As we've already covered, there are a lot of tough choices to be made when it comes to the MusicfestNW schedule. One might suppose that opening night was meant to ease us into those difficult situations since there were only three concurrent bills to choose between. Xavier Rudd played the digeridoo and was louder than expected at the Crystal Ballroom and Mogwai's hawk howled at the Roseland Theater, but we caught the four-headed pop monster (is that band name taken?) making up the Spin showcase at Berbati's. To the color, then...
The pleasant surprise of the night, if only because we were the least familiar with their work, Chicago's 1900s were a sunny, poppy, harmonizing machine.
Portland's own Norfolk & Western, down a member with the apparent departure of their violist, delivered a jaunty set marked by Adam Selzer's flourishes of guitar feedback. They closed with a take on the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On." 
Cultivating an increasingly strong following around these parts, Langhorne Slim and his band the War Eagles played a typically passionate, soulful, sweat-soaked set to a now raucous crowd. 
Admittedly feeling nostalgiac, The Old 97's closed the night with an extended high-energy set that drew liberally from their early catalog. Spot on versions of old favorites like "Barrier Reef," "Doreen," and "W. TX Teardrops," (not to mention a splendid rendition of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried") reminded us why we liked these guys in the first place, while songs from their latest release, Blame It On Gravity, reminded us why we still do. Fifteen years after their formation The Old 97's clearly still love performing together and it showed. 
Plenty more photos to be had here or here.
M. Ward was also in the house last night, taking things in like a regular pedestrian before his headlining show tonight at the Crystal Ballroom. More than a few of us here are hoping for a surprise She & Him set. Other whole-hearted recommendations we can throw out there for tonight include another Berbati's bill, this one featuring Nada Surf, Pseudosix, Port O'Brien, and Love as Laughter; Star-f-er (as we know them) go on at 11 as part of the bill at Holocene; and The Whigs from Athens, GA go on at midnight to close out a bill at Dante's that also includes Richmond Fontaine, among others. Enjoy yourselves.
We're back here with more same time tomorrow....
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