After every Sasquatch I’ve ever attended, there’s been at least two bands that I never took much interest in that inevitably became a couple of my most listened-to bands of that year. One of those is always for the obvious reason — their set rocked, and I needed me some more — but the other is quite the opposite. That’s right, every year one Sasquatch band completely underwhelms me, yet for some odd reason makes its way into my CD collection (and in one case even became one of my all-time favorites).

So, with just a few days left until the ‘09 version of the annual festival, Tiny Strings is taking a look back at those bands that have won my heart over the past four Sasquatches.

2005

Good set, good band: The Pixies — That’s right, folks. It took me until 2005 to discover The Pixies. I knew all about their influence over Nirvana and such, and had recently seen them on Austin City Limits, but there’s something to be said for hearing most of those classics for the first time in a live setting. I remember really getting into the set-opening “U.K. Surf” version of “Wave of Mutilation” and the craziness that is “Vamos.”

Bad set, good band: Wilco — If I remember correctly, they were stuck in between Kanye West and Modest Mouse on the main stage, which is definitely an unenviable position. Plus, frontman Jeff Tweedy was still in the throes of an addiction to painkillers and booze, so he definitely wasn’t in top shape. I recall just not “getting” their set, but for some reason I bought their excellent “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” album later that year, and haven’t stopped listening to Wilco since.

2006

Good set, good band: The Tragically Hip — Canada’s most beloved modern rock band completely saved the festival after the infamous freak hail storm … well, at least that’s my opinion. Some people like to spew anti-Canadian propaganda and say that the show wasn’t saved until The Flaming Lips showed up on stage around 1 a.m., but they’re wrong. Why? Because The Hip completely rocked. Seriously, watch this video of “The Lonely End of the Rink.” America should be ashamed for not embracing this band like it has fellow Canadians Nickelback.

Bad set, good band: The Shins — All I can remember from their set is the bassist being completely annoying between every song, and the sound being less than desirable. But then I saw that “Garden State” movie, and The Shins changed my life … OK, not really, I just couldn’t resist that outplayed joke. I will say that “Oh Inverted World” is pretty much a masterpiece, though.

2007

Good set, good band: Interpol — I had seen these indie darlings once before, and thought they were really boring. But this was almost two years later, and the “Our Love to Admire” CD was just about to blow up. It wasn’t like Interpol somehow became more engaging during that time, but the crowd was certainly into them this time around, and “Not Even Jail” and “Leif Erickson” were both pretty sweet live (actually, I hardly remember liking those songs at the time, but really good videos of those actual performances are on YouTube, so now I consider them really awesome).

Bad set, good band: Spoon — A year after the whole hail storm baloney, overactive winds starting shaking a lighting rig over the main stage, causing The Polyphonic Spree to get out of dodge a few songs into their set. So when the show picked back up two hours later (and with rumors of the Beastie Boys maybe canceling their appearance swirling through the crowd), Spoon had the unfortunate assignment of trying to get the crowd back into a groove. We weren’t having it, but I could hear flashes of stuff I knew I would like later on. Man, was I right. I’ve since grown a huge appreciation for their blue-eyed soul rock.

2008

Good set, good band: Tegan & Sara — This sister duo has long been on my radar, mainly because they’re my sister’s favorite band, but that was perhaps that why I appreciated them but never really spent much time listening to them. Well, that changed after seeing them at Day 2 of last year’s festival. I thought it was cool that they opened with the uber-catchy “Walking With A Ghost” (the song that most assumed would make them a one-hit wonder), because it showed they had confidence in the rest of their set knowing that people wouldn’t just be sticking around to hear “Ghost.” I was really pleased with “The Con,” as well.

Bad set, good band: Death Cab for Cutie — OK, to be honest, I don’t really know if they played a “bad” set. I just wasn’t interested in seeing them play for some odd reason, so other than watching “I Will Possess Your Heart” from the top of the hill, I skipped it completely. Probably a bad idea, because I’ve been enjoying them ever since they surprised me with an excellent festival-ending set at last year’s Bumbershoot.

Well, I think that will do it for Tiny Strings this week, but you better believe I’ll be back next week with all kinds of tasty nuggets of knowledge from Sasquatch — including this year’s winners of the “good set, good band” and “bad set, good band” awards.

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