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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2017)
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 // 3 SCRATCHPAD ’STACKSTOCK ROCKED in Meloy, The Decemberists’ singer-songwriter, was drop- ping by the North Coast, my ticket appeared in my inbox before I’d fi nished writing up a blurb for the Daily Astorian. (Priorities are priorities.) And, when the time came, I volunteered to cover it. Yes, it meant I would need to be duty- rather than fun-fo- cused (i.e., restrict my beer intake), but I would be part of ’Stackstock’s written record. It also meant I could — and eventually did — awk- By ERICK BENGEL COAST WEEKEND ’S tackstock — an indie music festival held Saturday at Haystack Gardens in midtown Cannon Beach — rocked. Plain and simple. It wasn’t a screaming, sweaty sensory overload like so many shows I’ve attend- ed, but a tasteful class act, remarkably well-executed for a maiden event. When I got word that Col- coast INSIDE THIS ISSUE weekend arts & entertainment 4 9 10 THE ARTS Hitting a high note Cannon Beach Chorus celebrates 30 years wardly sidle up to talented musicians and ask questions that sounded smarter in my head. (Meloy wasn’t doing press for the event, a publi- cist informed me in advance, which, in a way, was as much a relief as a disappointment.) I wore my press “pass” to the concert. I call it a “pass” because, as it turns out, having a laminated card that says “press pass” doesn’t magically grant you access to anything you want — for example, the VIP section of a COAST WEEKEND EDITOR ERICK BENGEL CALENDAR COORDINATOR REBECCA HERREN CONTRIBUTORS DAVID CAMPICHE LYNETTE RAE McADAMS BARBARA LLOYD McMICHAEL STEVEN SINKLER BRENNA VISSER COASTAL LIFE Close to Home My friend, the cedar To advertise in Coast Weekend, call 503-325-3211 or contact your local sales representative. © 2017 COAST WEEKEND FEATURE Lose Yr Mind music fest New items for publication consideration must be submitted by 10 a.m. Tuesday, one week and two days before publication. Sou’wester Lodge hosts indie acts SUBM ITTED PHOTO TO SUBMIT AN ITEM 14 DINING Uncorked Ramblings Great drinks for fall FURTHER ENJOYMENT MUSIC CALENDAR .....................5 SEE + DO ........................... 12, 13 CROSSWORD ........................... 20 CW MARKETPLACE ......... 18, 19 GRAB BAG ................................ 23 Find it all online! CoastWeekend.com features full calendar listings, keyword search and easy sharing on social media. Phone: 503.325.3211 Ext. 217 or 800.781.3211 Fax: 503.325.6573 E-mail: editor@coastweekend.com Address: P.O.Box 210 • 949 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103 Coast Weekend is published every Thursday by the EO Media Group, all rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced without consent of the publisher. Coast Weekend appears weekly in The Daily Astorian and the Chinook Observer. concert. The ’Stackstock se- curity crew basically regarded it, more or less accurately, as a costume piece and kindly di- rected me to the lobby, where I secured a legit VIP pass. Later, I ran into one of our freelancers while waiting in line to buy another bratwurst. He informed me that my VIP status could probably get me free food in the VIP food-and-beverage area, which until then I didn’t know existed behind the stage. As expected, Meloy’s hauntingly resonant songs — combining a novelist’s sense of detail, a poet’s precision and a philosopher’s clarity — had a deeper impact live, as part of a solo set, than do the studio recordings. I developed a (still-grow- ing) admiration for the performers preceding him, particularly Cardioid and Pure Bathing Culture. The bands managed to bypass my refl exively hypercritical faculties and pierce me right in the heart. It’s too early to know whether word of ’Stackstock will spread and create a sustained enthusiasm beyond the region — or whether Ryan Snyder, the president of Mar- tin North who spearheaded it, will feel inspired to pull off a sequel. But if he does, I will be among the fi rst to sign up. CW
