By Ben Niesen

PORTLAND, Ore. — Big Thief and Denzel Curry closed out a successful second day of Project Pabst at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Sunday.

Just as the night before, locals found other ways to enjoy the music. Some coalesced on the Morrison Bridge; others made for the water, using whatever craft was available to them. Others climbed atop a public restroom just outside the festival grounds.

“Thanks for coming out and climbing the light poles,” Big Thief vocalist Adrianne Lenker said with a laugh.

The day’s other highlights included rapper Kenny Mason, rocker Jeff Rosenstock and singer-songwriter Miya Folick, and featured a wide swath between rock, punk, folk and hip-hop. That followed an opening day that included Billy Idol, T-Pain and Violent Femmes.

Attendees could indulge in new tattoos at the Inkbus or peruse vintage clothing and graphic novels from local storefronts Pallet and Floating World Comics. Local establishment The Ribbon was also set up for drinks and pinball, with pop-up shop Driptone Records offering vinyl album crates to dig through. The day’s pace and atmosphere were leisurely, with ample time for discovery.

“That was intentional,” festival spokeswoman Rachel Keeton said about the more laidback vibe on the second day. “We know people are going to come out Saturday with a little more energy.”

Big Thief

Big Thief debuted 10 new songs at the festival in what was its first show without longtime bassist Max Oleartchik, who departed earlier this month. “We wouldn’t be who we are without Max,” the band said in a statement on Instagram. In his place, Lenker introduced a new member named Justin, who filled in admirably as the band jammed out and explored new material like “Incomprehensible” and “Grandmother.”

Dressed in a vintage Grateful Dead tour shirt, Lenker ripped solo after solo on a Gibson guitar for staple hits “Masterpiece” and “Not.” The band closed the show with a meditative new piece, “Space and Time,” as Lenker mused on the limits of love. When the song was over, the band headed offstage as the crowd cheered and pleaded for an encore. Unfortunately, local noise ordinances had made 10 p.m. a hard limit.

Denzel Curry

Denzel Curry, hot off the release of new album King Of The Mischievous South, Vol. 2, hyped the crowd from “about a seven” to an emphatic 10 with a call-and-response contest that pitted the left side of the crowd against the right. The Miami area rapper was the energetic highpoint of the day. His set closed down the Unicorn Stage and featured much of his material from the new record, including “Black Flag Freestyle” and “Hit The Floor,” and directing the audience for “Hot One.”

“Everytime I say the ‘block is,’ you say ‘hot,’” Curry instructed. The audience heartily complied, growing louder with every response.

Soccer Mommy

Over at the Captain Pabst stage, Sophie Allison’s ‘90s-inspired sound recalled the halcyon days of Portland before “Portlandia.” The lead woman behind Soccer Mommy filled downtown with a scuzzy alternative guitar tone sandwiched between dream-pop melodies that could have soundtracked the next Sofia Coppola film.

Manchester Orchestra

Manchester Orchestra brought an equally high-octane energy. Its brand of rock could have easily filled Memorial Coliseum (the former home of the Portland Trail Blazers) just across the river. Instead, the Atlanta rockers filled downtown with plenty of life. Guitarist Robert McDowell and bassist Andy Prince leaped across the stage as Andy Hull’s reverb-heavy vocals soared on devastatingly beautiful lyrics as the sun began to tuck behind the West Hills.

The audience joined Hull for the chorus of “Shake It Out,” and “I Can Barely Breath,” singing in unison, “‘Cause when I fly solo, I fly so high.” When the set was about to end, one attendee hollered, “We love you, Manny O,” to Hull’s amusement.

“Thank you-o, but I don’t know you-o,” Hull replied, playing along before launching into the finale of “Where Have You Been?”

Militarie Gun

Sets from Los Angeles singer-songwriter Miya Folick and band Militarie Gun crowned the mid-afternoon. The latter lifted the energy with a post-hardcore set that centered around forgiveness and understanding that mistakes are not the be-all, end-all. Before closing its set, Militarie Gun singer Ian Shelton gave a shout-out to the American Sign Language interpreters, commenting on the energy that they gave to his band’s performance.

Glitterfox

The day started with Portland darlings Glitterfox kicking off the Unicorn Stage with some new-fashioned Americana rock. Despite the sky being overcast early on, the band turned up the emotional warmth with “Married to the Ground.” Feeling the moment, stagehands came in with a host of fans and a leafblower to cool off the band and give each member a turn to audition their best windswept poses.

“I thought I was going to lose my extensions,” lead singer Solange Igoa said. “Could you see it on my face?”

Follow photographer Leah Flores at Instagram.com/LeahFloresArt.