his talented band, who opened with the feisty surf instrumental “Apache,” the legendary rapper served up a clinic in hip-hop mastery to a crowd hanging on every verse. Unlike other rappers that could easily bring a DJ and knock out a few songs, the Wu-Tang Clan member has managed to transcend his genre with a full-band experience. GZA’s band kept it deeply funky as he spit rhymes with a relentless style that was completely devoid of hype and showmanship. His flow was sharper than ever and he seemed genuinely enthused to be playing for a crowd that included children in the front row, unloading a mix of solo material off now-classic albums like Liquid Swords, as well as throwing in a small handful of Wu-Tang classics to appease. Hip-hop has not traditionally played a large role at Pickathon, but GZA’s sunset performance proved that it absolutely should.

Photo by Neil Ferguson

Rachel Baiman at Windmill Stage

At first listen, Rachel Baiman brought to mind the folk styling of Gillian Welch in her vocals and lyricism. But over the course of her set under the beautiful trees, Baiman took the relaxed crowd through her material that proves she is a strong Americana-folk voice with a sound that is all her own. For example, her song “Joke’s On Me” off her 2021 album Cycles was the kind of tune that made you think it must’ve been written by someone famous many years ago. She took it back a few years with her country-folk tune “Shame,” and other highlights included “Thanksgiving” and “Cycles,” each of which mixed old soul wisdom and lyrical prowess with infectious choruses and melodies. Besides the songs, what made Baiman stand out was how she casually switched between banjo, guitar and fiddle throughout her set to layer in sounds like a painter using colors.

Honorable mentions:

Built to Spill

Frankie and the Witch Fingers

Other Pickathon takeaways…

Lines seemed a little longer and the crowds at certain stages felt denser than in years past, though it was difficult to determine if that was due to higher attendance or the slightly more compact layout of the festival. Luckily, this didn’t seem to bother many as those in attendance were mostly exuding joy at being back.

Organizers made this year work – impressively so – but one couldn’t help but notice the creeping development just beyond the gate. The houses being built next door weren’t occupied yet, but they will be next year and it isn’t hard to speculate that the folks who will be moving in won’t be thrilled about a music festival happening next door. One can be optimistic that the Pickathon will continue to make it work at Pendarvis Farm, but leaving the festival, it was hard not to think that this may have been the last year at this location.

Photos provided courtesy of Pickathon

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