Described by most who attend with an almost holy reverence, Pickathon is an immersive, magical, and otherworldly music festival, tucked back in the woods beyond Happy Valley. Hosted at Pendarvis Farm, the fest's programming is—year after year—some of the best in Oregon, 2025’s lineup is no exception!  

It’s pretty wild, but I (Nolan Parker, Music Editor of the Portland Mercury) have never been to Pickathon! In light of this grave misfortune, I enlisted the help of Pickathon veteran Holly Hazelwood, who has covered the fest for many years. Her expert recommendations not only touch on the music happenings at the festival, but the Pickathon experience holistically. The Mercury is lucky to have her on board this year, do not sleep on her recs! 

Though this round-up focuses on the music of Pickathon, I would be remiss not to mention that seasoned Mercury writer Jenna Fletcher will be performing at the Windmill Stage on Sunday between 10 am and noon! Catch the Patron Saint of Crushes, along with heaps of other local wordsmiths, speaking to their experiences of music and human existence. NOLAN PARKER

Anna Butterss

For fans of Goat, Tune-Yards, Destroyer

Did the world-class jazz excellence of Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble last year leave you wanting something a little headier, maybe even a little bit cosmic? LA-based bass phenom (and collaborator of everybody from Phoebe Bridgers to Kevin Parker) Anna Butterss is a strong enough strain that Pickathon is only giving us one dose. They’ll be pulling double-duty and appearing with their jazz collective SML, but if you want the same flavor you get from last year’s Mighty Vertebrate, their 9 pm slot at Galaxy Barn on Sunday is your only chance. HOLLY HAZELWOOD

Ben Seretan

For fans of Holland Andrews, KMRU, Ann Annie

Outrageously prolific New Yorker Ben Seretan’s Pickathon schedule is like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Imagine waking up early Friday morning and finding yourself enchanted by his blissful ambient drones, perfect for centering yourself before the weekend really begins. Oh, you want more of that? His Lucky Barn set (Sun, 4 pm) is a must-see. But, do you wish he were… noisier? Seretan read your mind: He’ll be delivering a psych-rock assault at Windmill (Sun, 11 am) and Galaxy Barn (Sun, 11 pm). Just make sure you warn your friends about which version of Seretan you’re dragging them to check out. HH

Blu & Exile

For fans of Blue Scholars, Digable Planets, Bishop Nehru

Pickathon never gets enough hip-hop, but the acts they choose never, ever miss. LA-based duo Blu & Exile are no exception; they’re cut from the same timeless-but-rare cloth as fellow Los Angeleno Pickathon alums People Under the Stairs—a reminder of a time when the mighty turntable was just as essential to live hip-hop as the mic itself. Fresh off last year’s Love (the) Ominous World, their sound is almost quaint compared to today’s hip-hop landscape, but their sound is classic for a reason. How will the notorious dust of Pendarvis Farm affect the scratching skills of Exile? Come out to Galaxy Barn (Sat, 11 pm) and Cherry Hill (Sun,  9 pm) to find out—and bask in Blu’s truly underrated verbal dexterity. HH

Cactus Blossoms

For fans of Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Hiss Golden Messenger

Looking to pay subtle tribute to the late, great David Lynch? Allow the sweet harmonies of Minneapolitan duo the Cactus Blossoms to bring you back to Twin Peak's Roadhouse for an hour at a time on the Windmill stage (Fri, 11 am) and at Cherry Hill ( Sat, 5 pm). While other acts might take the indie-folk flavor, putting their own spin on it, the brother duo of Jack Torrey and Page Burkum carve their path by remaining steadfast torchbearers of the classic American folk sound. They’re not as funky as a fish in the percolator, but this is the kind of music Pickathon was created to showcase. HH

