Hitting Summer’s High Note

If you’re looking for a way to cap off a perfect Pacific Northwest summer, close your eyes and open your ears, because MusicfestNW sounds off again from Wednesday, Sept. 5,  to Sunday, Sept. 9, rocking Portland for a 12th straight year. The city’s largest music festival was named one of the most authentic American experiences by Time magazine, and each year, it gets bigger and bolder.

Since 2010, the festival has showcased big acts smack-dab in Portland’s living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square (as well as 17 other spots). This year, the outdoor stage will feature Beirut‘s mix of electronic-influenced world music and indie folk; Girl Talk, a one-man mash-up maestro; and the alt-rocking Silversun Pickups. Other anticipated acts include Passion Pit, The Hives, Black Mountain and many more. You can buy individual show tickets, or go all-out with your choice of guaranteed-entry wristbands.

In addition, this is the first time MusicfestNW will team with the city’s emerging start-up community, launching PDX: Portland Digital Experience. This festival-long showcase of technology and digital creativity will include talks, demos and interactive exhibits. And, when you think of what Portland’s become in the last 12 years, the union makes perfect sense. Nerds are the world’s new rock stars, and Portland may be its next Liverpool.