Download Festival 2007 at the Gorge in George, WA was a full-on packed event, with an eclectic mix of indie bands and loads of meet and greets too.

Check out a bit of the fun with a photo journal of the day. In no particular order, TIG brings you…

 

Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse shook up the main stage right on schedule about 9:30 Saturday night. Most striking to me (besides the realization that Modest Mouse actually exists… you get that kind of feeling after listening to a band for years before seeing them live) was Isaac Brock’s newly developed resemblance to Elliott Smith.

Despite the mass exodus of undoubtedly intoxicated college kids after the Incubus set, the anticipation of Modest Mouse’s set was palpable in the “treading-thin-ice-of-natural-disaster” eastern Washington air. Isaac Brock and company kicked the well responsive crowd into an extensive and joyous sing along/dance-off from square one. Nobody left this set disappointed or unsatisfied.

Incubus

Incubus heartthrob, Brandon Boyd, was welcomed to the stage by throngs of giddy girls. Much fist-thrusting and head-banging ensued through much of this Calabasas indigenous band. Radio hits and various other fan favorites such as “Drive” were performed, much to the glee of the young and shining audience.

 

Arthur and Yu

A fellow photog friend at KEXP professed his “massive crush” on Yu of Seattle band Arthur and Yu early in the afternoon before their set. Arthur, with his could-be lumberjack good looks, and Yu, with her brazenly tattooed arms, rocked the Plaza Stage audience, which included Kathy and Hutch of the Thermals (more on them coming soon).

Nada Surf

Barsuk all-stars, Nada Surf, enjoyed long lines at their Plaza side stage meet and greet. Even I, after saying hi to Matthew (MASSIVE CRUSH), swapping a couple words, and getting a peck on the cheek, could hardly contain myself as I walked away with what I was sure to be the most ridiculous grin and thin semblance of composore.

Later in the afternoon, the Seattle favorites rocked the masses with their awe-inspiring set. They played old favorites like "Blizzard of ’77" and "Hi-Speed Soul" and many more, including songs from their next album, scheduled for release in January of 2008. Though I’m certainly no stranger to Nada Surf live shows (Saturday was my sixth time seeing those lovely fellows live), the magic their songs possess never wear out.

The Presidents of the United States of America

These punky, middle aged white dudes from Seattle packed some punch! The antics of The Presidents of the USA certainly garnered much thrill and excitement from the crowd as they did the photographers. This set was a blast! Total melee, and I’m finding more and more how much I adore my job of shooting these kinds of bands.

First, it was beach balls, moshers, and flying keyboard stands at Capitol Hill… now it's beer/water/x liquid sloshing, and random massages from audience members. Even getting a can of Pabst to the face earlier in during the set was mildly… frickin’ awesome. I almost tripped over a kneeling photographer twice during the set, and was trampled by countless security guards through the trajectory of the set trying to keep the seemingly rabid fans at bay. MEDIA VIOLENCE, I’m telling you! Worrying about crowd surfers falling on my head at any moment definitely made my job more excitable. The Presidents had most definitely awakened from their five year slumber and not a soul in the audience must have doubted their indelible presence.

The Thermals

The Thermals bravely fielded questions posed at the Plaza side stage before their set. I think that if Kathy and Hutch dated, it would be the absolutely cutest rock pairing ever. {ed note: Chona, you're right, and I'm pretty sure they already have! ~igDana} The chemistry between the band members was salient throughout their whole set as the avidly screaming fans (the front row largely consisting of “DUDE I LOVE THIS BAND” college guys with their girlfriends) sang their approval. The Thermals put on one of the most energetic punk rock shows I've seen.
These guys are big, but I feel they’re gaining more and more rock star momentum every time I see them.

All in all, Download Festival 2007 was a hugely successful day for me, and I know I'm not the only one. To see all photos from the event, check out the complete Flickr photo set.