Cory Hanson

For fans of Rose City Band, Steve Gunn, Rosali

Do you miss the days when psych-gremlin Ty Segall was sure to be in some band performing at Pendarvis Farm? Let Cory Hanson soothe your sorrows. Long-time Pickathon nerds will remember the LA-based chameleon shredding with his band Wand, back in 2018—an energy he brought to his solo opus: 2023’s psych-Americana gem Western Cum. If you’re looking for that Allman Brothers-but-with-more-shrooms energy, his Galaxy Barn set (Sat, 1 am) is destined to be on your list. HH

Dougie Poole

For fans of Karl Blau, Austin Leonard Jones, A. Savage 

The New England-via-NYC alt-country artist Dougie Poole’s sophomore album, Freelancer’s Blues has been on heavy rotation since its 2020 release, bringing much needed light and humor to cataclysmically dark times. Album pinnacle “Natural Touch” utilizes the hook from the opening track of Leonard Cohen’s 1977 Death of a Ladies’ Man, “True Love Leaves No Traces,” with unbelievably nuanced results. 2023 saw the release of Poole's album The Rainbow Wheel of Death, taking a turn away from sampling of the classic country and folk cannon in favor of softer, fuzzier country music all Poole’s own. Released earlier this month, his live album At Tubby’s features tracks from across Poole’s catalog and is sure to be a good indicator of what to expect during his sets. NP

Fruit Bats

For fans of Mt. Joy, Kurt Vile, The Barr Brothers

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and the appearance of Eric D. Johnson at Pickathon. The Fruit Bats frontman (and former Portlander) has been everywhere on the farm over the last 15 years: Performing solo, singing alongside the rest of the Fruit Bats or in his supergroup Bonnie Light Horseman, warming audiences up from one of Pendarvia’s many DJ booths, and even taking part in the beloved Curation experience. If you’ve somehow still managed to avoid getting bitten by the Bats, this is your sign to join us in our adoration of Johnson. Catch'm at Cherry Hill (Sat, 11 pm) and/or the Paddock (Sun, 10 pm), ready to convert you with one of the strongest singing voices in indie rock—and some of the most consistent songwriting in the field, to boot. HH

Haley Heynderickx

For fans of Matt Dorrien, Weyes Blood, Indigo De Souza

Sunlight, prepare yourself to filter romantically through the pines during Haley Heynderickx's Cherry Hill set (Sun 7 pm) for her music is a sonic container collecting thoughts and emotions—processing deeply and then releasing. Or anyway, that’s what if feels like when Haley Heynderickx takes the stage. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ll all admit that seeing Heynderickx in a setting like Pickathon is most advantageous for experiencing the joyous highs and the devastating lows of her craft. The signature strain on her vocals pair perfectly with her lush acoustic plucking, subdued instrumentation inhaling and exhaling behind her… breathe it all in. And under the stars, at the Woods Stage (Fri, 11 pm), how much better? NP

J.R.C.G.

For fans of Casual Hex, U Sco, Manslaughter777

While we love the sway folk and more chill styles of music hold over of Pickthon's programming, it’s imperative the festival host artists outside those frameworks as well. One such musician on this year’s bill is Seattle’s Justin R. Cruz Gallego, AKA J.R.C.G. His sound is locked in with what many artists are doing right now: Blurring lines between genres like noise, punk, post-punk, and indie, with percussion and instrumentation from all over the world. J.R.C.G. might be the most action we see at the fest this year; bring your earplugs to Galaxy Barn (Fri, 5 pm). NP

Jenny Don’t & the Spurs

For fans of Toody Cole, Marty Robbins, The Collins Kids

The members of Jenny Don’t & the Spurs have a long history with Portland punk—from Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows, to Don’t's solo punk outfit Don’t. But don’t you dare get it twisted, partner: This is a real-deal country band, maybe the best in the Northwest! The release of their 2024 album Broken Hearted Blue sees the band deepening their legacy of taking the more traditional aspects of country music like lap steel and the Bakersfield Sound, and putting not only a 21st century spin on it, but also adding their distinctly Portland flavor to the mix. All this wrapped in Nudie-style duds? This cowboy is not-so-secretly fond of the band. NP

