Mikaela Davis, MJ Lenderman, Butcher Brown, GA-20 & Wednesday Impress At Pickathon 2023 (FESTIVAL REVIEW/PHOTOS)

Perhaps it’s playing into millennial and gen z marketing trends that point toward consumers looking for experiences, or a way to justify the steep ticket price as an event that is about more than the lineup, but in the last two years Pickathon has changed its slogan to “experiential music festival.”

To a cynical fan and a marketer by day such as myself, the Oregon festival’s messaging around it being about “discovery” and the “experience” may be sugar-coated ways of saying they no longer have the ability to book any major acts. This might be true, but here’s what is also true: Pickathon is an experience and it is about discovery. The reason the Pickathon organizers can safely bet that people will shell out close to $500 (slightly more than Bonnaroo and slightly less than Coachella, for reference) for a weekend pass (not including parking) is that they have earned the trust of attendees in their ability to curate a festival that has transcended the need for major acts on the bill. Plus, it truly is one hell of a party right in Portland’s backyard that is well worth attending if you are a local resident and maybe even worth flying to if you want a festival experience outside the norm.

All that being said, the 2023 edition of Pickathon featured an eclectic lineup that ranged from hip-hop and hardcore to jazz, blues, country, folk, and plenty of world music. You would be hard-pressed to find an act on this year’s bill that could draw more than 1,000 attendees for a headlining venue show, but this didn’t seem to matter to the majority of festival-goers as you would be hard-pressed to find a more open-minded crowd eager to discover their next favorite band. This alone may be the biggest factor that keeps the festival going, even as they have moved towards booking smaller names in their post-pandemic editions.    

In recent years, the suburban sprawl encroaching on the bucolic meadows and forests of Happy Valley and Pendarvis Farm has put Pickathon’s future at this site in jeopardy. It might be this feeling of the seemingly inevitable push to a new site or even its demise that made the 2023 edition of the festival feel special in its own kind of way. As per usual, the festival came stocked with local vendors and eateries, sustainable practices that reduce the amount of visible trash across the grounds, and creative stage building that make it stand out, but there was also the eclectic and wide-ranging roster of musical acts and DJs to savor throughout four days.

Of course, at the core of it all was the music and that commitment to making the event a source of discovery. These are five of the standout acts at this year’s Pickathon: 

Mikaela Davis

There was a celebratory feeling to Mikaela Davis’ set at the Grove Stage as it happened to coincide with the release of her new album And Southern Star, easily one of the year’s best. For those not in the know, Davis plays a harp, which on first impression may strike many as something of a novelty. However, it was clear from the opening notes of her set that Davis’ harp playing is anything but. Beyond the harp, she’s a talented songwriter with a gorgeous, angelic voice, and is backed by an incredible band. All of these elements came together beautifully for a set that opened with the country-rock groover “Don’t Stop Now,” with Davis’ harp lending a fantastical, 80s Grateful Dead vibe to the sound. This tune also saw Cian McCarthy stepping into the spotlight with a saxophone solo to give the tune a soulful touch.

The heartfelt and dreamy “In My Groove” was almost a tropical country tune with a subtly transcendent guitar solo, while the band later drifted into expansive sonic jam territory with some truly dazzling interplay between pedal steel and Davis’ harp. The enchanting “Cinderella” found Davis laying down vocals reminiscent of Stevie Nicks, while “Saturday Morning” was a positively ethereal work of swooning folk-pop. By the end of their set, the band had the crowd smitten as they injected their songs with just the right amount of jamming.   

MJ Lenderman 

Compared to previous Pickathons, this year featured noticeably fewer acts that one might consider country or even country-adjacent. Luckily, MJ Lenderman was there to fill the void with a sound that feels straight out of the gritty 90s alt-country scene. Fronted by Jake Lenderman and featuring members of Wednesday (also a standout of the weekend), the young band hit the Woods stage for a set made up mostly of tunes from their excellent 2022 album Boat Songs. Hitting like a cross between Whiskeytown and the Drive-by Truckers with a touch of Pavement slacker rock thrown in for good measure, the band showcased strong guitar interplay with twangy pedal steel to make for a set that reminded Pickathon that alt-country is alive and well. MJ Lenderman recently signed to ANTI Records, and their set made it clear that they are well on their way up. 

Butcher Brown

You could try and fit Richmond, Virginia’s Butcher Brown into the categories of progressive jazz or jazz fusion, but neither would fully describe exactly what makes this group so special. Playing to a packed crowd at the Windmill stage, the group delivered an afternoon set that felt like a completely locked-in groove. Even with a hoarse voice that he said was due to relentless travel and the wear and tear of life on the road, frontman Marcus Tenney did more within a single set than most artists could handle as he effortlessly switched between saxophone, trumpet, and hip-hop verses.

The members of Butcher Brown focused less on taking flamboyant, spotlight-grabbing solos than they did on developing clean grooves that incorporated elements of funk, bebop, fusion, R&B, and soul. While they may have been the only jazz act on the bill, those in attendance savored Butcher Brown’s set. The number of young people who enthusiastically pushed their way to the front of the stage only proved that jazz remains a vital force capable of pushing boundaries.     

GA-20 

Those looking for a little less arena-style blues-rock than acts like the Black Keys were treated to a Galaxy Barn set from Boston’s own real deal trio GA-20. Why started as a way for its members to make a few bucks while playing mostly traditional Chicago-style blues has morphed into a respected rock and roll trio whose appeal now stretches beyond the diehard blues crowd. This was evident when they hit the Barn stage for an early even set that – despite sound problems – saw the trio come out swinging with “No No” only to follow it up with a take on the swamp pop classic “Just Because.”

“Double Gettin’” worked in a nice flare of Los Straitjackets-style surf guitar to balance out the down-and-dirty blues rock, while “Dry Run” stuck to a more slow-churning traditional style. The Hound Dog Taylor tune “Give Me Back My Wig” was a (pun intended) barn burner that had the whole room dancing, while other songs like the solo rendition of R.L. Burnside’s “Come On In” showcased just how versatile this band’s influences are. Maybe it’s the impressive head of hair on both Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs, but together with drummer Tim Carman this trio exudes a certain ZZ Top-like quality in the way they inject fresh life into a genre that often gets written off as tired and old.

Their ability to respectfully channel their influences while also showcasing their own songwriting chops and plenty of soulful singing was on full display at Pickathon. Once again, for those craving real guitar rock, this was a set that left a lasting taste and certainly won the band some new fans.  

Wednesday 

Forgive this writer for dwelling on the rock-leaning bands of the fest, but the name does imply picking. Though Wednesday’s Saturday night set featured more thrashing than picking. The last couple of years has found this Asheville band to be a rising act and their set was easily one of the most anticipated of the weekend.

Taking the stage in Jinco pants and camo boots, frontwoman Karly Hartzman brought a much-needed intensity to the evening as she and her band blasted their way through a set that felt equal parts grunge, post-punk, and alt-country. Much of this dwelled on their new album Rat Saw God – an early contender for best of the year – with crashing guitars, lashing vocals, twangy and psychedelic pedal steel serving as the soundtrack for songs about the hardships and general fucked up situations that transpire throughout a Southern childhood.

While many young hip bands seem to gravitate towards pop, new wave, and post-punk these days, Wednesday’s set made it clear that they have been studying at a different library that includes cosmic and traditional country alongside acts like The Replacements, but with that classic, deeply literary and gothic approach to songwriting that feels so distinctly Southern. 

Honorable mentions:

Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Mountain Grass Unit

Orchestra Gold

Pachyman

Meridian Brothers

All photos by Greg Homolka