The Queerbies at MusicFest NW

The bittersweet end of the summer tunes of MusicFest NW are here and though I haven’t been as swept up in the excitement as I used to be as a teen working for NXNW, all in all it’s a much better festival. Most of this year’s queer-leaning musicians are also locals, however, so no need to freak out if you miss a moment here and there. There are so many overlapping bands those with wristbands will surely have a hard time deciding where to be.

DJ Copy

As far as I can tell, tonight’s only out act is local hard-working electronic man Copy. Despite that I’ve been a bit obsessed with his beats for several months now I still haven’t had a chance to see him live. (Well I’ve seen him, in the coffee shop around the corner, but not, you know, playing music…) Nevertheless, since I nearly start dancing when I have my iPod tuned into him, certainly a Holocene (1001 SE Morrison) setting would get all my limbs flailing. Dat’r, another great electro-local, goes on at 11 right before Copy so it’s a show worth seeing.

Saturday sees more queer acts. This diverse day starts with DJ Beyonda at the Roseland (8 NW 6th Ave) at 8p. She only seems to have a short half hour set, which is unfortunate because she is one of the most skilled DJs in town. Her flow is incredible and I always see her concentrating, rather than sipping a drink. All work and no play…I know, but to hear what comes out of this tenacity is worth it.

LKN is intense man…

And you still have time to head down the street to see LKN at 11p at Ash St Saloon (225 SW Ash St). This real metal lady will blow out your eardrums with her hair swinging kick ass guitar solos. And you’re gonna like it.

But if your heart just can’t take it, you can catch more indie pop friendly but still rockin’ Swan Island, also at 11p, at the Doug Fir (830 E Burnside). You’ve heard me talk about these ladies so many times before I won’t go into detail, but they are truly talented and weave their rock and lyrics in truly magical ways.

Check out the full MusicFest NW schedule here and for more info visit our Pop Music blog.