Michael Hurley Tribute

For fans of Michael Hurley, Doc Snock, Bad Mr. Mike

We lost one of Portland’s finest on April 1st this year. Michael Hurley was, and forever will be, one of the greatest song-writers to have ever passed through this temporal plane. He’s left us with an unbelievably dense catalog that is sure to expand over time with bootlegs, rarities, and lost recordings. Hurley was slated to play Pickathon this year, as he had done many times in the past—though he’s permanently split the scene, heading to that big juke joint in the sky, he’ll be with us forever. In celebration of the folk troubadour, Pickathon organized a tribute to be lead by longtime Hurley collaborator Lewi Longmire, with the Croakers who often backed Hurley as a band. NP

Portugal. The Man

For fans of Wild Orchid Children, Anatomy of a Ghost, The Sound of Animals Fighting 

The first time I saw Portugal. The Man it was St. Patrick’s Day 2005 when they opened for the now disbanded Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground at Seattle’s Vera Project. It’s been absolutely wild watching their initial ascent through the ranks of indie music, then breaking through to popular music charts with their absurdly catchy “Feel It Still,” that’s been stuck in my head since it dropped in 2017. Zooming out to look at their entire discography, the band—lead by John Gourley—has entire albums filled with pop music, psychedelic music, acoustic folk, twang inflected noise music, as well as tracks that defy categorization. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen the band live, though I reckon we’re about to be treated to a good helping from across their discography as well as their forthcoming album Denali. NP

Reyna Tropical

For fans of Y La Bamba, Orquestra Pacífico Tropical, Terror/Cactus 

Fun fact: Reyna Tropical’s Fabi Reyna is the founding editor of She Shreds Magazine. Need we say more? Okay, maybe we do: after nearly a decade of recording with the late Nectali Díaz, Reyna gave us her masterful, 20-song debut Malegría, an Afro-Colombian kaleidoscope of grief, joy, and—most importantly—the importance of queer love. Believe us, you need this butter-smooth dance-rock in your Pickathon experience, especially her Cherry Hill set (Thurs, 11 pm), which we anticipate being the performance you’ll hear “Fuck! I wish I’d caught that!” said about the most. Be the cool friend: Once she’s converted you, make sure your friends are there, ready to dance, at Woods Stage (Fri, 1 pm). HH

Rose City Band

For fans of Cut Worms, Bill Callahan, Vetiver

What’s that? You need more rock music that uses psychedelia’s expansive nature to capture the essence of listening to an old Willie Nelson tape in the middle of the night on a road trip—but you need it to be home-grown? Portlanders know Moon Duo/Wooden Shjips shredder Ripley Johnson’s Rose City Band is the most trusted name in modern psych-country. Influenced just as much by Jungian psychology as they are the Dead, their late-night sets are ready for the tail end of an acid trip, but don’t let their early set times at Woods Stage (Saturday 3 pm) and Grove Stage (Sunday 4 pm) deter you. You might not be tripping, but at least you’ll be watching one of modern psych’s greatest guitarists up close and personal as his band weaves together some of the juiciest sonic magic Pickathon has to offer this year. HH

Wild Pink

For fans of Deep Sea Diver, Rat Boys, Wednesday

If Cory Hanson doesn’t satisfy your hunger for craftsman-level neo-Americana, Pickathon alum (and MJ Lenderman tour mates) Wild Pink will help you conquer the craving on Saturday at the Windmill and Sunday in Galaxy Barn. They’ve tried on a lot of different genre hats over the years, and with last year’s Dulling the Horns, the Brooklynites were able to harness the melancholy and triumph embedded in the sound of twangy pedal steel. It’s pastiche, but the flavor is still all theirs; you’re still going to get Springsteenian lines like “Sometimes a dream ain’t meant to be lived in, it’s meant to be forgotten,” but Wild Pink drenched it all in the kind of guitar fuzz that gives away their Brooklyn roots. HH