Michael Nau
Pickathon is pleased to welcome Michael Nau once again to Happy Valley. His band’s blissed out, baroque-folk is the sonic equivalent of a summer day at Pickathon. Explorative, handmade, and adventurous. As one of the founding members of Cotton Jones, Nau explored the intersection of meditative pop, country music, and psychedelica. His solo projects further his examinations of roots music into 60s am radio, soul, and dub. Using unorthodox recording techniques, with an emphasis on improvisation in the studio, Nau’s latest, Less Ready To Go, is a reflection of the indie-dream this lucid expert is able to dip back into year after year to produce alluring albums. Nau’s newest dreams are percussive, synth heavy, cheery songs, built on his his rickety, woozy rhythms.
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves are two artists on the leading edge of a generation of old-time players who are questioning old narratives. De Groot, known for her intricate clawhammer banjo work with Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, joins forces with powerhouse fiddler Hargreaves (Gillian Welch, Laurie Lewis) to create a sound that is adventurous, masterful, and original, while never losing sight of what makes the music endure. With their new record, de Groot and Hargreaves have immersed themselves in the depths of a centuries-old art form—the interlocking propulsion of Appalachian fiddle and banjo duets—and emerged with a contemporary aesthetic and vision. This is the music they play in their own voices, offered with recognition of the voices that came before—voices that haven’t always gotten the appreciation they deserve. This is a fresh, celebratory collaboration between two of the most accomplished old-time musicians of their generation.
Patron Pass
The Patron Pass throws open the doors of Pickathon, giving you an exclusive, weekend long, all-access VIP experience. You’ll live the high life at the festival, with FREE food all weekend long and unlimited drinks at any bar! You’ll also gain access to additional stages where artists tape exclusive sessions (plus a schedule and map to find them). You can skip the lines at the gate with express check-in, plus you get an early entry Thursday pass, and exclusive early access to purchase accommodations at the festival while they last (glamping, RV, car camping). For each order you also get your own VIP reserved parking space at the festival. The Pickathon Patron Pass is the best way to experience Pickathon as an insider, taking you behind the scenes and ever closer to the artists and the magic at the heart of the festival.
Bike to Pickathon
Environmental sustainability has always been a key hallmark of Pickathon, and we’re committed to helping everyone at Pickathon find new ways to support this. Every year we encourage Pickathon attendees to save on gas and emissions by biking to the festival. Happy Valley’s a little ways outside Portland, true, but we’ve got lots of plans to make it easier to bike to the fest. Last year we planned a breezy bike route from Reed College in Portland to Pendarvis farm and we had bike guides there to help lead the way. You’ll be able to park your car at the meet-up spot, then bike together and make new friends. Plus last year we hauled your camp gear to the festival for you in shuttles so that you didn’t have so much to carry on your back (plus hauled it back to the meet-up spot after the fest). And we offered free shower tokens to bike riders. For Pickathon 2020, tune up your bicycles, and plan to travel in a pack!
