The sum was shining though clouds dotted the sky, transportation was easy, with two stages you could see every single set, the VIP is worth every penny and with a little planning you can get front side for every set, the bands were uniformly great, and though I blew off Modest Mouse and Beck, put it down to age not venue.
That was the Governor's Ball a two day music fest, on Randall's Island in the Bronx, and I went on Sunday. Really? For one reason. I wanted to see Fiona Apple and couldn't find her any other way. Essentially $200 for the fest versus $500 to scalp at MHOW. With the aid of hindsight, I wish I had done both but…
Anyway, the stars aligned perfectly for this one and, besides a nightmare crossing of 5th Avenue during the Gay Pride parade, it couldn't have been a better afternoon but it could have been a better musical afternoon. I found it wearying to stand for so long and a pain in the ass to sit in the grass, the sound was so heavy on the bass it hurt set after set after set and while I enjoyed every set I saw to some degree or another, I didn't travel for two hours to see Cults or Phantagram -one built for MHOW, the other still at the opening band stage of their career. For Phanatagram: Mercury Lounge at 730p, yeah, sure, why not. 230p at Randall's, woah slow down their mister.
The fans seemed very nice. A lotta girls with tats and a lotta 20 something professionals on a one day vacation. They played frisbie and $7 slices of pizza and danced at the silent disco, which isn't so much fun once you've seen it up close.
There was free water taps and shade beneath trees and if this was what you wanted, I don't see how you could do better.
But I said I didn't like it. I have zero communal spirit, no interest in the outdoors, like as few distractions as I can manage. When you add it, is Devandra and Explosions worth an entire day of your life? No, they are not.