Project Pabst was first launched in 2014 as a two-day ode to the favorite macro lager of hipsters and dive bar patrons across the land before being somewhat surprisingly discontinued in 2018 after the festival had expanded to other cities. Here in the craft beer mecca of Portland, Oregon, the festival had a solid little run with mega-lineups that included Spoon, Ice Cube, Duran Duran, Beck, Ween, Tame Impala, and Iggy Pop. Last year, Project Pabst returned from the dead with its millennial and Gen X-friendly mixing of nostalgia acts like Billy Idol with rappers like T-Pain and Denzel Curry, and indie psych and folk from hot bands like Big Thief, Soccer Mommy, and Dehd.
Now, Project Pabst is back at the Portland Waterfront again July 26th and 27th. For music fans in the Pacific Northwest city, the festival offers a low-maintenance way to catch a slew of acts big and small over a couple of gorgeous summer days. It’s easy to get in, the crowds aren’t gigantic, and there is, of course, plenty of Pabst to schwill on. Check out the full lineup and purchase tickets here.
These are five acts you need to catch:
The Chats
Since bursting onto the scene with debut LP High Risk Behaviour in 2020 following a couple of EPs, Australian punk rockers The Chats have been touring like crazy with their brash, party-ready tunes. Anyone following the music scene knows that Australia has been dominating rock and roll in recent years with the likes of Amyl and Sniffers and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard blowing up internationally. The Chats will please fans of both bands with their garage rock punk that is loaded with energetic guitar bursts, fun and rowdy lyrics, and frenetic drumming. This set is sure to illicit more than a few stage dives from the crowd.
Wednesday
The buzz truly started in 2021, but North Carolina’s Wednesday has made a rapid ascent over the last couple of years with the release of their acclaimed album Rat Saw God. Led by Karly Hartzman, who does most of the singing, the group’s fresh approach to Southern rock – marrying elements of alt-country, grunge, punk, and shoegaze – has clearly struck a nerve with fans both young and old. It helps that Wednesday’s guitarist Jake Lenderman aka MJ Lenderman has also experienced a parallel meteoric rise, with both acts awakening a new generation of listeners to what some might call alt-country with their fresh approach. With Lenderman’s role in the band somewhat uncertain due to his own incessant tour schedule, it will be interesting to see how Wednesday evolves as a touring act. The group is also releasing their new album Bleeds in September, so their set at Project Pabst will likely find the band with a refreshed lineup and plenty of new tunes to share.
Say She She
Piya Malik, Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, and Nya Gazelle Brown all put in their time performing with other acts, but as Say She She, the three talented singers are a triple attack. With bright, sugary harmonies buoying their music, the trio has been steadily gaining a following with their funkified disco-pop that is simultaneously fresh and retro while being irresistibly danceable. They are also releasing a brand new album called Cut & Rewind this fall, which means they are eager to share the tunes with an audience. Expect an infectious and energetic dance party to ensue the moment they get onstage.
The Exploding Hearts
What would Project Pabst be without some local talent to fill out the lineup? Portland power pop outfit The Exploding Hearts have reemerged in the last couple of years with sole original member guitarist Terry Six at the helm, commemorating the band’s 2003 album Guitar Romantic with limited shows. It will be interesting to see how the band sounds more than twenty years after it ended in tragedy, but these are great songs worthy of being played live and their will surely be plenty of nostalgic locals in the crowd eager to see what this current iteration of The Exploding Hearts has to offer.
Iggy Pop
If you were to have told a young Detroit rocker by the name of James Osterberg Jr. that he would still be commanding stages and blowing minds nearly five decades after the founding of his groundbreaking band The Stooges, he likely would have laughed in your face. Known the world over as Iggy Pop, this legendary front man has lived hard and rocked harder across a multi-decade career that has included now-classic collaborations with the likes of David Bowie as well as Queens of The Stone Age and plenty of others These days, Pop is defying the laws of nature and going strong (and yes, still shirtless) at 78 with ferocious rock performances that include material from his most recent Andrew Watt-produced album Every Loser alongside plenty of “hits.” Any old timer will always tell you to see the legends while you still can, and if you were at Pop’s blazing performance at Project Pabst in 2017, then you damn well know this is not to be missed.
