Sasquatch! Music Festival founder/producer Adam Zacks announced today that he is ceasing to operate the event he has run since 2002 and that it will not return next year. In a press release, Zacks said:
The Festival began 17 years ago on a hunch, greenlit on nothing more than a name and instinct there was space for something with a uniquely Northwest flavor, on Memorial Day weekend, at one of the most beautiful locations on Earth – The Gorge. 17 years is a long time to do anything. The Beatles lasted a mere 8 years, a fact so astonishing it is difficult to believe. While we didn’t accomplish anything as indelible as “Hey Jude”, the Festival left a lasting mark and proudly represented an independent spirit. Sasquatch! will forever remain a tapestry of the people who worked with us. The artists who inspired us, and the varied experiences of the fans who attended it… of friendships made, engagements, hilltop weddings, permanent tattoos, once in a lifetime collaborations, weather events both treacherous and magnificent, at least one very public conception, and, of course, hundreds of awe-inspiring performances. My humblest gratitude to all of you.
This move leaves Sasquatch!'s future uncertain. The annual Memorial Day showcase has seen declining attendance figures in recent years. Past bookings have included massive acts such as Kendrick Lamar, Outkast, Kanye West, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Björk, R.E.M., and the Cure. This year's fest featured commercially successful artists such as David Byrne, Vince Staples, the National, Modest Mouse, Neko Case, and TV on the Radio, but apparently all that star power hasn't been enough to generate sustainable sales.
