Conditions couldn’t be more perfect out here at the Gorge for the sixth annual Sasquatch! Music Festival. It’s 70-something degrees, high clouds are gauzing out the sun, and a beautiful breeze continually kicks up at the perfect moment.

The first of those came at during the final song of the Slip’s 1 pm set, as the Boston trio segued into “Children of December,” one of their signature tunes. Almost indie, almost jammy, it’s a beautiful composition that allows singer Andrew Barr’s vocals to shine on some sweetly sentimental lyrics. Maybe it was just the cool breeze, but I was attacked by a suddun rush of goosebumps: blue sky, good friends, gorgeous music, total contentment. The Slip are one of those bands that you either have a soft spot for or don’t; after following their musical evolution for the last few years, I definitely do.

First set of the day for me was the Saturday Knights at the main stage, where the hometown homeboys ran laps and ran the crowd. “This will be a demonstration of fun,” was Tilson’s introduction. He, Barfly, and Suspense were joined by a (new?) guitarist and banged out a few from their EP and a bunch of new numbers. Sample trainspotting netted a snippet from the Bar-Kay’s bass rumbler “Holy Ghost,” the Pixie’s “Where Is My Mind,” and the guitar line from “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago. Nice. More than hiphop or rock, I hear TSK as finely-crafted pop music—all la-la-la’s and catchy choruses—and for an opening set their party-hearty upbeatitude was just right.

Just caught Two Gallants wreck the Wookie Stage. Wasn’t sure how their punk folk blues, so perfectly suited to dark bars and basements, would translate to a sunny outdoor stage, but as Eric Grandy noted, they’ve got a hobo kinda vibe, and hobos have no choice but to play outside. The band was, as usual, riveting, consistently one of my favorite live acts. They were joined onstage by a third Gallant, Blood Brother Cody Votolato, rocking a mean tambourine. They previewed “Seems Like Home to Me” from their new EP (Oh shit! The Saturday Knights have entered the media trailer—Barfly with beer in hand, Tilson “walking on gold” in some snazzy-ass gilded Nikes. That’s how you make an entrance.) that blended into an older fan favorite “Steady Rollin’.” Both songs rock with that beer-swinging, broken-hearted blues that the Gallants do so well. In the midst of “Steady Rollin” singer Adam Stephens threw in a new verse, “If you go to Houston, you best walk right,” a nod to the band’s run-in with the law during a show there. Following Stephens’ masked smiles and drummer Tyson Vogel’s Animal-style drumming, “My Baby’s Gone” closed out the hard-hitting set, an unrecorded track from way back in the band’s catalog. The crowd ate it up.

Only four hours in and it’s already been a phenomenal day. The Gorge is an epic setting for a festival like this. The grounds aren’t too big and arent’ too small and the backdrop behind the main stage—the Columbia River Gorge opening up in a massive, grand vista—is breathtaking.

Speaking of, time to catch some Neko Case over there at the main stage. Rock on!