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
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© 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
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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