After five days of non-stop shows Portland’s MusicFest NW is now finally over. As part of Incase’s 6th-year returning sponsorship, this year festival organizer Trevor Solomon tasked us with curating two nights of shows at the downtown PDX venue Ted’s (formerly Berbati’s Pan). Rad.

On Friday, Sept. 7th, we debuted ‘Room 205 live’, bringing together a cadre of recent Room 205 musical guests for a night of live performance and sweaty, spasmodic dance moves, (including sets by Tropic of Cancer, Craft Spells, Crystal Antlers, Chelsea Wolfe, and hometown favorites BLOUSE). For this special event we filmed a concert documentary with celebrated director Greg Hunt, dp Gregg Schmitt and audio engineer Griffin Rodriguez. Look for the first episode of the doc to launch mid-October and the second half in mid-November.

On a related-but-entirely creepy note, Incase also sponsored the MFNW art show and pop-up shop of enigmatic entertainer Neckface at the One Grand Gallery on East Burnside. Titled “A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL!!!”, the exhibit showcases a wide range of Neck’s newest pen & ink drawings and a bevy of chilling tchotchkes, (including t-shirts, hoodies, poster prints, and pentagram-frosted chocolate cupcakes). For the occasion Incase created custom laser-etched Incase iPhone 4s cases brandishing one-of-a-kind Neckfacian one-liners like, “DRUNK AGAIN…,” “Snake Eyes,” and the ominous “YOU LOOK LIKE A MESS…THAT’S THE ONLY LOOK I’VE GOT LEFT”. Yes, it was a packed house. And yes, Ako Jefferson DJ’d using only an iPhone 4s and an RCA cable connected to a blown out PA. Brilliant. The gallery show and pop-up shop run Sept. 7th—Oct. 5th. Go if you’re feeling ghoulish.

On Saturday, September 8th, we hosted the Captured Tracks label showcase with Mac DeMarco, DIIV, The Soft Moon and Wild Nothing. From doors at 9PM until last call at 1:45AM, it is no exaggeration to say both night’s were sold out and sweaty beyond belief. All in all, both showcases went far beyond our expectations and made a lot of super-fans and festival attendees very, very happy.

Thanks again to Trevor Solomon, Matt Manza, Nathan Ostrander, Kenric Ashe, and Fasil Debeb at MFNW. Thanks again to our A/V crew Greg Hunt, Gregg Schmitt, and Griffin Rodriguez. Your friendship and considerable kindness have truly made this festival our favorite event of the year thus far. Thanks again to all of the performing artists and the extended Portland music community. We love this festival and are excited to return next year. Enjoy a quick Flickr set from MFNW 2012.

So what did the 8th Annual Pitchfork Music Festival look and sound like, you ask? Well, this year we experienced a bit of everything; rain, thunder, lightning, 87-degree heat and humidity, dozens of food vendors, scores of indie labels and poster artists.

Three stages, and nearly 60,000 wet n’ sweaty music lovers wilding out for three days…all howling along to their favorite artists, (including standout performances from Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, Beach House, Real Estate, The Field, King Krule, and a triumphantly reunited Chavez!). Thanks Chicago, we’ll see you again next year. Yes, we took lots of photos.

Held July 13-15th, Pitchfork is by far North America’s most eagerly anticipated outdoor music festival of summer. As a returning sixth-year sponsor we’ll be on hand gifting Pitchfork performing artists, festival attendees and production staff with a barrage of helpful Incase goodies.

As always, we recommend bringing a hat, ear plugs and comfy shoes. Maybe remember to eat snacks and drink water— it’s gonna be an all-day scorcher. Yup, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Grimes, Chavez, The Field, King Krule and Thee Oh Sees are all playing.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago soon.

Please join us for three days and nights of live performances from (among others) Built To Spill, We Were Promised JetPacks, Deerhoof, Titus Andronicus, Cloud Nothings, Chairlift, Ceremony, White Arrows, and Yelle (DJ set).

In total, nearly 30 bands and electronic artists will grace the stages of the 20,000 sq-ft MWTX indoor venue and adjacent 20,000 sq-ft outdoor courtyard. Whether you wanna lurk in the dark or bask in the sun, it is guaranteed to be a great time for everyone. Drink water, bring earplugs. We’ll see you soon.

