Doe Bay Music Fest: A Big Break from the Ordinary

doe bay festival image courtesy of doebayfest.com

What’s that? You don’t know what the Doe Bay Music Festival is? Why, it’s a magical place where local bands converge to spread musical joy to a crowd of a little under one thousand fans basking in the mid-August sun. 

Okay, enough of that. Here’s the lowdown: it’s a two-day festival on Orcas Island comprised solely of Northwest bands that will blow your mind. It’s at the Doe Bay Resort and Retreat, which opens their doors (and part of their 33-acre expanse) to campers and music-lovers alike for a two-day intimate music experience. It’s a low-key alternative to the huge crowd-laden festivals that we know so well. The whole fest is limited to about 750 tickets, which go on sale this Monday at 9 a.m.

This year it’s on August 13th and 14th, just in time for Seattle’s weather sweetspot, that time of year when almost every day is heaven on earth: hipsters are puttering on their scooters, beach volleyball is an afternoon staple, and ice cream is an important part of every meal.  

Doe Bay Resort image courtesy doebayfest.com

You might be thinking to yourself, It starts on a Friday and ends Saturday night? Yes, it starts on Friday, but if it follows a similar schedule as last year’s event, then the acts don’t really get going till around 6 or 7 p.m. That leaves you just enough time to trek over to Orcas after work and catch the first act.

As for the logistics, there is really only one way to get over there, by ferry from Anacortes. Unfortunately it’s pretty expensive: $44 for car and driver plus $13.45 per passenger, but at least it’s free on the ride back! When it comes to sleeping accommodations, the cheapest option is camping out on the grounds, then there’s a bed in the local hostel, a yurt that sleeps 5 to 25, or a cabin. If you’d rather have cushier arrangements, there are some beautiful B&Bs in the Doe Bay community.

Doe Bay Resort photo courtesy www.yoursanjuans.com

One major perk of this particular event is the cheap food and drink once you get there. The beer garden was selling their beer for $2 last year. That’s right, Sasquatch, two dollars. According to a Seattle Weekly post from the 2009 fest, there were also “local vendors [who] sold falafel and burritos for $5. And huge ice cream cones for $3.” There is also a cafe nearby with home-cooked food and a store on site for any other snacky needs you may have. Oh, and don’t forget your camera, the views along with the epic stage shows will be Facebook-worthy and then some.

Hey Marseilles @ SXSW Sendoff Bash

Now let’s get to the good part: the list of bands that are going to be there. It has me talking like it’s 1989, so that should tip you off just how rad it’s going to be. First on my list is Hey Marseilles, who will be back again this year after being one man down at 2009′s fest. Their guitarist/violinist, Nick Ward, had broken his wrist in a tragic frisbee (or possibly volleyball) accident; the details are highly suspect.

Typically Doe Bay tries not to ask back the same bands every year, so as many groups as possible have the opportunity to play in the small get-together. It seems they just couldn’t resist bringing Hey Marseilles back to play in full force this year, and I don’t blame them. There is a huge amount of well-deserved buzz around this highly talented six-man orchestral rock band. If you haven’t seen them live, or at least listened to their album Travels and Trunks, then you are seriously missing out on a one of the finest bands in Seattle. To top it off, they’re a really fun and down-to-earth group of guys with an infectious joy for playing to any audience.

A close second to HM is Grand Hallway, led by the former Maldives (also playing at Doe Bay) member Tomo Nakayama. I caught one of their shows at The Crocodile last month and was simply blown away. They are yet another example of the Seattle orchestral rock scene donning instruments ranging from guitar to violin to accordion. They really know how to bring down the house–luckily they’ll be playing outside.

I could go on and on about the acts performing this year, like the fantastic Ravenna Woods, the brilliance of Fences, and the super-fantastic The Head and the Heart, but I’ll just list them below and you can make up your own mind (if you’re not impressed then you’re crazy, just saying). The tickets go on sale this Monday May 10th, and as I mentioned they’re limited to about 750 tickets so grab them while you can!

    2010 Doe Bay Lineup:
    *Grand Archives
    * Fruit Bats
    * The Maldives
    * Hey Marseilles
    * Grand Hallway
    * Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives
    * THEESatisfaction
    * Portland Cello Project
    * Fences
    * The Dimes
    * Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers
    * Ivan & Alyosha
    * Shenandoah Davis
    * Kimo Muraki
    * Curtains For You
    * Ravenna Woods
    * Kaylee Cole
    * The Head and the Heart