‘A transformative experience’: What to expect at this year’s Pickathon music festival

Pickathon Experimental Music Festival runs from Aug. 1-4, and thousands of people from all over make the trip to Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley.

The large gathering has attracted concern from neighbors as Happy Valley has become less rural over the years. Earlier this year, the multi-day music festival received approval for a conditional use permit for another decade.

OPB’s Paul Marshall spoke with Executive Director Zale Schoenborn about Pickathon 2024.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

Marshall: Earlier this year, the festival received approval for a 10-year conditional use permit. How important is that for the festival in its future? Can you talk about the impact?

Schoenborn : We’ve been here since 2006. This is actually our third conditional use permit that we are going up for, but this one was way different than past ones because there used to be no neighbors out nearby us in Happy Valley. We found ourselves having more high stakes discussions now with more neighbors by asking: ‘Hey, neighbors, here is a farm that once a year we have a music festival that is not houses and apartments. Do you like Pickathon, or should we go somewhere else?’ And we just wanted to know the answer.

We didn’t really think sneaking this through in the dead of the night would serve anybody’s interests, because if people don’t want something like Pickathon in the neighborhood, it wouldn’t make any sense for us to continue.

What resulted from talking to people was that we had more than 1500 letters of support and four letters against. It was very affirming to have people’s support from all over the world.

We had a packed hearing at the city hall. It’s not a forever permit. It’s something that allows us to figure out as this place becomes a fully-fledged developed city out here in the edges of Portland. Can something like Pickathon and Pendarvis Farm become something besides just a ton more houses and apartments?

Marshall: This year there’s going to be a craft lineup. What is it and what can festival goers expect?

Schoenborn: We have a series of local and regional vendors who are mostly into clothes and made goods that are specific to individual small brands. They’re not big corporate brands. These are artisans from around the Northwest. We also have 15 other lineups in addition to the music. There’s also a curation dinner series that pairs chefs with bands that we think is pretty special.

I think the most common misconception of Pickathon must be a fun little bluegrass festival in the woods somewhere with a stage. We use this name as a direct sense of curating it by picking the events. We are the farthest thing from just a string festival.

Marshall: You said this is your best lineup ever?

Schoenborn: The thing about Pickathon is you look back two years or four years and it looks unbelievable that all those bands could ever have been at the same festival. I have no doubt that this year is the same. We just feel like we struck gold across so many worlds. There’s just so much wonderful talent. That’s one of the best things about Pickathon.

Marshall: You’ve got a star-studded lineup this year. Who are some of the artists that we should watch out for?

The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM - “Juana La Cubana”

The first one I would say is a band out of L A. called The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM.

They’re an incredible band that mixes Cumbia and various kinds of like western Latin westerns, but very much Cuban and Cumbia inspired. The song I would pick out there just as a good fun introduction is, “Juana La Cubana.”

They’re an instrumental trio and formed in Los Angeles. They think of themselves as blending sounds of Cumbia sona, like 60 soul ballads and kind of classic romantic boleros.

That is what you hear in L.A. all the time with a twang of Peruvian - they call it chicha - and Bakersfield country. It’s a really interesting mix and I have a very strong feeling. We’ll be talking about them nationally in a couple of years.

Geese - “2122″

Another amazing artist that is in a totally different angle is a modern classic rock band called Geese. They are essentially 20 year olds living and coming out of Brooklyn who really honed their craft because they were all in a pod together in COVID.

This band has the energy and the showmanship that is really, really rare. It feels like you’re watching something that is so fully formed, but they’re so amazing. And the song I would pick from them is a song called “2122.” Just kids but incredible musicians. I’m excited. I know they’re gonna just blow people away

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley- “I No Dey Talk I Do Dey Lie”

We always are trying to tap into the world scene of who can we feature from different music scenes that aren’t really here very easily.

This year, we are lucky enough to have an artist whose name is Gyedu-Blay Ambolley.

He is the father of high-life jazz from Ghana and he’s referred to as the James Brown of Ghana. It’s this deep soulful, funky high-life sound - big band, huge sound. The song I would pick is “I No Dey Talk I Do Dey Lie” and that’s off of “11th Street Second Day” record. You’re just lucky to ever see that artist. We just feel so fortunate so that’s just gonna be amazing. That’s more in the legend category, but so rare that so few people have ever gotten to see him. It’s gonna be great.

Theo Lawrence - “California Poppy”

We have a really great track record in what is coming up in the country world. People that are big stars now. One that I’m just really confident we’re gonna be talking about, as when they played Pickathon is an artist named Theo Lawrence. He moved to the United States recently from Bordeaux, France.

When you hear him, you will think this is the most classic country guy I’ve ever heard. He grew up in France and it’s a really strange, awesome story. He now lives in Austin and he’s starting to sweep America by storm here. The song you should play is “California Poppy.”

Kassa Overall - “Ready To Ball”

Jazz is a huge part of what we love. Jazz is one of those genres where creatively it mixes so many influences so easily. One of the artists that we’re super excited about this year is Kassa Overall.

He’s Grammy nominated. He’s an MC, a singer, a producer, a drummer who’s kind of avant-garde experimentalism with hip hop production and he’s kind of in that nexus of jazz and rap. It’s amazing and there’s so many songs that I would pick by him but let’s play “Ready To Ball.”

Kassa Overall is just incredible. We’re so deeply connected to the jazz world and we were always just thinking and trying to tap into what you know.

Daniel Villarreal - “In/On”

Another one is Daniel Villarreal and he is widely known kind of as a drummer musician and DJ in the Chicago scene. You see him playing drums as part of a bunch of records, including an incredible record he did with Jeff Parker recently. I would pick the song “In/On.”

It’s that awesome mix of influences. You’re bringing in a lot more on the Latin kind into the jazz kind of language. It’s really cool and he’s one of them. It’s one of the folks that I’m just really excited about this year.

Kara Jackson - “no fun/party”

Another one I think that will sneak up on folks that [they] don’t really know is Kara Jackson. She’s an award-winning poet, singer, songwriter and producer from Oak Park, Illinois. She was a 2019 national youth poet laureate. She released a record “Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love” in April 2023. She’s also the author of a poetry book “Bloodstone Cowboy.” Her music and writing are really inspired by her literary background and her music and her performance style is amazing. So many good songs here but, I think I would go with “no fun/party.”

Marshall: What do you hope festivalgoers take away from this year’s festival? What can people expect from Pickathon 2024?

Schoenborn: The heart and soul we put in. This is a festival that you can’t understand until you come. I hope folks take away that they feel renewed and refreshed and inspired. As we’re building it, there’s just an incredible amount of energy. I think that the festival this year is gonna be a peak reflection of what Portland has, and this wonderful community in Happy Valley even, and what it has to offer in the universe. It’s a beautiful place, beautiful culture. You’re gonna come away, hopefully, a new human. It’s a transformative experience for everyone that comes.