In just a little over two days the Pitchfork Music Festival’s horde of disheveled, breezily attired patrons will again descend on Chicago’s Union Park. Held over the course of three delightful (albeit extremely hot+loud) days and nights, Pitchfork is hands-down the most anticipated independent outdoor music event of the summer. As a returning sponsor of the festival Incase will again be on hand gifting performing artists and festival attendees with a barrage of helpful goodies.

As always, please remember to bring a hat, ear plugs and comfy shoes. Eat something. Drink water. Perhaps even have a nap. Maybe bring a sheet or small blanket for lurking with pals on the lawn. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago soon!

After eight months of planning and hundreds of hours of heavy lifting, the 7th Annual FYF Fest finally happened this past Labor Day weekend at the LA State Historic Park. Was it hot outside? Terribly! Was it impossibly dusty? Yes! But that didn’t stop over 20,000 confirmed festival attendees from waiting in nearly 3-hour long lines to get in. How were the bands? Great! Festival standouts included Sleep, Big Freedia, Warpaint, Abe Vigoda, The Mountain Goats, Local Natives, OFF!, Unbroken, Cold Cave and Washed Out.

Did we gift piles of free cases for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS? It’s true, we did. Were people pumped? They were! A few times almost to the point of tears. (Just ask Incase industrial designer Tim Wall, he came down to survey the scene and instead got a crash course in learning just what it means to spend 12-hours gifting cases to thousands of wildly enthusiastic Incase lovers). He left a changed man. New insights, new memories, new tunes, new friends and new ideas. This is what community organized music & arts festivals are all about.

All jokes aside, we feel tremendously fortunate to work on FYF with our friends each year. It truly requires the efforts of our entire arts & music community to pull this thing off. To Phil and Sean at FYF Productions, Justin at Altamont Apparel, Chris at LA Record, Michael at Videothing.com, Alex at Stories Books & Cafe, and to Kevin and Andy at The Cha Cha Lounge… (among so many others), this festival couldn’t happen without the hard work and goodwill of every one of you. Thank you. And last but not least— to Michelle, Tamarra, Moses, Kelley, and Tim, thanks for braving such heat and lending your hands and ears to so many Incase fans this weekend. We look forward to sponsoring FYF Fest next year. Until then enjoy the FYF Fest 2010 photos on our Flickr stream.

At the Bagdad Theater on Friday, September 10th, Incase & MFNW will present the new concert documentary Burning by Scottish post-rock giants Mogwai. If you’re at all wondering what this means, we can spell it out in three words: serious rock action. If an instrumental band ever deserved having a full-length concert film made about their live show it would be Mogwai. Bring ear plugs and a quadruple espresso. Doors at 7PM, tickets are $5 clams. For a chance to win film tickets and VIP passes to the festival check: @MUSICFESTNW

We’ll also be at Pioneer Square on September 11-12th for two nights of outdoor concerts with festival headliners The National, The Walkmen, Helio Sequence and The Decemberists. Join us as we gift a zillion Incase Snap Cases and get deeply weird enjoying the city’s Indian summer. Check the recap of MFNW 2009. Really, it’s worth it!

Chicago is a magnificent city. Massive, industrious and steeped in American musical history… all of which makes it the perfect setting for the summer annual Pitchfork Music Festival. Check the photos and read the recap.

Chicago is a magnificent city. Massive, industrious and steeped in American musical history… all of which makes it the perfect setting for the summer annual Pitchfork Music Festival. Chicago in July, however, generally offers one of two weather vibes. You’re either dying of heat exhaustion or running from thundershowers and lightning. Last year saw scattered rain and even a bit of fog, which kept the mood nice and mellow. This year? It was blazing hot from sunrise to sundown for three straight days. Like, 90-degrees in the shade-style hot. So glad Matt the Ice Cream Man posted his van next to us.

So what did this year’s Pitchfork look like? 54,000 music lovers. Four dozen street meat trucks and various food vendors (once again the curry cart was the best). Thousands of bicycles. Dozens of indie record labels and arts & crafts vendors. 3,200 free Incase iPhone cases. Thousands of sweaty music lovers running around, spazzing out, falling down, flailing wildly, singing along and taking naps. Tents… and thousands of sunburns….

Stand out performances included Bear In Heaven, LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, Lightning Bolt, Kurt Vile, Titus Andronicus, Sharon Van Etten, Major Lazer and Robyn (yes, the Swedish pop star). For the sixth straight year in a row, the artists, vendors, festival organizers and fans alike made Pitchfork one of (if not the) best summer music festival in North America. We hope to see you next year.