I went to the Download Festival at the Gorge this weekend, which might be one of the weirdest festival line-ups around. The Thermals, Arther & Yu and Heavenly States performed on the second stage. Nada Surf opened the main stage with a really boring set.

We had to sit through an hour of Presidents of the United States of America. I can’t believe those guys can still get away with singing about peaches, cats and frogs. And dune buggies. And Boll Weevils. I would rather listen to Raffi sing about Baby Beluga because at least his music openly targets children and retards.

This was followed by 90 minutes of Incubus. If there had been water anywhere in the desert, I would have taken a bath face down.

Fortunately Modest Mouse’s headlining set was fantastic. Two drum sets, accordion, violin, glockenspiel, stand up bass, some dude passed out drunk in the fetal position and Isaac Brock freestylin’ lyrics to old songs.