Cover photo: Julianna Barwick performing in the Lucky Barn, 2014.
As artists postpone tours and venues drop events, Pickathon, the beloved music festival and PNW cultural institution, has decided to step up. Kicking off last week, organizers began hosting "A Concert A Day" series - 60 total days of concerts spanning the last 10 years of magical August weekends at Pendarvis Farm. These previously unaired full sets stream at 1:00 every afternoon (a perfect way to spend your lunch break), and include legendary Pickathon performances by artists including Jeff Tweedy, Margo Price, and Tank and the Bangas.
As these sets stream each afternoon on Pickathon's Youtube and Facebook pages, as well as on Amazon Music's Twitch channel, viewers will have the option to donate money through each platform. According to an official press release from Pickathon, "All donations received during the livestream will go directly to MusiCares COVID-10 Relief Fund to help musicians in need." So while you enjoy high-quality footage of Mac Demarco leaping into a sweaty Woods Stage crowd, belting out "Togeeeeeeeeeeether," you can breathe the dust-free air of your living room and hit the "donate" button to show your love and appreciation.
The iconic walls inside the Galaxy Barn, 2015.
Some of the sets aired just in the first week of this fundraising effort have been amazing to relive. Charles Bradley's 2017 Pickathon appearance was one of his last performances ever, and the Screaming Eagle of Soul opened the weekend like no other artist had. People Under The Stairs in 2014 and DakhaBrakha in 2018 could not be more unalike stylistically, but both sets showed the diverse musical palette on which Pickathon organizers pride themselves. Looking ahead, Andrew Bird's 2013 Woods Stage performance, one of the most memorable ever, is going to be a must-watch, so keep an eye out for that announcement.
Who knows what other shows will be revealed in the coming days, but with a decade-plus sets to choose from, there are sure to be some gems. Make sure to subscribe to Pickathon's newsletter to stay up-to-date on "A Concert A Day" announcements, as well as more news on this summer's fest - it's still on, so mark your calendars! But until we're all gathered at Pendarvis again, these daily streams are a great way to get excited for live music to fire back up, and to support artists at the same time.
Awkwardly dancing to Ty Segall and the Sleepers in the Galaxy Barn, 2013, photo credit: Mary Yoder